Blarney Castle, Irish and English names, and hand woven tapestries…

Céad míle fáilte, welcome to your Letter from Ireland “Shorts”.  Each Tuesday we’ll bring you a quick-read of some of our favourite and interesting Irish things for this week.

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FAVOURITE PLACES IN IRELAND
Blarney Castle, County Cork. (See it on a map here.)

Have you been to Blarney Castle? We toured the castle and grounds a while back, and shot this video while we were at it. Built way back in the 15th century, this castle’s claim to fame is the Blarney Stone. Legend has it that if you kiss this chunk of limestone, you’ll get the “gift of the gab”. The castle grounds are also gorgeous, with cool gardens to explore, some amazing views, and there are tons of little nooks and crannies to discover. It’s easily made our list of the top castles in Ireland. 

For Letter from Ireland Plus members: Also check out our County Cork Revisited Homelands Feature here for much more.

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FEATURED IRISH SURNAMES – English vs. Irish names

A bit of a departure from surnames this week. Do you know your given name in Irish? Does your first name have an equivalent Irish name? Read more about it here – and see if you can find the Irish equivalent to your English name!

If you can’t find it in the list then you can always give our Irish name translator a whirl.

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BOOK I’M READING NOW
“Tracing Your Irish Ancestors (5th Edition)” by John Grenham

Green Room members will know John Grenham well as they get free access to his very useful site johngrenham.com. 

This book is another option to get your fill of his knowledge if you prefer to research the traditional way! It covers how to get started with Irish family history, navigating online records efficiently, understanding various record types, and more. It’s a very comprehensive tool for both beginners and experienced researchers looking to explore their Irish roots in the digital age. Check out the book on Amazon. 

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IRISH WORD OR PROVERB

“Cupán tae”

Which translates to “Cup of Tea”, one phrase that you’ll find almost everyone in Ireland knows in Irish! 

Click here to listen to how a native Irish speaker would say it.

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IRISH CRAFT/PRODUCT WE LOVE

Frances Crowe is a world-renowned and well-established artist who makes unique, one-of-a-kind tapestries, such as the one pictured below. Her work is woven with so much care and skill, it’s a privilege just to own one! Check out their shop here. 

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RIDDLE OF THE WEEK

“What word denoting a volume of water spelled with three letters can be expressed with one?”

Click here to see the answer.

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That’s it for this week. Send us an email with any of your own favourites for inclusion in future emails, or if you’re a plus member leave a comment below.

Slán for now,
Mike & Carina.

*Note: The above article may contain some affiliate links (for example Amazon) which means we get paid a small amount should you choose to purchase, at no extra cost to you. This helps us keep the show on the road!