Irish Culture & Customs Resources
In this section I share articles on Irish music, dancing, poetry, writing, story-telling and history. Many of the topics that we consider to be quite unique in our shared Irish heritage.
Browse the features listed on this page and jump to one that interests you, or enter a placename, surname or other item in the search box below to see related letters and podcasts.
Irish Culture & Customs Letters
I often hear from readers who are frustrated with the number of Johns, Marys, Williams, Catherines etc. in their Irish family tree as it makes it nearly impossible to sort out who is who with any degree of certainty! Today, we’ll focus on one of these “recurring” Irish names, a name with ancient gaelic origins…
For me, this is a special time as we transition into the winter here in Ireland – a time when I am aware of our connections to the past and those who have gone before us. In bygone days, it was a time when people felt closer to their ancestors – and many traditions have grown up around…
One of the things we are most proud of here in Ireland are the work of our writers and poets. These wonderful characters manage to capture the mood and thoughts of a whole nation when they’re performing at their peak. A member of this mighty band of Bards – Derek Mahon – passed away earlier this week. In the…
Many of our Irish ancestors would spend days on the “bog” in their parish – digging peat (we call it turf in Ireland) with a special shovel called a “slean” and then setting it out in low piles to dry on the surface for a few weeks. Days in the bog were filled with hard…
Given the connection to this celtic festival, it is no coincidence that we celebrate Lá Fhéile Bríde (Law Ail-ah Bree-da) – St. Brigid’s Day – on February 1st in honour of our greatest female saint. St Brigid has a special place in the hearts of the Irish and her story and traditions have passed down…
Irish Culture & Customs Podcasts
In this episode of the Letter from Ireland Show we meet five different Irish Heroes of Culture and Heritage. These are five very different individuals who show visitors very different – and authentic – sides of Ireland.
Have you ever heard of the Celtic festival of Bealtaine – marking the start of an Irish summer? In this podcast, Carina shares some of her special travels and memories at this wonderful time of year.
Meet the publisher of “The Atlas of Irish Revolution” – Mike Collins. We chat about the Atlas and his own Irish family history.
Carina talks with a very unique individual that we discovered in the wilds of West Cork! Cormac Lally originally comes from Tullamore in County Offaly
In this show, we look at a a very special connection between Saint Valentine and Ireland – and share lots of insights on the first name Valentine.