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

Looking down the long room in Trinity College University library, Dublin.

Irish Books – TOP 10 As Chosen By Readers

This is a list of popular books that are mentioned many times in our Green Room Book Club. 

The books listed cover the topics of Irish history, The famine, colourful country life, letters, Irish cooking, fictional genealogy, murder mysteries and Celtic spirituality. Something for everyone!

The Irish Shamrock – Does It Best Represent Ireland?

A somewhat contentious question for this week. Does the Irish shamrock best represent Ireland – or is there another contender? This question was on the mind of our guest contributor for this week – Simon O’Flynn, who recently retired from his Butcher’s shop after 68 years in the business. Simon often shares a story or…

St. Patricks Burial Place in graveyard in County Down, Ireland.

St. Patrick – Come Walk in His Irish Footsteps

This week sees the celebration of Saint Patrick’s day here in Ireland and in many places with a strong Irish connection around the world. Maybe you will attend a Saint Patrick’s day parade or celebration in your own part of the world?  I thought it would be fun to take you on a tour today…

A Unique Insight into Our Celtic Past

What do you think of when you hear the word “Celt” or “Celtic”? Maybe you picture druids with flowing robes in a misty setting near a stone circle, or maybe you think of the collective peoples of Ireland, Scotland and Wales? Surprisingly little is known for sure about the roots and origins of the Celts.…

Celtic cross in Irish church graveyard

Would you Follow these Rules for 40 days?

When I was growing up in Ireland as a young Roman Catholic, a number of things were true for the majority of us Roman Catholics at the time: Few of us youngsters paid much attention to the reflections, suggestions and instructions issued within those letters. The pastoral Letters were, in our minds, aimed at the…

Irish Culture & Customs Podcasts

Is This The Best Memorial For an Irish Ancestor? (#743)

In this episode we look at two types of storyteller. First, we have the “bard” who composes songs to honour the deeds and exploits of the great (and not so great) among us. In this case, a certain gentleman called “Thady Quill” had a song composed in his honour which has lived on long past…

Celtic cross in Irish church graveyard

How The Irish Saved Civilisation (#742)

In this episode, we look at the time of the Brehon laws of Ireland and take an example of just some of these Gaelic common laws that held our society together. We also chat about the Brehon families and some of the Irish surnames associated with these families. We then go on to chat about…

Outside MacCarthy's Irish bar on a summer day

Come Into An Irish Pub (#740)

In this episode, we feature two Irish Pub stories- intriguingly connected together. In the first story, we chat about the book McCarthy’s Bar – which gives a comical view of both the Irish Pub and the Irish by Pete McCarthy. We then travel to the pub featured on the cover of that book – McCarthy’s Bar…

Red Hair

Grace Kelly & Maureen O’Hara – 2 Irish Movie Stars (#739)

Today we feature two Irish movie stars from the golden age of Hollywood – Grace Kelly and Maureen O’Hara. In one story we chat about the “Two Graces of County Mayo” and then we take a trip up Maureen O’Hara’s ancestry tree. We even manage to uncover songs on which they feature. Not to be…

15 Flowers – An Irish Musical Daisy-Chain (#738)

In this extended musical edition of the Letter from Ireland podcast, we share 15 songs performed by 15 Irish artists. Each song has a connection with the song that went before it – and the one that goes after it. Hence the title! We feature artists you may already be familiar with – Van Morrison,…