Dunbrody Famine Ship, Killing Snows and Ogham…

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 
New Ross, Co. Wexford. New Ross is home to a replica of the Dunbrody Famine ship. Between 1845 and 1851, the Dunbrody Famine Ship carried thousands of emigrants to North America during the famine. Click here for a tour from Carina and hear more about passenger life on board the ship.

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FEATURED IRISH SURNAME
Our Irish surname of the week is O’Reilly/O’Riley. The O’Reillys are connected to the O’Connor kings of Connacht through a gentleman called “Ragheallach”, from whom the O’Reillys took their name. The O’Reillys originally held territory near Lough Oughter in Cavan, but as their numbers grew, they expanded their families and their land, notably into Westmeath. To see where the name appears in Ireland in the mid 1800s go to this page on Johngrenham.com

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BOOK I’M READING NOW
The Killing Snows by Charles Egan. The Great Irish Famine of 1846 was undoubtedly one of the most challenging periods in Ireland’s history. However, amidst the hardships, this heartwarming tale emerges of a young couple who met, fell in love and got married. Their poignant story showcases bravery, resilience and the enduring power of love all through those difficult times. See the book on Amazon here.

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IRISH WORD OR PROVERB

“Go dté tú slán“
(pronounced “guh day too slawn”) you can hear it in the song Siúil a Rúin.

It translates as “may you go with health”.

This phrase is why we now use the word “slán” for goodbye even though it really translates as “health”.

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IRISH CRAFT/PRODUCT WE LOVE

O’Dalaigh Jewellers are second generation family jewellers from Clifden in Co. Galway. They have some great stuff but I think their Ogham collection is particularly beautiful. We’re not the only ones to think highly of them, apparently Dave Grohl of the Foo Fighters is a fan and the Irish government gave the US president one of their pieces on a recent visit. Have a look at a video of their story here.

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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 the Amazon link) which means we get paid a small amount should you choose to purchase. This helps us keep the show on the road!