Rugged walking trails, rare Mayo surnames, and some Irish music….

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.

---

FAVOURITE PLACES IN IRELAND
Sheep’s Head Peninsula, County Cork. (See it on a map here.)

Kicking off a trip over the next few weeks around the Wild Atlantic Way, this is a gem I’ve walked countless times. The lighthouse stands guard at the tip, where land narrows between Bantry Bay and Dunmanus Bay. You can feel generations of footsteps in these trails. Whether cycling the rugged headland, hiking the marked paths, or pausing to hear the wind that inspired the Bantry Girls Lament, this is Cork at its finest. Next week we continue northward, so stay tuned.

---

FEATURED IRISH SURNAMES – Rare Mayo Surnames

Do you have any surnames from County Mayo in your family tree? Your surname might even be a rare one! Check out the rarest Irish surnames from County Mayo here on John Grenham – and see if you can spot your own surname in the mix.

---

BOOK I’M READING NOW
“Collected Poems” by Patrick Kavanagh

Have you ever walked a country lane in Ireland and felt a whisper of something deeper than the tourist trail? That’s what you’ll find in Patrick Kavanagh’s Collected Poems. He captures the Ireland I knew, not of shillelaghs and shamrocks, but of quiet fields and kitchen tables. Kavanagh gives us the authentic heart of our heritage, finding the universal in small parish disputes and farming seasons. Pure timeless magic. Check out the book here. Or while we’re at it, why not have a listen to his poem Raglan Road being brought to life by Luke Kelly.

---

IRISH WORD OR PROVERB

“Ní thagann ciall roimh aois”

Which translates to “Sense does not come before age.”

Click here to hear how it’s said in Irish.

---

IRISH CRAFT/PRODUCT WE LOVE

Looking for a piece of Ireland that truly tells a story? Furniture designer Cian Magill transforms sycamore wood from County Galway into stunning wooden maps of Ireland that you can hang on your wall. What makes these pieces special is the personal touch—each map can be engraved with your family’s native townland or any message you want, in either English or Gaelic. You can even add in your own Irish surname! Check out more here.

---

RIDDLE OF THE WEEK

“What is it which makes everybody sick but those who swallow it?”

Click here to see the answer.

---

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!