Flowing green fields, epic staircases, reading rooms, wine cellars and luxurious conservatories – how does that sound?

Many of us dream of living in an Irish country house, where sipping your tea and reading the morning paper are the order of the day. If you’re ready to put your feet up and feel like doing it in a spectacular setting, a new Irish property has just come on the market that will have you daydreaming about being a character in Downton Abbey.

Marlfield House is an 18th-century Georgian-style mansion in Co. Tipperary which you can get your hands on for a cool $1.52 million. Although parts of the building have already been redesigned into luxury apartments, much of it remains as it has been for decades, even sporting a war wound or two from attacks by anti-Treaty parties during the Irish Civil War.

Set on the banks of the River Suir, the former Bagwell family home comes with fishing rights and a private lake and the beautiful town of Clonmel is just a ten-minute drive away.

The house was originally built by Colonel John Bagwell MP in 1785 and remained in the hands of this wealthy and influential family until the 1970s. It still bears the scorch marks from an arson attack in the Irish Civil War when the republicans rebelled against the then-owner John Bagwell, who was a senator in the first government in the Irish Free State in 1923. These scars only add to the history of the property.

The first and second floor have been converted to apartments, a different offering, although these can be removed with planning permission if the new owner wants to restore the house to a more authentic manner.

“The apartments are created with stud partitions and careful thought has been given to maintaining the integrity of ceiling cornices,” David Ashmore, agent for Ireland Sotheby’s International Realty, told Mansion Global.

Marlfield House is “a wonderful example of Irish architectural excellence and significance,” Ashmore said.

Running alongside the River Suir, the surrounding 31 acres of land are magical as they stretch out out from the 14-bedroom, nine-bathroom 22,640 square feet house. The central block of the house ladders up to four floors, the basement and ground floor of which are retained in their original form. (Apart from a gym, which we presume was not on the wishlist of a powerful 18th-century family but may well be a selling point to a 21st-century one.)

As if this and the wine cellar weren’t idyllic enough, the conservatories off the ground floor rooms were also created by Richard Turner, whose other spectacles included the Palm House at Kew Gardens in London, the Palm House at Belfast Botanic Gardens and the Curvilinear Range at the Irish National Botanic Gardens.

While this all sounds absolutely perfect for afternoon tea, it can’t be forgotten that the nearby Clonmel is also the home of Magners Cider (known as Bulmers in Ireland), a go-to drink on sunny days.

Now, if only we had a spare one and a half million lying around!

Marlfield House is being sold by Ireland Sotheby’s International Realty. You can find more information on the property here.

H/T: Mansion Global

If you're lucky enough to be spending this Bloomsday in Dublin, chances are you'll want to visit all the top places mentioned in James Joyce's iconic "Ulysses." To help you on your way, IrishCentral has compiled a list of Dublin landmarks that are featured in James Joyce’s 1922 masterpiece, which follows protagonist Leopold Bloom on his day-long journey through the streets of Dublin. 

Joyce’s work is so beloved by his fans that is it celebrated around the globe annually on Bloomsday, June 16, the very same date that Dedalus set out into Dublin in 1904.

You can retrace the steps of Leopold Bloom by taking your own tour of the following sites.

1. Martello Tower, Sandy Cove

This spot is now home to “The James Joyce Tower and Museum.” The first chapter of “Ulysses,” “Telemachus,” features this landmark.

The museum showcases Joyce’s possessions and other memorabilia associated with the novel, including an empty pot of Plumtree’s Potted Meat. The tower has been restored to resemble the rooms as they would have been in 1904. The museum was created through the efforts of artist John Ryan. Ryan is responsible for the first Bloomsday in 1954.

Visit here for more details.

2. Clifton School, Dalkey

Located in a seaside suburb of Dublin, some eight miles south-east of the city center, the Clifton School is today the site of the Summerfield Lodge. Joyce himself taught history here for one term in this setting for the “Nestor” episode.

3. Sandymount Strand

This beach is situated on the east coast of Ireland, next to the village and suburb of Sandymount in Dublin. Considered the most famous beach in Irish fiction, it makes up the south side of Dublin Bay.

Sandymount Strand serves as the setting for both the third episode “Proteus” and 13th episode “Nausicaa” in the book. The most controversial scene in the novel takes place here as Leopold Bloom pleasures himself to a young Gertie lifting her skirt. This scene led to “Ulysses” being banned in the USA for obscenity.

4. Glasnevin Cemetery

Ireland’s largest non-denominational cemetery is 120 acres and dates back to 1832. The setting for the “Hades” episode is marked by high walls and watchtowers that were originally built to deter body-snatchers in the 18th and 19th centuries. Such prominent Irish figures as Daniel O’Connell, Micheal Collins, Eamon de Valera, Christy Brown, and Luke Kelly of the Dubliners are all buried here.

For more information on the Glasnevin Cemetry.

5. Princes Street, Dublin

The street is a major thoroughfare and urban center in Dublin. “The Aleous” episode was set here. It runs off O’Connell Street and was the site of the old Capitol Theatre.

6. National Library of Ireland, Dublin

The building, designed by Thomas Newenhan Dean, dates back to 1877. Located on Kildare Street, this Irish institution is a reference library housing Irish-related books, manuscripts, music, newspapers, periodicals and photographs. It provides genealogy services as well.The library is featured prominently in the “Scylla and Charybdis” episode.

For more information on Ireland’s National Library

7. Grafton Street, Dublin

The famous street is one of the major thoroughfares of Dublin, running from St. Stephens Green to College Green. Lined with high-end shops it is considered the fifth most expensive main shopping street in the world.

Grafton Street is also famed for the Trinity College Provost's House, the Molly Malone statue, and street performers. Famous entertainers such as Glen Hansard (from the movie “Once”), Damien Rice, and Rodrigo y Gabriela have plied their musical craft on Grafton Street as street buskers.

It acts as the setting for the “The Wandering Rocks” chapter.

8. Ormond Hotel, Dublin

The hotel is located in Dublin on Ormond Quay on the River Liffey. The hotel, the setting for the “Sirens” episode, has been completely remodeled since Leopold Bloom stayed there in 1904. It was originally one building and not the five that occupy the site today. The hotel tries to keep Joyce’s legacy alive with a plaque commemorating the spot and a “Sirens Lounge.”

9. Barney Kiernan's, now the Claddagh Ring, Little Britain Street

The famous setting of the “The Cyclops” episode takes place in the pub Barney Kiernan's. This watering hole, located on 8-10 Little Britian Street in Dublin, is now known as the Claddagh Ring.

* Originally published June 2014. 

He was in the airline business. He was American. And he knew his golf.

You know, he said, the American golfer who makes a first foray across the Atlantic typically goes to Scotland first.

Then the golfer goes to Ireland.

Then returns to Ireland.

This, of course, begged the question: why?

I’ll attempt to answer, but first an admission.

I am biased because I am from Ireland and much of my youth was spent of golf courses there, one in particular, where my dad and other family members enjoyed membership.

That said, I am also objective enough to know that in writing about Ireland as one of the planet’s prime golf destinations I am on very firm ground indeed, anything but a voice in the wilderness, or the rough.

And here’s another thing. I have played the game all over the United States and that includes Hawaii.

I have walked the walk at the likes of Augusta National and Pinehurst. I have cast an admiring eye over Pebble Beach.

And yet I still close my eyes and imagine a fair Irish day on a green Irish fairway.

I also imagine better shots than I’m capable of hitting, but that’s another story.

At the end of this homage to Irish golf - being penned just days before the U.S. Open in a place called Erin Hills (Wisconsin) no less - I will repeat what has been said to me by more than one American golfer, this with regard to where arguably the most spectacular golf course on planet earth can be found.

It’s an Irish course…of course.

And, yes, this is a subjective point of view. It’s really impossible to rate a course as being “best” in the world. But “spectacular” leaves a little more wiggle room.

And, as stated, the affirming with regard to this particular course opinion has been directed at yours truly more than once.

So where there’s smoke…..

I have not played this course, but have played a fair few other Irish courses that certainly rate in global terms.

So let’s take a little trip around the island and name a few.

First up though, it’s important to note that golf, along with a number of other sports, is an all island affair in terms of governance.

There is no border in Irish golf.

This fact led to all the ballyhoo a while back regarding Rory McIlroy and whether he would represent Ireland or Great Britain in the Olympics.

He didn’t play in the games, but had he done so it would have been for Ireland.

Rory is a pivotal figure in Irish golf in more ways than one.

His foundation is a prime sponsor of the Irish Open, this year being played in Portstewart, County Derry in early July.

McIlroy’s success in golf majors, along with that of Graeme McDowell and Darren Clarke, both from Northern Ireland, has been instrumental in the decision to bring The Open to Royal Portrush, just down the road from Portstewart, in 2019.

Padraig Harrington’s name being twice inscribed on the Claret Jug is also a factor.

This return of The Open to the Antrim coast draws a link back to 1951 when the oldest of golf’s majors was played there and won by Max Faulkner, a player remembered for his preference for plus fours instead of golfing slacks.

Faulkner was a standout in more ways than just dress.

The story has it that after three rounds through the rolling Portrush dunes, Faulkner was signing autographs that already proclaimed himself as the winner of the tournament.

True, he was six shots up after 54 holes but stranger things have happened. In this case they didn’t.

I met Max Faulkner when I was a kid.

He was playing at that course where I spent so much of my youth, Woodbrook, which straddles the line between Dublin and Wicklow.

I remember those odd looking plus fours. Faulkner was also a nice guy, or at least a tolerant one as he was being buzzed by whippersnappers like myself eager for player monikers.

Royal Portrush and Portstewart rate highly then.

And in Ulster there’s another brace to add to the list of must-plays. Royal County Down for sure, and I have fond memories of a nice stroll around Rosapenna links in County Donegal, a place where you could tee off on the eighteenth at 10.30 on a midsummer’s night and, assuming no diversions into the rough, finish in a manageable gloaming. 

Being an island, Ireland has an abundance of links courses but also some truly beautiful parkland venues.

The K Club in Kildare and Mount Juliet in Thomastown, Co. Kilkenny come to mind.

In the case of the latter, there is a claim that this is the best parkland course on the island. Well, it was designed by Jack Nicklaus so that’s an argument that would be difficult to refute.

Druid’s Glen in County Wicklow is definitely worth a visit. Killarney, which I have battled my way around, is for sure another as is Adare Manor in County Limerick.

The aforementioned Woodbrook, which hosted a number of Ireland’s top tournaments in the 1960s and 1970s, is beside the Irish Sea but is rated a parkland course because it is fronted by mud cliffs.

The wind has had its wicked way with some of the course trees, not least pines that end up leaning this way and that.

Sometimes, with a quick glance at certain corners of the course, you would actually be reminded a little of Pebble Beach.

It is probably fair to say that the American golfer, when thinking in terms of an Irish foray, first and foremost considers a links.

No shortage of those of course. From those northern bastions mentioned above come on down the coast stopping at Rosses Point in County Sligo, Lahinch in Clare and also in the Banner County, Doonbeg and its mountainous dunes.

Doonbeg has Greg Norman’s name on the designer credits. He is reputed to have turned up, cast an eye over the landscape only to proclaim that there was nothing he could do here that God had not already done.

Having played Doonbeg, I would confidently second that assertion.

Having played it in a fresh Atlantic wind I would throw in the devil himself for good measure.

Down the coast a bit there is mighty, and mighty famous, Ballybunion with that opening tee shot that invites you to land your ball in a cemetery.

A fitting metaphor for my game so when I stood on the tee I made sure that I aimed well left of the headstones.

Waterville in County Kerry is another course to tackle. This was the late great Payne Stewart’s home from home. He used to tend bar in the clubhouse and was proclaimed honorary captain.

There is a statue of Stewart at Waterville that is the Irish match for the bronze that can be viewed at Pinehurst in North Carolina.

The Waterville website mentions that less than one percent of the world’s golf courses rate as true links courses, and that 85 percent of them can be found in Ireland and Britain.

Waterville asserts that it is the greatest links in the Republic, while granting the title to Royal County Down in Northern Ireland.

There would be argument over that of course, but both courses are for sure prominent in said argument.

Closer to Dublin there are a fair few fine links tracks, notably Royal Dublin and Portmarnock, while down the coast a bit, in County Wicklow, there is a true gem called the European Club.

But what of that as yet unnamed course so beloved by those peripatetic American eyes?

Many years ago, the great journalist and broadcaster, Alistair Cooke, spun out a tease on television.

At the end of the broadcast he promised that he would deliver his verdict on the woman that he believed was the most beautiful in living memory.

Well, he went this way and that until the very end at which point he proclaimed his belief that the actress Ava Gardner was his one and only.

Such a proclamation was certain to inspire debate of course.

Every Hollywood star has a fan club. Every great golf course has a fan club.

And Irish golfers will spend many a long evening arguing for this course and that course – and never quite reach a conclusion.

But this assertion is based on the verdict, arguably more objective, of a slew of American golfers who have played this course, or have simply clapped eyes on it, and who have come within earshot of yours truly while announcing their verdict.

So this jury is in.

To describe it as the “best” course is not applicable because that invites subjective argument from here to eternity.

But to describe this course as being the most stunning sight in the most spectacular setting invites greater consensus.

So without further ado….Well, with just a little because the reader can have a moment to guess.

The course in question can be found on a clenched fist of land off the Cork coast.

I am speaking (of course!) of Old Head.

This promontory peach has prompted a unanimity to a degree and pitch that I have not heard applied to any other golf course in Ireland, and from some, the world.

Readers might beg to differ, but best to do that after playing Old Head which is just a few miles from Kinsale.

In a way, Old Head is itself a metaphor for the entire island when it comes to golf.

It reaches out into the sea from a much larger landmass, just as Ireland itself sits in the sea off a much larger landmass.

Both metaphor and reality share their other worldly and spectacular natures.

And that’s beyond any argument in any club house bar.

We will be reminded of this very soon with the Irish Open at Portstewart, and again two years from now when The Open returns to Royal Portrush.

Finally, back to that question at the top: Scotland, Ireland, Ireland again. Why?

Now that’s a tough one but I suspect that the “craic,” as they say, might just be a little mightier in Hibernia than Caledonia.

One to argue over a wee dram ... of Irish, of course.

---

A new short film highlighting the beauty of the Wild Atlantic Way follows members of the Mayo GAA football team exploring some of its wonders.

‘It Changed Us’ captures the journey made by three current Mayo GAA footballers as they retrace one of their favorite memories while on a training camp with the county team in 2012. Aidan O’Shea, Lee Keegan and Colm Boyle explore the small coastal town of Belmullet in the north west of Mayo.

The trio are shown getting involved in the local community who helped them on their journey five years ago as they lend a hand at fishing, cooking and serving pints of the black stuff to the people of the town.

Robert Coyne of Mayo.ie, which released the video to promote the west of Ireland county, explained, “When we approached the guys to feature in the video, Belmullet was the place which jumped to their minds immediately. There is real community spirit in the area and that evidently resonated with Aidan, Lee and Colm. We knew the locals had to be involved in some way to capture what Belmullet and the north Mayo coastline means to the players.”

Belmullet was the setting for one of the team's most memorable training camps, an experience O’Shea said outranked any other and still resonates with him today, “As a team we usually go on a training camp once a year.

“Five years ago instead of going to their Spain’s or your Limerick’s, we went to Belmullet. And it was just such a massive kind of opening of our eyes to a county and how proud they are. It turned out to be probably the best thing to ever happen to us.”

Scott Marshall of Cut Media, a Glasgow production company which made the film on behalf of Mayo.ie, said that the passion on show from the people of Belmullet towards their county was quite amazing.

“It was amazing to witness the pride the local people showed to Aidan, Lee and Colm on our visit, and their passion for County Mayo itself. I can safely say the welcome we received is pretty unique to Mayo and this part of the world. That definitely comes through in the film.”

This film is the second of a five part series entitled ‘Wild Mayo’, which Mayo.ie hope will promote the county and encourage an increase in tourism. Tourism is a growing sector for the county, which consistently ranks highly in national visitor statistics.

The first film of the series, ‘Between the Wind and the Waves’ which told the story of Francois Colussi, a french kitesurfer who moved to Ireland 10 years ago to pursue his passion. That video can be seen here. Next up in the series tells the story of world triathlon medallist Con Doherty and how his native county helped shape him to achieve his goals.

The final two films in the series will be released before the end of 2017.

What is your favorite part of County Mayo?

Irish airline Aer Lingus has been ranked as the ninth best airline in the world by AirHelp Score.

The list is described as the world’s definitive airline ranking.

AirHelp, which helps passengers secure compensation for delayed, canceled, or overbooked flight, looked at three key factors to determine an airline’s ranking: on-time performance, customer service efficiency, and quality of service.

Aer Lingus received a score of just under eight out of 10 and a four-star ranking out of five with all factors taken into account.

Meanwhile, Irish airline Ryanair, ranked in 83rd place.

AirHelp’s global airline ranking for Winter 2016/2017

1. Singapore Airlines (Singapore)
2. Etihad Airways (United Arab Emirates)
3. Qatar Airways (Qatar)
4. Austrian Airlines (Austria)
5. Air Transat (Canada)
6. Air Dolomiti (Italy)
7. British Airways (United Kingdom)
8. Virgin Atlantic Airways (United Kingdom)
9. Aer Lingus (Ireland)
10. TUI Fly Netherlands (Netherlands)

You can check out the full list of rankings here.

H/T Joe.ie

The incredible beauty of the Co. Donegal Gaeltacht region of Gaoth Dobhair was recently captured in this stunning drone footage that shows off some of the best beaches and walking spots along the tip of the Wild Atlantic Way.

Among the sights captured are Machaire Gathlán, Machaire Rabhartaigh, and Mount Earagail, some of which will form the backdrop of this summer’s Aonach Tailteann (the Tailteann Games), a reboot of  a series of ancient Irish games thought to be the predecessor to the Greek Olympic Games.

Created as part of Aonach Tailteann’s promotional content, the video highlights the spots where over 30 competitions for people young and old will bring together the Gaeltacht regions and pay homage to the traditional games while promoting the Irish language and the sports, arts, and traditions of the Gaeltacht.

Some have claimed that the Tailteann Games in ancient Ireland were the predecessors of the Olympics, which are thought to have started as early as 700 BC. The date of the founding of the Tailteann Games is the subject of debate, but most modern folklore experts believe them to have begun around 1600 BC.

Sometimes known as the Lughnasa games as they traditionally reached their pinnacle on August 1, the modern resurrection will see Aonach Tailteann transformed into a matter of pride between the Gaeltacht regions, pinning contestants against each other within their locality before finals take place in Connemara at the end of August.

Included among the sports competitions will be sea swimming, long jump, sprints, Gaelic wrestling, javelin and hurdle, while sean-nós singing, recitation, sketches and a short story competition will be included, among others, in the arts competitions.

Read more: Ireland’s original Olympics - the Lughnasa games (VIDEOS)

Aonach Tailteann GD from Aonach Tailteann on Vimeo.

Read more: Donegal named coolest place in the world by National Geographic

A tribute to the goddess Tailtiu, the original games were instituted by Lú (Lugh, member of the Tuatha Dé Danann), who wished to honor the death of his foster mother with a celebration of Irish culture and strength, holding the first mourning ceremony with her funeral. Lugh was an Irish God, often known as the Long-Armed Master of the Arts and people often mistake the celebration of the games as a tribute to him instead of to Tailtiu.

The Goddess Tailtiu was the wife of Eochaid mac Eirc, last of the Fir Bolg High Kings, and the beloved foster mother of Lugh. Tailtu was linked with fertility and harvesting. Some say she died while clearing pastures for agriculture and, so, Lugh organized the harvest festival in her honor, at the time of the year traditionally known for bringing in the harvest.

With the first annual games kicking off with the local rounds in Cois Farraige and Gaoth Dobhair on Saturday, August 5, finalists will compete against each other in Connemara on August 26.

Plenty of time left to start training!

You can find more information on Aonach Tailteann at their website, or follow them on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook.

Video created by John Barr.

The Summer Solstice is celebrated across the globe for varying spiritual reasons. You may be most familiar with Stonehenge, a prehistoric monument in England that is a popular location to celebrate. Among regions of the world that celebrate this day, Ireland sees it as Midsummer and a time to celebrate historical sites, the arts, and culture. Summer Solstice is the longest day of the year and is an indicator of the summer season’s arrival.

The importance of Summer Solstice ties back to ancient Celtic society’s reliance on agriculture and crops. The reliance and appreciation for the sun is what brought people closer to nature and furthered the understanding for the environment. Through suffering and hardships during the winter months, the Solstice became an important celebration for success and ease during the summer.

The celebration of Summer Solstice in Ireland is tied to their ancient landmarks. Ireland has one of the most prominent Neolithic sites known as Newgrange. It dates back to 5,000 years ago and is a popular tourist location. In the same area in Co. Meath, there is the Hill of Tara which has tons of links to Irish folklore and is a popular location to celebrate the solstice.

Midsummer festivals and bonfires have been a tradition in Ireland since pagan times and it continues to thrive. Before environmental concerns over fumes from bonfires brought in certain rules, communities across Ireland would light a flame in celebration of the day. The tradition still lives on throughout Ireland with a few restrictions of times of day when bonfires are allowed.   

Read more: Summer solstice celebrated at Hill of Tara and around the country

This year, Summer Solstice falls on Wednesday, June 21, 2017 at 12:24 am EDT. There are tons of ways you can celebrate the longest day of the year and delve into the Irish culture, even if you are not in Ireland.

• Have a party and invite people to celebrate it the Irish way with bonfires, good food and delving into the Irish culture.
• Visit your local Irish center or arts center.
• Feast on a big Irish meal filled with meat, potatoes, and veggies.
• Listen to some traditional music in your local pub.
• Embrace the culture and try a new something new. How about some Irish dancing lessons or music lessons?

Across the United States and Ireland, there are different events dedicated to Summer Solstice that encompass a variety of cultures and differing ways of celebrating the day.

Events:

1) The Alzheimer's Association Greater Michigan Chapter on Summer Solstice

Why not celebrate the day while also raising money for Alzheimer’s?

2) The Solar Foundation in DC

Celebrate the longest day in the year by raising awareness for solar innovation.

3) Times Square: Summer Solstice

Join in on the fun tradition where New Yorkers spend their day doing yoga in Times Square to start off the summer.

4) Summer Solstice Celebration at New York Botanical Garden

Visit the gardens and enjoy live music, yoga, poetry and more on the special day.

5) Dublin Midsummer Medley: Three Irish poets for the Summer Solstice

If you happen to be in Dublin on June 22, try and snatch some tickets to hear some poetry to celebrate the occasion.

6) Austin Solstice Festival

If you’re in Austin,Texas, celebrate the Solstice with the annual music festival.

7) University of Wyoming Art Museum Celebration   

Enjoy a unique experience at University of Wyoming where they celebrate the Solstice through an architectural experience where a single light beams on a silver dollar.

What do you plan to do this Summer Solstice? Let us know in the comments.  

Tomorrow we celebrate the summer solstice but there are eight sacred days in Ireland in total, the times when the old Celtic world stopped to celebrate. Christianity adapted many of their feast days to match.

St. Brigid’s Day

The years’s first sacred holiday, the feast day of Saint Brigid, is celebrated on February 1, marking the beginning of Spring. The Bogha Bríde or Brigid’s Day Cross is the symbol of the day. Traditionally, reeds or straw are collected from the fields and crafted into a cross. St. Brigid is Ireland’s most celebrated female saint and was the Abbess of one of the first convents in Ireland.

St. Patrick’s Day – Spring Equinox

Around the globe Irish people and those of Irish descent celebrate St. Patrick's Day on March 17, which is one of Ireland’s biggest holidays. The special holiday is devoted to the patron saint of Ireland. The religious day is marked by a special mass for the feast and traditionally everyone wears green. This is considered the middle of the Spring season and is also referred to as the Vernal Equinox.

May Day – Bealtaine

May Day, the 1st of May in Ireland, is a Holy Day which marks the start of the summer season. Centuries ago, bonfires were lit to welcome the arrival of summer. In Ireland, depending on what day the holiday falls, the feast is marked by a public holiday. In towns around the country May Fair days are held where farmers and traders all gather in towns to sell their wares.

Midsummer – Summer solstice

The summer solstice is marked in parts of Ireland by bonfires on the side of the road. It is usually celebrated on June 23 (this year it will be on June 21), the longest day of the year. In rural Ireland, communities gather and for their local bonfire and celebrate the longest day of the year with song and dance.

Lughnasa

In ancient times, this sacred day marked the beginning of harvest on August 1. It honored the Celtic God of Lugh. In Gaelic folklore, it was a time for handfastings or trial marriages that would last a year and a day could be renewed. Many celebrate the holiday today with re-unions, bonfires and dancing.

Autumnal Equinox

Similar to the St. Patrick’s Day festival it celebrates when night and day are of equal duration and usually falls in the middle of Autumn, around September 21. The symbol of the scared day is the cornucopia as all the harvest is collected and the stocks for winter is hoped to be plentiful.

Samhain

This day falls between two days: Oíche Shamhna (October 31) and Lá na Marbh (November 2). Oíche Shamhna is Halloween and Lá na Marbh, is the Day of the Dead, or All Souls Day, when those who have passed away are remembered. It marks the beginning of the “darker half” of the year as the winter approaches.

Winter Solstice

The winter solstice celebrates the shortest day of the year and, depending on the year, occurs between December 21-23. Annually hundreds of people gather in Newsgrange, Co. Meath to watch the sunrise and magically illuminate the ancient burial site.

* Originally published in 2011.

As they have done for over 6,000 years, hundreds gathered at dawn this morning to celebrate the summer solstice at the Hill of Tara, Co. Meath, the seat of the ancient Irish High Kings.

A pagan festival celebrated by Celtic people in worship of the summer and the sun on which they relied to grow crops, the tradition of gathering at the famous Irish landmark has continued on for millennia while bonfires at lit around the country to celebrate the longest day of the year.

Normally taking place on June 23, today’s solstice continued to tradition of emerging from the harsh winter months by celebrating the dawn of the longest day with some even camping overnight to be there in good preparation for the event.

At 4.52 am, the sun began to rise but was unfortunately obscured by clouds despite the amazing few days of summer weather that Irish has been experiencing. The revellers continued the party in good cheer, however, and were rewarded soon after as the clouds parted ways to reveal the morning sun.

“It was so beautiful and peaceful,” Babs Leonard from Dublin told The Irish Times, while her friend Susan McGovern stated:  “It’s very special. There is an energy up here.”

Read more: How to celebrate the summer solstice the Irish way

The Hill of Tara site is associated with many events in Irish folklore and is believed by some to have a special energy and connection to the rest of the country. Many druids and witches gather at the site on major pagan festivities such as this to experience said energy.

Druids also gather at Stonehenge in England, possibly the most famous historic site where the solstice is celebrated.

“An ordinary person coming here sees nothing,” also said Kyrie Murray to The Times, sporting a staff carved from a piece of local pine, “but this is a magical, sacred place.”

“I feel at this point that nature represents God in my life. It is important to mark the turnings of the seasons and to celebrate days where we have the longest light of the year,” added Mary Burke, originally from Offaly but now living in Australia who had traveled for the event with a few Australian friends.

Watching the sunrise at the Hill of Tara on the longest day of the year is always worth the early start. pic.twitter.com/4HqsuBt2nC

— Ronan McGreevy (@RMcGreevy1301) June 21, 2017

The Hill of Tara, located near the River Boyne, is an archaeological complex in Meath that contains a number of ancient monuments. According to tradition, was the seat of Árd Rí na hÉireann, or the High King of Ireland. In total, 142 Kings are said to have reigned in the name of Tara, where the coronation stone called The Lia Fail or Stone of Destiny has rested for millennia. Here the king were said to be approved by the Earth Mother Goddess Maeve and held their great inaugural feasts.

Read more: The summer solstice and Ireland's other sacred Celtic holidays

Druids Celebrate Summer Solstice on the Hill of Tara #OnThisDay 1997 #SummerSolsticehttps://t.co/muUYiXmB9y

— RTÉ Archives (@RTEArchives) June 21, 2017

Tara is also believed to be a place that St. Patrick visited when he returned to convert the people of Ireland to Christianity. It was revered as an entrance to the world of the ancient gods and to another world where no mortals grew old and so seeing this place at the hub of the old religion in Ireland, St. Patrick confronted it during his mission.

Recent scholarship has claimed, however,  that despite the rich narratives derived from mythologies, Tara was more of a sacral site associated with kingship rituals.

Tara is now owned by the Irish government and entry is free.

I can't believe it's the summer solstice today! I'm not ready to start winding back down into winter. 🙁

— Ireland / Cat (@ireland) June 21, 2017

H/T: Irish Times

Ireland’s golf courses are a mecca for golf lovers and with the US Open just over, we decided to look at the best places in the country to tee off. There are about 440 golf courses in the country, including about a third of the world's links golf courses. According to Golf Ireland - the national golf tourism association - the Emerald Isle has more golf courses than any country of comparable size on the planet.

No wonder the sport is a major draw for tourists with hundreds of thousands of golfers traveling to Ireland each year.

In recent years, the country has hosted many of the world's biggest golf tournaments including the Ryder Cup, the Solheim Cup and, of course, the ever popular Irish Open. The world-famous K Club also hosted the Smurfit Kappa European Open between 1995 and 2007, one of the flagship events on the European Tour. 

Many of Ireland’s golf courses are attached to some of the country’s most luxurious castles, hotels, and resorts. There are also plenty of country guesthouse retreats as well as B&Bs, which can be more affordable. Some golf courses in Ireland also have self-catering units attached to them, ranging from traditional Irish thatched cottages to modern apartments.

East

The three main golf courses worth checking out on the East Coast include Ballymascanlon Golf Club in Co. Louth, Portmarnock Golf Club, Co. Dublin, or Carton House in Co. Kildare.

Ballymascanlon Hotel Golf and Leisure Club is a hidden gem just 50 miles from Dublin and Belfast and only three miles north of Dundalk. The course sits at the foot of the Cooley Mountains, set in 130 acres, with panoramic views.

Carton House in Co. Kildare is one of the best historical golf hotels in Ireland. Dating back to the 17th century, Carton House was formerly the ancestral home of the Fitzgeralds, the Earls of Kildare.

The golf club itself is situated just 14 miles west of Dublin City Center and offers two championship golf courses.

The Portmarnock Hotel and Golf Links Golf Club is considered one of Ireland’s premier golf resorts. Bernhard Langer designed the course, which covers 180 acres of classic terrain. The course’s website says that the dunes and natural terrain should please the most ardent links purists, with elevated tees and greens, blind approaches and doglegs. If these don’t keep you on your golfing toes, then the sea breezes will.

The K Club – the other name for the Kildare Hotel and Golf Club – is perhaps Ireland’s most elite golf club. It contains two of Europe’s finest championship courses: the Palmer Course and the Smurfit Course. Arnold Palmer designed both.

In 2006, the Palmer Course staged the Ryder Cup, the first time the competition was held in Ireland. A visit to the K Club doesn’t come cheap, however. A one-night stay, which includes breakfast, four-course dinner as well as a round of golf on one of the championship courses, comes to $385.

The County Louth Golf Course, which is about four miles from the town of Drogheda at the mouth of the River Boyne, is rated as one of the top 100 courses in the world by Golf Digest. It is also one of the top 25 courses in Britain and Ireland and is in the top six on the island of Ireland.

The course is almost surrounded by water with the Boyne to the south and the Irish Sea to the east. This is links golf at its very best, with only the muted murmur of a ship’s engines to break the sounds of nature.

Nearby is Seapoint Golf Club, in Termonfeckin, Co. Louth, which is set on 260 acres of links land. There is an abundance of natural vegetation and dunes awaiting any errant shot. Water comes into play on five of the holes. The back nine drift close to the sea and are characterized by uneven fairways, thick rough and deep bunkers, requiring accuracy both off the tee and onto the greens.

Co. Laois also boasts a number of golf courses including Abbeyleix, Rathdowney, and Portarlington.

The Heritage, at Killenard, Co. Laois, is another prestigious course in the area. Seve Ballesteros and Jeff Howes designed the course, which is based on a rolling landscape with views of the Slieve Bloom Mountains providing the backdrop. The course is particularly notable for its water features, with five lakes and a stream running through the course.

South East

Carlow Golf Club (www.carlowgolfclub.com) is billed as one of Ireland’s top parkland courses. This 27-hole course is a great test of golfing prowess. Rosslare Golf Club (www.rosslaregolf.com) is often called a hidden gem because of its location on a narrow peninsula, with the Irish sea on the one side and Wexford Harbour on the other. At the Faithlegg House Hotel and Golf Club in Co. Waterford,  you’ll find an 18th-century mansion with a wonderful championship parkland course designed by Irish architect Paddy Merrigan.

North West

A golf stop in the northwest should include Portsalon Golf Club, in the remote northern part of Donegal. Here, you’ll find some spectacular scenery, which oozes with character.

Enniscrone Golf Club (www.enniscronegolf.com) in Co. Sligo has a course blessed with awesome scenery, a beautiful beach, rugged dunes and a mountainous backdrop. The Slieve Russell Hotel Golf and Country Club also opened up in the early 1990s and was recently ranked among the top 20 inland courses in Ireland.

Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland has some amazing golf courses. Royal County Down, which is on the coast, has some absolutely captivating scenery, at the base of Slieve Donard, one of the Mourne Mountains.

Not too far away is the Royal Portrush Golf Club, in Co. Antrim. This is home to one of the best and most challenging links golf courses in the world, the Dunluce Links, and the Valley Links. It is the only club in Ireland to have hosted the British Open. According to Val Smyth, a member of the winning Irish team at the European Seniors’ Team Championships in 2007, this course offers “a great challenge for golfers. The scenery is absolutely amazing.”

Also in Co. Antrim is Ballycastle Golf Club, founded in 1890. The club lies at the foot of one of the Glens of Antrim, Glenshesk, and the course offers a challenge with a variety of terrain that combines parkland and links holes. The opening five holes are parkland bordered by the Margy and Carey rivers, while the short third hole is adjacent to a 12th century Franciscan Friary. From the sixth to the eighth hole, the course is a links area known locally as "The Warren." The beach and the Sea of Moyle bound this area of rolling dunes. The ninth, a testing par 4, leads to the upland sections. The remaining eight holes command panoramic views of Fair Head, Rathlin Island, the Mull of Kintyre, Glenshesk valley, Knocklayd mountain and the town of Ballycastle.

Other golf courses to consider while in Northern Ireland include Foyle International Golf Center, which has a championship standard par 71 course. The course is set on the outskirts of the historic walled City of Derry, overlooking the Donegal hills.

Shannon Region

The Shannon region is famous for having some of the best-known golf courses in the country, with clubs like Lahinch, Doonbeg, Dromoland Castle, and Adare Manor. It also boasts some lesser-known gems that offer the golfer a good challenge amid beautiful scenery.

Woodstock Golf Club (www.woodstockgolfclub.com) offers a beautiful parkland course with lots of natural and historical features. Limerick County Golf and Country Club (www.limerickcounty.com) recently received a massive upgrading making it one of the premier clubs in the country.

Although North Tipperary is more renowned for hurling than for golf, Nenagh golf course (www.nenaghgolfclub.com) is awash with gorgeous views of the Tipperary countryside.

South West

The counties of Cork and Kerry enjoy a unique beauty that makes them famous across the world. This region is ideal for golfers who enjoy combining dramatic scenery with challenging golf.

Ballybunion Golf Club (www.ballybuniongolfclub.ie) in Co. Kerry has been praised by some of the game’s top professionals. It provides both a good, fair test of golf and a place of spectacular natural beauty.

Killarney Golf and Fishing Club is widely considered one of the jewels of the region. Here there are three championship courses nestled among the splendor of the lakes of Killarney and set against the backdrop of the MacGillycuddy Reeks, Ireland's highest mountain range.

Mahony’s Point, the shortest of the three courses at 6,800 yards, is a lakeside course with spectacular views. The late Golf Hall of Famer, Gene Sarazen, described its 18th hole  as “one of the most memorable holes in the world.”

Lackabane is a parkland course with plenty of water hazards. And Jilleen offers both spectacular lakeside scenery and a very challenging course. When Nick Faldo won the Irish Open here in 1991, he was one of only three players to finish under par.

Tralee Golf Course, which was designed by Arnold Palmer, is one of the finest links courses in the world. “I may have designed the first nine,” Palmer said, “but surely God designed the back nine.” This was the first golf course in Europe Palmer designed and arguably, his finest.

Located in the remote but historic townland of Ballyferriter, Co. Kerry, Dingle Golf Links is carved from the natural landscape of one of the most unspoiled parts of Europe. The hazards include features laid down long before the game of golf was invented including a winding "burn" that twists and turns through the entire course.

Waterville Golf Club in Co. Kerry is surrounded by the sea on a piece of land that edges out into the Atlantic – a course very much shaped by the elements.

Bantry Bay Golf Club, in the neighboring county of Cork, is a championship course that overlooks the spectacular Bantry Bay. The late course architect Eddie Hackett and golfer Christy O’Connor Jr. designed this course.

Finally, there is the Old Head Golf Links in Kinsale. Its practice area occupies 180 acres, while the remaining 40 acres include unspoiled cliffs to frame the course (rising in places to over 300 feet). A lighthouse, which was built in 1853, is situated on the southern tip of the headland behind the 18th tee. The remains of two earlier lighthouses can still be seen near the seventh tee. Stretching over 7,200 yards, the par 72 course comprises five par 5s, five par 3s and eight par 4s. It is surrounded by the ocean on all sides and commands the most spectacular and stunning views.

More information can be found on Irish golf courses at Golf Ireland.

Have you traveled to Ireland on a golf tour? Have you any further advice or recommendations? Leave your thoughts in the comments section below.  

* Originally published in August 2016. 

One of the joys of an Irish summer is the 17 hours of light every day and how easy it is to get around this relatively small island. One taxi and two trains later I went from an office worker in Dublin city to following the Kerry Camino in the footsteps of Saint Brendan the Navigator.

Over two days we took on the challenge of walking from Tralee to Dingle (39 km / 22.4 miles) taking in some of the most wonderful countryside and sights.

The Kerry Camino route, from Tralee to Dingle, is believed to have been taken by pilgrims and monks on their way to St. James Church, in Dingle, and onward further afield to Santiago, Spain.

It’s also the route followed by St. Brendan, one of Ireland’s most famous saints, in 512AD. According to the text “The Voyage of St. Brendan” it was this traveling preacher who first reached the shores of America.

Not only is this area steeped in history it’s also one of “the most beautiful places on earth,” officially, according to National Geographic. For a personal added bonus the sun shone upon us for our whole trip. Absolutely magic.

Day 1

Our first port of call was Tralee, the county town of Kerry, and a lively spot with bars, cafes, shops, and restaurants lining the streets. We stayed at the Grand Hotel and enjoyed a really delicious meal in the bar (mussels served with brown bread and plaice served with a seafood bisque).

What’s great about walking 39 kilometers (22.4 miles) in two days is that you have free rein to eat whatever you desire and sleep like the dead. What could be better?

Day 2

The next morning we were driven to the small village of Camp to start our walk. We were instructed by our driver to stick to our walking notes and keep our eyes peeled for the clear signs along the trail. Of course, we managed to get lost almost immediately, but after getting ourselves back on track the walk went without a hitch.

The walk from Camp to Annascaul is 17 km (10.2 miles) and takes you through the wonderfully lush and empty valleys below the Caherconree Mountain.

What was breathtaking was that during our four-hour walk (we were very pleased with that time, by the way) we saw only two other people. We were surrounded by the rolling hills, exposed rocks, with quick glimpses of the sea in the distance, and thankfully the blissful sun.

We had lunch at Inch Beach, the longest beach in Ireland and a favorite among water sports fanatics. Even in though the winds are almost too strong to stand on the beach there were kite surfers and brave swimmers heading out into the break.

Far more sensibly we took refuge in Sam’s Cafe for coffee and cake.

We arrived in Annascaul, the birthplace and home of the much admired Antarctic survivor and hero Tom Crean. Our first stop, almost the centerpiece of the town, was the South Pole Inn, the bar that Crean opened after he retired from the British Navy in 1920.

The walls of the pub are filled with the most amazing photos of hardy Polar heroes that really put your last 17-kilometer walk into perspective. The heroes’ bar is a lively spot with great food (we tried the fish and chips and braised lamb and mash), their own lager named after the man himself, and live music.

That evening we also ventured to Hannafin’s bar to sip wine, play board games and listen to the chat around the bar. The bar run by John (a retired teacher, turned farmer, and bar owner) played Bowie and the atmosphere was perfect for folks bewildered by too much fresh air and walking.

By the end our one-day stay in Annascaul we were already calling Noel and Moira, our hosts who run the Annascaul Bed & Breakfast, our Fear and Bean an Tí (Man and Woman of the House). They made us feel instantly at home and most importantly provided a hearty Irish breakfast the next day.

Day 3

Feeling like pros after one day of walking we set out from Annascaul and headed towards Dingle, a 22 kilometer (14 miles) walk.

Our first stop was definitely the most memorable stop of our trip. The natural storm beach next to Minard Castle is such a beautiful spot it borders on being surreal. Sitting on the black boulders of the storm beach next to the remains of a 16th-century castle we looked out at the Dingle Bay and the Iveragh Peninsula stretching into the distance.

Did I mention it was still sunny? Truly, there’s nowhere in the world better than being in Ireland in the sun.

Onward we headed to Conor’s Pass and this is where the walk got a little more difficult. However, the payoff was the amazing views. The route took us up through farmland, over streams and on through gorgeous sparsely inhabited roads dotted with beautiful houses.

The road into Dingle did seem to go on for an eternity and when the village eventually appeared it was like an oasis. Dingle is just like a postcard. Having seen so many photos of the beautifully colored houses and shopfronts and the harbor and the fishing boats going out to sea, the town felt almost familiar.

After checking in at the Lantern B & B we headed to the wonderful Dick Macks, a beautiful, family-owned traditional pub built around the remnants of the old family shoe shop.

For dinner, we went to the Out of the Blue for what was definitely one of the best meals I’ve had in some time. We tried the gambas al aglio, monkfish with gambas, followed by a hot dark chocolate brownie. Truly delicious.

Day 4

A little achy we checked out and wandered the beautiful boutiques that have becomes synonymous with villages like Dingle, selling Irish-made products like pottery, jewelry, and clothes. We then popped into the neatly designed and strangely urban Bean in Dingle for a serious cuppa Joe and on to the now famous Murphy’s Ice Cream where I tried their sea-salt ice cream before we jumped on the bus to get the train back to Dublin.

Regrettably, I come from the Ryanair generation and while growing up at every opportunity I was on a plane to Europe instead of enjoying our own gorgeous island. This trip has given me a stern lesson...get out and see what’s in store in Ireland.

Only one word describes it...Magic.

For more information on the various tours and vacations available like this visit Camino Ways here.

* Originally published in 2015.

Americans can’t get enough of Ireland. Newly released figures show that in 2016 holidaymakers from North America to Ireland broke the million mark for the first time ever.

The data from Fáilte Ireland shows that the North American market continued its strong year on year growth with 1,041,000 holidaymakers from the continent making Ireland their vacation destination - upon from 926,000 in 2015.

Speaking to IrishCentral earlier in the year Niall Gibbons, CEO of Tourism Ireland, said the growth in recent years is primarily fuelled by Americans with no family connection to Ireland.

“If I was having this conversation with you ten years ago, I would be talking to you about the 70% of [US] visitors to Ireland having a family connection,” Gibbons told us. “Now that’s only 30% and the main growth in visitor numbers is coming from the southern states and California. So the nature of the visitors coming from North America has changed – less about the family and friends and more about the real holidaymakers.”

Great Britain remains Ireland’s biggest tourist market and 1.4 million British residents made a trip to Ireland - an increase of 170,000 from the previous year.

Similar to North America, the British market had been enjoying year on year growth since 2011 but the full figures for 2017 are expected to show a slight reduction due to the fall in the value of the pound sterling after Britain’s decision to leave the EU.

Read more: North American visitors to Ireland up 25 percent in 2017

The weaker value of the pound, however, has boosted Britain’s own tourism industry, meaning the Irish tourist industry faces stiffer competition than ever.

“The movement of sterling versus the euro and dollar, since the UK referendum on Brexit, makes Great Britain a more competitive destination for visitors from Mainland Europe and the United States," Gibbons told Business World.

"We have observed our competitors – VisitBritain, VisitScotland and VisitWales – intensifying their operations across all of Ireland’s major tourism markets to capitalise on this. Therefore, competitiveness and our value for money message are more important than ever right now."

The continental European market also posted strong figures: in total 1.7 million Europeans vacationed in Ireland - up from 1.6 million in 2015.

For nearly two thirds of visitors it was their first time visiting the Emerald Isle - 64% had never been before, 34% were visiting again, and 1% were Irish-born.

An extraordinary 99% of respondents declared themselves satisfied with the friendliness and hospitality of the Irish people and 97% rated Ireland a safe destination to visit.

We’re hardly in a position to disagree.

H/T: Business World

The town of Kenmare in Co Kerry has been awarded the title of Ireland’s Best Kept Small Town.

The prestigious award was presented to a group from the town at Farmleigh House in Dublin by Michael Ring, the Government’s new Minister for Rural and Community Affairs.

“After more than two decades, this all-Ireland competition continues to be a strong recognition of the great pride people have in their own communities, and how local volunteers take ownership of their surroundings and work to improve them, both for now and into the future,” Ring said.

Kenmare has a population of just over 2,000 people and sits on both the well-known Ring of Kerry and the equally picturesque Ring of Beara - making it a popular destination for tourists from all over the world.

Read more: Ireland’s Travel Secrets: Beara Peninsula

Slán le Ciarraí • • • #sunset #sea #nature #RingofKerry #WildAtlanticWay #instaireland

A post shared by James Wilson (@wilso_jam) on Feb 6, 2017 at 2:21am PST

On their way home from winning the award, the delighted delegation called in on a man who had been instrumental to helping them win - Fr Murphy.

Fr Murphy “was the man who put Kenmare on the right track for winning the tidy towns competition,” local councillor Patrick Connor-Scarteen told Radio Kerry.

Read more: Killarney named among top places in the world to retire

“Before that he did it with [nearby] Sneem and… he did it with Killarney. They want to show him the award first before they come back to Kenmare.”

Killarney was an overall winner of the competition in 2011 and Sneem won in 1987.

H/T: Radio Kerry

Irish people love to go on vacation. The sun, the sea, the sand and of course the closest Irish pub we can find, it’s just a fact! Irish pubs across the globe offer the same thing, great food, great beer and above all else great craic (fun).

With that in mind we have decided to rundown the 10 best Irish pubs in Chicago according to Yelp.

Emmit’s Irish Pub

Since being established in 1996, Emmit’s has become a staple in the vibrant Chicago pub scene. Previously known as O’Sullivan’s Tavern, this Irish pub has had quite a colourful history. The building itself has been around since the Prohition era of the 1930’s. It has been the scene of murders by would be robbers and was also once a place where you could take part in “dwarf tossing” before being outlawed.

Since its renovation in 1996 by the current owners, Kevin Doherty and Ron Halvorsen it has become a regular haunt for many Chicago natives as well as some celebrities. People may also recognize it from many major films including Uncle Buck, Only the Lonely, Blink, Backdraft, Ocean’s Eleven, Oceans Twelve and U.S. Marshalls.

“Good place, friendly waitresses and bartenders that pour a proper pint of Guinness (complete with the clover in the foam).”

“They filmed Backdraft here, which is sentimental to me cause it's the first movie over a PG that my uncle ever let me watch without permission from my mom. Many years, countless curse words, and plenty of nude scenes later, and I finally got a chance to check out the location that's now Emmit's Pub. Like the famous firefighter film, I'm giving it an R rating for Really Good Irish Pub.”

Fado Irish Pub & Restaurant

Fado (pronounced f’doe) is an Irish pub that takes inspiration from Ireland’s rich history, as well Dublin’s third oldest pub, The Purty Kitchen. This elegant Irish pub has been evolving since opening its doors for the first time in 1997. With three floors uniquely decorated this pub boasts both a modern and traditional feel, with the décor being both designed and constructed in Ireland.

“Up there as one of the best international Irish pubs I've been to (sorry rubbishy ones in Bangkok).”

“Great beer-check! Great service-check! Authentic Irish pub feel-check! Our waitress was even from the homeland and had an accent and everything. Neat little spot to hang out.”

Chief O’Neill’s Pub & Restaurant

Located in the North of Chicago, this Irish pub has been welcoming guests from around the world since 1999. It is dedicated to an Irish immigrant named Francis O’Neill who spent over 30 years working in the Chicago Police Department where he eventually became General Superintendent.

Chief O’Neill was an enthusiast of all things Irish especially traditional music. He is honoured with helping to revive his homelands musical flare, after the Great Famine forced millions to leave Ireland, publishing several works in the process. Most notable of these was his 1903 publication entitled, “O’ Neill’s Music of Ireland”. This piece of work contains 1,850 melodies and is the largest collection of Irish music ever printed.

The pub itself has a very authentic Irish feel and in 2013 it was awarded the “Top 10 Irish Pubs in the World”, by “Ireland of the Welcomes Magazine”.

“One of the best Irish Pubs in the entire world? They sure do make it tough to argue with that statement. This neighborhood haunt off of Elston is impressive from start to finish.”

“Had the 20oz burger with fried egg, bacon and blue cheese. Boy was it a challenge to finish this bad boy! It was very delicious and the fries are very good too.”

The Kerryman

This pub may be in the heart of Chicago’s Downtown in the River North Neighbourhood but it certainly has its Irish heritage. Now owned by three Kerry natives this pub dates back to the Prohibition era when it was known as McGovern Saloon and was a regular gangster hangout, most notably of Dean O’Bannon of the North Side gang in Chicago.

In the 70’s this bar was a known as one of the “original” punk clubs and considered the “zenith of the original Chicago punk movement”. Now it dons a completely different feel offering all the intricacies from the Irish homeland.

“From top to bottom, inside and out, The Kerryman is a great restaurant and bar.”

“We had an absolute blast here!! My dear friend decided to move to OH so we assembled here to bid her adieu. What a great choice.”

Johnny O’Hagan’s

Located in the south of Chicago on Roscoe between Sheffield and Clark, just a couple of blocks from Wrigley Field, Johnny O’Hagans has all the charm you would expect, with the interior décor typical to that of a traditional Irish pub.

Most of the furnishings and ornaments decorated around the pub were designed and built in Ireland, then imported into the US and reassembled in Chicago. It also features an authentic open stone fireplace that is sure to keep you warm during the cold nights.

“I came in here once at 10 AM already half drunk and they treated me and my friend like royalty. In you're in the area, definitely check this place out.”

“The atmosphere is great and everyone was so friendly - exactly what an Irish bar should be.

After downing some Guinness pints, we tried some delicious food.”

Paddy Long’s

Everyone loves bacon right? If that’s true, then this could be your new favorite Irish pub. Not only does Paddy Long’s offer lots of different varieties of bacon, they also help you pair them with different beers. Kind of makes you feel like a bacon connoisseur of sorts.

Opening its doors for the first time in 2007, this makes Paddy Long’s relatively new in the large scheme of things but this hasn’t stopped them from getting acknowledged from major publications like Timeout Chicago, The Huffington Post and Draft Magazine. It was also featured in Aer Lingus’ inflight magazine Cara.

“As other Yelpers have already paved a trail of compliments, I will only echo praise to Paddy's homage to bacon, deliciously dangerous bar cuisine, and super-friendly service.”

“Things I love.  Bacon.  Beer.  Sex.  Paddy Long's does a really good job of taking care of 2 of those 3 (hint hint Paddy Long's).”

The Curragh Irish Pub

The Curragh Irish Pub is a premier location in the Northwest of Chicago. It isn’t your typical old school Irish pub, presenting itself as a more upscale modern bar with a large selection of craft beers and a state of the art draught beer system to pour the perfect pint.

The Curragh also offers a rewards programs which allows regulars, “Access to exclusive, members-only cash back offers and promotions to The Curragh as well as many other restaurants”. Quite a unique feature for an Irish pub to offer.

“It was half off bottle of wine night so obviously that's what we did. It paired with the fire just right!”

“Great little local Irish pub.  The inside décor is warm, lots of wooden finishes, and a fireplace, which is great during cold winters.  Often live music is playing, especially on weekends.”

The Grafton

After extensive renovations of the previous establishment The Grafton opened its doors for the first time in 2002. It is named after the famous street in Dublin City Centre. Famed for their burgers The Grafton offers more than just great Irish food. The abundant craft beer list changes frequently and they also offer over 90 varieties of whiskey from around the world.

“Our server was very nice and VERY energetic.  We had a good time, and I highly recommend if you're in Lincoln Square.”

“Great selection on micro brews on tap and they have tons more of bottled beers behind the counter.”

Irish Times

This is certainly one of the oldest Irish pubs in the list being established over 20 years ago in 1991, and no it isn’t named after the Irish newspaper. County Galway owned since the beginning, this traditional Irish pub has evolved over its 25-year history.

New management took hold of the reigns in 2008 but the values stayed the same remaining faithful to their vision of the quintessentially “Irish” pub. Being “green” is a big part of this Irish pubs philosophy having an extensive recycling programme in place as well as promoting local craft beers and using locally grown produce throughout their cuisine.

“Absolutely love this place for dining. It's also a favorite of a couple know that turned us on to it. We've always been happy with the serving sizes, quality of the food, and prices.”

“Feelin' Irish? Go here. Even if you're not feelin' it, go here anyway.”

Wilde Bar & Restaurant

The theme of this Irish pub is certainly no mystery. Pictures, quotes and other works related to the great Irish playwright Oscar Wilde are positioned around the interior. It has an aesthetic feel of a library more than that of a traditional Irish pub but this only adds to its character.

“Beautifully comfortable library-like decor.”

“Lots of great seats. We chose to stay outside, but the inside is spacious with really cute different seating sections. My favorite is what looks like a mini library with a wall of bookshelf and tables right in front.”

If you think we have left any your favorite Irish pubs out of this list, please add them to the comments below.

A stone’s throw away from Dublin’s Temple Bar, Rustic Stone, one of the properties of Irish celebrity chef Dylan McGrath, is an oasis of calm and pure, good taste.

Founded by the Dublin-born, Belfast-raised McGrath in 2010, in the immediate aftermath of Ireland’s financial collapse no less, Rustic Stone centers around the philosophy that food should be as tasty as it is nutritious, and that there should be something for everyone.

That might sound like a simple credo, but restaurants of this caliber with such an unpretentious and holistic approach to food are sadly few and far between. The dining room’s abstract wood paneling, leather booths and plenty mirrors also encapsulate its welcoming nature.

The expansive menu ranges from an exclusively raw list with items like air-dried Connemara lamb and Kenmare salmon and seaweed smoked, to sirloin steaks or tuna that you can cook to your exact liking on hot stones brought straight to the table, to damn good burgers if you’re looking for an upscale twist on a classic favorite.

The dessert menu includes winners like a rose and orange blossom trifle, and a chocolate soup and mouse which, astoundingly, has no added sugar in it. And if you think that an establishment with a healthy bent would be shy or lacking in the cocktail department, you’d be quite wrong - just try the Thyme and Honey Old Fashioned or the Elderflower and Cucumber Martini.

So, whether you’ve been in Dublin for a few days and are in need of something light and wholesome after a few too many days of fish & chips and pints, or whether you’re looking for a refined and decadent meal from a top-tier Dublin kitchen, Rustic Stone fits the bill.

Rustic Stone is located at 17 South Georges Street, Dublin 2, Ireland. http://www.rusticstone.ie

Getting ready for that first trip to Ireland? Here are ten things to watch out for on your debut adventure to the Emerald Isle.

Driving on the left: If you have spent your life driving on the right, this can take getting used to. I strongly suggest that you do not drive tired and be very careful for the first few days.

Roundabouts: Not usual in the USA but everywhere in Ireland. Give way to traffic on your right before entering the roundabout.

Gas in liters: This is strange when you are used to gallons. There's just under 4 liters to a gallon so multiply the liter cost by four to get the price you are paying for a gallon. Prepare for sticker shock!

Service Charge: Many restaurants, especially tourist places, add a service charge automatically to the bill. This is usually between 12 to 15 percent, so be careful you don’t tip twice as it happens quite a lot.

Distances in kilometers: This can also be quite confusing when you're used to miles. One mile is 1.6 kilometers. When you're trying to judge distance, five miles is 8 kilometers, 100 miles is 160 kilometers etc.

European plugs: Your two-pronged US plug won’t work without a three-pronged Irish adapter. Many hotels supply one but don’t bet on it. Make sure to buy a European adapter before going or pick some up at the airport.

Pack a set of warm clothes: Make sure you include rain gear, even in summer. To wrongly paraphrase Mark Twain, the coldest winter’s day can be a summer’s day in Ireland. The weather is very changeable at times so be prepared!

No coffee refill: You will wait in vain for that diner or coffee shop for the waitress to refill your cup. Tea drinking is much more popular in Ireland and the extra coffee refill is unknown.

Baseball? What’s that? If you're hoping to keep up with baseball scores and your favorite team, the Irish papers and sports channels, which are utterly dominated by soccer and Gaelic sports, will have none of it. This isn't quite as big a problem since the dawn of the internet and instant game updates. (As long as you have WiFi.)

When the Irish made time! Don’t expect friends, cousins, and relatives to be on time if you have arranged a meeting. Letting things slip 15 minutes or so is a way of life you will find yourself relaxing into pretty quick!

* Originally published in May 2015. 

There have been people living on the island of Ireland for 9,000 years, give or take a few days.

At any point along this timeline there would have been people living or moving through that part of the island that is today’s Dublin.

Lucky them.

No traffic jams, or any of those other annoyances of modern living.

Then again, no pubs, restaurants, stores, theaters, or trains that turn into trams.

If given a choice between the ancient and bucolic and the modern and bustling I reckon on the latter being the better choice.

After all, there are still plenty of peaceful places on the island of Ireland, in and around Dublin included.

And even in the setting of the modern capital you can still savor the ancient, and enjoy new ways of experiencing the old.

That’s Dublin then: older every day, new every day.

Which presents an interesting option to the visitor. Which way to lean? In favor of the new, in line with the old.

You could choose the new and never stop looking at your phone.

Or you could stand in a Georgian square and imagine an encounter with Jonathan Swift, or composer George Frideric Handel who once made his home here, indeed debuted his “Messiah” in a gathering where ladies were advised to leave the hoops out of their skirts and men were asked not to wear their swords, this to ensure that there was enough room for the capacity crowd expected in the Music Hall on Fishamble Street.

That would have been in 1742. Dublin, at the time, was a go-to place.

Personally, and if I had a time machine, I would go back a thousand years or more and do some trading with some of the local, eh, Danish Vikings.

Their jewelry was exquisite and that is in magnificent evidence in Ireland’s National Museum which can be found on Kildare Street in today’s city center, not far from the Little Museum of Dublin on St. Stephen’s Green, which tells the story of said center, and all the rest of the capital.  

It’s fair to say that not too many years ago, when Dublin came up in conversation, it was more often than not in the context of an old and proud city, but mostly an old one, suddenly embracing modernity at a pace that seemed to be at odds with its established reputation as a laid-back metropolis on Europe’s fringe.

Something happened of course. Or a few things happened.

And then the conversation turned to international investment, a building and infrastructure boom, immigration as opposed to emigration, and a much faster pace of life for a population that was young, younger than most European counterparts.

Then came the bust. Now the recovery.

No big deal. That sort of thing was happening in the 13th century too.

Dublin has a bunch of centuries under its belt.

Back in the mid-1980s the powers that were in the town decided to mark a “Dublin Millennium” year, this on the basis that the ultimately chosen year, 1988, would fall a thousand of them after the local Irish wrested control of the town from the pesky Vikings.

It was pointed out at the time that the wresting back had actually occurred in 989. But what’s a year here and a year there when you have so many of them to play with?

And so Dublin had its millennium. A lasting memory is of specially labeled milk bottles.

In truth, the millennium marking was an artificial construct.

Dubliners themselves needed no reminding that they daily walked, cycled or drove over ground that had witnessed feet and wheels for a very long time.

And visitors were for the most part aware that this place was on a chronological par with most European cities.

But it is the Dublin story of most recent years that has attracted worldwide attention, even as it has mounted a potent challenge to the long familiar, and decidedly old, Dublin narrative.

These days, a visitor might be in town to engage in the very latest business practices using the very latest technology and moving at a pace that would match the velocities of, say, New York, London, Tokyo or Shanghai.

But even the most teched-up arrival would be hard put not to notice that Dublin is a city with a zest for having a good time of it, a place where the “craic” is indeed mighty, and that enjoying a stay can be an alluring blend of the old and the new, all of it linked and enmeshed in an urban core that allows for a lot of ground to be covered in a relatively short time.

As much as places to visit can leave the visitor comparing the old with the new, this is no less the case with Dublin’s contemporary culture and cuisine.

Music has been a cornerstone of Irish culture for centuries and today’s music scene in Dublin perfectly blends the trad tunes from the past with more mainstream pop music.

There’s nothing like the atmosphere of a traditional music session pouring out of the doors of Dublin’s liveliest pubs.

Unless, of course, you’re inside said door.

But while the thought of Irish music may conjure up images of tin whistles and bodhráns, Ireland has produced some of the most popular and best-selling artists of the pop and rock era.

Favorites like U2 and Thin Lizzy both got their starts on the streets of Dublin paving the way for even more recent pop acts like Kodaline and the Script who have racked up a number of awards and nominations in both Europe and the U.S.

The streets of Dublin have been, and always will be, an epicenter of great musicians, both old and new and it’s fair to say that if you listen and contribute a euro or two to talented buskers that serenade famed Grafton Street, you may be funding the next Bono or Niall Horan.

As with culture, Dublin has long had its cuisine, and as the city’s culinary reputation has soared, its best proponents of the cooking arts have adapted traditional dishes and ingredients to new levels of excellence and sophistication.

Food traditions in Ireland have undergone what many foodies have hailed as an exciting revival, with traditional favorites and high-quality local ingredients combined with the latest techniques and creative chefs.

The result is dishes that taste fresh, modern and delicious, while still staying true to their heritage.

One of Dublin’s favorite restaurants is the Woollen Mills, known for offering modern twists on authentic dishes like a bowl of their popular Dublin Coddle - a hearty dish of sausages, bacon and potato that is unique to the city.

Food festivals have also made their mark in Dublin with the annual Taste of Dublin and the Big Grill festivals where Ireland’s best-of-the-best chefs and eateries showcase their culinary skills.

With the farm-to-table and fresh-from-the-sea movements at the heart of every menu, Dublin’s many great restaurants, gastropubs and farmers’ markets guarantee that wholesome tradition is still the foundation of today’s vastly expanded cuisine.

As for myself?

It’s wonderful to see the leaps and bounds in Irish cuisine achieved in recent years, and impressive to see the range of global culinary delights on offer in Dublin’s restaurants, but when back in the old town I invariably have one culinary primus inter pares on the mind: that would be smoked cod and chips, salt and vinegar, and a pint of Guinness on the side.

A must for everyone’s culinary bucket list.

As with culture and cuisine, the drive towards blending the new with the old has been applied to the city’s most famous structures. 

Old buildings are what they are and its best not interfere too much with them if they make the grade for preservation.

But sometimes an old story can best be told in a new setting.

Examples of this include Croke Park, a modern stadium that is home to the Gaelic Athletic Association Museum, where the history of Ireland’s ancient games is illustrated and explained; the National Gallery, where old masters can be viewed under new light; Kilmainham Gaol, where new understanding of Ireland’s fight for freedom can be gleaned from old walls; Leinster House, the façade of which will immediately bring to mind the White House – no surprise given that Leinster House served as an inspiration for Irish architect James Hoban when he designed the White House.

Leinster House has stood since the mid-eighteenth century but thanks to democracy this home of the Irish parliament is continually in receipt of new faces.

The new in the old? Have a fresh pint of Guinness in the Brazen Head, the oldest hostelry in town. They have not called time in this place since 1198.  

And speaking of that pint.

Guinness is synonymous with Dublin and many locals will argue vehemently that you can keep the elixir of life and better spend your time imbibing the pint of plain.

The famous stout has been brewed at St. James’s Gate Brewery since 1759, but for almost all the time between then and recent years the brewing process was not deemed a must-see visitor attraction.

The Guinness Storehouse, opened in 2000, would change that.

The seven-floor Storehouse is a homage to tradition, excellence, and a brew that has been one of Dublin’s greatest gifts to the world.

The actual Storehouse building dates to 1902, but today’s redesigned facility employs the kind of contemporary technology and people pleasers that have turned this gem into Dublin’s single largest visitor destination.

At the other end of town, where the River Liffey widens as it becomes the port of Dublin, another more recently opened lure is EPIC, the Irish Emigration Museum.

The museum tells what is a very old Irish story indeed – that of how so many from the island traveled to all corners of the world and so created the global Irish diaspora, today estimated at seventy million people.

But EPIC tells this old story by using the very newest methods and technologies.

The effect is to make the past immediate, within touching and hearing distance, personal and very real.

Arguably, the acid test for any tourism host these days is to make people, younger ones especially, pack away cellphones.

EPIC actually manages this astounding feat, but to find out how it will be necessary to walk through its door on Custom House Quay in Dublin’s recently minted Custom House Quarter.

EPIC is not so much old versus new. It is new in the old as its vaulted galleries, wired up to the nines with high tech, date to the building of a bonded warehouse in the early nineteenth century.

But if EPIC’s home is among the newest old buildings in town, what is the plain oldest?

That would be Christ Church Cathedral, which dates to the first half of the eleventh century and was founded by King Sitric Silkenbeard, a part Irish, part Norse king who was inspired to build a cathedral after making a pilgrimage to Rome.

Christ Church has had a few makeovers down the centuries but retains its gothic splendor even as its flying buttresses sweep over one vault that dates, with little or no refurbishment, to the twelfth century.

Christ Church predates its near neighbor, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, founded in 1191, by a century-and-a-half. But again, what’s a century or two in Dublin’s story!

That tale would not be complete without reference to a relative architectural newcomer, Trinity College, founded in 1592.

Trinity, as many are aware, is home to one of the oldest artifacts in Dublin, the Book of Kells.

This national, indeed global treasure, is actually in four volumes and typically two of them are on display at any one time in the Trinity library’s famed “Long Room” which inspired a scene in one of the Star Wars movies.

The Book of Kells dates to about the year 800; not quite a galaxy far far away, though certainly long, long ago.

But Trinity is lately a repository for a quartet of even older illuminated manuscripts which have been restored for our time and future generations.

The Garland of Howth, the Book of Dimma, the Book of Mulling and the Codex Usserianius Primus are early Christian works dating from as early as the fifth century.

That would place them in and around the time of Saint Patrick!

The four, as with the volumes of the Book of Kells, are being put on public display by Trinity on a rotating basis.

And in another example of the new being applied to raise the profile of the old, the manuscripts have been digitized for viewing online.

Imagine trying to explain digital to a monk holding a blank page of calfskin vellum…in Latin!

It’s a good deal easier explaining Dublin’s traditional and newer lures and attractions, and how the city is today presenting the old in a whole, yes, new light.

Ray O'Hanlon is the Editor of the Irish Echo newspaper in New York.

This post is proudly produced in partnership with Tourism Ireland. Find out more on Ireland.com

The public votes are in for Ireland’s favorite new building and we suspect that it’s one that many of you have yet to call into. The O’Donoghue Centre for Theatre, Drama and Performance at National University of Ireland, Galway, took home the main prize this year winning over 20% of the 14,000 votes cast.

In second place as the Irish public’s favorite new building was the Central Bank of Ireland, North Wall Quay, designed by Henry J Lyons Architects, while third place went to a Cork project, Child’s Play Tower, designed by Kane Architects.

This is the second time in five years that Taylor Architectes has topped this specific category in the Irish Architecture Awards run by the Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland, collaborating with Richard Murphy Architects to transform this former factory and engineering department into a new theater space.

Read more: What are the most beautiful buildings in Ireland?

The new university drama complex originally started out in the 1850s as a bleach and flax mill and has taken a turn as a bonded warehouse and as a munitions factory before it became Irish Metal Industries in 1935.

Just before it was transformed into the theater department, the building was used by the engineering school in NUIG before they, too, developed a new building.

The 120-theater space was redeveloped by local contractors Purcell Construction and makes use of retractable tiered seating to create a working space including studio spaces, a classroom, and a workshop and rehearsal room.

Read more: Top interesting facts about Galway city (PHOTOS)

The theater beat off 60 other projects across 13 counties, as well as three international projects to claim the top spot. Projects in Hungary, Poland and Palestine created by RIAI-registered architects were also included on the shortlist.

Funding was provided to develop the new space from a local Galway philanthropist and former chairperson of the famous Druid Theater Dr Donagh O’Donoghue.

“The incorporation of the latest technology in the theatre space and elsewhere contrasts attractively with the solid stone walls which remind us of the building’s origins,” said NUI Galway’s vice-president for capital projects Keith Warnock.

“The award adds to the growing appreciation of the physical infrastructure at NUI Galway and reaffirms our confidence in the programme of campus development we have undertaken over the last decade.”

The public vote on a favorite new building was just the first announcement from the Irish Architecture Awards who will reveal the winners of the further 18 categories this weekend. Now in their 28th year, the awards are the primary acknowledgement of architectural success and progress in Ireland.

H/T: TheJournal.ie/Irish Times

July 4 is a seriously great holiday. Yes, it’s a celebration of America’s Independence, but these days it’s mainly a great excuse to take time out in the height of summer, slap on the barbecue, and chill out with family and friends.

We thought you Americans based in Ireland, or you Irish with a grá (love) for the USA, might like to get out there this week, in your red, white, and blue, and celebrate July 4 in Ireland.

If there’s one thing us Irish are good at it’s the auld céad míle fáilte (a hundred thousand welcomes). We hope you’ll feel right at home this holiday weekend.

Irish America Day – New Ross, Wexford

If you’ve nothing else on this weekend it seems that a road trip to Wexford would be a great idea.

From June 30 to July 2 the Irish American Celebration is taking over the town with a jam-packed program of events, including a carnival on the quay, music from Bagatelle markets and celebrations taking to the street.

For more visit facebook.com/irishamericaday and irishamericaday.com.

The chief executive of Norwegian Air International (NAI), operating low-cost transatlantic flights out of Cork Airport in the southwest of Ireland, has said the company is “here to stay”.

Chief Executive Tore Jenssen was speaking at last Saturday (July 1) at the celebration of NAI’s inaugural flight from Cork to TF Green, in Providence, Rhone Island, just 90-minutes outside Boston.

“We have been waiting more than three years for this,” Jenssen said.

“We have been battling left, right and center for this and it’s fantastic to be in the Rebel county to launch the first service — it all makes sense to launch this out of Cork.”

NAI has already sold 150,000 tickets on flights out of Ireland with average prices between $300 to $350 round-trip. The Norwegian airline will operate 24 flights per week from Ireland to the US including daily flights from Dublin to New York and flights five times a week to Providence from Dublin. Three flights per week from Cork to Providence. Belfast will have two flights a week to Boston and three to New York. Also, Shannon will have two flights a week to Boston and two flights a week to New York

Initially there had been a delay in NAI’s plans for their Irish route expansion due to an aircraft delivery delay. However, they are now using Boeing 737-800s on the new routes. The Irish Examiner reports that NAI took delivery of two 737-Max aircrafts on Saturday. They will receive another four aircraft over the next three weeks and introduce these on the new Irish routes.

Jenssen said that once they have been tested the NAI will make a decision on the proposed Cork to New York route. Previously concerns over the length of Cork’s run were perceived as being an issue.

Cork Airport’s Managing Director Niall MacCarthy praised all those, on both sides of the Atlantic, who had made successful the campaign to secure NAI’s license.

He said “I am proud to say that we are Ireland’s and Europe’s newest transatlantic airport.”

Read more: What new US "enhanced security measures" will mean for Irish travelers

Simon Coveney, the newly appointed Foreign Affairs Minister said Saturday and the celebration of NAI’s inaugural flight out of Cork was a particularly great day for the airport, which is now part of the transatlantic story.

Moments from takeoff of the first Norwegian Air flight from @CorkAirport for Boston/Providence #Cork #CorkNorwegian pic.twitter.com/OmKsGMjGyH

— Eoin English (@EoinBearla) July 1, 2017

Coveney said “Now that it is part of that mix, we may well see other airlines looking at Cork because Norwegian have shown the way.

“This is going to be a very successful route. Many were skeptical at the start but the combination of the ambition of Norwegian Air, and the determination of management here at the airport to put a package together to make the business case, means people here have a fantastic new option at competitive cost to travel to the US.”

The Minister also added that while pre-clearance immigration facilities at Cork, similar to those in Dublin, would be helpful he commented on the efficiency of those services in Providence.

The new flights out of Cork Airport will also boost the area’s tourism. More than 1,000 new hotel rooms are being planned in Cork city to accommodate the expected tourism boom.

In Shannon the Norwegian Air’s service took off to a more rocky start, after a technical problem with one of their aircrafts meant the cancellation of a flight. Passengers were accommodated in hotels before being transported to Belfast and Cork airports to continue their journey’s to the US.

The Clare Herald reports that flight D-81825 was grounded at Shannon with a technical problem.

An NAI spokesperson said: “We are extremely sorry that due to an aircraft technical issue, the planned flight from Shannon to Providence on Monday 3rd July was cancelled.”

“Passengers were notified of the cancellation and offered hotel accommodation at the airport while contingency plans were put in place. Once seats had been secured on alternative flights from Cork and Belfast, passengers were able to use the hotline number provided to rebook onto alternative flights to Providence,” the airline said.

“We would like to sincerely apologize again to passengers for the inconvenience caused,” the spokesperson added.

Read more: Aer Lingus ranked one of the top 10 airlines in the world