Culture

This Summer why not embark on a treasure hunt of memory making experiences in Cobh! For families seeking the ultimate day out, Cobh Tourism offers a free treasure hunt for young explorers looking to discover best points of interest in the town centre! Solo travellers, couples and groups are invited to hop on the latest travel trend of ‘Experiential Tourism’ and...

Ireland’s islands are worlds unto themselves and none more so than the history-rich, natural wonders that are the Skelligs. Off the coast of County Kerry, two jagged islands rise out of the Atlantic Ocean – ruggedly beautiful with centuries of history hewn into their very rock. These are the Skelligs – Skellig Michael and Little Skellig. Thanks to its recent appearance in...

The big day – 17 March – will soon be here, and once again people all around the world will be inspired to pay homage to St Patrick, Ireland, and Irish culture and heritage. As one of the most popular cultural events on the planet, St Patrick’s Day is celebrated by millions every year. Yet the enigmatic and larger-than-life figure...

Bealtaine welcomes summer with festival fun   The festival of Bealtaine in May marks the beginning of summer in the Celtic calendar and, since it’s Ireland, it’s a good excuse for a party. Falling midway between the spring equinox and the summer solstice, Bealtaine is one of Ireland’s four fire festivals, the others being Imbolc (February), Lughnasa (August) and the best known...

Simple, splendid, traditional, contemporary, quirky or quintessentially Irish, there’s a perfect self-catering home from home waiting for you on the island of Ireland. Self-catering is a great way to holiday, offering maximum freedom and flexibility. And on the island of Ireland, you can make your break truly memorable with a stay in a castle, cottage, beach house, historic tower or...

Unique trail of five sculptures launched in Cork City  Island City -Cork’s Urban Sculpture Trail  A new contemporary sculpture trail throughout Cork City - Island City, Cork’s Urban Sculpture Trail - was officially launched yesterday (12/12/'23) evening by the Lord Mayor of Cork Cllr Kieran McCarthy. This unique cultural trail of five public artworks was installed throughout the city centre island over...

The night before the Battle of the Boyne, King William of Orange was hit by Jacobite artillery fire while out on a reconnaissance mission. Fortune favoured King Billy that July evening as he only suffered a flesh wound before going on to take victory in the most famous battle to have ever taken place on Irish soil. Had the hit...

Surprising Stories at a revamped GAA Museum Those who have been missing all things GAA over the past two years will be delighted to hear that the GAA Museum has recently undergone a major makeover and has fascinating new artefacts on display. Nestled under the Cusack Stand in Croke Park, the GAA Museum is one of Ireland’s top visitor attractions.  It...

Tens of thousands of traditional music-loving folk gathered in the town of Cavan for the 2010 Fleadh Cheoil and less than 24 hours into my maiden festival visit, I found myself smack bang in the middle of Lough Oughter. Dating back to the early 1950s, Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann (Festival of Music in Ireland) was established to promote Irish traditional...

CREDIT JILLIAN BOLGER, VISIT DUBLIN Every January TradFest Temple Bar fills the Dublin air with the uplifting sounds of bodhráns and banjos, fiddles and flutes. This year, the landmark traditional music festival runs from January 25-29, with a host of bars and performance spaces welcoming established and emerging musical talent from Ireland and beyond. The mainstay of the festival is...