Ireland is known as the land of saints and scholars, but it’s also the land of craftspeople! Ireland has a long tradition of developing textile, leather, wood, and metal crafts. Knowing the history of these crafts will make you treasure them even more. Here is the brief history of some of our best-selling Irish crafts! The Irish Sweater The Irish sweater you know and love originated on the Aran Islands, off the western coast of Galway and Doolin. Off the mainland, the Aran Islands are the last point of land until you reach America; covered in stone, the stark landscape...
Growing up in Ireland, St.Brigid’s Day was one of the best days in school! We’d spend about an hour outside, playing around in the field and picking rushes for our Brigid’s Cross (of course, the rushes would try to take the eyes out of us continuously)! We’d all head inside then to start crafting; folding rushes in half over and over again until we were left with the final product! My Mam still has these crosses displayed proudly on top of our kitchen dresser. Saint Brigid is one of the patron saints of Ireland. She is also the patron saint...
Summer is my favourite time to be at home in Ireland. The days are long and there’s plenty of sunshine to get out and explore! Here is a list of my top 10 favourite things to do during an Irish summer! Although the weather can vary during the months of May, June, July & August, we usually see great long spells of sun - but here’s a TOP TIP anyway; if you really want to be there while the sun’s out, plan your trip for June. June is great for what we call ‘Leaving Cert Weather’. The Leaving Cert is...
Thinking of tying the Celtic knot soon? Well let me tell you - there are so many cute Celtic Wedding Traditions that you can incorporate into your big day! That extra wee bit of Irish charm is guaranteed to put a smile on your face as well as giving your marriage an extra bit of Irish luck! Read on to learn more! The Rings Claddagh Rings are very traditional in Irish weddings. The Claddagh symbol stands for love, loyalty and friendship! These are essential ingredients in any relationship! The Claddagh Ring is said to bring good luck for the happy...
Your First Holy Communion is definitely a big deal in Ireland. I’m not sure how people do it here, but at home, people go all out! I remember mine. It was a really nice day actually - surprising given that I live on the West Coast of Ireland. The Mass was lovely. Mam and Dad had the house lovely for all of my family to have a party afterwards. It should be noted that my family is about 3 times the size of any normal family so there were 15+ Uncles, 15+ Aunts, 3 Grandparents and about 1,800 cousins (might...
