With a last name like O’Donnell, there was no chance that I would escape childhood without my Irish roots surfacing in various ways. Long before I made my first trip to Ireland, my parents and grandparents fed me a steady diet of the greatest Irish authors of all time. By the time I reached adulthood, …
Sometimes joy and fun in an experience is directly proportional to how difficult it is… …the short hike to the lookout point for the Blasket Islands in southern Ireland is one of those circumstances. It was cold and windy for my driving/hiking adventure and with the ever-present misting Irish rain a constant companion every time I …
There’s a secret spot in Ireland. And the locals don’t want you to know it exits. I found it by chance—though I recommend renting a car in Ireland that means a good deal of alone-time for solo travelers. Time spent following the directions of lonely brown heritage signs, standing as sentinels of history on the …
The thatch roofed houses peppering the sea of emerald grass fields seems so oddly reminiscent of another era but yet are actually still found in areas all Ireland. Landing on the Aran Islands off of the west coast of Ireland is like taking a full leap into a small and traditional pocket of intensely Irish culture; …
Ireland is one of those countries that I can’t help describing melodramatically; the country just speaks to my soul. On the Diamond Hill hike in Connemara, Ireland I spotted this sheep among the fully blooming purple heather. The hike brought to mind the lovely song, “Will Ye Go, Lassie, Go,” which I used to sing back …
It might be the peat. It’s certainly the deep Irish brogue. But perhaps it’s also just the charming spirit of all who cross your path. Ireland has this certain something that makes the country feel incredibly unique; a something that I couldn’t quite identify for the first three weeks I spent in the country. Finding …
Affectionately referred to as “Irish mothers’ milk” by some and “the pint that drinks like a meal” by others, Guinness is a cultural right of passage on a visit to Ireland. And as a fiercely Irish yank (although to be clear, I’m not actually a yank, but in Ireland, if you’re American, they call you …
The heart and sole of Ireland lives in the country’s pubs—and I don’t mean because of the Guinness, although let me assure you that plays a role. But it’s the country’s music and warm enthusiasm that keeps the yanks like myself enthralled with Ireland’s rich history and amazing music. I have to admit, my fondest …