If I were to list out the Egyptian, Greek, Roman, and Norse cultures, I can almost guarantee that their respective pantheons will come to mind. But if I now add the Irish to this list, I wonder how many would be able to list even one of their gods. Even as someone who grew up…
Every morning all of us share in a ritual that dates back as far history itself. For, without exception, each of us will decide what we will wear for the day ahead. The questions we will ask to form our choices are the same questions our ancestors would have asked some 2,000 years ago: ‘What…
There are few more iconic sites than the lone, solitary stones of a once great castle standing tall above the sea. Dunseverick, as it is known today, is but a shadow of its former glory. Now a National Trust site, all that remains are but a few stone walls displaced along a small headland –…
Even from a young age, we have an in-built desire to outdo one-another. We view the greatness of our homes relative to those of our neighbour’s. When one upgrades their driveway, everyone else will publicly praise and inwardly resent it. You only have to look at the great skyscrapers which line our city skylines to…
As you walk around any modern city, nearly always your eyes will be drawn to the architecture. The style, scale, and shape of the buildings captures our attention, eliciting emotions and leaving an enduring impression. I have had the privilege of visiting many cities around the world and invariably it’s the government buildings which standout….
2,500 years ago, standing atop the fort’s gateway platform, you can see a beautiful panoramic scene before you. Immediately outside lies open pasture, forests cleared to provide the abundant resources needed to build your home. Where these dense forests once stood, now herds of cattle can be seen grazing lazily in the open pasture. The…
Little inspires the imagination as vividly as walking through the ruined remains of a once thriving metropolis. Seeing the great stones of buildings, the hills and walkways where our ancestors would have stepped, or just the sense of scale of a place which has fallen so far from its place of greatness. Rathcroghan, with a…
Tracing our family history has become one of the most popular pastimes across the world. This is particularly true for the many millions (estimates vary between 50-80million) of people claiming Irish ancestry. Meticulous detective work reveals all sorts of fascinating personal histories tracing back generations to their roots. But what about 400 generations? For that’s…
The world record for the heaviest weight ever lifted by a human is a staggering 2.4 tonnes. With years of training, specialized dieting, and intensive preparations, this is the greatest weight a single human has ever lifted. And yet, the passage tomb of Newgrange consists of a colossal 97 stone slabs, all weighing more than…
The Tain1 is one of Ireland’s most vivid ancient tales centering around the theft and subsequent conflict over a mighty bull. The famed Ulster hero Cu Chulainn, known as the “Hound of Emain Macha,”2 sets out to reclaim the bull himself, and (after the Ulster army are stricken with a debilitating sickness3) he single-handedly holds…