Category Archives: Ireland To me there was something surreal and troubling about watching Hugh Grant singing on the stairs of Kilmainham Gaol in pink-striped bell-bottoms. It is a disturbing place: dark, cold, and in its day, severely overcrowded. Men, women and children were crammed in together, up to five in a small cell with only a single candle […]  Seen one castle, seen them all? Not quite! During our wet month in Ireland in 2012 (Ireland), we visited a lot of castles in various states of ruin, renovation, or disrepair. What surprised me most was how different they all actually are. Perhaps it was the brief respite from the rain, but my husband and […]  (Double click to start Tullamore Blues by Irish Mythen) It’s a small world, right? We were at the Byron Bay Bluesfest (Back to the Roots) recently. On the Saturday, we walked into the Delta tent to hear the delightful celtic accent and the cheeky, cackling laughter of Irish Mythen, a singer-songwriter born and raised in […]  Can you imagine living in a castle? A castle with roses climbing up the walls? A castle that looks like something out of a old fairy tale? In 1620, governance of the village of Birr in County Offaly, Ireland; old Birr Castle; and 1,277 acres (5.2 km2) of land were given to Sir Laurence Parsons. Sir Laurence, grandson of one of the five Parsons brothers […]  Religion and religious faith are the heart of Ireland. So, it seems fitting that one of the most fascinating religious/historical sites sits at the heart of the country – almost dead centre – where the traditional east-west land route crossed the River Shannon. It is also apposite that this site, dating back to the earliest […] |
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