This week, the Irish adventure continues for Ward, Mary and the family. On New Year’s day, they all set off for Kilmainham Gaol in Dublin. For those of you who don’t know, Kilmainham Gaol (pronounced ‘jail’) is one of the oldest prisons in Ireland. It was built in 1796. Many public hangings took place in front of the prison but by the 1820’s, very few hangings were taking place publicly. There was a cell inside for that job. There was no segregation of prisoners; men, women and children were incarcerated up to 5 in each cell, with only a single...
There are so many Irish Symbols out there ! But what do they really mean? Let’s explore the world of Irish Symbology together! The Harp: The harp is one of Ireland’s most iconic symbols! As far back as the 13th century, harpists enjoyed a high status in Irish society for providing people with joy and music. In the 17th century, during the period of the 'Kingdom of Ireland', the pillar of the harp began to be depicted as a bare-breasted woman. When Ireland became the independent Irish state in 1922, a late-medieval Gaelic harp (a cláirseach), the Trinity College Harp,...
It’s that time of the year again. The pumpkins are out along with the ghouls and goblins. Back home in Ireland, Mammy would be pulling out a hot barmbrack from the oven and I’d be scalding meself trying to eat it. I can almost feel the burnt mouth. There are so many Halloween activities going on with people getting ready for the festivities. It’s all very exciting. But I bet you didn’t know that Halloween actually began in Ireland? It was called Samhain. (Sow-in) ‘Oíche’ means ‘night’ in Irish and so Oíche Shamhna refers to Halloween night. Samhain (Sow-in) was...
