Books to Read Before You Visit Ireland
I’ve just booked my trip to Killarney in October, and I’ve been thinking about what books I’d recommend to anyone visiting Ireland for the first time. It’s not an easy task. Ireland’s long and sometimes troubled history, combined with a rich folklore, has provided...
TBEX Killarney, A Sneak Preview
My first TBEX (Travel Bloggers Exchange) conference was in Ireland, in the capital city of Dublin. I enjoyed it so much that I’ve been to all the TBEX European conferences since, as well as this year’s TBEX International in Jerusalem. In October this year, TBEX is...
Dublin, a UNESCO City of Literature
Dublin was the world’s 4th UNESCO City of Literature (after Edinburgh, Melbourne and Iowa City). But what does this actually mean? Well, it’s not just about having a rich literary heritage (although Dublin certainly has), but what all these cities also have in common...
How I Learnt to Love Irish Whiskey – at Dublin’s Old Jameson Distillery
I’ve never been much of a whisky drinker, although the occasional drop of single malt is always welcome on a cold day. And I’d always been told that the only type to drink was Scotch, so I was unreasonably prejudiced against the Irish variety. But all of that changed...
A Magical Ride on Dublin’s Storytelling Bus
“Leprechauns can be tricky,” says Dylan as he bounces up the stairs of the Storytelling Bus. “You just need to be careful. There might even be some with us now...” A minute ago I was standing on a crowded street in the centre of Dublin, but now I had entered another...
The Walls of Londonderry
I always like walled cities. There’s something about walking right round a town, peering over the walls into little back streets, that gives me a sense of connection with all the people that have gone that way before. Sentries keeping a lookout for unwanted visitors,...
Ancient Sites of Inishowen
Even the name is enough to conjure up a sense of ancient legends and history half-forgotten in the mists of time. Inishowen - the peninsula at the northern end of County Donegal - is home to some of the earliest religious remains in the British Isles as well as a much...
The Legend of Finn McCool
Ireland is a land of myths and legends, and nowhere more so than the mysterious Giant’s Causeway. 40,000 tall basalt columns, formed in perfect interlocking hexagonals. Surely this couldn’t be the work of nature, there must be some other explanation. Only a giant...
The Ghosts of Dunluce Castle
Standing alone on the edge of a tall rock, steep drops down to the sea on every side, and only connected to the mainland by a wooden bridge, Dunluce Castle has always been shrouded in mystery. Used as a fort ever since the Vikings sailed to the north coast of Ireland,...
A Wobbly Bridge to Carrick-a-Rede
The rain and the mist had cleared, and we had a perfect view of the tiny volcanic island. The only thing that stood between us and Carrick-a-Rede was the rope bridge. A wobby construction of planks and wires, 60 foot across, and 100 foot above the sea below. In fact,...
