We’re not a big island. Ireland is roughly 81,000 square kms; about the size of the American State of Indiana, and just bit bigger than Scotland. So how is it that our landscapes are big business, and known for an epic vastness of changing skies, rolling hills and distant peaks? One answer would be Ciaran [...]

We asked writer Felicity Hayes-McCoy a question. What is it about the Dingle peninsula that draws so many creatives to it? The area has been a magnet for writers, painters, poets and craftspeople for over a century. And those are just the incomers. Local people here have been craftspeople and artists for thousands of years. [...]

Kids. You bring them to a stunning landscape, gaze out at the mystic sunset and all they want to know is why there are no jet planes, lasers or unicorns flying across it. Don’t worry, we’re way ahead of you. Ireland knows exactly how to impress little beady eyes, and how to tire out tiny [...]

Behind every song or poem is a good story, place or character. And wouldn’t you know some of the most interesting have been inspired by Ireland in some big, small or touching way. From Johnny Cash to James Joyce, artists, musicians and poets have taken pen to paper and finger to cord in honour of [...]

Writer Felicity Hayes-McCoy loves Dingle enough to live, write and be inspired by the area. From the music of native tongues to the legendary Irish heroes, fascinating museums and white sandy beaches, she shares her perfect day on the Dingle Peninsula. The Dingle Peninsula was famously described by National Geographic magazine as “the most beautiful [...]

This is a story about a mountain range. A real multi-tasker of a mountain range in fact. Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, cluster of magical nooks and crannies,  muse to famous writer, and host of festivals and quirky sports. The Mourne Mountains are different things to different people. But to everyone, they are beautiful to [...]

Novelist and screenwriter Felicity Hayes-McCoy knows all about pretty places in Ireland. In fact, she’s written the book on it (well, a book on her cherished Dingle Peninsula). When we asked Felicity what other of favourite Ireland spots she’d like to write about, she answered the town of Enniscorthy. Here’s why: From a visitor’s point [...]

First off, let me be clear: I love nature. I have a fabulous enchanted wood image from County Down as my desktop wallpaper, and I’m even wearing butterfly earrings. Some teeny things bug me about nature however… such as bugs. Well, them and the lack of roof and central heating and sturdy flooring, and possibility [...]

With the Canada Day long weekend approaching we know what all of you have on your mind – BBQ!!! Take some of Ireland home by making one of these fantastic BBQ recipes. Happy anniversary Canada! To me, barbeques mean friends and family gathering around for some well smoked grub and taking it in turns to [...]

The way our stories tell it, Ireland’s just a land of leprechauns frolicking among four-leafed clovers and fairy mounds, of starry nights filled with púcas and banshees. Well, not quite, but this stuff is not just the preserve of children’s books either. Ireland’s myths, legends and superstitions are the legacy of a rich oral tradition. [...]