-
5 reasons why Ireland is THE place to go for a winter break
Looking for a winter break? With its snug pubs, wild landscapes and secret hideaways, Ireland is the perfect place to embrace the winter weather. 1. Momentous landscapes The Mourne Mountains, County Down: This was author CS Lewis’s playground as a child, and inspired the winter wonderland that is Narnia in The Lion, The Witch and […]
-
A spooky Halloween supper
Halloween isn’t your typical celebration. And, Halloween food isn’t exactly ‘normal’ either. Fact: we owe Halloween to Ireland. This is the autumn festival when, as my ancestors believed, the ghosts of the dead returned to the land of the living. Spooky. Really, though, that’s why we like Halloween. It’s not ‘normal’. It’s scary, it’s unpredictable […]
-
Grace Neill’s That chill you’re feeling in Grace Neill’s pub isn’t just cold beer. Welcome to the most haunted pub in Ireland
Clocking in at an impressive 400 years old (it’s listed in the Guinness Book of Records as “the oldest pub in Ireland”), it’s no surprise that Grace Neill’s in the town of Donaghadee, County Down, is home to a ghost or two. And we’re not talking about Casper. According to the pub website, during its […]
-
Terrifying tales and frightening facts from the home of Halloween
Halloween – a time for thrills, chills and scaring ourselves silly. But did you know that everyone’s favourite fright-filled holiday began in Ireland? Trace Halloween right back to its origins and you’ll find yourself in the mists of pagan Ireland over 2,000 years ago – a time when the ancient festival of Samhain was celebrated […]
-
SCOTTISH HALLOWEEN TRADITIONS
Of all the seasonal holidays, Halloween is one of my favourites. It might not have the spiritual significance or inspire the same giddy expectation as Christmas, but there’s just something about its macabre theatricality which never fails to bring out the big kid in me. Massively popular in the United States and celebrated to a […]
-
Scottish Ghosts, Myths & Legends
In Scotland, you can expect the unexpected. Be it in the tallest tower of an imposing castle, the darkest depths of a secluded forest, or just below the surface of a murky loch, it’s not unusual to experience something that just can’t be explained. Our folklore is peppered with accounts of peculiar events and uncanny, […]
-
AN IRISH COUNTRY PRACTICE Patrick Taylor
“Patrick Taylor has become probably the most popular Irish-Canadian writer of all time.” —The Globe and Mail “Taylor masterfully charts the small victories and defeats of Irish village life.” —Irish American Magazine “Gentle humor, deeply emotional stories drawn from everyday life—Taylor’s books are what Garrison Keillor might have produced if he’d been born in County […]
-
Irish book retailer Kennys enters Canadian market
Since the Canadian dollar has dropped sharply in the last week, independent Irish retailer Kennys Bookshop (www.kennys.ie) have become one of the cheapest options online for buying books in the Canadian market. Booko (the international price comparison site for buying books online) currently shows Kennys.ie as the lowest-price option online in Canada for thousands of […]
-
Canadian travel professionals check out Winterfell and Northern Ireland
A group of top Canadian tour operators and travel agents – all specialists in group tours and responsible for making the travel arrangements for a diverse range of large groups – has been visiting Co Down and Northern Ireland. They were here as guests of Tourism Ireland and Tourism NI. The Canadians attended a ‘Canadian […]
-
SCOTTISH WEDDING TRADITIONS
Have you always wanted to have a traditional Scottish wedding? There’s a lot more to it than just wearing a kilt! Learn about the quirky Scottish good luck rituals and romantic customs you can incorporate into your own ceremony, from those which have become common in weddings around the world to obscure time-honoured traditions that […]