The International Pan Celtic Festival in Carlow

Celebrating the Celtic cultures of Ireland, Wales, Scotland, Cornwall, Brittany and the Isle of Man, the International Pan Celtic Festival 2013 in Carlow is a festival of music, song, dance and language taking place from 2nd – 7th April 2013.
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Ferry from France to Cork resumes for 2013

The Brittany sailings between Roscoff in France and Cork resumed this weekend for the 2013 season. Operating every Friday from Roscoff and every Saturday from Cork until November, the flagship MV Pont Aven will ferry passengers to and from Cork in comfort, ensuring visitors travelling for Ireland Vacations from France and mainland Europe arrive rested and ready to enjoy their trip here in the emerald isle.
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Cork Midsummer Festival 2013

This year from June 21st to 30th, the Cork Midsummer  Festival will take place. The annual festival takes place in Cork city and captivates a growing audience of all ages year on year. Popular with both tourists and locals, it boasts over ten days of world-class performances, special events and entertainment.  This one festival not to be missed!  Continue reading

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Morpeth Roll Reveals Distant Link To Prince William

A distant link to the present members of the British royal family is among the 160,000 signatures found in the Morpeth Roll one of Ireland’s most fascinating artefacts. Made in 1841 as a tribute to a popular chief secretary, it measures 420,000 metres long (3 times the length of Croke Park) and carries hundreds of thousands of signatures from a wide range of pre-famine society.
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Obama Promises Another Visit to Ireland

At the recent reception at the White House in light of St. Patrick’s Day, President Obama expressed his intention to visit Ireland again. Obama first visited Ireland in May 2011 taking in a trip to Moneygall, Co. Offaly to visit the birthplace of his ancestors during his time here.

President Obama described the Irish Taoiseach Enda Kenny as a great leader and he also went on to say that the Irish economy was on the road to recovery and praised Mr. Kenny for his work during the period. Continue reading

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Cork Buffalo Cheese Wins Major Ireland Food Award

The dreams of two men to raise buffalo in the rich grassland of Ireland may have bemused many locals at first but it has proved to be a brilliant Irish success story with worldwide potential as it recently won big at Irelands most prestigious national food awards the IFWG.
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St Patrick’s Day in Galway

 

There is so much on all over Ireland for St Patrick’s Day in 2013. Here’s what’s going on in just one city: Galway

Galway has long been a popular destination for visitors to Ireland as well as people in search of stag activities Galway. There’s something for everyone in Galway this ST Patrick’s Day

St Patricks Day Parade
2013 marks the 110th anniversary of the Galway St Patrick’s Day Parade and the Galway parade will feature an exciting mix of marching bands, local community groups, dancing groups, pipe bands and local business floats. With groups coming from all over the world, expect the streets to burst into life as the centre of the city is set to become transformed by a riot of colour and sound. The Parade start time will be 11.30am and finishing at approximately 1.00pm.
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Galway has a long and proud history in the GAA and this year the Guests of Honour for the Parade will be the 1987 and 1988 Galway All-Ireland Senior Hurling Champions. This year is the 25th anniversary of the 1988 winners and we are delighted that we will have these giants of the hurling world who have inspired many hurlers walking through the streets of Galway.

The All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship of 1987 match was contested by Galway and Kilkenny, with Galway taking the title by 1-12 to 0-9. It was the 100th All-Ireland final and Galway’s third championship title ever.

The All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship of 1988 was contested by Galway and Tipperary, with Galway taking the title by 1-15 to 0-14. It was Galway’s second All-Ireland title in-a-row.

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The theme for the St Patricks Day parade this year is the ‘History of Galway’. Also as part of ‘The Gathering Ireland 2013’ St. Patrick’s Festival Galway are inviting anyone with a surname or related to one of the Tribes of Galway from around the world to march in the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Galway on Sunday 17th March 2013.
As a participant in St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Galway participants will march through the centre of the medieval City, a 2.5 km (1.5 mile) journey through narrow cobbled streets, turning onto long, wide  streets. The magical atmosphere created by the Galway Festival attracts up to 70,000 people every year, who line the narrow streets of the medieval city.
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40 members of the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company of Massachusetts will march in the St Patricks Day Parade which will take place in Galway on Sunday 17th of March 2013.
The Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company of Massachusetts is a military Company  and has  headquarters at historic Faneuil Hall, Boston, Massachusetts. In 2011, the Company travelled to Ireland and
met with the Irish President and the Irish military.
 At least two times in the past fifteen years, a Company contingent has travelled to Galway City to march in the St. Patrick’s Day Parade.  This year, CPT Colella will have a contingent of 40 members of the Company  who will travel to Galway to march in the parade.
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 Castlegar Camogie Club – All Ireland intermediate club champions 2013 will walk in the Parade.
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We will have a number of local GAA clubs in the Parade again this
year. Some of these will include: Liam Mellows GAA Club which was
founded in 1933 and celebrates its 80 birthday this year. The club
caters for boys and girls from ages of 4 and upwards and train in
Ballyloughane, Renmore from 7-8pm every Friday night. Hurls and
helmets are provided.
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The Barna GAA Girls U9 and U10 which will have approximately 25 girls
displaying Gaelic football skills of a very high standard. Many of
these girls only kicked a ball for the first time last year. They are
improving all the time and hope other girls their age will take up
sport of whatever kind. Well done girls and keep up the great work!
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Foroige’s youth service ‘Galway City Youth Café’ is collaborating with all youth groups throughout the city and county to design and construct flags to represent the 14 Tribes of Galway. The Tribes of Galway (Treibheanna na Gaillimhe) were fourteen merchant families who dominated the political, commercial, and social life of the city of Galway in western Ireland between the mid-13th and late-19th centuries. They were the families of Athy, Blake, Bodkin, Browne, D’Arcy, Deane, Font, French, Joyce, Kirwan, Lynch, Martyn, Morris and Skerrett. Foroige participants created these flags across the city in the various youth clubs, groups and the Galway City Youth Cafe.
Youth groups and Leaders will walk in the parade holding colourful flags created in their youth clubs. The Flags will be brightly coloured and will have the crests of the 14th tribes spray painted on them.
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This year, Scoil Bhríde Mionloch will bring alive the historical story of the “Slí na gCaisleán” (the cycle heritage trail of Seven Galway Castles).
 The Ballinfoile Mór Community Organic Garden and Conservation Volunteers Terryland Forest Park will work with other city organic garden groups to develop the theme of “Galway’s Green Army”. Castlegar Primary school will have an army of scarecrows walking in the Parade.
 The Cumman na bhFear (Men’s Shed) will repair and have ready a fleet of “High Nelly bicycles”.
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Galway Community Circus will be attending St Patrick’s Parade with a theme connected to the story Children of Lir featuring (Galway) swans, kings and queens.
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Scoil Bhride Shantalla has a strong tradition of partaking in the parade. It is part of the school and community tradition. The children, parents and staff have been very busy preparing for this year. They have used the Galway Hooker and the tradition of fishing as their historical theme. The school come from the historical area of Shantalla where Daniel O’Connell visited in the 19th Century.
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The Cladonian Mariners Community Boat Club is the only local boat club in the Claddagh which teaches people the finer points of sailing sail making net fixing knots and first aid.
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Playground Circus are a group of Galway based circus – theatre performers and Jugglers, partly graduates from Circomedia Circus school in Bristol and NUIG Juggling society members. They will be clowny versions of old Galway characters (paddy hats and tweed/ Galway shawl style, white face paint), juggling to the crowd in Solos, with some synchronised group juggling parts and some audience interactions.
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Pope Francis Elected in Rome

With the appearance of white smoke from the tiny chimney on the roof of the Sistine Chapel signifying that a new pope had been elected, Rome eagerly awaited to discover who would be the successor to Benedict XVI.
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Ryainair Rumoured to make Announcement at St. Patrick Reception in White House

According to leading reports, leading Irish budget airline Ryanair will be announcing a deal to buy 200 aircrafts from Boeing at the annual reception to mark St. Patrick’s Day. The reception will take place at the White House to celebrate the hugely popular St. Patrick’s festivities with Barack Obama and Irish Taoiseach Enda Kenny.

Ryanair confirmed previously that they were in talks with Boeing regarding a big deal. It is believed the deal is worth $18 billion and Boeing are known to provide significant discounts on large orders. Neither Ryanair or Boeing have commented to confirm the deal.

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Follow in the Footsteps of St. Patrick – Walking Tour, Dublin, Ireland

Many people are choosing to follow in the footsteps of our patron saint, St. Patrick this year on their Ireland vacation thanks to this Dublin city walking tour. Well known Dublin historian and author Pat Liddy will lead the way as patrons will have the opportunity to learn about the remarkable legend of St. Patrick.

The guided walking tour is approximately 2 hours and 15 mins long and will showcase ancient sites including the two spectacular medieval cathedrals of St. Patrick’s and Christ Church. Continue reading

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