Merry Christmas in Gaelic

How Irish Holidays Blend Catholic and Pagan Traditions

Many Irish holidays blend the Catholic faith with ancient Celtic tradition and mythology. Some original pagan holidays are still practiced in Ireland today.
Sir Roger Casement

Why Was Roger Casement Hanged?

A century after being executed as a traitor, Roger Casement continues to fascinate.
Image of ice in sparkling water

The Irish Were Way Ahead of the Soda Water Trend

Soda water is a popular beverage now, but it was once considered a cure, among other things.
The word Ulysses in white on a blue background

A Bloomsday Remembrance of James Joyce

June 16th is Bloomsday, the day on which James Joyce's sprawling Modernist novel Ulysses takes place. Celebrate literature, Dublin, and, well, pubs!
Castle Ward

Game of Thrones and the Rebirth of Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland is seeing a resurgence in tourism, due, ironically enough, to a TV show about political violence between kingdoms: Game of Thrones.
An older prison door lock

Debtors’ Prisons, Class, and Patriotism in 18th Century Ireland

In a paper for Eighteenth-Century Ireland, Martyn J. Powell discusses the politics that seem to have limited the use of debtors' prisons in Ireland.
Backgammon game in progress

The Erotics of Backgammon

James E. Doan reveals the sexual innuendoes and double-entendres based on Backgammon.
Saint Patrick stained glass window from Cathedral of Christ the Light, Oakland, CA.
By Sicarr (Flickr) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Will the Real St. Patrick Please Stand Up

The "St. Patrick" celebrated on March 17 every year has never existed. He was, and is, a metaphorical, literary, and religious conceit.
Blue and red flashing police lights

The Roots of Modern Police Work

The beginnings of modern police work have roots in the colonial experience in Ireland.
Skellig Michael where they are filming Star Wars Episode VII

Skellig Michael: An Island Far, Far Away (Where “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” Was Filmed)

Star Wars Epiosde VII was filmed on Skellig Michael island in Ireland.