In 1868 in the town of Ardagh, County Limerick, two men were digging for potatoes in a ring fort, believed to protect the potatoes from the blight that brought the famine 30 years earlier. They came across something hard in the soil and when they cleared away the earth they found a chalice and other […]
The earliest form of the written Irish Language is Ogham, a prehistoric script dating back to around the 4th-7th century. This form of writing consisted of a series of notches carved on the corners of large standing perpendicular stones. The stone inscriptions were written vertically from bottom to top. An individual letter could contain between […]
Jewelry is a way of expressing yourself to the outside world. It can be an expression of love between two people and traditionally is used to signify landmark moments such as engagements or weddings in people’s lives. The selection and availability of jewelry for engagements and weddings alike has expanded vastly over the years as […]
In Ireland, we like to consider ourselves modern Europeans with liberal attitudes and a progressive society. However, although the Irish clergy has been rocked by scandal and church attendance has plummeted in recent years, we are still fundamentally a conservative Catholic county at heart. With one of the highest rates of matrimony in Europe, this […]
The story of the Children of Lir is a well known legend in Ireland. In our visit to the remote West Cork village of Allihies on the Bere Peninsula, we came across the graves site of the children. According to tradition, the children were the sons and daughters of Lir, and a member of the […]
The Book of Kells was written in medieval Ireland over 1,200 years ago, about 800AD. It took about 75 years to complete. The book contains the four Gospels written in Latin by the Columban monks. It may have been partially written in Iona, Scotland before the monks took refuge in a monastery in the village […]
During a four day visit to Ireland in 1963 JFK charmed the Irish people. The president received a warm welcome at his ancestral homeland in County Wexford. Hundreds cheered and waved Irish and American flags on his arrival. Kennedy enjoyed a cup of tea and some cake with members of his extended Irish family! On Saturday 22nd […]
There was glorious sunshine this morning in Glendalough for the First Lady’s visit with her daughters to the monastic ruins in the heart of the glacial valley. Glendalough, in County Wicklow is a monastic city built in 6th century and the second most visited place in Ireland after Killarney in county Kerry. This historic site, […]
Once a small farming village, Mulhuddart is now a sprawling outer suburb on the western edge of Dublin. Developed in the 1980’s the new estates were largely built without services or amenities. A generation on, the area is still one of the most underprivileged areas of The City. The ancient holy well dedicated to Our […]
CladdaghRings.com Blog Introduction So long, in fact, that we like to consider ourselves the home of The Claddagh Ring. When we are not selling Claddagh rings, I like to get out and about around our beautiful country exploring some of our roads less traveled. With the pervasive influence of TV, The Internet, global brands and […]