Irish Culture

In 1651, Cromwell’s soldiers refused to cross Galway’s River Corrib. Here’s the real siege history behind the legend, and the rational explanations historians offer.

Find out which Irish port your ancestors left from — Cobh, Derry, Dublin or Belfast — using free ship records and genealogy resources. Plus get weekly Ireland stories free in our newsletter.

Ireland has always been a nation of makers — people who transform raw materials into objects of beauty and meaning. In this Creator Spotlight, we celebrate four of the country’s finest craft and artisan makers: Louis Mulcahy, whose hand-thrown pottery studio sits on the cliffs of the Dingle Peninsula; the Inis Meáin Knitting Company, the world’s most remote luxury knitwear brand, celebrating 50 years on an Aran island; Adam Frew, the porcelain maker from County Derry whose work blends precision with spontaneity; and Charlie Mahon, the Cork ceramicist who brings Irish wit and heart to every hand-painted piece. These are the people keeping ancient Irish craft traditions alive — and making them more beautiful than ever.

Irish parish records are the most important genealogical source for tracing ancestors before 1864, with over 11 million records now freely searchable online — plus get weekly Ireland stories free in our newsletter.

Griffith’s Valuation (1847–1864) lists over 1 million Irish tenants by name and townland — and it’s free online. Here’s how to use it to trace your Irish roots. Plus get weekly Ireland stories free in our newsletter.

Discover the origins and meanings of the most common Irish surnames from County Kerry — O’Sullivan, McCarthy, Moriarty, Fitzgerald, and more. Learn how to trace your Kerry ancestry using free Irish records. Plus get weekly Ireland stories free in our newsletter.

From the Cliffs of Moher to Keem Bay, these are Ireland’s most spectacular sunset viewpoints — where light, landscape and silence combine to create something unforgettable.

Discover the most common Irish surnames from County Galway — their Gaelic origins, meanings, and the clans behind them. Plus get weekly Ireland stories free in our newsletter.

In 1593, Grace O’Malley sailed to Greenwich Palace to negotiate with Queen Elizabeth I — and won the release of her imprisoned family. The remarkable true story of Ireland’s pirate queen and her meeting with the Tudor monarch — plus get weekly Ireland stories free in our newsletter.

Standing at the Cliffs of Moher in County Clare is an experience that stays with you long after you’ve returned home. Discover why Ireland’s most iconic coastline feels like it’s calling you back.