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A short, humorous, and often nonsensical verse of five lines that have a particular pattern of rhyme (aabba) and rhyme. Lines 1, 2, and 5 are of three feet and rhyme, and line 3 and 4 are of two feet and rhyme. The rhythm is anapestic. Generally, a person or situation is being lampooned, often [...]
Ireland’s second largest county, in the province of Connacht. Extending from the Atlantic to the River Shannon (area of 2,374 square miles), the county has a population of over 208,000. Galway City, the county capital, straddles the divide between the barren Irish-speaking Connemara to the west and the fertile farmland of the east. It is a vibrant, [...]
One, two, or three concrete walls usually surrounding the summit of a hill. Too extensive for permanent fortification, the area enclosed may have served as temporary refuge or for annual folk gatherings. Most were erected in the last dozen pre-Christian centuries. Dotted across Ireland See them on Ireland tours…..
A Family of brewers. In 1756 Arthur Guinness (1725-1803) established a brewery in Leixlip, County Kildare, which he moved to Dublin in 1759. The business grew under his son Arthur (1767-1855) and grandson Benjamin (1798-1868), who developed export markets in the United States and Europe. Sir Benjamin’s sons, Arthur Edward (1840-1915), First Baron Ardilaun, and Edward Cecil (1847-1927), [...]
The longest river in Ireland or Britain. The Shannon rises in the “Shannon Pot” in County Cavan …..It forms an estuary west of Limerick City…..and it flows into the Atlantic at “Loop Head” in County Clare. Its total length is 214 miles. Formerly an important north-south traffic artery , it is now used mainly for pleasure cruising. It [...]
Natural springs, found throughout Ireland and other Celtic countries. Before Christianity, gthese springs were dedicated to female deities, representitives of the local earth mother deities. Holy wells are an example of how Christianity became superimposed on local pagan customs and beliefs of the pre-Christian Celtic world. Many holy wells, according to local belief, are said [...]