English › Bernard’s

News8. 11. 2017

Remembering George Bernard Shaw with ten of his wittiest quotes

The only man in the world to have won a Nobel Prize for Literature (“Pygmalion”) and an Oscar (for the screenplay of “Pygmalion”), George Bernard Shaw was a rare wit, journalist, author, and iconic Irishman, born on July 26, in 1856. He died on November 2, 1950, at the age of 94 while he was working on… more

News24. 10. 2017

„The Quiet Man“ was “an idiotic, stupid, anti-Irish film,” says actor Malachy McCourt

While commending Irish actress Maureen O’Hara, writer Malachy McCourt has some harsh criticism for „The Quiet Man.“.Writer, actor, activist, and brother of Frank, Malachy McCourt needs no introduction. His talent for turning phrases is as legendary as the man himself.But he did rattle some cages when remarking on the passing of Maureen O’Hara, he noted that „The… more

News18. 10. 2017

Top ten Flann O’Brien quotes

Brian O’Nolan, more often recognized by his pen name Flann O’Brien, was a major figurehead of Irish literature as a novelist, playwright and satirist, widely followed for his bizarre, dark humor and modernist/postmodern metafiction. He was born in Strabane, Co. Tyrone on October 5, 1911, and died April 1, 1996 in Dublin, the city he… more

News17. 10. 2017

For Columbus Day – the story of an Irishman who discovered America

Who was this mysterious Galway man who sailed with Columbus on his first voyage to the west in 1492? In a box in the archives of the National University of Ireland Galway, there is a bundle of yellowed letters, dating from 1935 to 1936, about a mysterious Galway man who sailed with Columbus on his… more

News12. 10. 2017

Why hasn’t Michael Flatley’s $24 million Cork mansion sold?

Michael Flatley outside his former home, Castle Hyde, Fermoy, Co. Cork. CELTIC CAFÉ Michael Flatley’s €20 million (approx. $23.7 million) Cork mansion, Castle Hyde, has been on the market for two years and still hasn’t found a buyer. His real estate agents are now trying a different approach, but the sky-high price tag remains. The… more

News12. 10. 2017

Irish blessings for a happy couple on their wedding day

Wise old words from Ireland abound, and Irish blessings and sayings for weddings are no exception. Some are heartwarming and tender, some are witty and charming, but all sincerely express wishes of love and happiness for the lucky couple. Today I give you a world of Irish marriage wishes at your fingertips. Or better still,… more

News10. 10. 2017

Proof an Irish colony in South Carolina predates Christopher Columbus

1521 Spanish report claims a colony of Irish people lived in South Carolina before Christopher Columbus‘ ships landed. While Christopher Columbus is generally credited with having „discovered“ America in 1492, a 1521 Spanish report provides inklings of evidence that there were, in fact, Irish people settled in America prior to Columbus’ journey. “Researchers feel certain that… more

News10. 10. 2017

Irish proverbs to live by, 26 nuggets of wisdom

Strange and wonderful Irish proverbs such as „For every mile of road there’s two miles of ditches“iStock 1. For every mile of road there are two miles of ditches Meaning: There are two sides to every story. (This comes from some parts of Ireland, where ‚ditches‘ means hedges.) 2. There’s no use boiling your cabbage… more

News8. 10. 2017

Michael Flatley makes movie debut as drunken, homeless clown

Famed Irish dancer and Lord of the Dance Michael Flatley is trying his arm at another art form – writing, directing, and starring in a new short film that will feature at the Los Angeles Shorts International Film Festival this week. Flatley, who officially retired from Irish dancing in 2015, makes his film debut as… more

News2. 10. 2017

Top ten amazing facts about Irish legend Oscar Wilde

Oscar Wilde is one of Ireland’s greatest, if not most humorous exports. Many today know the controversial, flamboyant, and debonair Victorian dramatist, through his works the “The Picture of Dorian Gray” and „The Importance of Being Earnest.” Larger than life, Wilde was a poet, dramatist, author, and celebrity, donning many quite fashionable hats. His work… more

News26. 9. 2017

A glimpse inside Ireland’s historic ghost villages

The deserted village of Slievemore, on Achill Island, is one of Ireland’s historic ghost villages.Pamela Norrington / Creative Commons In the years following Ireland’s Celtic Tiger building boom, the country became notorious for its ghost estates – housing developments that were built (or were in the process of being built) with boom-time money, then abandoned… more

News25. 9. 2017

21 years ago today the last Magdalene Laundry in Ireland closed its doors

The Laundries were abusive institutions disguised as rehabilitation centers. Today marks the 21st anniversary of the day the last Magdalene Laundry in Ireland closed for good in 1996. Also known as Magdalene asylums, Magdalene Laundries were cruel and medieval institutions in which women were imprisoned, stripped of their human rights and abused sexually and otherwise.… more