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News21. 5. 2018

Is Meghan Markle the descendant of an ancient Irish clan?

An Irish genealogist believes Meghan Markle has Irish roots in Co. Galway. The “Suits” actress has already spoken of her father’s Irish ancestry but ever since the 36-year-old’s engagement to Prince Harry, the hunt has been on to find the information that will officially link her to the Emerald Isle. It was originally believed that… more

News20. 5. 2018

Happy birthday, Enya, one of the world’s top-earning female artists

Today is Enya, aka Eithne Pádraigín Ní Bhraonáin’s, birthday! The famous Irish singer is notoriously private and lives in a castle in Dublin. Happy birthday to famed Irish singer Enya. The „Orinoco Flow“ and „Only Time“ singer was born on May 17, 1961. Born as Eithne Pádraigín Ní Bhraonáin in Gweedore, County Donegal, the amazing musician, famous… more

News16. 5. 2018

Celebrating St Brendan, who may have reached America before Columbus, on his feast day

Today, May 16, is believed to have been the day of St Brendan’s death and is also his feast day. St Brendan is one of the most famous Irish saints, but whether he got to America before Christopher Columbus has remained one of the continuing Irish mysteries. Saint Brendan is one of the early Irish… more

News3. 4. 2018

From the Great Blasket to America – a memoir of the longest surviving islander

It is 64 years since Great Blasket Island, off the coast of Kerry, was evacuated. Born in 1920, Mike Carney was the oldest living islander. He left in 1937 to seek a better life in Dublin and joined millions who emigrated to America. He died at age 94 in 2015. Here he describes the event that… more

News31. 3. 2018

Live the Irish dream: Property on Ireland’s stunning Great Blasket Island for auction

Property on the stunning and historic Great Blasket Island is up for grabs in an exceedingly rare auction. The Blasket Islands are a source of wonder and fascination. From these six Co. Kerry islands off the Dingle Peninsula came some of Ireland’s most revered Irish language writers, such as Peig Sayers, Thomas O’Crohan, and Maurice O’Sullivan. Evacuated… more

News27. 3. 2018

The most famous Irish person of all time

Who is the greatest Irish person ever? We took a poll to find out. The winner and the runner-up will surprise you. Of all the Irish heroes, warriors, inventors, writers, politicians, musicians, and public figures over the course of history, we wanted to know who was the most famous Irish person of all time. So… more

BSS News12. 3. 2018

Bernard’s Summer School 2018 – News

We have all BSS 2018 tutors confirmed. This year you will meet some new faces among our tutors – fiddle class will be led by Ultan O’Brien from County Clare (IRL), Robert Harvey (IRL), who was very popular among lilting students last year, will expand his tuition also to Irish flute classes. Guitarists might be… more

News9. 3. 2018

The Irish tricolor turns 170 years old

The Irish tricolor celebrates its anniversary, March 7, 2018. Happy birthday to the Irish tricolor. The flag turns 170 today. What is the meaning of the Irish flag? Where does the Irish tricolor have its origins? Here are some of the top facts about “Bratach na hÉireann” to celebrate it turning 170 years old on… more

News4. 3. 2018

Paddy Moloney on 55 years of life with The Chieftains

Paddy Moloney and The Chieftains will celebrate their 55th anniversary with a new tour that will see them play Manhattan Let’s just spell this out at the top, Paddy Moloney of The Chieftains is a national treasure and a living legend, one of our greatest in fact. On March 10, Maloney and The Chieftains will… more

News3. 3. 2018

Can Irish dance be an Olympic sport? A World Championship adjudicator has their say

Who decides who is the best Irish dancer in the world? We speak to an Irish dance world championship 2018 adjudicator about what it takes to get to the top of the podium. As the dates for the 2018 CLRG (Irish Dancing Commission) World Irish Dancing Championships in Glasgow, Scotland, slowly approach, Irish dancers the… more

News27. 2. 2018

The real reason why there aren’t any snakes in Ireland – it’s not St. Patrick

St. Patrick didn’t banish all the snakes from Ireland, there were never any snakes in Ireland, to begin with. Legend tells it that in addition to introducing Christianity to Ireland, St. Patrick banished all the snakes from the Emerald Isle, chasing them into the sea from atop a cliff where he had undertaken a 40-day… more

News22. 2. 2018

What is Irish Tap Dancing?

From Riverdance and Irish step dancing to the Sean nós style – here’s how to know your jigs and reels from your heel toe 1,2,3s. Like many forms of Irish traditions passed down through the centuries, it can be difficult to pinpoint the exact origin of Irish dancing as we know it now. Historians suspect that… more