Find out more about these new posts, ‘Chris’ Rambles‘. Join Chris as she sets off, aided by an unusual sixteenth century map, encounters an excentric English polymath with big ambitions, and with the help of a medieval Irish monk, discovers a fresh view of the arrival of the Tuatha Dé Danann. And a good ramble…
Author: Chris Thompson
Chris’ Rambles
I like walking. I walk several days a week. I have several favourite local routes of around 5k or so. I don’t mind familiar walks as there is always something new and unexpected to find out. One day I might be trying to sort out the wild angelica from the cow parsnip. No. Neither are…
Bilberry Sunday
Bilbury Sunday, an old Irish custom, is still taking place, on Ardagh Mountain, ancient Brí Leith each year. In the recent podcast, ‘A conversation with Ann Gerrety Smyth‘, Anne told us about how the custom has been revived and the Bilberrie are growing wild on the hill again. It takes place every year on 31st…
A Conversation with Ann Gerety Smyth
Ardagh hill, in County Longford, Ireland is a very special ‘Stories in the Landscape’ location. This is the legendary Bri Leith, where much of the Tocmarc Étaíne is set. The Ardagh Heritage and Creative Centre, managed by story teller and educator, Ann and her colleague Annette, nestles at the foot of this beautiful hill. Join…
Connacht’s archaeological and mythological treasures
By Mike McCarthy & Daniel Curley An ÉIRÍ Competition article from the Irish Post : July 9th 2022 Mike McCarthy and Daniel Curley examine the ancient myths and legends that swirl across Connacht’s ethereal landscape Rathcroghan (Cruachan Aí) is the ancient royal Site of Connacht. Today the Rathcroghan Archaeological Landscape comprises a vast collection of…
Myths Meets Maths
Athlone academic Professor Ralph Kenna, co-director of L4, an international collaboration of four universities including Coventry’s Fluid and Complex systems Research Centre, gives the background to the arts project and competition ÉIRÍ: Évoking Ireland’s Resilient female Ícons Have you been following the ÉIRÍ project in the Irish Post over the past couple of months? The…
Legendary women, real and mythical
BY: Joe Horgan ÉIRÍ competition article from The Irish Post: June 27th 2022 When I was a teenager growing up in inner city Birmingham our Granny Murphy came over from Cork regularly to visit. She came for a week or so and usually stayed for a month or so. She was the mother of thirteen…
ÉIRÍ: The female side of mythology
Have you ever heard of a Sheela na Gig? Irish composer and Professor in Music at Middlesex University, Benjamin Dwyer gives us more details of the phenomenon. IRELAND has more Sheela-ha-gigs, audaciously dfiant female stone carvings than anywhere else in Europe. Hidden away for centuries they are now resurging with ÉIRÍ – the arts competition…
A Boston Dindshenchas by Jamie Madden
The completely true and absolutely false history of Boston’s annexations.“Why is only this part of Boston officially called Boston?”“Not hard to tell, Ansa… Boston was an English noble. He committed an unspeakable affront to coir and in doing so broke ageis. For this, he was cursed to live alone on a small hill, an island…
Echtrae Standish, or the Story of Merrymount by Jamie Madden
Echtrae Standish, or the Story of Merrymount“Why do they call this part of Quincy ‘Merrymount’? Why not just call it Wollaston after the Tstop?”“Oh, that one’s not hard to tell, my Ansa. Merrymount meant exactly what it said. The firstEnglish colonists had such a good time here that they named this seaside hill the Merry…