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G101TIL

Photography:Fáilte Ireland, Northern Ireland Tourist Board, Belfast Telegraph, Brian Morrison, Chris Hill, Gardiner Mitchell, Gareth McCormack, George Munday, Geray Sweeney, James Fennell, Roger Kinkead, Holger Leue, John McVitty, N.C.Britton, Slieve Donard Resort & Spa, Sportsfile, Steffan Hill, Tony Pleavin, Valerie O’Sullivan.

Design: Design Tactics

Print: GPS Colour Graphics

Editors: Mal Rogers & Seth Linder

Ireland, an island of

unique character and

characters, brimming

with culture and

history and home to

people whose warmth is

second to none.

The Unspoilt Environment 07Great Irish People 23Arts and Culture 35Outdoor Adventure 49Heritage 63Food and Drink 75Wellness 89

“For there is nowhere like Ireland and no people quite like the Irish.”

The seanachies told their stories well, and, though their numbers are fewer today, still do. For that tradition is at least part of the reason why Ireland stands in defiance of the formulaic nature of the modern world. Why conversation crackles, why the moment matters more than the clock, why the Irish remain so closely connected to this most unspoilt and beautiful landscape and why Ireland’s world famous heritage in literature, poetry, drama, music and dance, continues to spring not from a cultural elite but from the people themselves.

So, we thought the best way to capture the unique and inspirational qualities of Ireland today was to let the people be your guide along the journey. People who are passionate about what they do, telling stories of our arts, culture, food and heritage, our bewitching landscape and the myriad of ways to enjoy it and so much more. Welcome to the journey that never ends.

In past times, the most valued member of an Irish village was the seanachie or storyteller. His would be the ‘céilí house’ where all were welcome, from near and far, to be entertained with stories of the land and of the many characters of the area. They would hear of the great tales of Irish mythology, acknowledged as some of the richest in world folklore, and would sing and play music until well into the night.

WELCOME

5Authentic céilí house, rural Ireland

THE UNSPOILT ENVIRONMENT

7The Sperrins, Co. Londonderry

The Unspoilt Environment

Ireland’s unique landscape ranges from great glacial lakes in lush valleys to limestone lowlands of stark primeval beauty and from glens of ancient oak to mystical mountains that are the source of powerful Irish myths. This extraordinary natural beauty has been preserved by the failure of the Industrial Revolution to encroach into Ireland’s countryside.

The people of Ireland have a deep, almost spiritual, affinity with their land, whether they live in the Irish-speaking Aran Islands on the edge of the Atlantic, in the remote expanses of Donegal, in the wild Sperrin Mountains of Tyrone and Londonderry or in the lush garden county of Wicklow. That connection is joyfully celebrated in poetry, song, music, literature and theatre.

So, come and share the passion of those deeply connected to this magical landscape; those who walk, climb, guide and delight in its poetry and folklore.

Surrounded by water, the most westerly point of Europe, the island of Ireland is blessed with an extraordinary diversity of scenery.

THE UNSPOILT ENVIRONMENT

“As clouds pass over Ben Bulben and it changes colour, it becomes a different mountain.”

9Ben Bulben Mountain, Co. Sligo

STELLA MEW

Stella Mew is CEO of the Yeats Society in Sligo and oversees the Yeats Museum there.

Yeats wrote about ‘the shadows of her changing face’ when describing Maud Gonne, the beautiful lady he was in love with. I think that applies to Ben Bulben too as clouds pass over and it changes colour and becomes a different mountain. It dominates the great plain underneath that rolls out to the sea at Lissadell and other places Yeats wrote about. He so loved the mountain he wanted to be buried at Drumcliff, where his great grandfather had been buried, and even wrote his own epitaph, which ended with the lines:‘Cast a cold eyeOn life, on death.Horseman, pass by!’ When you stand by his grave, there is the most beautiful view of the mountain through the trees.”

“Ben Bulben, known as Sligo’s ‘Table Mountain’ is a glorious sight and was so important to the poet William Butler Yeats. It changes all the time.

THE UNSPOILT ENVIRONMENT

11Altamont Gardens, Co. Carlow

PAUL CUTLER

Paul Cutler has been head gardener at Altamont Gardens since 1995.

Corona made Altamont blend in with the natural landscape, so it doesn’t feel manufactured. It feels like the Carlow countryside. That’s what I love about Irish gardens, their natural quality. Every visitor says it has a special atmosphere, that’s why so many people come back. Every element you want from a great garden is here, from lovely lawns, floral beds and beautiful woodland going down to the river, to a walled garden and really superb collections, such as the snowdrops, rhododendrons and the fabulous oaks in the arboretum.

Every time I am there I feel her personality. Her last words to her oldest friend were, ‘Well, I’ve achieved what I wanted to achieve. It’s safe now’. This is her legacy to us.”

“Corona North’s personality is all through Altamont. She took over the house and gardens, which were virtually derelict, when her mother died at 102 and turned it into one of the great Irish gardens.

“That’s what I love about Irish gardens, their natural quality.”

THE UNSPOILT ENVIRONMENT

ALAN DUKE

Based in Portrush in County Antrim, Alan Duke is known for his paintings of the North Antrim Coast.

I’ve been around the world now and I can say he’s right. It’s so dramatic and varied with an extraordinary mixture of rock formations, like white chalk, basalt and granite. You could be out by the towering limestone White Rocks, perhaps beneath Dunluce Castle, and find yourself experiencing four seasons in one day. Storm clouds can gather from the Atlantic and beneath this great sky, the rolling grey seas are sending the surf crashing against the beach or rocks. And then it clears, the haze is gone and there is a special pure quality of light and you can see across to Donegal. As the huge sun starts to go down, the white rocks gently turn pink with the colour of the sun.”

“When I was young, a New Zealander who had travelled the world told me I would never find another coastline like North Antrim’s.

13Dunluce Castle, Co. Antrim

“You could be out near Dunluce Castle, and find yourself experiencing four seasons in one day.”

THE UNSPOILT ENVIRONMENT

“That day the air was so clear and crispy, we could see this incredible panoramic view.”

CHRISTOPHER STACEY

Christopher Stacey runs Footfalls Walking Holidays with his wife Teresa. They cover all of Ireland but are based in Wicklow.

We had started at Lough Dan, the largest lake in Wicklow; then followed a lovely lush green path to Brown Mountain and then across Kanturk Mountain. Along the way we stopped to take in the Glenmacnass Waterfall, among the most spectacular you could wish to see. On the way to Scarr Mountain we saw hares and grouse, roaming deer and flashes of vivid yellow igniting the gorse bushes. That day the air was so clear and crispy, that from the summit of Scarr we could see this incredible panoramic view of the Irish Sea, right across to the Snowdonia Mountains of Wales, then back around to take in nearly all of the Wicklow Mountains. Yes, that woman was right, that day at least.”

“The other day a woman said to me, I can tell by the look on your face that this is your favourite walk.

15Wicklow Hills

THE UNSPOILT ENVIRONMENT

“No wonder it has been called ‘a vast memorial to bygone cultures’.”

17Poulnabrone Dolmen, The Burren, Co. Clare

TONY KIRBY

Tony Kirby takes walking tours in the Burren in County Clare. He has written a walking guide to the Burren and Aran Islands.

No wonder it has been called ‘a vast memorial to bygone cultures’. It has the most extensive area of limestone pavement, that’s exposed limestone with no soil, in Europe. In spring it’s like a gigantic rock garden, ‘the fertile rock’ it’s called. It’s the only place where you will find alpine, arctic and Mediterranean flowers all growing together, including the icon of the Burren, the brilliantly blue alpine Spring Gentian.”

“Why is the Burren in County Clare so remarkable? Where do I start? It has one of the highest concentrations of archaeological monuments in north west Europe from the early Stone Age onwards – megalithic tombs, early Christian ring forts, ancient churches and holy wells, not to mention thousands of miles of dry stone walls.

THE UNSPOILT ENVIRONMENT

19Traditional turf-cutting

“The smell of turf burning in our range brings back my childhood.”“Turf, cut from ancient bogland and dried over months, has been used for domestic heating in Ireland for thousands of years. The smell of turf burning in our range brings back my childhood, it’s the scent of Ireland. My father would take my brothers and me out on the Massey Ferguson tractor to the bog bank on Slieve Divena.

ANDREW CLARKE

Postman Andrew Clarke, who lives a few miles from Omagh in County Tyrone, has been cutting turf all his life.

First we cut six inches off the top, which can later be put back, then we cut the turf and put it in a wooden barrow before being stacked to dry. We’d have a flask of tea and something to eat and we’d bunk off to the spring well for a drink, over the heather, bog cotton and bog grasses. You might see a hare or rabbit, even a fox. Coming down after the day’s work, we’d run ahead of the tractor, past the donkeys and cows grazing in the fields. All that has changed today is we use a mechanised saw to cut the turf.”

THE UNSPOILT ENVIRONMENT

“There are no strangers here, for we like nothing more than to share all this with our visitors.”

PATSY DAN ROGERS

Patsy Dan Rogers, artist and ‘King’ of Tory Island, Donegal.

From sunrise to sunset, the magical light and the wild skies are constantly changing over the magnificent cliffs and bays, and over this rare and rugged landscape untouched by man. I paint all that makes Tory unique; the ancient wells, the Iron Age fort, early Christian remains, the boats, the lighthouse, the fields and villages. Our islands, like Tory, Achill and the Arans, are wonderful places to embrace the real Irish culture - our language and music and the haunting beauty of our landscape, like no other in the world. There are no strangers here, for we like nothing more than to share all this with our visitors.”

“I grew up with Gaelic (Irish) being my first language. Gaelic to me is the language of the earth and we are at the heart of the Donegal Gaeltacht (Irish speaking region), part of a close community bound by our heritage.

21Tory Island, Co. Donegal

GREAT IRISH PEOPLE

23

Great Irish People

Each year we joyfully share with the world thecelebration of our patron saint, St Patrick, who brought Christianity to Ireland.

Arthur Guinness, founder of the world’s most famous brewing dynasty, gave us the drink which bears his name and which has become known as the ‘taste of Ireland’. In a country where words are revered and conversation is considered an art form, it is no wonder that so many literary giants have emerged from these shores, not least the flamboyant Oscar Wilde, whose spontaneity and humour are reflections of his native country. George Best, ‘The Belfast Boy’, delighted all those who love soccer, while Sir James Galway is widely regarded as the world’s finest classical flautist.

With people who have never lost touch with their heritage and who delight in celebrating their culture with visitors, the impact of all these wonderful contributions can still be experienced today.

So, come and listen to stories of Irish genius and the part they have played in all of our lives.

For a relatively small place the island of Ireland has produced many people whose contribution has been felt around the world.

GREAT IRISH PEOPLE

ST PATRICK

25Slemish Mountain, Co. Antrim

“It can’t have been much fun just looking after sheep but he had a brilliant view.”

ALAN (10 YEARS OLD), BALLYMENA

“When St Patrick was a boy, he lived with his family in Roman Britain. His Dad was quite rich and he had a good life.

But when he was 15 he was kidnapped as a slave and taken to Ireland where they made him work as a shepherd on Slemish Mountain. He had to work really hard and it was very lonely. One night he had a dream where an angel told him to escape, so he ran away and escaped back home with some Irish sailors. Then he had another visit from the angel who told him he had to go back to Ireland to bring Christianity. Everyone here was a pagan then. We walk to the top of Slemish Mountain every St Patrick’s Day. It can’t have been much fun just looking after sheep but he had a brilliant view. You can even see to Scotland.”

GREAT IRISH PEOPLE

ARTHUR GUINNESS

27Guinness Storehouse, Dublin

“Arthur Guinness was my great, great, great, great, great grandfather.”

“Generations of my family never sacrificed quality. They diligently looked after their product and soon the world was beginning to talk about Guinness. This year 10 million glasses of Guinness will be enjoyed in 150 countries around the world. You can discover the amazing story of Guinness at the Guinness Storehouse at St James’s Gate, Dublin.

Arthur was my great, great, great, great, great grandfather. He is a man of whom I am extremely proud. Today his brewery still produces a fine glass of beer.”

RORY GUINNESS

Rory Guinness is the author of ‘The World of Guinness’, everything you need to know about Guinness.

More than just a national drink, Guinness has been part of the fabric of Irish life for over 250 years. Arthur Guinness was a man with a vision. He was an entrepreneur who wanted to use all the natural resources of Ireland to bring his drinkers only the very best brew. He found his way from County Kildare into Dublin in 1759, and purchased a 9,000-year lease for £45 per year. From his Dublin base, he began to use only the finest water, barley, hops and yeast to satisfy an ever-thirsty audience.

“Belfast people have a saying, ‘Maradona good; Pelé better; George Best’.”

GEORGE BEST

GREAT IRISH PEOPLE

“Those matches at Old Trafford were special. It was the most amazing feeling, the roar even when his name was mentioned. The emotion and excitement was extraordinary. My heart used to pound listening to the crowds, it was deafening to hear them every time he touched the ball. It was just absolutely magical, thinking this is my brother they’re all cheering for.”

“Belfast people have a saying, ‘Maradona good; Pelé better; George Best’.”

BARBARA MCNARRY

Barbara McNarry, George Best’s sister.

George Best was brought up on the Cregagh Estate in East Belfast and was discovered at the age of 15 by a Manchester United scout. He made his debut at 17 and by the age of 22, when he inspired United to win the European Cup, had become the most famous footballer the world had known.

29‘The Belfast Boy’ George Best

“My favourite story about Wilde was when he landed in America before his speaking tour that set the country alight. The customs officer seeing this extraordinary looking man, asked him if he had anything to declare, Oscar replied: ‘Nothing but my genius.’ Many who saw him on that tour would have agreed, though he was mocked for his flamboyance too. He might dress in a smoking jacket and turban and necktie as he recited his poetry. But thousands flocked to hear him and the impression he made was lasting. As Wilde, with typical modesty, said himself, not even Dickens had made such an impression on America.”

GREAT IRISH PEOPLE

DONAL KEANE

Bookshop assistant and poet, Dublin.

A poet, dramatist and author who took Victorian society by storm, Oscar Fingal O’Flahertie Wills Wilde was born and brought up in Dublin. Renowned for the sharpness of his wit and conversational skills, as well as his flamboyant appearance, Wilde could shine in any company. “I put all my genius into my life”, he once said, “ I put only my talent into my works.” Having moved to London after Oxford, he found fame with a succession of successful plays, including ‘Lady Windermere’s Fan’, ‘A Woman of No Importance’, ‘An Ideal Husband’ and ‘The Importance of Being Earnest’. He wrote one novel, ‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’.

OSCAR WILDE

31Oscar Wilde Sculpture, Merrion Square, Dublin

“I can resist everything except temptation.”

GREAT IRISH PEOPLE

People entertained themselves in those days; it was part of the culture. My father, who was a riveter in the Harland and Wolff shipyard, played in a flute band and would play everything from Mozart to marching tunes. My uncle, who had learned from his grandfather, gave me my first flute lessons and at nine I too was playing in a flute band. Belfast was a wonderful place to grow up in and Belfast people still love live entertainment. It’s a marvellous city for music, drama and song. I always enjoy my visits back there.”

“My uncle gave me my first flute lessons.”

SIR JAMES GALWAY

“Everyone in our tightly-knit North Belfast community seemed either to play a musical instrument, sing or tell great stories.

SIR JAMES GALWAY

33The man with the Golden Flute

ARTS & CULTURE

35Kyteler’s Inn, Kilkenny

Arts and Culture

One carries an accordion, another takes his fiddle from its case. Soon a bodhrán (small drum) player will emerge, then maybe someone with a mandolin or guitar. Wherever you are in Ireland, there will be no shortage of talented musicians to join the fun.

The Irish have retained an intense connection to their traditional culture that is rare in the modern world. Developed over centuries, Irish dance has wowed the world since those intricate, percussive steps of Riverdance first tapped out their exhilarating power. Irish storytelling remains a highly respected art, and from that ancient fount of creativity has sprung a dramatic genius that continues to entertain and innovate in highly acclaimed plays.

In recent years, the great tradition of master crafts people, closely connected to the beauty of the land around them, has been reinvigorated around the country. For a small island, Irish culture has a remarkable diversity too, with each region renowned for different variations, not least in the north east of the island, where Ulster Scots music, song and dance is currently enjoying a huge revival.

One by one the musicians enter the pub lounge and take their place before the turf fire.

ARTS & CULTURE

I believe the richness in the way people express themselves here is because of the transition from the Irish language to the English language, it added a whole new vocabulary, a different rhythm, a way of speaking which was translated from one to the other, making something unique and vivid, and that is reflected in our literature too.

Irish people love conversation and they have a way with the story, we don’t allow ourselves to be restricted by reality. It might be anything from the old legends handed down to a story about a local character, usually a little embroidered and stretched.

If you are visiting Ireland our music and stories are a doorway to see what we are made of, what that unique thing is called Irishness.”

“I was born in the Glens of Antrim. My mother said I came out singing. I learned songs from her and her mother, my uncles and local farmers. My parents and grandparents, like many others, would have shortened the winter with stories and songs, and I’ve pursued that all my life. Ireland is one of the richest sources of folk tales and song tradition in the world.

LEN GRAHAMLen Graham is one of Ireland’s finest traditional singers and storytellers.

37Great people, interesting stories

“Irish people love conversation and they have a way with the story.”

ARTS & CULTURE

“If I hear a reel... I will be up and away dancing around the kitchen!”

39Discover the fun of Irish dance

Since Riverdance, people around the world expect that same level of excitement and energy, that percussive rhythm and intricacy. It was the clergy who made dancers keep their arms by their side, so they knew what they were doing, but in performance today the dancers are more expressive. It’s said the Church took sex out of Irish dancing but Riverdance put it back!

Like my sisters I picked up my love of Irish dancing from my mother and my teacher Mona Roddy. I danced in competitions from the age of five, at school I did very little else! It was an obsession, to become as good as I could be.

My life today centres around Irish dance. My husband plays for Irish dancers, my sons play Irish music and dance. I think we are more in tune with our culture here, it’s the way we are reared, to celebrate that culture. It’s natural and easy for us. And while our cities get bigger, it’s a way of keeping our communities together. I feel very connected to Irish music too and if I hear a reel on the radio, it takes hold of me and I will be up and away dancing around the kitchen. You just can’t help yourself!”

“The key to Irish dance is its connection with Irish music, when they complement each other there’s an amazing buzz.

CAROL LEAVY JOYCE Carol Leavy Joyce is an Irish dance choreographer who was Dance Director on Riverdance. She was three times Irish dance world champion and co-created ‘The Rising Step’, a journey through Irish dance.

ARTS & CULTURE

I first developed an understanding of my cultural tradition when I was a teenager. My catalyst was Rabbie Burns, who I discovered when I was 15 and from him I checked out Ulster Scots poets who wrote in a similar style like the weaver poets David Herbison and James Orr. I was fascinated with the language they used, of the local people of the time. The older people still use words like ‘danner’ for walk, ‘crabbit’ for grumpy, ‘brae’ for hill, ‘lang syne’ for long ago, ‘wean’ for children and ‘wee’ for small. This was my culture, and when I returned from my travels across the water in the 1990s, I was delighted to find there was an Ulster Scots revival starting. I’ve been a part of that ever since.”

“In the 17th century thousands of Scots Presbyterians came to Ulster. With them they brought their language, music and songs. Ulster Scots and Irish music influenced the other.

WILLIE DRENNAN Willie Drennan is a traditional musician, storyteller, poet and writer, who draws much of his material from the Ulster Scots cultural traditions of his native County Antrim.

41Pipe Band Championships

“I was delighted to find there was an Ulster Scots revival starting.”

ARTS & CULTURE

43Matt Molloy’s pub, Westport, Co. Mayo

“It’s different every night, that’s the beauty of it, the spontaneity.”

By the time you’re halfway through your first drink you’re talking to someone! We have music sessions every evening with two or three anchor musicians, though sometimes the least organised sessions can be the best of fun. The quality of the music is rising all the time. Irish traditional music has become so popular worldwide it’s like the League of Nations here at times, with people from all walks of life and all parts of the world - participating in what is commonly known here as ‘the craic’. A lot of fun!

You can’t plan the perfect session, as it takes on a life of its own! The diverse mix of musicians, singers and dancers joining in nightly create a unique and convivial atmosphere. That’s what keeps it fresh and interesting. It’s different every night, that’s the beauty of it, the spontaneity.

I am passionate about Irish traditional music. It’s part of me, an extension of myself, it’s who I am!”

“My pub is about traditional music and good conversation, no slot machines or television screens!

MATT MOLLOY Matt Molloy is flautist with the Chieftains and owner of Matt Molloy’s Pub in Westport, County Mayo.

ARTS & CULTURE

“Belfast people expect to be entertained and humour is an intrinsic part of the way we communicate.”

I come from a closely knit working class community where the extended family would gather to entertain themselves and everyone would tell a story or a joke. Entertainment was so important and people still expect to be entertained at plays. My play ‘Stones in his Pockets’ was a hit all around the world, including Broadway and the West End, yet it only had two actors. It was actually very sad but it was funny too. It’s a style that has come out of necessity and the culture here.

Belfast people love live entertainment. It’s a marvellous city to enjoy yourself in whether it’s traditional music somewhere like Maddens or a play in a small theatre or a wonderful venue like the Grand Opera House. There’s so much going on today.”

“The humour of Belfast is a wonderful humour but it’s a black humour, a survival mechanism.

MARIE JONESBelfast’s Marie Jones is one of Ireland’s best-known playwrights.

45Enough drama to make for an enjoyable night out

ARTS & CULTURE

In the old days people would search for bog wood in the early morning frost. A place where the frost evaporated quickly suggested buried timber and would be explored with a long iron probe by expert hands. They were able to tell what wood it was and how large.

I’ve worked with wood since I was 14, I love the feel and smell of it. I used to silently let myself into a carpenters’ shop when nobody was around so I could plane it and sink my senses into its texture.

I would take the wood with its long roots out on my trolley into the garden and allow the winter sun to light it up and as the figures began to emerge in the fusion of sunlight and instinct, there were moments when it was no longer a piece of wood but a celebration of life.”

“Thousands of years ago forests covered the Midlands of Ireland. Then a dramatic climatic change caused the trees to fall over the centuries. Over thousands of years the bog grew, at one inch a year, covering the trees. Now they lie twenty or thirty feet below the peat.

MICHAEL CASEY One of Ireland’s best-known sculptors, Michael Casey works with bog wood. He is based in Barley Harbour, Newtowncashel, County Longford.

47The sculptor Michael Casey at work

“I have worked with wood since I was 14, I love the feel and smell of it.”

OUTDOOR ADVENTURE

49Windsurfing off Portrush, Co. Antrim

OutdoorAdventure

It is not known what he said – but we can guess. If a hurley ball is only doing 120 kph it’s dawdling. Leprechauns, needless to say, played the game - under moonlit skies on the surface of lakes. Even today, long after the leprechauns have largely died out, hurling and other Gaelic games have a huge grip on the country. They are unique sports, the backbone of rural Ireland. Talk runs freely at these games, the craic (good fun) as powerful as the clash of ash sticks on a leather ball.

The competition says everything about Irish sport – a mixture of community, legend, uniqueness, athleticism and celebration. Sport is as much a part of Ireland as poetry, music and craic.

There’s a long history of sportsmen visiting our shores, too. Traditionally it was the golfers, horsemen and anglers who came to sample the world-renowned facilities, fish and fillies.

Today that sporting hat trick has been augmented with some of the finest surfing in Europe – not to mention canoeing, sailing, cycling and hill-walking.

The weighty Irish Annals, some written as long ago as 200BC, record the childhood exploits of one King Lowry Loingseach. The young lad was mute, and only uttered his first words after being hit during a hurling match.

OUTDOOR ADVENTURE

“As President Mary McAleese put it once while attempting to describe it to an audience of foreign citizens: ‘Imagine hockey played by maniacs.’

She went on to say that hurling is the fastest field sport in the world, adding that it is also the most skilful. And she wasn’t far wrong. To see it at its best go to an All-Ireland GAA (Gaelic Athletic Association) final. They take place in an atmosphere of uninhibited carousing. Or if you’d prefer something a little more sedate, you could go road bowling along leafy lanes where it’s hard to spot the 20th century, never mind the 21st.”

PJ, a GAA enthusiast in Belfast who has taken part in county finals and the Poc Fada (hurling tournament) in County Louth.

“Hurling is a wonderful shotgun wedding between brutality, skill and poetry.”

51The fastest field sport in the world

OUTDOOR ADVENTURE

“It’s good for your health, it’ll clear your head – and as we say here, there’s a hill for every ill.”

“In any walk in Ireland you’ll get a world-beating blend of natural beauty and human artistry.

Castles and abbeys, mountains and sea. And there’s more! It’s good for your health, it’ll clear your head – and as we say here, there’s a hill for every ill.”

Medbh, a hill walker in West Kerry. She is a qualified guide in the Dingle Mountains.

53Hillwalking, Achill Island, Co. Mayo

OUTDOOR ADVENTURE

55Fishing on River Erne, Enniskillen, Co. Fermanagh

I’ve been taking visitors out for more than 10 years, and of course we get all sorts of anglers too. We get people here who fish because they enjoy the craic (good fun), people who fish for sport, and people who fish for fish. But the fishing is always good on Lough Erne – it’s just sometimes the catching isn’t so great! But sure, they always have a grand time.”

“We have some of the very finest fishing waters anywhere, just here in this part of Ireland - a combination of river and lake angling and for those who want it, sea fishing all within a few miles.

Danny, a ghillie on Lough Erne. He has fished almost every stretch of water in the area.

“Sometimes the catching isn’t so great! But sure, they always have a grand time.”

Galway is the biggest and most important festival of the year. There’s a great atmosphere here, the Galway buzz, and it’s probably the most successful betting wise. But you can also watch horseracing on the sands in Laytown, or at one of the oldest race courses in the world in Downpatrick or enjoy the Irish Derby at the Curragh in Kildare.”

“Steeplechasing was invented in Ireland, but horse racing was going strong centuries before the celebrated first steeplechase in Ireland down in Cork in the 18th century.

Diane, a stables owner in Tipperary. Diane has welcomed riders from all over the world – from experienced horse-people from South America to beginners from England.

“Laytown is the only race event run on a beach under the Rules of Racing.”

OUTDOOR ADVENTURE

57Laytown Races, Co. Meath

OUTDOOR ADVENTURE

“If you do miss the green you still have one of the finest views in the world.”

59The Royal County Down Golf Club, Newcastle, Co. Down

“Aye, the bunkers here are severe enough.

But there’s enough room for one angry man and his sand wedge. If you do miss the green you still have one of the finest views in the world, across Dundrum Bay to the Mountains of Mourne.”

Joe, a caddie at the Royal County Down golf course. He has escorted some of the top players in the world round the course.

OUTDOOR ADVENTURE

“Conquer this wave and you’re probably ready for anything!”

61Surfs up in West Ireland

Others say they like to do it in waves, and do we have waves for you here! There’s a world-class wave here on the west coast called ‘Aill Na Serracht’. It appears along all the western counties. Huge 40-foot walls of water tumble over into barrels big enough to bury a double decker bus. Conquer this wave and you’re probably ready for anything!”

“We have a saying that surfers like to do it standing up.

Michael in Sligo, who has been surfing round the shores of Europe for the last two decades.

HERITAGE

63Inis Meáin, Co. Galway

Heritage

The land is dotted with ancient stone remains – ever-present reminders that this is the seat of an age-old culture. Every county in Ireland has its castles and forts - most of the visible ones are of Norman construction. But these are modern, new-fangled structures compared with the complex Neolithic court graves, dolmens and ring forts, some dating back 6000 years. Places like the Giant’s Causeway on the north coast or the Hill of Tara in the midlands, even older, going back to the time when giants and banshees roamed the earth.

From its dark, spirit-haunted mountains and glens to the great horse-god Eochu, Lord of the Underworld, who lives below the water in Lough Neagh, Ireland is a place suffused with a sense of its own mythology and heritage. Yet it hardly seems large enough to contain its own clamorous past, a westerly island clinging to the edge of Europe. The country is now at peace - but its tortuous history has left a legacy of ancient sagas, literature, music and poetry.

Epic tales, saints and scholars, a landscape shaped by a tumultuous past - Ireland is so steeped in history and heritage that it’s easy to step back in time and savour the experiences of bygone eras.

That was 9000 years ago. It took them another 3000 years before they started building the dolmens and graves which are still such a feature of the Irish landscape, and amongst the oldest man-made structures in Europe. We’re here at the Dun Ruadh Stone Circle in Tyrone, probably built some 4000 years ago. And that gentle soughing noise you can hear round the old stones? Aye, it sounds like some bereft Ulster widow. But it’s only the wind blowing under the rocks...probably.”

“The first Irish people probably arrived on the north coast, at a place called Mount Sandel.

Maureen, an archaeologist who has documented many of Ireland’s megalithic sites. Some of the oldest man-made structures in Europe have been investigated by her.

HERITAGE

“Can you hear that gentle soughing noise round the old stones?”

65Beaghmore Stones, Co. Tyrone

“Ireland’s ruins, dark, and sometimes foreboding, are a constant reminder of times past.”

HERITAGE

Some remains have blended into the very contours of the land: ivy bedecks them, trees grow in their doorways, sheep graze uncaringly round them. Others remain as inspiring as they must have looked when first built centuries ago.

Ireland’s castles, give the landscape much of its quintessential character, house battalions of ghosts. Leap Castle, near Clareen, is reputedly Ireland’s most haunted castle. Ireland’s ruins, dark, and sometimes foreboding, are a constant reminder of times past.”

“Ireland is a land of ruins. Everywhere they add an extra, almost ghostlike, dimension to the landscape.

Róisín, an artist from County Kerry. Her paintings reflect the beauty and atmosphere of the area.

67Trim Castle, Co. Meath

It’s a terrific legacy – and of course we produced the most famous ship of them all, after Noah’s Ark - Titanic. And she was grand when she left Belfast!

Ireland still produces high quality linen, as well as uniquely Irish products such as the fragile Belleek China (handcrafted in the beautiful Fermanagh Lakelands) which has graced many a fine table, and of course no lordly mansion or humble domestic abode would be complete without a piece of Waterford Crystal.”

“Belfast at one time could boast about being the world’s greatest shipbuilding, steel-producing, linen manufacturing, rope-working city in the world.

Joan, whose mother was a scutcher in a linen factory in Belfast. She heard many stories about life in the mills from her mother and mother’s friends.

HERITAGE

“Each intricate flower on Belleek’s famous baskets is painstakingly created by hand.”

69Belleek Potter, Co. Fermanagh

But look, for instance, at the High Crosses which occur throughout the island. The cross at Monasterboice in County Louth is one of the finest in the world. The Muiredach Cross displays intricate stonework and artistry, testament to Ireland’s golden age of Christianity. Everywhere in Ireland you’ll see religious remains – from hermits’ huts on the island of Skellig Michael off the Kerry coast, to huge impressive abbeys built by monastic orders.”

“The fusion – some might say collision - of Irish Gaelic society and the Christian religion some 1600 years ago produced a specifically Irish identity and resulted in some wonderful art – the ‘Book of Kells’ being the most famous example.

Martin, a historian with a special interest in ecclesiastical history.

HERITAGE

“It’s a testament to Ireland’s golden age of Christianity.”

71Bee-Hive-Huts, The Skelligs, Co. Kerry

“Keep on the right side of the leprechauns and you could well find that pot of gold!”

HERITAGE

But the buck doesn’t stop with them. Halloween was originally a Celtic festival, when the undead would get up from their graves and generally make a nuisance of themselves. Dublin man Bram Stoker incorporated much of this mythology into Dracula.

Not all visitors from the Otherworld are malevolent. Keep on the right side of the leprechauns and you could well find that pot of gold.”

“Ireland’s resident giants have been variously responsible for the construction of Lough Neagh, the Isle of Man, and a very well known Causeway which now has UNESCO status, something the giants probably never foresaw.

Tom, a storyteller and dance master from County Armagh. He gives classes throughout the area.

73Giant’s Causeway, Co. Antrim

FOOD & DRINK

75Naas farmers market, Co. Kildare

Food and Drink

Because, once more, small is acknowledged as beautiful and Ireland’s abundance of small-scale food producers, passionate about their craft and adhering to traditional virtues, are providing just the kind of food the modern world craves. It’s also the care they take of their animals, the grass fed sheep and cattle grazing on our unspoilt countryside, producing the finest beef and lamb. And milk that is the envy of Europe, now made into world acclaimed cheeses. It’s the freshness of fish and seafood, caught in the clean waters that surround Ireland and the pure rivers that dissect it, which are whisked straight to market or smoked the traditional way. And, not least, it’s drinking slowly poured stout or sipping fine Irish whiskey in the world’s most hospitable pubs.

Here are thoughts, stories and tips from those who teach, bake, enthuse, sell and create some of that wonderful food and drink.

Why has Irish food made such an impact in recent years?

Luckily, the most amazing local people supply delicious produce directly to me, like salads grown in the Burren, smoked salmon from a small smokery on Inishmore, the largest of the Aran Islands, and organic Kinvara potatoes which are perfect for making boxty, an Irish potato bread.

We spent our summer holidays on the Aran Islands, it’s another world there, with the purest food you could get. We’d have crabs from the lobster fishermen, fish just caught and potatoes dug from Seoirse’s garden. My mum would put the spuds on to steam and the last one to run to the pier and jump in the water had to do the dishes.”

“My vast experience of local life enables me to help guests get the most out of their stay. My grandmother had a saying ‘no matter where I serve my guests, it seems they like my kitchen best’. The kitchen is the heart of the Irish home and cooking breakfast while I chat to the guests is simply the Irish way.

SORCHA MOLLOY

Sorcha Molloy is the owner of the Heron’s Rest B&B near the Spanish Arch in Galway, which has won awards for its breakfast.

FOOD & DRINK

“I cook breakfast while I am talking to guests, it’s just the Irish way.”

77Galway Bay

“I possibly spend as much time sourcing food as I do cooking it.”

FOOD & DRINK

We get our meat from a marvellous local butcher, who is typical of the great Irish butchers. Pat O’Doherty in Enniskillen is famous for black bacon, cured in the traditional way with herbs, salt and spices. The pigs are kept on an island in the lakes and forage naturally for their food. Like the best Irish food producers, he really cares for their welfare.

At Oghill Farm near Irvinestown, they look after their cows so well that they sleep on padded beds and have an automatic backscratcher! Their milk has won awards and is now the basis of the fabulous ice cream that Tickety-Moo makes there. It’s a great place for a family visit.”

“We try to use as much quality local food as possible at the Cookery School.

LIZ MOORE

Liz Moore runs Belle Isle Cookery School on the beautiful Belle Isle Estate in the Fermanagh Lakelands.

“I possibly spend as much time sourcing food as I do cooking it.”

79Belle Isle Cookery School, Co. Fermanagh

FOOD & DRINK

“We’re once again producing fantastic food in this country.”

81Frank Hederman, Belvelly Smokehouse, Co. Cork

The system couldn’t be simpler, the fish arrives in the morning and is salted and then, once the salt is washed off, it’s put into the smoker. The fish is hung on tenterhooks (hence the expression) and the smoke must never dominate the flavour. Everyone who comes to the smokehouse (visitors always get a tour) says the same thing. It’s not as oily as normally produced smoked salmon. The best smoked salmon should have a nice dry texture. You’re working with nature, smoking in the traditional way, when the wind is from the north west, for instance, I can’t smoke.”

“This is the oldest traditional smokehouse in Ireland, it’s unique. We smoke mackerel, mussels, halibut, silver eel and oats for the oatcakes made by Robert Ditty.

FRANK HEDERMAN

Frank Hederman runs the Belvelly Smokehouse on Great Island, Cobh in Cork. His smoked fish is supplied to many leading restaurants and shops.

We’re very lucky. We have this great variety of traditional breads that people still enjoy eating, from wheaten breads to soda farls, that’s not something many countries can say. It’s honest, natural food; no substitutes. We are innovative with tradition here. We use dulse, a kind of seaweed popular in Ireland, combined with sesame in one variety of our biscuits. It’s a fantastic smell in the bakery when they’re cooking. I could look for ingredients all over the world but why bother when we have so much here.”

“I have vivid memories of my grandmother baking brown soda bread once a week. She would churn the butter on her farm and use the buttermilk for the bread. It was absolutely delicious.

ROBERT DITTY

Robert Ditty is an award-winning baker in Castledawson, County Londonderry. Ditty’s Home Bakery is renowned for its traditional range of oatcakes and biscuits.

“I could look for ingredients all over the world but why bother when we have so much here.”

FOOD & DRINK

83Robert Ditty, award-winning baker in Castledawson, Co. Londonderry

The passion of our food producers, like our cheesemakers, is amazing. Our artisan cheese-making developed in the early 1970s. Some of our soft cheeses, such as Durrus, are comparable with the greatest cheeses of the world and that is largely due to the quality of the milk. It’s a huge achievement, an area in which Ireland leads the world. Each cheese is a reflection of the personality of the maker.

At our restaurant (Sheridan’s on the Docks, Galway City) it’s like a voyage of discovery of Irish food. We have sea vegetables, line caught fish, scallops from the Aran Islands, Crubeen (pigs trotters), Connemara lamb, local wild mushrooms, cheeses and parfait made from locally grown gooseberries. Great quality food in which Ireland excels which hasn’t travelled far and doesn’t cost the earth.”

“When you define what it is to be Irish you should not only talk about music, art and literature, but also of food and drink.

SEAMUS SHERIDAN

With his brother Kevin, Seamus Sheridan has helped spread the word about Irish cheeses with their shops in Dublin and Galway and stalls at Temple Bar and Galway markets.

FOOD & DRINK

“Our milk is the best in Europe, which leads to our amazing butter, cheeses and cream.”

85Irish farmhouse cheeses

I have no rules for drinking Irish whiskey. You don’t have to pour from a crystal decanter to a crystal glass or sip it before a roaring log fire in an Irish country house (though it can help!). Mind you, drinking while relaxing with friends in an Irish pub and that sense of people wanting to enjoy the moment, that’s hard to beat. Swirl it around the glass and raise it to your nose for much of the taste comes from smelling it. Different people pick up different things, but the peat and malt and sweetness combine and you can find chocolate, vanilla and pear. Take a sip and swirl it around your mouth. But most of all, just relax and enjoy one of Ireland’s greatest gifts to the world.”

“As far as we know Ireland was the first country to distill whiskey. It’s part of our heritage.

NOEL SWEENEY

Noel Sweeney is Head Distiller of Cooley Whiskey Distillery, County Louth, Ireland’s only independent distillery.

“It suits the Irish character, our sense of adventure, our humour and love of the craic.”

FOOD & DRINK

87Noel Sweeney, Head Distiller of Cooley Whiskey Distillery, Co. Louth

WELLNESS

89

Wellness

Ireland’s scenery, atmosphere and people have long been a tonic themselves, and it’s still possible to relax in places of almost unreachable solitude. The natural tranquillity is today supplemented by treatments and activities ranging from seaweed baths to sauna.

Massage oil extracted from Irish moss will loosen your limbs and your mind; an ice shower will shock you, then revive you. And if your situation calls for immediate miracles – that can probably be arranged too!

Wellness is a balance of mind, body and spirit that results in an overall feeling of well-being. People have been coming to Ireland for decades to get that very feeling – from its scenery, its tranquil atmosphere, and from its people. Today this is augmented by treats and treatments from a whole variety of disciplines, from the very ancient to the ultra modern.

We’ve been pampering people in Ireland since long before the word was adopted to its wellness use.

Slieve Donard Spa, Newcastle, Co. Down

“Come as you are. But leave changed.”

WELLNESS

“In days gone by in Ireland pampering might have meant you’d get an extra rasher of bacon at breakfast.

Now it means therapeutic spa baths, fluffy towels and serious me-time.”

Maureen from Donegal, who works at a spa resort in the area.

91Bellinter House, Navan, Co. Meath

“This is one of the oldest places of pilgrimages in the Christian world, and every time I come here I feel like it’s one of the oldest places in the world.

You have to move slowly here – it’s such a contrast to today’s world. There aren’t any distractions here, just peace, tranquillity and meditation. Come as you are. But leave changed.”

“Just being in Connemara is a form of therapy: the people are friendly, the pace of life slow and everywhere you look is majestic landscape.

Happy faces, beautiful places – what more could you want?”

Mary, just returned from retreat at Lough Derg. Mary tries to go on retreat once a year.

Jim, a regular walker in the Mournes. He has been walking the mountains of Ireland for the best part of fifty years.

WELLNESS

“Here in Ireland you can go from monastic contemplation to sensory indulgence in a few miles.”

Doreen from County Wexford. Doreen is a PE instructor at a local school.

“You have to move slowly here – it’s such a contrast to today’s world.”

93View from Slieve League Cliffs, Co. Donegal

Traditional Irish Tales at the Ulster American Folk Park, Co. Tyrone 95

Create your very own Irish storyWe hope you have enjoyed our stories. They are told with passion and pride by people of all ages and backgrounds and from all parts of the island of Ireland.

What our storytellers have in common is an abiding love for our culture, heritage, landscape and traditions and the hope they can inspire you to come and share them with us. However compelling the story, there are no words that can convey the magic of discovering Ireland for yourself.

Nor has there been a better time to visit Ireland than now, with so much on offer for everyone. So, why not book your trip and go where Ireland takes you? Just set your soul to Irish time and learn to enjoy the moment! Go on, discover Ireland for yourself and create your very own, unforgettable, Irish story.

Begin the journey that never ends by visiting

Tourism Ireland is the marketing body for the island of Ireland, covering the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. Every care has been taken to ensure accuracy in the compilation of this brochure. Tourism Ireland and its agents cannot, however, accept responsibility for any errors, inaccuracies or omissions but where such are brought to our attention, future publications will be amended accordingly.

Tourism Ireland would like to thank all the contributors to this brochure. They come from all over the island of Ireland and represent many different areas of expertise. What they have in common is a love of what they do and a passion for Ireland, its culture, heritage and landscape. St Patrick story supplied by the Northern Ireland Tourist Board, from My NI stories.

Photography:Fáilte Ireland, Northern Ireland Tourist Board, Belfast Telegraph, Brian Morrison, Chris Hill, Gardiner Mitchell, Gareth McCormack, George Munday, Geray Sweeney, James Fennell, Roger Kinkead, Holger Leue, John McVitty, N.C.Britton, Slieve Donard Resort & Spa, Sportsfile, Steffan Hill, Tony Pleavin, Valerie O’Sullivan.

Design: Design Tactics

Print: GPS Colour Graphics

Editors: Mal Rogers & Seth Linder

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