Denis Bergin reports on an upsurge of Irish cultural activity in Charleston, where the relics of old Southern decency are still much in evidence. Charleston, South Carolina is everyone’s idea of the captivating U.S. South. The city draws more than four million visitors a year to sample its atmospheric evocations of everything from slave-based plantation lifestyles to stirrings … [Read more...] about Echoes of Ireland in the Deep South
Travel
Salsa Verde: The Irish in Chile
I have been visiting Chile since 1991 and had learned quite a bit about Bernardo O’Higgins, who had a most significant impact on the politics and culture of Latin America and on Chile in particular. Bernado O’Higgins’ father, Ambrose O’Higgins, born in Ballynary, County Sligo, served the Spanish Imperial Service as an engineer. He went on to serve as Governor of Chile and … [Read more...] about Salsa Verde: The Irish in Chile
Poets & Pubs in Dublin: A Literary Tour
Dublin’s fair city has changed in recent years. Cranes have come to dominate its skyline and people of all hues – Polish, Chinese and African as well as Irish – now throng its streets. Yet one essential aspect remains the same. Dublin still has its literary heritage, a heritage that revolves around poets, pints and pubs. If Parisian writers were inspired by café life, their … [Read more...] about Poets & Pubs in Dublin: A Literary Tour
Waverider: The Irish Roots of Surfing
Waveriders, the acclaimed documentary directed by Dublin native Joel Conroy and coming out on DVD March 16, is based around an unusual premise: modern-day surfing’s Irish-American roots. The award-winning film traces the history of the “father of modern surfing,” Irish-Hawaiian George Freeth, as well as showcasing the work of Ireland’s top surfers in incredible footage atop … [Read more...] about Waverider: The Irish Roots of Surfing
Beautiful Kerry
Who was the first European to discover the Americas? Contrary to popular opinion, it may not have been Christopher Columbus. In fact, it may well have been St. Brendan – an Irishman who hailed from County Kerry. Kerry is one of the loveliest of Ireland’s counties and if you have not yet paid it a visit, it might now be time for you to undertake St. Brendan’s journey in reverse. … [Read more...] about Beautiful Kerry