Advent by Patrick Kavanagh: Poem and Meaning
This week it is number 21 in the top 100 Irish poems list. A great poem by Patrick Kavanagh. This poem ‘Advent’ is a very religious poem. If you don’t …
The Tower by W.B. Yeats: Poem and Meaning
This week it is number 57 from the top 100 Irish poems list. Another appearance from W.B Yeats. “The Tower” published in 1927, Yeats’ first major collection as Nobel Laureate …
Pangur Bán: The 1,200-Year-Old Irish Poem About a Monk and His Cat
This week I thought it would be good to share a completely anonymous poem that made its way into the top 100 Irish poems of all time. Sometimes in life, …
How the Irish Invented Halloween: Samhain, Turnip Lanterns, Barmbrack and the Best Festivals in Ireland
Halloween grew out of Samhain, the Irish festival at the start of winter. Here’s the real story, with folklore and history kept apart: the Hill of Ward fire, the púca, Stingy Jack’s turnip jack-o’-lantern, the barmbrack ring, how emigrants took it all to America, traditions to try at home, and the four Halloween festivals in Ireland worth travelling for in 2026.
Spraying the Potatoes by Patrick Kavanagh: Poem and Meaning
I am back with another fantastic top Irish poem. This week we see yet another poem from the great Patrick Kavanagh. You might be thinking you have seen me mention …
The Meeting of the Waters by Thomas Moore: Poem, Melody and Meaning
This week I picked number 65 from the top 100 Irish poems list. It is a wonderful and warm poem about friendship and nature by Thomas Moore. While this is …
Snow by Louis MacNeice: Meaning and Analysis
Another week another top Irish poem. This week is the first appearance of Louis MacNeice.nbsp; You might not have heard of Louis MacNeice but he was born in Belfast, Ireland …
An Irish Airman Foresees His Death by W.B. Yeats: Meaning and Analysis
Well, I hope you are having a good week. Today I picked number 32 from the top 100 Irish poems list. Once again the famous W.B Yeats makes it into …
The Circus Animals’ Desertion by W.B. Yeats: Meaning and Analysis
This week it is number 51 on my top 100 Irish poems list. Yet again, Yeats makes an appearance. This poem, however, is unique in that it was the last …
15 Things You Didn’t Know About the Irish Wolfhound
One of the most searched dog terms on the internet, the Irish Wolfhound. This remarkable dog often claims the award for the biggest dogs in the world! Today I am …
Irish Road Bowling: How Ireland’s Oldest Road Sport Is Played
Road bowling at a glance Players throw a 28oz (794g) iron bowl along a stretch of country road; the fewest throws wins. Strongholds: Co. Cork and Co. Armagh. Run by …
Bean Sléibhe ag Caoineadh a Mhac by Pádraig Pearse: A Mother’s Lament
This week I picked number 66 from the top 100 Irish poems list. This is a sad and powerful poem written in Irish by Padraic Pearse. But don’t worry if …
Jason Brown’s Riverdance on Ice: The Skate That Brought Boston to Its Feet
Jason Brown’s Riverdance free skate brought the Boston crowd to its feet in 2014 and sent him to the Sochi Olympics. Watch the video, hear him talk about it, and read how Riverdance itself began at Eurovision in 1994.
An Old Woman of the Roads by Padraic Colum: Poem and Meaning
This weeks top Irish poem is number 11, “An Old Woman of the Roads” by Padraic Colum. A lot of people refer to this poem as a simple poem. But …
Broken Dreams by W.B. Yeats: His Poem for an Ageing Maud Gonne
This week I picked another great Irish poem from W.B. Yeats. It comes in at number 77 on the top 100 Irish poems list. Rather than sharing the analysis and …