The Fir Bolg: Ireland’s Mythical Ancient Kings
I am not talking about a game of dungeons and dragons that features a poor representation of the Fir Bolg. In Irish mythology, the Fir Bolg (also spelt Firbolg) are …
Ireland
An Bonnán Buí (The Yellow Bittern): The Irish Poem About a Bird That Died of Thirst
Ah, my second last poem to cover in my top 100 Irish poems. I only have number one to cover next which I will share in my weekly dose of …
Murphy’s Law: What It Means and Where It Really Came From
Anything that can go wrong will go wrong. Here’s the real story of Murphy’s law: the 1949 rocket sled, the man behind the name, and why it isn’t Irish.
Silent Night (Oíche Chiúin) By Emma Sophia, Age 6
The most beautiful Celtic version of Silent Night ever, performed by 6-year-old singing sensation Emma Sophia. What were you doing when you were 6 years old? Well, I can bet …
An tEarrach Thiar by Máirtín Ó Direáin: Spring in the West of Ireland
Only three Irish poems left to cover on my top 100 Irish list from the Irish times. This Irish poem comes in at number 94 by the Irish poet Máirtín …
Valparaiso by Pádraig de Brún: Poem and Meaning
Welcome back. I am on my last few poems from the top 100 poems list! This week it is an Irish poem well initially written in English and later converted …
Oíche Nollag na mBan by Seán Ó Ríordáin: The Women’s Christmas Poem
With Christmas coming up in a few weeks I felt the poem Oíche Nollag na mBan, by Seán Ó Ríordáin would be a great choice! This week I have selected …
A Cork Boy Sang With a Busker on TikTok. Nearly a Million People Watched
Well, now, being from Cork myself, I always enjoy seeing some locals get out there on social media. Korey Power, who is regularly singing and doing live shows on TikTok, …
The Splendour of God by Joseph Mary Plunkett: Poem and Meaning
The poem, the splendour of God, is a great Irish poem that comes in at number 75 on the top 100 Irish poems list. And yes, you guessed it, the …
A Disused Shed in Co Wexford by Derek Mahon: Meaning and Analysis
My list of the top 100 Irish poems is getting shorter every week. Every week I publish a brief analysis of a random poem from this top 100 Irish poems …
Toilet Irish Dancers: Who Really Made This Funny Irish Dancing Video?
A line of dancers in full Lord of the Dance mode, all desperate for one portable toilet. And they aren’t even Irish. Here’s who made this funny clip, and why Irish dancers keep their arms still.
On Raglan Road by Patrick Kavanagh: Meaning, Story and Song
The Raglan Road poem, or On Raglan Road as it is more commonly known, is one of the most well-known Irish poems. By the ever-so-descriptive Patrick Kavanagh. His Irish poems …
Night Feed by Eavan Boland: A Beautiful Poem for New Parents
This week I have picked number 58 from the top 100 Irish poems list. It is a beautiful Irish poem about a new mother getting up in the middle of …
And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda: Liam Clancy Sings Eric Bogle’s Song
Liam Clancy sings Eric Bogle’s And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda, the 1971 anti-war song about a young Australian at Gallipoli. Here’s the story behind it, The Pogues’ version and the Irish soldiers who died on those same beaches.
She Moved Through the Fair by Padraic Colum: Meaning and History
A wonderful Irish poem and popular song, “She Moved Through the Fair” by Padraic Colum (1881-1972). Colum wrote most of the words to an old air he and Herbert Hughes …