Celtic Ways Tales

Most of our travellers here have a single question That is, “am I connected to Ireland?” More and more people are taking private DNA tests to find out. DNA evidence is regarded as solid proven science so faiths around the world have jumped on this technology to see if they can establish DNA foundation to their holy books and faith. The Mormons seem to have suffered the worse knocking when other Christian motivated representatives presented them with research results that indicated all native American DNA has an origin from eastern Asia and, to them, verifying that all ancient peoples of all of the Americas, before the arrival of white man, came across the Bering Land Bridge between Siberia and Alaska. Here’s a video presentation , its quite long. What DNA did land in the Americas The Mormons have a faith that talks of Native Americans having an origin with an Israal tribe and this video aims to present that this is 100% not possible and presents some Mormons now confused about how to c...

Some folks sharing their feelings about Ireland touring think so I join in the Ireland travel forum on Frommers social site. This morning I read comments of how the Book Of Kells is over-rated and even a waste of time to visit. I would be the last person to say the Book Of Kells is over-rated, but I was once a stone mason on Iona for several years. I can understand these “waste of time” comments, though. To just pop into Trinity College and line up and pay to see The Book Of Kells and Book of Durrow under a glass case does seem to be fairly meaningless the majority of people. It is because these folks are unable to grasp how the books got into the Trinity College library and many are unlikely to have done anything or been anywhere that has fired passion to be interested. For me, I am thrilled these ancient books are in Trinity College Library for all to see specimen pages of. For most people, visiting Trinity College, the little O'Brien harp in the library, nicknamed the Brian Boru...

or would you like to see or experience Ireland? How would you like to have the best vacation in Ireland? A group I have just said farewell to have given me the warm impression that they had the most wonderful vacation, a total Ireland experience, just from 4 nights in the same location, our local Ballaghboy Lodge Regular readers to my blog may be aware of changes I have made this year to our Ireland vacation services to encourage visitors to travel less and see more. This year, many inquirers seem to be arriving in Ireland on shorter vacations but are asking to do more. A requested itinerary for 6 days is often what folks used to ask for over 10 days. When I suggest 4 or 5 nights in Co. Sligo the response is often “Is there that much to see and do in Co. Sligo?” The Multitasking Vacation I see this style of vacation is where the traveller arrives in Ireland with a list of things to see and do that the traveller defines as “must see and do” sites to see. Top of this list is usually Clif...

Wheesht and Cooryin', words I had almost forgotten Words from my years on the Isle of Mull in the inner Hebrides that are relevant to what we offer here from Carrowcrory in Co. Sligo Wheesht You deserve and need days for quiet relaxation and personal restoring. Take gentle walks or cycle rides onto our mountains of multi-county views and through lakeside landscapes of mythology, tradition, fabled stories, and deep ancestry. Enjoy all this with or without a guide, you choose. Turn off or leave behind your mobile/cell phone, leave your worries at home, gift yourself some time here and recharge. We serve the freedom for Celtic Dreamtime, a space to reach through ancestry to creativity and back again to reveal that time and space are not your rulers here. Its wonderful what you can achieve and how you can truly restore when you take a real vacation. Cooryin’ If you are a writer, composer and musician, or just a fan of all these, you will enjoy this … Time around our cottage hearth fi...

First a Thank You To Christine Kane who’s blog posts often inspire me and this post is very close to a recent post she made. I will provide a link at the end. Downsizing a Booked Vacation into a Real Vacation I would say I spend more time counselling people into a vacation than actually guiding them through a vacation. For many people around the world Ireland is seen as a place of magic and an escape into fantasy, that can include catching up with the ol’ ancestors. For some reason this cannot be done without months of “research” and compiling a list of at least 100 things to see and do within seven days. To quote Christine Kane, “As adults like to think we’re rational beings. And as rational beings, here’s how we think it should go ..” and I’ll put this into the context of vacation requests I receive Folks inquiring usually have a vision of arriving in Ireland from from North America, Japan, Australia, far away, to do a bit of touring on arrival, have a nice afternoon shower, rest a b...

The Resurrection of The Bard … this is inspired by the writings of VERY REV. M. J. CANON MASTERSON Turlough O'Carolan (Toirdhealbhach Ó Cearbhalláin) was born at Nobber, Co. Meath, in 1670. His family ancestry had been of affluent farmers but their lands were confiscated during Cromwell's Revolution. Like many, his father, John O'Carolan, were forced to fly westwards. They found a home in Carrick-on-Shannon (1688) where John O'Carolan created a living as a blacksmith. O'Carolan took to music as a young boy and attracted the attention of Madam McDermott Roe of Alderford, who offered have him educated with her own children. Through this education Turlough acquired a good knowledge of his native language and a great love for his native heritage, which would latter become a distinguishing asset for him. Turlough's musical interest developed into a harp playing talent which became a saviour when he became blind after and attack of smallpox when he was 22 years old....

A wonderful Sunday I am sorry I missed the Saturday part of the festival but had another engagement. Even for the Sunday my only interest was the storytelling show. I was concerned that if I arrived too early I would have been bored and quickly become anxious about the crowds scrambling for good views, food and getting to the toilets. Claire was not keen to even consider going to the festival for these and similar reasons. My Sunday started slow as through Saturday I had consumed more scotch than I have done for a long, long time. I went off for lunch at Avoca with Claire with a plan to “have a peak” at the festival before going to the storytellers. After lunch Claire dropped me off outside Dun Laoghaire, as close as she could drive too, and this was about 4:00 pm. Could I find great entertainment before the storytelling commencing at 7:30 pm? Also was it going to stay dry? Arriving at the Festival Top priority was getting my ticket for the storytelling …. but where? It seemed obvious...