Irish Seisiún Newsletter
This Week’s Session 2
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Finnegan's Calender
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“That’s How I Spell Ireland”
Saturdays at 7 to 8 PM EST.
You can listen on 88.7FM or WRHU.org.
For a request please text me on 917 699-4768.Kevin and Joan Westley
Note: Show will be preempted whenever the NY Islanders have a Saturday game
Old Ireland
Which was YOUR favorite
Plain Cheese or Onion Cheese
Recent Mail
Travel in Ireland
FAVOURITE PLACES IN IRELAND
Navan Fort, County Armagh. (See it on a map here.)
Go here, and you will be transported 2,000 years back to ancient Ireland.
This was home to the myths and legends of the Ulster Cycle and seat of the King of Ulster. Located just outside Armagh city, it’s a unique place where you can learn about the history of ancient Ireland or even get involved in recreations dressing up and experiencing life as a Celt.
Or – watch a video of Carina explain more here.
And if you’re a fan of Irish music, The Boys from the County Armagh will undoubtedly be a familiar classic.
Irish Language
Tír gan Teanga, Tír gan Anam:
A land without a language is a land without a soul.
Submitted by our own
Anita
Dia duit Tom, great sessiun on Sunday, great crowd agus craic!
Still writing about seanfhocail today since they are such an important part of the irish language. Don’t forget if you have a favorite one to send in, I’d be happy to write about it!
Irish seanfhocail are old, Irish proverbs full of knowledge, humour and wisdom. Seanfhocail are a unique part of the Irish language and support the rich Irish culture and heritage that has been around for thousands of years.
Irish seanfhocail have been passed on through generations and are still used as insightful pieces of wisdom today. Many Irish proverbs are inspirational and often used in times of guidance, happiness or sadness. No matter where you are in the world, an Irish seanfhocal will always remind you of Éire.
Let’s take a look below now at some well-known Irish seanfhocail as Gaeilge and their meanings in English.
“Mull on o-ih-geh agus chuck-ee shee”
An inspirational Irish proverb meaning “praise the youth and they will flourish”. This lovely saying is often used across Ireland to inspire teacher, parents or guardians to acknowledge the young people in their lives. This famous seanfhocal sends a visionary message to us that young people will succeed in the future if we make an effort to help them along the way.
Ar scáth a chéile a mhaireann na daoine
“Air scaw a kayla a warin nah deeny”
This proverb literally translates as “we live in each other’s shadows”. The real meaning behind it is that we need to look after each other in times of trouble in order to get through it.
“Iss glass iad nah cnick ih wad ooh-in”
This seanfhocal literally means “the far away hills are greener”. The deeper meaning behind it is that the grass is always greener on the other side. Similar to the well-known English saying.
Biodh seachtain iontaibh agaibh!
Le dea-ghui,
Anita
OK Anita……You’re looking for us to send in our seanfhocal….. I’ll start it off….How about…..
“Ní mar a shíltear a bhítear”
Free Irish Classes
The classes are over zoom and are held at 12:00 eastern time the 1 st Sunday of every month.
It is basic conversational Irish and open to learners of all ages, especially beginners.
All are invited.
Hope to see you there!
slan go foill. Le dea ghui,
Anita
click here to register
Travel Quiz
Can you identify this site
and its location in Ireland
Send your guess to Tommy Mac at [email protected]
Answer in Next Week’s Newsletter
Last week’s answer
Liberty Hall in Dublin
This week’s Irish recipie
Gilligan’s Gourmet: Roast leg of lamb with mint sauce recipe
Nancy and Donna– you can cook and eat this while Pat is out at Finnigan’s on a Sunday.
For roasting, nothing beats the leg of lamb, especially when coated with lots of garlic, mustard and rosemary.
Chef Michael Gilligan shares his recipe for delicious roast leg of lamb served with mint sauce.
While lamb has always been associated with spring, there is nothing to stop people from enjoying this delicious dish all year round.
Today’s lamb is a tender creature; except for the shanks, neck, and shoulder, the rest of the beast is tender enough to be cooked by dry heat, like grilling and roasting. Even shoulder and blade chops can be grilled, although I think they are always better cooked by moist heat, such as braising.
For roasting, nothing beats the leg, especially when coated in garlic, mustard, and rosemary. During grilling months, the leg can be bought butterflied. This boneless, uneven hunk can be marinated and cooked on a covered grill, either over direct heat or indirectly.
Genuine spring lamb is born, not killed, in the spring. Born in February or March, these animals are weaned four months later, at which point they graze and fatten exclusively on summer grass. Their meat becomes rich and sweet, taking on a dark hue and pronounced marbling of creamy-colored fat that pairs beautifully with the earthy, forthright flavors of root vegetables and orchard fruit.
The lamb born in autumn is the one who will join the pastel-stained eggs and hollow chocolate bunnies. When you eat it, you will be communing with both seasons, something to keep in mind when you next celebrate spring.
Roast lamb with fresh mint sauce recipe
Serves: 6 to 8
Ingredients
1 (6- to 7-pound) bone-in leg of lamb, trimmed of fat and tied
4 large cloves of garlic, slivered
Coarse salt
Freshly ground pepper
¼ cup coarse-grain mustard
1 cup very finely chopped fresh mint leaves, washed and dried
2 tablespoons sugar, or to taste
4-6 tablespoons good-quality balsamic vinegar
1-3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
Method
Heat the oven to 450 degrees. Using a sharp paring knife, cut thin slits all over the lamb and slide the slivers of garlic in. Season on all sides with salt and pepper. Set on a rack in a roasting pan. Rub the mustard all over the exposed surface.
Roast the lamb for 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350 degrees and roast 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours, until cooked to the desired doneness. Check after the first hour at a lower temperature, using an instant-read thermometer inserted only into the meat, avoiding the bone. A reading of 120 degrees is rare, 130 medium-rare, and 140 medium; the meat will continue to cook as it sits. Transfer to a carving board and let stand 20 minutes before carving.
While the lamb roasts, place the mint in a deep bowl. Combine the sugar with 1/4 cup of balsamic vinegar and 1 tablespoon of white wine vinegar in a small nonreactive saucepan with ¼ cup water. Heat over medium-low heat until the sugar dissolves, 2 to 3 minutes. Immediately pour over the mint and toss well. Taste and add more sugar or vinegar as needed; the flavor should be sharply minty and sweetly balanced.
To serve, slice the lamb into portions and pass the sauce separately for judicious use.
AND FINALLY…
What do you call a sheep without legs?
A cloud.
Love Irish recipes? Visit our recipes page!
* Originally published in 2011. Updated in February 2026.
Poem of the Week
“Spring”
by Alan Gillis
Spring
You might have butterflies
for no reason, all antsy
as if in anticipation
of the leaves’ first look-and-see-me.
You might crack your nut trying to take in
the what of it, its here and this
while it lifts its skirts to brush by you,
fleeting past with one light kiss.
Bare-knuckled sycamores start wearing green.
Cherry blossom froths and pirouettes
in a brook, trickling past these streets
and estates, sloshing beneath tarmac,
visible here, underground there, everywhere
guzzling as the narrow-banked brook
rushes beyond scraggy reeds and weed tufts,
cacked plastics, sewer scurf, beer-can stooks,
streaming along in the green-glinted leaf-swish
and ripple of a petal-scented zing,
and with it flows all that we know of the here-
it-comes and there-it-goes of everything.
–Alan Gillis, from Scapegoat and Other Poems (2016)
The Irish celebrate St. Brigid’s Day on February 1 to welcome the beginning of spring.
Even though we’re not quite there yet in the US, today’s poem by Alan Gillis channels that sense of anticipation for the end of winter.
Stories and Tales
T
The infamous story of the Armagh woman who was buried alive
Grave robbers in Antrim during the 1700s were shocked when a woman woke up during their robbery.
An Irish woman who was buried alive in the 18th century gave grave robbers the shock of their lives when she woke up during the robbery.
Margorie McCall was born in 1705 in Lurgan, County Armagh. As an adult, she took ill and was pronounced dead. She was buried in the Shankill Graveyard.
In 1705, Marjorie McCall fell ill and died suddenly. Her husband, who was a doctor, pronounced her dead, and she was buried in Shankill Cemetery in Lurgan. However, rumors soon began to circulate that Marjorie had been buried alive.
“Margorie McCall was reputed to have lived once but buried twice, as it says on her gravestone,” historian Jim Conway told Independent.ie.
“This is the grave I have been asked many questions about, as there are a lot of people who are skeptical about the truth – whether the story is myth or not.
“I believe the story to be true based on my research.”
Click below to watch
One night, a group of men decided to dig up Marjorie’s grave to check if the rumors were true. They found that her body was warm and that there were scratch marks on the inside of the coffin. It seemed that Marjorie had been buried alive and had desperately tried to escape her coffin.
“Shortly after she was buried the grave robbers came to retrieve the ring,” Conway said, referring to a valuable ring that McCall was supposedly wearing.
Read more
“They dug up the grave and tried to get the ring from her finger.” As they cut her finger they drew blood and woke the “dead” woman. The robbers fled.
“She was reported to live in Church Place, Lurgan and returned home with a knock at the door. Her husband opened the door to find Margorie standing in front of him,” he continued.
The story goes that “Margorie went on to have more children before dying in her old age and [was] buried in the same spot.”
“Her headstone now reads ‘Margorie McCall – Lived Once, Buried Twice.”
Today, Marjorie’s story continues to be retold as a cautionary tale. Visitors to Shankill Cemetery can still see her grave and read the inscription on her headstone, which serves as a reminder of the importance of proper burial practices.
* Originally published in 2017 and updated in January 2026.
Maureen O’Hara – Irish or English???
submitted by Lawrence Mahoney
Los Angeles, 1946. Maureen O’Hara stood in an immigration office, looking down at the papers that would make her an American citizen.
She’d passed the exam. She’d done everything required. All that remained was a signature.
Then she saw what they’d done.
Everywhere she’d written “Irish”—her nationality, her heritage, her identity—someone had crossed it out and replaced it with a single word.
English.
Not once. Every single instance. Irish, crossed out. English, written in its place.
The Hollywood star who’d fought pirates onscreen, who’d matched wits with John Wayne, who’d commanded respect in an industry built to diminish women—felt something fierce rise in her chest.
“I’m terribly sorry,” she said, her Dublin accent cutting through the air, “but I can’t forswear an allegiance I don’t have. I have no allegiance to England at all—I’m Irish.”
The clerk looked confused. This wasn’t how these appointments usually went.
Maureen FitzSimons had been born in Ranelagh, Dublin, on August 17, 1920. Charles Laughton brought her to America as a teenager after seeing something special in her screen test.
He’d insisted she change her surname, giving her the choice between O’Hara and O’Mara. She’d chosen O’Hara.
But she’d never chosen to stop being Irish.
Now, in 1946, Hollywood knew her as the fiery redhead who brought passion and intelligence to every role. The “Queen of Technicolor.”
A woman who did her own stunts and refused to be anyone’s decoration.
But to the United States immigration system, she was something else. A British subject.
The logic was coldly simple. When Maureen was born in 1920, Ireland was still part of the United Kingdom.
Even after the Irish Free State was established in 1922, Ireland remained connected to the British Empire. Under international law, Irish citizens were still technically British subjects.
The Irish government had fought this designation for years. Irish passports didn’t call their citizens British subjects.
But the rest of the world—including the United States—hadn’t caught up. In their records, people from southern Ireland were still filed under “British.”
To Maureen O’Hara, this wasn’t a technicality. This was erasure.
The clerk sent her to see the immigration judge. Surely he could explain why this correction was necessary. Why she needed to accept what was just a formality.
The judge told her she was English. That’s what the records said. That’s what Washington said. That’s what her papers would reflect.
Maureen stood her ground.
“I cannot accept American citizenship under those circumstances,” she said.
The judge sent a clerk to check with Washington. What nationality should they list for someone born in Dublin in 1920?
The answer came back. English.
“Your Honor,” Maureen said, her voice steady but her eyes flashing, “I’m very sorry, but I’m not responsible for your antiquated records in Washington. Thank you very much, but I cannot accept citizenship under those conditions.”
She turned to walk out.
She would rather remain without American citizenship than accept a lie. Her identity wasn’t negotiable. Her heritage wasn’t a clerical detail to be corrected by bureaucrats who’d never set foot in Dublin.
But before she reached the door, she turned back.
One more thing needed to be said.
“Your Honor, do you realize what you are trying to do to my children and grandchildren?” Her voice carried across the courtroom. “You’re trying to take away their right to boast about their wonderful Irish mother and grandmother.”
The judge threw up his hands.
He’d been defeated by logic, by law, by procedure—none of it had worked. But he couldn’t argue with a mother defending her children’s heritage.
He couldn’t fight the simple truth in her words, the fierce love behind them.
“Get that woman out of here,” he told the clerks, perhaps with exhaustion and grudging respect in his voice. “Give her anything she wants on her papers. Just get her out of here.”
Maureen collected her documents—properly marked as Irish—and left.
On January 25, 1946, Maureen O’Hara became an American citizen.
The first Irish person seeking United States citizenship to be officially recognized as Irish, not British.
Her stand quietly changed American immigration law forever. After that day, Irish immigrants were no longer automatically classified as British subjects.
The policy shift rippled forward through time, affecting thousands of Irish men and women who followed.
Think about how much history hinges on someone simply refusing to accept a lie.
The bureaucracy assumed Maureen would comply. That faced with official documents and Washington’s records, she would sign whatever they put in front of her.
That citizenship mattered more than accuracy. That she would trade her heritage for convenience.
They didn’t know who they were dealing with.
This was a woman who’d stood toe-to-toe with directors, studio executives, and leading men in Hollywood’s golden age. Who’d won lawsuits against tabloid magazines.
Who refused to let even the U.S. government rewrite her identity.
The Ireland of 1946 was still years away from fully declaring itself a republic. The Republic of Ireland Act wouldn’t come into force until April 18, 1949—three years after Maureen’s courtroom victory.
But Maureen O’Hara didn’t wait for governments to sort out what she already knew in her bones.
She was Irish. Not because officials said so. Not because treaties defined it.
But because she was born in Dublin to Irish parents, raised in an Irish household, shaped by Irish culture. And no piece of paper would ever take that away.
Her defiance that day wasn’t about bureaucratic accuracy. It was about the right to name yourself. To claim your own story.
To refuse to let others define you by their convenience, their outdated records, their assumptions.
She remained fiercely proud of both citizenships for the rest of her life. She served as Grand Marshal of the New York City St. Patrick’s Day Parade in 1999.
She was honored as Woman of the Year by Irish America Magazine in 2005. In 2020, five years after her death, The Irish Times rated her the top Irish actor of all time.
But of all her achievements—the sixty films, the honorary Oscar, the star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame—she was perhaps most proud of that day in 1946.
The day she walked into an immigration court and walked out having changed the law.
She died on October 24, 2015, at age ninety-five, in her sleep at her home in Boise, Idaho. She was buried at Arlington National Cemetery beside her late husband.
Every Irish person who’s filled out immigration paperwork since 1946 and written “Irish” without having it crossed out owes her a debt.
She proved that sometimes the most important battles aren’t fought with swords or speeches.
But with two quiet words: “I’m Irish.”
And the refusal to let anyone tell you otherwise.
IDENTITY MIRROR + CONVERSATION CATALYST:
For those who’ve ever been asked to compromise on something that defines who you are, Maureen’s moment in that courtroom asks something worth thinking about.
When have you had to decide between convenience and truth, between acceptance and identity?
Stephen Moylan and the “United States of America”
submitted by Lawrence Mahoney
On July 21, 1775, as the thirteen American colonies moved steadily toward independence. Benjamin Franklin presented the Continental Congress with the proposed Articles of Confederation, in which the “name of the Confederation shall henceforth be the United Colonies of North America.”
The next summer, of course, the signers of our Declaration of Independence pledged their “Lives…Fortunes and…Sacred Honor” as “Representatives of the united [lowercase “u”] States of America.”
The Second Continental Congress made things official on September 9, 1776, adopting a resolution requiring that in all commissions and other instruments in which the term “United Colonies” had theretofore been used, “the stile shall be altered for the future to be “United States.”
Little thought was thereafter given as to the origin or first use of the name “United States of America” until the late twentieth century, when the question was raised by the late William Safire in his “On Language” column in the New York Times Magazine.
Safire’s call to action brought responses from scholars and archivists far and wide, many pointing to an early Jefferson draft of the Declaration with the header “United States of America,” a June 25, 1776, others to a letter from Elbridge Gerry to General Horatio Gates and other pre-Declaration usages. Safire reported the best of these submissions in his July 5, 1988, column, in which he concluded that historians should “keep looking.”
Among those who kept looking was a gentleman named Byron DeLear, who reported in 2012 on an anonymous, pro-independence letter to the editor of the Virginia Gazette, dated April 6, 1776, referring to the “united states of America.” DeLear, not satisfied, kept looking and in 2014 discovered what is now acknowledged to be the oldest reference to the “United States of America,” hiding in plain sight in a letter written by County Cork native Stephen Moylan on January 2, 1776, offering his services as an emissary from the United States to Spain.
Moylan was writing from Continental Army headquarters in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where he was serving as an aide to George Washington, to Colonel James Reed, another Washington aide, in Philadelphia. Moylan’s idea, as expressed in the letter, was that he should be sent to seek support from Catholic Spain, accredited with “the full and ample powers of the United States of America….”
While he was not sent to Spain, as he had suggested in his letter, Moylan was a strong proponent of American independence and served his country in various capacities during and after the war. Washington appointed Moylan, a successful merchant in Philadelphia before the war, as Commissary-General of Musters in August of 1775. Washington later took Moylan onto his staff as an aide-de-camp and then made him Quartermaster General of the Army. Moylan later raised his own cavalry regiment and commanded troops in the field until the end of the war, finishing his service as a brevet brigadier general.
Moylan is also remembered as the first President of the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick, having been elected to the position in 1771.
Stephen Moylan was an American patriot of the first order, whose contributions to the establishment of the United States have sometimes been overlooked, outside of Philadelphia and the Irish community. The fact that he may have been the first to write the words “United States of America” merely adds to his brilliant legacy.
A lengthy treatment of Moylan’s life, published by the American Catholic Research Society in 1909, aptly concludes as follows:
To those of his race and Faith the record herewith presented, mainly from official sources, is commended as an inspirative source for presenting him in spirit arousing sentiments to American citizens, little aware of the extent and import of the services of this Irish and Catholic native of Cork in old and famed Ireland, which has given to our Country so many of its illustrious men.
Old Ireland was
an Enchanted place
Ireland hasn’t always spoken English.
submitted by Lawrence Maloney
In fact, our linguistic history is very complicated.
We do not know for sure what language the earliest Irish people spoke, but we do know that the Celts brought a language which is a forerunner of the modern Irish language with them and that this may have fused somewhat with whatever language was there before.
When the Vikings arrived, they spoke Scandinavian languages for centuries, while the early Normans invaders of Ireland spoke a form of French..
Ultimately, English was the administrative language favoured by the authorities and eventually came to be the lingua franca of the Pale, the area around Dublin, but it would take far longer to spread across the country, where Irish remained the mother tongue of most.
There were other dialects spoken locally, including Yola in Wexford, but Irish was the most commonly spoken tongue across the island.
In Co. Wicklow, it is believed that native Irish was extinct as early as 1830.
Conversely, the 1911 census still recorded Irish as being very strong in many western districts, and there remained some Irish speakers in these areas who recorded that they had no grasp of English whatsoever.
The decline of the Irish language was a slow process, which rapidly accelerated in the 19th century.
In 1800, for example, there were more Irish speakers worldwide than those of Swedish, Finnish, or Dutch. The causes of this rapid decline were numerous. First, the Great Famine hit the poorer, Irish-speaking western regions hardest.
Additionally, in a country where emigration was often the expected fate for young adults, English was viewed as essential, while Irish was seen as a hindrance.
There was also widespread negative sentiment towards the language amongst many clergy in the Catholic Church and politicians like Daniel O’Connell. Furthermore, most schools did not teach Irish at all during this time.
These factors collectively reinforced the view that English was a symbol of progress and modernity, while Irish was seen as outdated. Not everyone felt this way –
Thomas Davis, a contemporary of O’Connell in Famine-era Ireland, famously stated Tír gan Teanga, Tír gan Anam: A land without a language is a land without a soul.
It would take an awakening of interest in Irish culture at the end of the nineteenth century, and the founding of Conradh na Gaeilge in 1893, to spread this viewpoint far and wide.
Irish today can be broadly divided into Ulster, Connacht and Munster dialects and remains spoken as a community language in parts of seven counties – Galway, Mayo, Donegal, Kerry, Cork, Waterford and Meath.
Meath, the only county not situated on the south-west or west coast, is perhaps the most interesting of these.
One of the main aims of the new Irish state in 1922 had been the restoration of the Irish language nationwide, a tough challenge in a country which had been largely forced to adopt English as the spoken tongue in the century before independence.
The province of Leinster, for example, had no Irish-speaking areas at all by 1925, except for a tiny portion of North Louth.
Consequently, a transfer of people from Gaeltacht areas in the west to Co. Meath in the 1930s and 40s was inaugurated.
Meath had many large estates which were to be broken up after independence, and it was decided that as many Irish speakers as practicable would be chosen, with the successful applicants being given a new land commission house, 22 acres of land, a horse, a cow, poultry, and an allowance of 30s a week for one year.
Large families were encouraged. It proved a success and has left a thriving Irish language community based around the village of Rath Chairn, hundreds of miles from the other Gaeltachtaí.
A Sip Through Time: The Story of Irish Whiskey
Pull up a chair, warm your hands around a steaming mug, and let’s take a journey to chat about Irish whiskey, Ireland’s “water of life.”
This is a friendly wander through history, folklore, and a few tips for enjoying Irish whiskey at home.
A Cozy Warming Drink
There’s a special hush that falls when turf embers glow and rain pats the window. My uncle used to call for a “wee drop for the cold,” poured gently, so it barely rippled in the glass.
That tiny warmth carried stories, of monks and copper stills, of hard times and revivals, of family toasts and songs that linger long after the last sip.
In this post, we’ll explore where Irish whiskey began, how it nearly disappeared, and why it’s thriving again. You’ll find an easy guide to styles, simple ways to serve it, and travel ideas.
What Do We Mean by “Irish Whiskey”?
Irish whiskey is a spirit distilled and matured on the island of Ireland. By law, it’s aged in wooden casks for at least three years. Most bottlings are smooth, approachable, and often triple-distilled (though not always). It’s spelled with an “e” – whiskey in Ireland and the U.S. Our friends across the water spell it as whisky without the e.
Say It Like a Local: The Irish for whiskey is uisce beatha (pronounced ISH-ka BAH-ha), meaning “water of life.”
And when it’s time to raising your glass in a toast, try Sláinte! (SLAWN-cha), meaning “to your health.”
Monks, Medicine, and Medieval Beginnings
Distillation likely travelled to Ireland with medieval monks and scholars. In quiet infirmaries and kitchens, simple copper alembics bubbled not for merriment but for remedies. The monks distilled aromatic waters and tonics known as aqua vitae.
Over time the craft stepped beyond the cloister into farmsteads and workshops, and that healing “water of life” met grain mashes and copper pots, slowly becoming the spirited drop we recognise today.
Ireland’s Signature: The Pot Still Tradition
One of Ireland’s great contributions is single pot still whiskey, made from a mash of malted and unmalted barley, and distilled in copper pot stills at a single distillery.
The use of unmalted barley brings a creamy texture and gentle spice often described as baking spice, toasted grain, and orchard fruit.
Boom Times: 18th-19th Century Golden Age
By the 1800s, Ireland was a whiskey powerhouse. Dublin’s skyline bristled with chimneys, and cooperages clattered with barrel hoops.
View of Allmans Whiskey Distillery in Bandon County Cork Ireland circa 1885
Exports flowed to ports near and far. Whiskey had moved from cottage craft to major industry, employing malters, coopers, distillers, bottlers, and hauliers.
Changes and Challenges
The 19th century also brought disruptive technology with the continuous (Coffey) still, alongside social and political upheaval.
The 20th century proved even tougher: wars, economic hardship, shifting trade routes, and U.S. Prohibition all narrowed markets.
Distilleries closed or merged. A once-mighty industry dimmed to a handful of lights.
Holding On: Mid-20th Century
Fewer producers meant fewer labels on the shelves, but the flame never went out.
Whiskey bottles in a Dublin Pub
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Craftspeople held the line, maintaining standards, passing on know-how, and keeping the pot still tradition alive in both the Republic and Northern Ireland.
The Great Comeback (Late 20th Century-Today)
Then came a quiet rebirth and, eventually, a rush of new energy. Visitor centers welcomed curious travelers.
New distilleries opened their doors. Classic names innovated with cask finishes and special releases. Quality protections and geographic indications helped safeguard identity.
Today, Irish whiskey is lively, diverse, and proudly itself.
Know Your Styles (A Friendly Guide)
Single Pot Still
- What it is: Malted + unmalted barley, copper pot stills, one distillery.
- How it tastes: Creamy body, gentle spice, orchard fruit, toasted grain.
- Try if you like: Richer texture with a classic Irish signature.
Single Malt
- What it is: 100% malted barley in pot stills at one distillery.
- How it tastes: From light and floral to malty and robust, depending on cask and cut.
- Try if you like: Clear, barley-forward character.
Single Grain
- What it is: Made at one distillery, typically using grains like maize or wheat (sometimes barley), usually in a column still.
- How it tastes: Lighter-bodied; can show vanilla, cereal, and soft fruit-great for cask finishes.
- Try if you like: Easygoing, versatile whiskeys.
Blended Irish Whiskey
- What it is: A mix of two or more styles (e.g., pot still + malt + grain).
- How it tastes: Balanced and approachable; flavor depends on the recipe.
- Try if you like: Smooth sippers and cocktail-friendly pours.
Travel and Heritage Stops (For the Wish List)
- Dublin Liberties: A cradle of whiskey heritage now buzzing with tours and tastings.
- Midleton, Co. Cork: A landmark site with expansive maturation warehouses and guided experiences.
- Bushmills, Co. Antrim: A storied name with rivers, stone, and long memories.
- Kilbeggan, Co. Westmeath: Timber, turbines, and time-polished copper.
- Bow St., Dublin: A classic address for fans of whiskey history and interactive tastings.
Tip: Book ahead in peak season, ask about cask types (bourbon, sherry, port), and check for driver-friendly tasting measures if you’re touring by car.
Folklore and Family Memories
Ireland has a way with proverbs. You may hear,
“What butter and whiskey won’t cure, there’s no cure for.”
Take it with a pinch of salt and a smile. The truth is, whiskey has always been as much about company as flavor. Over the centuries glasses have been raised for milestones, farewells, and ordinary Tuesdays made special.
Share a memory in the comments: Who taught you to make a proper Hot Whiskey? Which bottle do you bring out for guests?
Closing Blessing and Invitation
May your cupboard always hold a bottle worth sharing, and may you never run short of good company to share it with.
Here’s to heritage kept and passed along to the next generations.
If this guide helped, save it for later, share it with a friend, or pin the images. And I’d love to hear your family’s whiskey memories or favorite Irish bottles in the comments.
Slán agus beannacht,
(Goodbye and blessings)
Mairéad -Irish American Mom
News From Ireland
‘Celtic curse’ genetic disease hotspots revealed in UK and Ireland
People from the Outer Hebrides and north-west Ireland have the highest risk of developing a genetic disease that causes a dangerous build-up of iron in the body, a study published in the journal Nature Communications suggests.
The study marks the first time the genetic risk for hemochromatosis—also known as the “Celtic curse”—has been mapped across the UK and Ireland, despite a high incidence of the condition among Scottish and Irish populations.
Targeting genetic screening for the condition to priority areas could help identify at-risk individuals earlier and avoid future health complications, experts say.
Hemochromatosis symptoms can evolve over decades as high iron levels in the body cause damage to organs. Early diagnosis and treatment—such as regular blood donation to reduce iron levels—is key to prevent liver damage, liver cancer and arthritis.
The condition is caused by small changes in DNA, known as genetic variants, which can be passed down through families. The most important risk factor in the UK and Ireland is a genetic variant called C282Y.
Mapping genetic risk across regions
Scientists at the University of Edinburgh analyzed genetic data from more than 400,000 individuals in the UK BioBank and Viking Genes studies to determine the prevalence of the C282Y variant across 29 regions of the British Isles and Ireland. The study was carried out in collaboration with RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences.
They found that people with ancestry from the north-west of Ireland have the highest risk of developing hemochromatosis, with one in 54 people estimated to carry the genetic variant. This is followed by Outer Hebrideans (one in 62) and those from Northern Ireland (one in 71).
Mainland Scots—particularly in Glasgow and southwest Scotland—are also at increased risk of the condition, with one in 117 people estimated to carry the variant, corroborating the “Celtic Curse” nickname.
The high combined genetic risk across these locations suggests that focusing on genetic screening in these key areas would discover the largest number of people with the condition, researchers say.
Diagnosis patterns and missed cases
The team also examined hemochromatosis diagnoses across NHS England and identified more than 70,000 cases. A diagnosis was nearly four times as high in white Irish individuals than in white British individuals.
Among white British individuals, those from Liverpool were 11 times more likely to have a diagnosis than those from Kent. The research team suggest this could be due to historical immigration from Ireland—more than 20% of Liverpool’s population was Irish in the 1850s.
The prevalence of hemochromatosis in England largely follows the pattern of genetic risk, but some regions—Birmingham, Cumbria, Northumberland and Durham—have lower rates of diagnosis than expected. These areas of potential under-diagnosis in England could also benefit from genetic screening to reveal additional cases, experts say.
Hemochromatosis prevalence data from the NHS are not available for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, so could not be included.
Calls for targeted screening programs
Professor Jim Flett Wilson, Chair of Human Genetics at the University of Edinburgh, said, “If untreated, the iron-overload disease hemochromatosis can lead to liver cancer, arthritis and other poor outcomes. We have shown that the risk in the Hebrides and Northern Ireland is much higher than previously thought, with about one in every 60 people at risk, about half of whom will develop the disease.
“Early detection prevents most of the adverse consequences and a simple treatment—giving blood—is available. The time has come to plan for community-wide genetic screening in these high-risk areas, to identify as many people as possible whose genes mean they are at high risk of this preventable illness.”
Jonathan Jelley MBE JP, CEO of Hemochromatosis UK, said, “Although there are other forms and genotypes that can lead to iron overload, available research indicates C282Y presents as the greatest risk. This hugely important work has the potential to lead to greater targeted awareness, increased diagnosis and better treatment pathways for thousands of people affected by genetic hemochromatosis.
“As a charity, we have already begun work on targeting and prioritizing hotspot areas of the UK for support, including with our National Helpline and clinician education. Using this study, we will continue to campaign for better allocation of public resources to this preventable condition that is all too often overlooked.”
Torcuil Crichton, the Labor MP for Na h-Eileanan an Iar (the Western Isles), has hemochromatosis and supports the call for community screening for hemochromatosis genetic variants in the Western Isles.
Torcuil Crichton MP said, “This research writes the case for community-wide screening in the Western Isles, Northern Ireland, and other hemochromatosis hotspots.
“I have previously raised this with Ministers in the House of Commons and this new evidence ought to be enough to persuade the UK National Screening Committee to review its position and approve a pilot screening program. The Western Isles offer a contained and distinct population sample to start from.
“Early identification, which I was lucky to have, means a whole range of bad health outcomes can be avoided and I’ll be urging Ministers and the Screening Committee to reconsider their stance.”
Publication details
The landscape of hereditary haemochromatosis risk and diagnosis across the British Isles and Ireland, Nature Communications (2026). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-65511-7
Journal information: Nature Communications
“Nothing short of a miracle” –
Irish Mam hails son’s 4km ocean swim that saved their lives
A 13-year-old boy swam more than 4km after he and his family were swept out to sea,
with his Irish mam saying it was ‘nothing short of a miracle’ that they survived to tell the tale
Joanne Appelbee and her three children had gone kayaking and paddle-boarding off Western Australia when difficulty struck, and they were taken out to sea by the current.
The dangerous job was left to the eldest child, Austin, 13, who was tasked with swimming back to try and get help for his mum and younger siblings.
The youngster swam around 4km back to shore, and then ran a further 2km to get access to a phone, where he called for help.
Speaking on RTÉ One’s Six One on Tuesday, Monaghan native Joanne detailed how they were “dragged out very quickly”, and she came to the “hard decision” to ask her eldest to raise the alarm.
A Co Monaghan grandmother has spoken of her joy and relief after her daughter and three grandchildren survived a ten-hour ordeal in choppy waters off western Australia last week https://t.co/jpDM2klaSs
— RTÉ News (@rtenews) February 4, 2026
She said, “It was nothing short of a miracle that we made it. We had no food, no water, we were in plenty of water, but we couldn’t drink that.”
She added that they fell into the water “many times.”
The Carrickmacross native added that her children, 12-year-old Beau and eight-year-old Grace, “just kept holding on.”
Fortunately, Austin managed to get to shore and raise the alarm, with the youngster telling ABC that he tried to keep negative thoughts out of his head when he was swimming for help.
He said: “I think at one point I was thinking of ‘Thomas the Tank Engine’, trying to get the happiest things in my head… not the bad things that’ll distract me… at this time, the waves are massive, and I have no life jacket on.
“Anyway, I just keep swimming.”
Check out this short CNA boardcast on the story:
Northern Ireland first minister puts definite timeline on unity referendum
Northern Ireland’s first minister has stated what she believes the deadline for a referendum on Irish Unity should be.
Michelle O’Neill appeared on the Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips show this weekend, discussing the highly debated political topic.
O’Neill believes that it is an opportunity for the Northern Irish people to “take control of our own fortunes”.
She said that she “absolutely can” see a unity referendum in her time as first minister, adding that her ‘party’s view’ is to have it held by 2030.
“I don’t want done to the people here what was done in relation to Brexit.
“Brexit was an economic self-harm, a massive act of economic self-harm. It was done against the wishes of the people.”
She added: “We have an ability to take control of our own fortunes. I encourage all political leaders to reach for that together.”
The first minister’s comments directly contradict previous comments made by Micheál Martin, who doesn’t believe a unity referendum is in Ireland’s near future.
Back in September, the Taoiseach remarked that “there won’t be a border poll before 2030”.
Meanwhile, Northern Ireland’s deputy first minister also appeared on Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips and had a differing opinion.
Emma Little-Pengelly claimed that nationalist and republican movements in Northern Ireland have not increased their vote share since the devolution from Westminster.
She stated: “I’m a unionist, we have a Sinn Féin first minister. But I think it’s important to say that in Northern Ireland nationalism and republicanism haven’t increased their vote from 1998.
“Despite democratic change, they’re sitting on and around the same percentage that they had in 1998. I think those who want to see the breakup of the union do try to constantly get this momentum.
“I have no doubt that you will hear that again because, of course, to serve their purpose is to try to get that sense of momentum towards that. That doesn’t exist in Northern Ireland.”
* This article was originally published on Extra.ie.
After yet another day of Flatley court drama, the show goes ahead
The curtain will rise for tonight’s Lord Of The Dance show in Dublin despite another last-ditch legal attempt to derail it.
The High Court in Belfast was told yesterday that an agreement had been reached between Michael Flatley and former tour operator Switzer Consulting, under which both sides promised to ensure the show was a success.
Both sides had spent the day locked in more 11th-hour talks outside the courtroom. Switzer had said it was determined to overturn an injunction won by Mr. Flatley on Tuesday to prevent its cancellation of tonight’s 30th anniversary show at the 3Arena.
Mr. Flatley’s legal team had told the court that around 7,000 people have booked to see the show.
Switzer had then issued a press release, announcing that the show was cancelled.
Shortly before 4 pm on Wednesday, David Dunlop, Mr. Flatley’s barrister, told the court that an agreement had been reached under which Tuesday’s injunction could be discharged.
Under the terms, he said, Switzer undertook not to interfere with or obstruct the Dublin show, and not to issue any communications or press releases about it.
Switzer also agreed not to try to prevent Mr. Flatley from making use of the intellectual property rights to Lord Of The Dance.
The Northern Ireland-based company said it would make available to Mr. Flatley the new stage, set, and costumes for the show, to ensure that it could proceed successfully.
In return, Mr. Flatley undertook not to destroy, alter, delete, tamper with, or otherwise damage or lose any of the stage, set and costumes, and to hand them back by midday tomorrow.
Mr. Dunlop said both sides mutually promised to act in good faith to ensure the show was a success, and not to issue any press release for four weeks concerning the rights to Lord Of The Dance. They said that Aiken Promotions could officially announce that the show would go on.
★ ★ 𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗦 𝗧𝗛𝗨𝗥𝗦𝗗𝗔𝗬 ★ ★
Join @lordofthedance for it’s 30 Years of Standing Ovations live in @3ArenaDublin Tomorrow Night! 💫
⏰ Doors 6:30pm | 🎤 Show starts 8pm 𝙨𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙥
Please allow yourself plenty of time to get to and from the venue.
Limited tickets ~… pic.twitter.com/hDq3F0xQqt— Aiken Promotions (@aikenpromotions) February 4, 2026
In addition, Mr. Flatley agreed to indemnify Switzer for any outstanding production costs.
In a sworn statement filed at the court yesterday, Bruce MacInnes, a director of Switzer, said he had not been involved in the company’s first injunction application last month. He said it was ‘most unfortunate’ that neither side had then told the court about a deed he said had been signed in August 2025, transferring the intellectual property rights from Mr. Flatley to Switzer. He said this had been done by Mr. Flatley, in return for a €2 million loan from Mr. MacInnes to Switzer.
He said the injunction won by Mr. Flatley on Tuesday prevented Switzer from making use of these intellectual property rights, and from preventing Mr. Flatley from running the show in Dublin.
“The reality is that the defendant [Flatley] does not own, nor is he entitled to make use of, the intellectual property of the show,” he stated. “In addition, he is not a party to the staging of the show, and therefore respectfully does not require and nor is he entitled to any injunctive relief.”
Mr. MacInnes said that after Mr. Flatley had overturned Switzer’s injunction last week, the dancer had immediately vowed to “continue to interfere with” the Dublin show.
He said Switzer’s solicitor had written to Mr. Flatley’s solicitor on Monday, stating its claim over the rights to the show, and also asking the dancer not to interfere with certain ‘assets’ which Mr. MacInnes said a company he owned, Abaka (Guernsey) Ltd, had loaned to Switzer for the Dublin show.
Mr. MacInnes went on to deny that the press release issued by Switzer on Tuesday, in which it said it was calling off the Dublin show, was damaging to Mr. Flatley. “The defendant does not own the show,” he said. “Contrary, the plaintiff [Switzer] would suffer serious financial loss if the show proceeded without the undertakings and guarantees requested.”
Mr. MacInnes said he had spoken to and emailed Peter Aiken, of Aiken Productions, on Tuesday morning, in a bid to agree a proposed payment arrangement to avoid the 3Arena show having to be cancelled.
He said he did not receive a response to the email, and after talking to Mr. Aiken a second time, he emailed at 12:09 pm, terminating the contract and cancelling the show.
He said this termination of the contract and cancellation were of “no concern” to Mr. Flatley.
Mr. MacInnes accused Mr. Flatley of misleading the court in his injunction application, and not admitting the alleged transfer of the intellectual property rights, “in order to paint a picture somewhat different from reality.” His claims will be contested by Mr. Flatley at a full trial in April.
In that underlying case, Switzer is seeking damages from Mr. Flatley for an alleged breach of contract, negligence, misrepresentation, and interference with its economic interests. Mr. Flatley has countered that Switzer has failed to provide the services it is contracted to do.
*This article was originally published on Extra.ie.
Met Éireann issue fresh weather warnings as Ireland battered by rain
Met Éireann has issued a weather advisory about “spells of heavy and persistent rainfall” for all of Ireland.
Concerns for further flooding in Louth are mounting after a rain warning for the county was upgraded on Thursday morning.
The rain returned forcefully overnight on Wednesday, with many counties already feeling the effects on Thursday morning.
The heaviest rainfall is expected in eastern and southern areas, though conditions are set to deteriorate nationwide.
Dublin and Wicklow have been placed in an orange rain warning from midday on Thursday until 3 pm on Friday, while Louth also entered one from midday on Thursday for a six-hour period.
Louth had been under a status yellow warning, with the national forecaster upgrading it on Thursday morning.
Met Éireann warned: “Spells of very heavy rain falling on already saturated ground combined with high river levels and high tides will lead to localised flooding; river flooding, difficult travel conditions.”
Nine counties are currently under yellow rain warnings.
⚠️Warnings updated⬇️
❗️Spells of very heavy rain falling on already saturated ground combined with high river levels and high tide❗️
ℹ️https://t.co/lvQFgW9biq pic.twitter.com/xYatp6LyKw
— Met Éireann (@MetEireann) February 5, 2026
Carlow, Kildare, Kilkenny, Laois, Wexford, and Tipperary are under the warning from 9 am on Thursday until 9 am on Friday.
Cavan, Monaghan, and Meath entered at 12 pm with the warning being lifted 6 pm on Friday.
Met Éireann have also issued a weather advisory for the country, warning that spells of heavy and persistent rain will continue throughout the week “particularly in southern and eastern counties.”
They said: “Flooding is likely due to a combination of already saturated ground, high river levels and high tides
“Close monitoring of local weather conditions is strongly advised via www.met.ie and river gauge data WaterLevel.ie.”
Carlow Weather’s Alan O’Reilly took to X to warn: “Northeast rainfall totals a concern for risk of flooding in the Dundalk and Carlingford areas.”
Alan previously warned that while the country isn’t looking at “Storm Chandra rain levels” river flooding is unfortunately set to be a thing, particularly heading into Friday.
*This article was originally published on Extra.ie.
Here’s who is representing Ireland at the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games
Meet the athletes representing Team Ireland as the Winter Olympics 2026 get underway in Italy.
Four athletes will be representing Team Ireland at the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games.
Anabelle Zurbay, Cormac Comerford, and Ben Lynch are making their first Olympic appearance, while Thomas Maloney Westgård is becoming Ireland’s second-ever three-time Winter Olympian at this year’s games in Italy.
The four athletes representing Ireland will be competing across Alpine Skiing, Freestyle Skiing, and Cross-Country Skiing in multiple competition clusters across northern Italy.
Ireland made its Winter Olympics debut in 1992, and by the end of the 2026 Games, 36 athletes will have competed for Team Ireland across nine Winter Olympic Games. Ireland has yet to win a medal at a Winter Olympics, with its highest finish being Clifton Wrottesley, who came fourth in the Skeleton in 2002.
Team Ireland at the Opening Ceremony
During the Opening Ceremony on Friday, Maloney Westgård and Zurbay serve as the Allianz Flagbearers for Team Ireland, with Maloney Westgård carrying the flag in the Predazzo cluster, and Zurbay walking in the Cortina cluster.
Meanwhile, Lynch and Comerford will both walk in the Livigno athlete parade.
Watching Team Ireland at the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games
RTÉ has confirmed coverage of the Games, with almost 40 hours of live competition available on RTÉ Player, including all appearances by the four Irish athletes. A nightly highlights programme will also air from 10 pm to 11 pm Irish time throughout the Games.
Team Ireland: Meet the athletes
Anabelle Zurbay
17-year-old Anabelle Zurbay lives in Vail, Colorado and qualifies for Ireland through her grandmother, Co Westmeath native Rosaleen Miskella (nee McCarthy). Ireland’s only female representative this year, Anabelle will be competing in the Slalom and Giant Slalom events for Alpine Skiing.
When is Anabelle Zurbay competing?
- February 15: Giant Slalom Run 1 & 2
- February 18: Slalom Run 1 & 2
Cormac Comerford
29-year-old Cormac Comerford, a native of Dublin who currently lives in Glenageary, will be making his Olympic debut at this year’s games. He’ll be competing in the Downhill, Super-G, Slalom, and Giant Slalom events for Alpine Skiing.
When is Cormac Comerford competing?
- February 7: Downhill
- February 11: Super-G
- February 14: Giant Slalom Run 1 & 2
- February 16: Slalom Run 1 & 2
Thomas Maloney Westgård
30-year-old Thomas Maloney Westgård, a native of Norway, qualifies for Ireland through his mother Celia Maloney, who is from Dunmore, Co Galway. At this year’s games, Thomas will become only the second Irish athlete ever to compete
at three Winter Olympic Games alongside snowboarder Seamus O’Connor, something he describes as “very cool.” He’ll be competing in the 10km (Classic) + 10km (Freestyle) Skiathlon, 10km Freestyle, and 50km Classic events for Cross Country Skiing.
When is Thomas Maloney Westgård competing?
- February 8: 10km + 10km Skiathlon
- February 13: 10km Free
- February 21: 50km classic
Ben Lynch
23-year-old Ben Lynch, who was born in Rathmines in Dublin and raised in Vancouver in Canada, is making his Olympic debut this year. He’ll be competing in the Halfpipe event for Cross Country Skiing.
When is Ben Lynch competing?
- February 19: Halfpipe Qualification
- February 20: Halfpipe Final
Tuam excavation: 22 additional sets of infant human remains recovered
All of the infant remains recovered to date from an area of the Tuam site believed to be a “burial ground” were buried in coffins, the ODAIT says.
22 additional sets of infant human remains were recovered during the most recent reporting period of the ongoing forensic excavation at the site of the former Mother and Baby Institution in Tuam, Co Galway.
There have now been 33 sets of infant human remains recovered from an area of the site identified in historical documents as a “burial ground,” the Office of the Director of Authorised Intervention, Tuam (ODAIT) said in its latest update, issued on Friday.
To date, all remains recovered from this area of the site are of infants that were buried in coffins. Forensic analysis is underway, the ODAIT said.
The ODAIT further said that following radiocarbon dating, it is its opinion that the 33 sets of infant human remains recovered to date from the “burial ground” were buried during the period of operation of the Mother and Baby Institution Tuam (1925-1961).
Another seven sets of human remains recovered during an earlier reporting period in another area of the site were buried during the Workhouse era (1841 to 1918).
Identification Programme
The ODAIT said on Friday that during the most recent reporting period, eight more family reference DNA samples have been taken and delivered to Forensic Science Ireland (FSI), bringing the total to 28.
In accordance with the provisions set out in the legislation, ODAIT’s ID Programme team is engaging with a further 175 people who have contacted ODAIT to enquire about providing a DNA sample.
To date, over 65 cases are being processed for determination of eligibility, with arrangements being made to take their samples in the coming weeks.
If you are interested in providing a DNA sample, please see ODAIT.ie, email [email protected], or call +353 (0)1 539177.
Structures
The ODAIT said on Friday that in the former yard area, the entire area is now forensically resolved, apart from the well and connected drains, where work continues.
In the area identified in historical documents as a “burial ground,” hand excavation continued under the cover of the tent. The recovered evidence from this area is consistent with it being a burial ground from the time of the operation of the Mother and Baby Institution.
Within this area, ODAIT said it also uncovered a pit (over 3 metres in width; depth will be determined on excavation) which disturbed the “burial ground.” It contains modern building debris consistent with the post-institutional era. Excavation in the next reporting period will provide more information about this feature.
Material evidence
The excavation continues to recover material and objects from the four phases of the site’s history. All evidence recovered is being photographed, catalogued, and retained by ODAIT in a dignified and respectful manner consistent with international standards and best practice.
Objects recovered from the period of the institution include a glass baby feeder.
Partial replica of the subsurface multi-chambered tank
The excavation of the comingled infant remains identified during the 2016/2017 excavations in the subsurface concrete chambers on the site of a historic sewage system in the Memorial Garden presents ODAIT with a unique combination of forensic and engineering challenges.
To test varying methodologies and ensure adherence to international standards and best practice, ODAIT is constructing an above-ground replica of a section of this tank.
About the Tuam Mother and Baby Home in Co Galway
The Tuam Mother and Baby Home was an institution for unmarried mothers and their children. Run by the Bon Secours Sisters, it operated from 1925 to 1961.
In 2014, local amateur historian Catherine Corless was researching the Tuam Home’s history when she discovered records showing that 796 children had died at the Home, but burial records could not be found, sparking suspicion of a mass grave at the site.
“Significant quantities” of human remains were discovered at the site in 2016 and 2017.
In January 2021, nearly six years after the Mother and Baby Homes Commission of Investigation was launched, the Final Report of the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes was published.
Including the Tuam Home, the Commission investigated 18 homes across Ireland, ultimately finding that “a total of about 9,000 children died in the institutions under investigation – about 15% of all the children who were in the institutions.”
The report later states: “There is no single explanation for the appalling level of infant mortality in Irish mother and baby homes.”
The report says that “a particular catalyst” for the formation of the investigative Commission “was the discovery by Catherine Corless of the possible burial arrangements for children who died in the Tuam Children’s Home.”
Following the publication of the report, the Irish Government offered a formal apology to victims, survivors, and their relatives.
In November 2021, the Irish Government published its Action Plan for Survivors and Former Residents of Mother and Baby and County Home Institutions. Part of the plan was a commitment to “advance burials legislation to support the excavation, exhumation and, where possible, identification of remains, and their dignified reburial.”
In July 2022, the Institutional Burials Act became law, allowing exhumations to take place at former Mother and Baby Homes across Ireland. The Irish Government established ODAIT as part of the Act that October, and in May 2023, Daniel MacSweeney was tasked with overseeing the excavations of children’s remains at the site at Tuam.
Pre-excavation works began at the Tuam site in June 2025, and the excavation commenced on July 14.
The excavations, which are expected to take 24 months to complete, continue. The next technical update will be issued in April.
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Tír na mBláth is one of hundreds of branches throughout the world of Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann (CCÉ) pronounced “kol-tus kyol-tori air-in“, the largest group involved in the preservation of Irish music, dance and song.
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