The Gathering 2013 Magazine

A GUIDE TO WHAT’S ON THE GARDEN PATH Discover Ireland’s hidden gems DOWNTIME IN DINGLE A gathering for every season TALL TALES A towering tour of Irish castles

Visit the Left Hand Festival for fun at your fingertips The literal translation of Mullingar from Gaelic is the town of the left hand mill. The Left Hand Festival is celebrating this unique Mullingar literal aspect by highlighting what it is like for left hand people in a right hand world. The Latin for left is sinistra where the word sinister comes from, as opposed to dexter and dextrous for the right. As a result of this International Left Handers Day is on August 13 each year and with the Gathering Ireland 2013 it is the perfect time for left handed people, of which there are 700 million in the world, to rise.

Historically discriminated against and forced to comply to a right hand world, Mullingar will offer left handed hotel bedrooms, sporting competitions including the Irish Left Handed Golf competition, music events, famous lefties, and look to crown a left handed champion of Ireland after a series of trials and tasks.

Mullingar can become the left hand capital of the world, where right hand people can also come to turn their life or fortunes around by completing a left hand task at the Mill Wheel in Mullingar.

The Left Hand Festival organisers hope nothing goes right over the five days and have arranged for our left handed visitors special permission to drive on the left hand side of the road for the five days!

The Left Hand Festival takes places in Belvedere House Gardens and Park, Mullingar, Co. Westmeath from August 9 – 13.

Discover your hair-itage at the Irish Redhead Convention We’re calling our Celtic cousins across the world to join us for this festival of whacky ginger loving madness for all the family, in aid of the Irish Cancer Society. This beautiful seaside village of Crosshaven in Co. Cork will transform into a sea of red on Saturday, August 24.

There will be lots of opportunities for you to discover your natural hair-itage at Ireland’s only and original ‘Foxy Fest’! There are lots of activities including freckle counting competitions, a redhead parade, ginger chef cook-off, redhead photo shoots, fire eating, certificates for all genuine gingers and discounts throughout Crosshaven village for natural redheads. Redheads are in the minority and make up only two per cent of the world’s population. If you are not already blessed with naturally fiery locks, we still invite you to attend with red hair dying facilities and competitions for the ‘Best Wannabe Redhead’.

The Irish Redhead Convention takes places in Crosshaven, Co. Cork from August 23 – 25.

Be the star of Dublin’s St Patrick’s Day parade The Irish Post has 3 pairs of tickets to give away to walk in this year’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Dublin on Sunday, March 17 along with 2 night’s B&B at The Royal Marine Hotel, Dun Laoghaire.

To be in with a chance of winning and taking part in this annual festival, simply answer the following question: What did St. Patrick drive out of Ireland?

Email your answer, along with your full name and contact details, to competitions@irishpost.co.uk with ‘St. Patrick’s Day parade’ in the subject line.

Or write to St. Patrick’s Day parade competition, The Irish Post, C/O Loot, Suite A, 1 Lindsey Street, Smithfield, London, EC1A 9HP. Closing date for entries is Friday, February 22, 2013. *Terms and conditions apply. Winners will also have to organise their own transport.

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For a full list of Gathering 2013 events go to

www.thegatheringireland.com

Contents EXPERIENCE IRELAND Join in the fun as Ireland hosts its biggest party yet, with over 70million people claiming Irish ancestry invited home for The Gathering 2013 ________ page 4 MUCH ADO ABOUT MUNSTER Discover the music and magic of Munster ______________________ page 6 NORTHERN DELIGHTS Spotlight on Derry as 2013’s UK City of Culture __________________ page 8 LEINSTER LURE Ideas to ensure a capital adventure _________________________ page 10 QUEEN MAEDBH COUNTRY Enjoy the culture and spirituality on offer in Connacht ____________ page 12 ANCIENT IRELAND A whistle-stop tour of Ireland’s castles ________________________ page 14 HIDDEN DEPTHS Take the road less travelled and see a world of secret gardens in the Irish countryside____________________________________________ page 18 CHASING YOUR TALE Stories of family trees and Irish roots that are sure to inspire _______ page 21 HISTORY AND HERITAGE Ireland — the land of saints and scholars ______________________ page 24 TEAM PLAYERS From rugby to racing there’s plenty on offer for sports fans _______ page 26 IN PRAISE OF A PENINSULA Author Felicity Hayes-McCoy on supporting The Gathering _________ page 28

Message from Michael Ring TD I am delighted to contribute to this special supplement to mark The Gathering Ireland 2013. I know The Irish Post has played a crucial role in keeping Irish communities in Britain in touch with each other and Ireland and I am delighted to see it support The Gathering. This is a very special year for Irish tourism. We are inviting anyone with a connection to Ireland to come and visit in 2013. Last year, as part of our efforts to publicise the event, I had the pleasure of visiting cities throughout Britain including Manchester, Birmingham, London and Glasgow.

While not surprised at the enduring affection for Ireland, I was delighted with the positive response. I understand that the overall number of Gathering related events this year is nearing 3,000. In my home county of Mayo alone, there are over a hundred and counting. The Gathering is all about families, neighbours, sports clubs and societies organising special events to highlight what’s unique about their community. So if you have been planning a holiday in Ireland now is the time to book it – trust me you will enjoy every minute of it!

Michael Ring TD Minister of State for Tourism and Sport Printed by Warners Midlands plc, The Maltings, Manor Lane, Bourne, Lincolnshire PE10 9PH Published by The Irish Post, Suite A, 1 Lindsey Street, Smithfield, London EC1A 9HP Publisher: Niamh Kelly Editor: Siobhán Breatnach Advertising: John McKay, Katie Brown and Sarah Murphy

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EXPERIENCE the beaut T

HE glittering islands of Clew Bay. Skellig Michael rising starkly out of the sea. The Giant’s Causeway with its intricate, and frankly bewildering, stone patterns. Misty bogs and bright meadows, moody hills and shimmering loughs — there’s plenty of Old Ireland still left, if you care to look for it.

To celebrate the old and the new Ireland, the country is having a gigantic knees-up this year — and you’re invited along.

The Gathering 2013, a year-long, nationwide celebration of everything that’s Irish, will feature concerts, festivals and fleadhs, not to mention hundreds of local festivities, parades and carnivals.

Over 70million people worldwide claim Irish ancestry, and the Gathering is a means of

STUNNING SCENERY: Killarney lakes in Co. Kerry

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reaching out to those who have moved away — such as our community in Britain — and inviting them home.

Of course Ireland has been hosting parties for thousands of years. Halloween was invented here, a few thousand years back, and Derry still holds the biggest Halloween Party on the planet. As a nod in that direction, Derry is this year’s UK City of Culture.

Meanwhile the world’s oldest Halloween bonfires are still celebrated on Ireland’s ancient royal sites in Co. Meath, while the ushering in of spring with bonfires will be celebrated in Westmeath in grand style this year — as it has been for the last 5,000 years.

The music is still there too: fiddles, pipes, bodhráns, flutes, accordions, and songs about pale moons, purple heather and the odd battle — whose precise origins have been longforgotten. The ancient harp music of Ireland is naturally featured — in August the O’Carolan Harp Festival in Keadue, Co. Roscommon will get underway on the first day of the month,

while at the other end of the musical scale the Ukulele Hooley by the Sea will take place in Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin. This humble instrument from Hawaii has had an upsurge in popularity over the last few years. If you’ve been immune to its charms until now, maybe hearing it in ensemble set against the backdrop of Dublin Bay will convert you to its star quality.

A huge range of music is available throughout the year — there’s bluegrass in Bruff, a Barbershop Singers convention in Wexford, jazz in Cork, an international sea shanty gathering in Waterford and traditional music concerts and sessions everywhere from Malin Head to Mallow.

The dramatic scenery of the Rock of Cashel in Tipperary, or the Cliffs of Moher is enough to waken the muse in anyone; you might even end up at the Willie Clancy School for a sean nós workshop or penny whistle lesson in Co. Clare. The county’s westerly coast is basically where Europe comes to an abrupt, spectacular full stop, and geology takes on a dizzying dimension. You could (and almost certainly will) take home cherished memories of this;

uty and drama of Ireland but you could also take home something tangible, like the ability to play a jig or a reel.

Throughout the year various lectures, meetings and tours will take place everywhere from Titanic Belfast to Literary Dublin, providing inspiration and contemplation in equal measure.

As well as culture, plenty of craic will be on tap — the Guinness Storehouse in Dublin or Bushmills Distillery in Antrim are just the job, as are Ireland’s several thousand other cosy pubs.

On a local scale, communities throughout Ireland will showcase and share the very best of Irish culture, tradition, business, sport, fighting spirit and entertainment. In February Sligo will hold its Traditional Music Experience, while in Cavan the Castleblayney Drama Festival will get underway. March, of course, this year means both St Patrick’s Day and Easter — so expect spiritual as well as cultural food for thought.

Film will also be celebrated throughout the year, with the Quiet Man Gathering in Mayo in April, and various other silver screen festivals throughout the country such as the Fingal

Film Festival. April also sees the Clifden Traditional Music Festival, the Longford Dance Festival and the Loop Head Walking Festival.

With May comes the All-Ireland GAA championships, as well as the Drogheda Fringe Festival and the more restful Retreat to Ireland festival on Sheep’s Head Peninsula, Moulnaskea, Ahakista, Co. Cork. The seven-day retreat features yoga in the mornings, naturebased activities in the afternoon, and music and dancing at the pubs at night.

Food will feature prominently as well, with the big oyster festivals in Galway and Carlingford in September, while both Dingle and the island of Inishbofin will be holding their own culinary festivals.

Throughout the year, there really is something for everyone. Family gatherings in every county, opera in Wexford, technology and science in Dublin, writing in Listowel — and music and dance everywhere. It looks like being one heck of a party. See you there!

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PARTY in the

Provinces E

VERY conceivable type of festival, family gathering and party will be taking place throughout the year.

Sporting occasions, musical get-togethers, international concerts — even the Turner Prize is coming to Derry.

March looks like being a particularly busy month, with St Patrick’s Day and Easter falling within two weeks of each other.

Almost every town in Ireland will have its own St Patrick’s Day celebration; many have an Easter Parade — we’ve included some of them over the next few pages.

Sport is well represented, as is traditional music, film and drama. The big festivals throughout the year will still be going full throttle, but with added significance this year with The Gathering Dimension. The Rose of Tralee, Puck Fair, the Old Lammas Fair, Mary from Dungloe Festival, the West Belfast Feile, the Wexford Opera Festival and Dublin Film Festival will be putting on a special show this year.

Each province has its own niche — with every city, town and townland putting its party clothes on.

Much ado about Munster Music in Munster will range from traditional sessions in Co. Clare to sea shanty festivals in Waterford, plus all stops — both geographic and musical — in between. There’s the Doolin traditional music weekend in memory of the great Micho Russell in February, Seachtain na Gaeilge Festival in Kinsale March, the Kenmare Music Festival in April, The Boghill Centre’s Traditional Irish Music Gathering in Clare in July, the Bruff Bluegrass Festival in Limerick in October, the Barbershop Singing Convention in Waterford also in October, and many, many more ballad sessions, traditional get-togethers, concerts and workshops.

But the province will also feature exhibitions of travel photographs (an intriguing display in Cork), the Nenagh Silent Film Festival, the Dingle Walking festival — and a fascinating Gathering of Lacemakers in Youghal.

This will present everything you’ve always wanted to know about Youghal, Carrickmacross, Limerick and Bandon lace as well as Irish crochet.

KERRY’S PUCK FAIR, Ireland’s oldest festival, is this year celebrating its 400th year. It is completely unique as the only festival in the world which takes a wild goat from the local mountain DUNMORE range and makes him king of the EAST’S BLUEGRASS town. Highlights include open air FESTIVAL in Co. Waterford runs night time concerts, traditional from August 22 - 25 bringing groups, markets and céilís in together an enviable line up of artists Killorglin town centre from for Ireland’s largest free bluegrass music August 9-12. festival. The famous hostelries in the village will play host to dozens of great gigs OVER throughout the weekend with local, 220 SPECTACULAR national and international bands EVENTS are planned to take playing a variety of traditional and place across Cork city and contemporary bluegrass county this year. A highlight in the music.

12-month calendar of activities is Rebel Week from October 14-20.

From See www.corkrebelweek2013.com September 12 -15 CORK’S ALLIHIES VILLAGE is welcoming the copper-mining Diaspora home to trace their ancestral roots. During the 1800’s, Allihies was a The flourishing community due the abundance ROSE OF TRALEE FESTIVAL of copper in the area, but when the mines is inviting anyone who has became exhausted many workers ever attended – Roses, emigrated, particularly to Butte Rose Escorts, volunteers, Montana, a US city also known entertainers and holiday-makers today as Shamrock City.

- to visit the event again this year.

The Rose of Tralee International Festival has been an annual gathering in Kerry since 1959 and this year’s Festival will be extended by three days running from August 14 to Tuesday 20.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Action at the world famous Cork Jazz Festival.

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www.cityofculture2013.com THE LONDON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA brings to Derry the world premiere of Mark-Anthony Turnage’s At Sixes and Sevens. This Spotlight major commission will be performed on Derry, simultaneously by the LSO and Camerata this year’s UK Ireland in the two Guildhalls of London and City of Derry on July 3. The LSO will also present a programme of film music by John Culture Williams, including his scores for Star Jointly Wars and Schindler’s List, at the commissioned by former Ebrington Barracks the Barbican in London on March 18. and Derry 2013, BOY BLUE, the Olivier Award-winning dance company will premiere a new production in October taking inspiration from the world of Manga and martial arts.

Northern delights Ulster this year is celebrating both The Gathering, and the fact that Derry is the UK City of Culture. In honour of that achievement, the Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann 2013 will be held in Derry. Elsewhere in Ulster, Donegal is hosting several walking festivals and it’s no better county to go rambling in. Monaghan will be holding angling competitions and fishing lessons, food festivals and poetry-reading, while Clones is

the place to head for to find out about your Ulster roots. Belfast, needless to say, will be hosting music festivals as well as Ulster Ancestry Tours.

Antrim, home to some of the tallest tales in Ireland, will be hosting the Ghosts in the Glens Storytelling Festival in October, while the Fiddler’s Green Festival in Rostrevor, Co. Down in July is featuring both local and international artists.

AMAZING ANTRIM: Conquer your fears and cross the Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge.

Déan stair linne! ~ Make history with us!

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LET US HELP YOU GATHER. With up to 6 flights a day to Dublin from London City Airport, CityJet is the easiest route to The Gathering 2013. From £59 one way.

Book at cityjet.com ONE WAY FARE INCLUDES ALL TAXES, IN-FLIGHT SNACKS AND 12kg HAND LUGGAGE. Check-in luggage not included, but purchase is optional in advance of departure via check-in or at the airport. Correct as of 25 January.

Non-refundable, non-changeable. Bookings a minimum of 30 days pre-departure date are advised. Subject to availability.

The lure of LEINSTER WEXFORD L CALLING

EINSTER of course will feature everything from the prestigious Jameson Dublin International Film Festival to the Saint Laurence O’ Toole Pipe Band Gathering. Dublin also hosts the Royal Dublin Horse Show, and sporting events at the other end of the spectrum such as the GAA finals.

Dundalk in Co. Louth has been concentrating on genealogy and heritage for the Gathering, and Louth County Museum, Jocelyn Street, Dundalk will be presenting its Gathering History Project on March 13. The province will also feature events as diverse as sheep dog trials in Co. Dublin, storytelling in Wicklow, swimming in Glendalough lake, and blues music in the Blackstairs Mountains in Co. Carlow.

Both Carlow and Wicklow will be hosting floral festivals throughout the year in their many exquisite gardens.

THE FOX’S DEN

If you’re in search of a Gathering hooly then Johnnie Fox’s seated on top of the Dublin Mountains in Glencullen, is the place to go. Famed as the highest pub in Ireland, it was established in 1798 making it one of the oldest in Ireland.

Johnnie Fox’s offers some of the best traditional live entertainment all year round with advance booking recommended for its The Gathering initiative famous Hooley dinner and show. The awardprompted Co. Kildare’s winning menu is superb, with dishes ranging Irish National Stud to call from seafood to mountain steaks. You can all its graduates back for a also relax in the sun-catching Haggert reunion lunch this year on courtyard on those rare sunny days. the last weekend in June, Dublin city centre is just 20 minutes’ coinciding with the running of away and the picturesque Wicklow the Irish Derby. The response to town of Enniskerry is only a date has been five minute drive - all in all phenomenal making for the perfect and the place to gather. goodwill towards Ireland remains undimmed.

Arthur Mitchell from the Hunter valley in New South Wales attended the Irish National Stud management course in 1974.

When he heard about the planned reunion of past students he said “I’ll be there”. Brett Jones from Kentucky was a student at the INS in Tully, Co. Kildare in 2005. He was told about the reunion at a horse sale last November and immediately said: “I was just looking for an excuse.” The stud management course was instigated in 1970 as a residential, practical, hands-on course where students could learn the business of thoroughbred breeding.

About 1,000 students from 32 countries have attended the course over the years, creating a vast network of industry professionals worldwide, with fond memories of their days at the Curragh’s edge among the best of the Irish horses.

■ See www.irishnationalstud.ie for more details.

National Stud Reunion

Main picture: The Spire, Dublin’s latest addition to its skyline.

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Hook Lighthouse Wexford is inviting you to join in its celebrations for the Gathering Ireland 2013. Boasting 137 miles of coastline featuring golden sandy beaches, rocky headlands, cliffs, more beaches and nature preserves the county is dotted with historic towns and is rich in heritage and culture. This year 78 Gathering events will take place in Wexford. Just a couple of highlights include the John Barry Maritime Festival — a celebrating of everything to do with the ocean, learn to sail, enjoy some maritime heritage and learn about Wexford man Commodore John Barry ‘The Father of the American Navy’ all on June 20. From June 22 to July 3 in the town of New Ross the memory of President John F. Kennedy will be honoured during a series of events for the JFK50 — 50 years on from the visit of the President to his ancestral homestead in the town. The world’s oldest President operational lighthouse, Hook Lighthouse, will Kennedy host a Gathering of Lighthouse Keepers on September 13. And the International Wexford Festival Opera will take place this year for the 62nd year from October 23 to November 3. For everything you need to know about holidaying in Co. Wexford see www.visitwexford.ie

Left: 2013 marks the 62nd anniversary of the International Wexford Festival Opera.

a sporting & social highlight since 1823

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THE GATHERING DUBLIN WILL SEE

INTERNATIONAL

PUNCHESTOWN FESTIVAL 2013 Gathering Event Tuesday 23rd April Visit www.punchestown.com/gathering Punchestown Racecourse Naas, Co. Kildare, Ireland T 00 353 45 897704 E festival@punchestown.com

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Culture, history and the call of

Queen Maedbh C

ONNACHT is very big on traditional music as one might expect, but there’s also the Roscommon Arts Festival, the Choctaw Nation Famine Walk (the Choctaw Nation sent money to Connacht during the Famine), and Carrick-onShannon’s 400th anniversary celebrations. Co. Mayo’s Cill tSeadhna in Bangor Erris promises to be an imaginative gathering of storytellers, musicians and dancers, while Co. Sligo’s Maugherow’s Call will be the place to see some Sligo style fiddling. Leitrim Roots Festival in September will feature céilís, sessions and GAA sports.

Sligo Live at the end of October will present more than 100 performances from folk, roots and indie musicians.

The Dan O’Hara Fáilte Abhaile in Clifden in April will feature genealogy and heritage, while the Creative Writer’s Workshop Travel will take place in Galway in September. Connacht will also feature many ways to take some exercise in beautiful surroundings. At the beginning of September the Boyle Curlew Walkers Hill Walking Festival will feature a seven day hill walking event.

The walks follow the Miners Way and the Historical Trail, across the scenic rolling hills of north Roscommon, Leitrim and eastern Sligo.

If you’re look for guidance of a more spiritual nature, in late November Rathcroghan Visitor Centre will be holding its third Spiritual Capital of Connacht Conference Weekend in Tulsk — home of Queen Maedbh.

Expect history, mythology, culture and spirituality.

Clan gatherings Throughout 2013 the people of Co. Mayo look forward to welcoming friends and family from all over the world to its clan gatherings, festivals, special sporting events, music events and concerts. All Mayo Gathering events will be listed and highlighted on the www.mayo.ie website, from school and family reunions to the reenactment of the Year of the French. Mayo.ie’s social media streams will give you a chance to comment on events throughout the county and let people know what you are planning in your area.

Close to 300 Gatherings will take place in Mayo this year, some of which include novel ideas like The Quiet Man Gathering, Love in Loom Foxford Wollen Mills and the Mayo International Choral Festival Gathering.

The Mayo.ie genealogy section will also give Gathering visitors a chance to dig a little deeper in their search for their Mayo roots and maybe even make contact with some long lost relatives.

DAZZLING: The Galway Arts Festival.

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Mayo North Welcome Home Festival This nine-day festival takes place from August 1-9 in Ballina and its surrounding towns and villages.

Mayo North Welcome Home Festival will include tours, visits to heritage sites, organised walks, boat trips on the beautiful Moy estuary and an open week in Ballina Golf Club. Salmon fishing will be available at reduced rates on the renowned River Moy with free fly fishing tuition provided.

A range of night time entertainment is planned including concerts and drama in Ballina’s beautiful new Arts Centre, as well as traditional music sessions in the Fr. Peyton Centre in Atymass.

The newly opened Jackie Clarke Collection in Ballina will also be a major free attraction.

The Bonniconlon Agricultural Show takes place on August 5. The festival will conclude with a Gala Dinner in Downhill House Hotel, Ballina, on August 9 with former President of Ireland Mary Robinson as guest of honour. Organisers are working closely with the Irish community in Manchester and also drawing on twin town arrangements in place with Leeds, Pittsfield, Massachusetts, and Scranton, Pennsylvania.

■ Visit www.northmayo.ie for details.

ANCIENT

Ireland Take a tour of the castles that give the Irish landscape its unique appearance

Dunguaire Castle in Galway Bay.

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F

ROM the Rock of Cashel with its towers and turrets, to the magnificence of Blarney Castle in Co. Cork, Ireland’s castles, great houses and gardens are a constant source of delight.

Sometimes it seems as if every field in Ireland has its castle ruins — some restored to their former glory, some festooned with ivy, totally merging with the landscape. Some bestow great powers on their visitors — kiss the Blarney Stone and you’ll be granted the much-prized gift in Ireland of eloquence — while others will offer you the most luxurious of accommodation.

You can even hire castles — complete with ghosts — for you own exclusive use, and many of them are being put to good use this year for family reunions, clan gatherings and Diaspora get-togethers.

In Irish history, castles eventually gave way to more genteel living quarters. Tower houses came first — these were well protected pieces of real estate, designed to keep out unwelcome guests, of which you may be sure there were many.

The tower houses eventually morphed into ‘Big Houses’, models of fine architecture without, gracious living within. These demesnes were soon developed to included groomed parkland and magnificent gardens.

Wherever you go in Ireland these constant reminders of a chequered past will cast their spell on you.

King John’s Castle in Carlingford, the most northerly outpost of the Pale, is almost sand castle perfect. Nestling below the Cooleys and overlooking Carlingford Lough, Norman soldiers would have kept a careful look out for marauding Celtic hordes. Built in the 13th century, much of the castle remains intact.

Carlingford boasts two castles, a 17th century mint, and the ruins of a Dominican Friary — which isn’t bad going for a village with only a few hundred souls. Two people meeting on a pavement with their shopping bags can cause a traffic jam here.

It’s not clear if King John ever made it to Carlingford; however it’s a fair bet he visited Dungarvan in Co. Waterford, where another castle named after him stands hard by the harbour. Part of the castle, built in 1185, still survives despite attacks by many and varied foes. It’s said that Oliver Cromwell himself spared the castle after the Lord Protector saw a woman drink his health at the town gate. We should give thanks to this woman for helping in this area of preservation.

On Ireland’s north coast stands a castle which many believe to have one of the most dramatic settings anywhere. Dunluce Castle is perched on a limestone crag on the Antrim coast - on the site of a fortification dating back to preChristian times.

❛ Guarding the Gap of Ulster near Kilnasaggart is the well-preserved, and threatening hulk of Moyry Castle ... the sort of place that makes Castle Dracula look user-friendly. ❜ However it was the Normans who transformed it into the definitive castle, most of which remains to this day.

Although Dunluce Castle may have the film star good looks (and it has starred on the silver screen location on several occasions) the castle

BLARNEY CASTLE

ROMANCING THE STONE: Pucker up for a bit of Blarney.

where the real power lay was a few miles to the south east, in Carrickfergus.

The North of Ireland’s oldest town, it has been bombarded, raided and burned and many times during its tumultuous 900 year history. The castle sits on the harbour front, controlling the seashore. Once the centre of Anglo-Norman power in Ulster, Carrickfergus is a remarkably complete and well-preserved early medieval castle that has survived intact despite 750 years of continuous military occupation. It was seized in 1689 for King William of Orange who stepped ashore here in 1690. At the time Carrickfergus was the only part of the North of Ireland where English was spoken.

The Castle was built as a muscular fortress — not just to ward off tiresome insurgents and bandits, but also to make the point that there was the new power in the land. It is today open to the public as a museum.

For 800 years the lonely valley between Fathom Hill and the Mountains of Mourne at the southern extremity of Northern Ireland has

AND

GARDENS

Renowned for bestowing the gift of eloquence

Open all year round – 5 miles from Cork – Open Monday- Sunday 9-5 www.blarneycastle.ie info@blarneycastle.ie 15

seen conflict. To look at this place now, and it’s almost Zen-like tranquillity, it’s hard to fully take in the mayhem and violence wreaked here for centuries.

It’s all beautifully peaceful now, but Narrow Water Castle, built in 1560, still silently guards the entrance to this narrow, watery defile. Just across the water stands a fortification originally built in the 13th century. Prior to that, the site had been a bridgehead for the Danes since 790AD. That’s a long history for one small valley! But as even the Danes might have said, location, location, location.

Meanwhile, guarding the Gap of Ulster near Kilnasaggart in Co. Armagh is the well-preserved, and threatening hulk of Moyry Castle.

This is the sort of place that makes Castle Dracula look user-friendly.

Built in 1600, this no nonsense fort

was put up in something of a hurry. Few signs of comfort are in evidence, not even a set of stone steps to service the three storeys — access was by ladder and ropes. It was built to last — and it has.

Standing on a rocky outcrop on the eastern slopes of Slievenabolea, this squat, defiant castle sports a number of musket embrasures — windows for poking your gun out — and a ‘machiolation’, or murder hole from which uninvited guests (of which there were many) would be treated to boiling pitch or similarly unwelcome refreshment.

This 25 carat slice of history is surrounded by bucolic meadows and hawthorn hedges, it’s hard to imagine that just over 400 years ago the deafening roar of cannon and musket rent the air.

Nearby is the Kilnasaggart Inscribed Stone, just outside Jonesborough, the oldest Christian field monuments in Ireland one of the oldest Christian monuments in Europe, built in the early 700s.

Kilkenny Castle is up there with Edinburgh Castle, the Tower of London or Mad Ludwig’s Castle in Bavaria — it’s one of the great castles of the world. A 12th century fortification remodelled in Victorian times, you can tour the inside of the old grey building, walk in the gardens, or visit the art gallery.

The 50 acres of estate round the castle are festooned with yew trees, rose garden, fountain, arboretum and children’s playground.

Cork city is one of the few places in the world where two figures of speech appear on the sign posts. ‘Limerick, Blarney’ they declare,

The Rock of Cashel in Tipperary features a 15th century castle.

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PICTURE THIS: Visitors will be flocking to soak up Ireland’s heritage.

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and if you’re feeling more talkative than poetic, take the left hand turn.

At Blarney Castle you’ll be given the opportunity to increase your eloquence by kissing the Blarney Stone. It’s a long story — almost by definition — as to how the stone gained its remarkable powers. Just be warned, to kiss the Blarney Stone be prepared to climb up some 85 feet of stone steps.

At Bunratty Castle you’ll be able to experience a rip-roaring banquet with music, wine and feasting — plus legends, ghosts and tall tales, hidden behind the time-darkened walls. The venue will be holding Gathering celebrations throughout the year. Like every castle in this dramatic landscape, Bunratty stands as a constant reminder to Ireland’s past, which has seldom been less than exciting. You can imagine much dramatic door opening by Gaelic and Norman lords alike in days gone by.

An increasing number of Irish castles are being refurbished, and there is a fine choice of fortresses offering either ‘medieval’ banquets to more luxurious battlements complete with four-poster beds and dungeon bars.

Ashford Castle in Cong, Co. Mayo is one of the country’s most majestic castles with dramatic views over Lough Corrib. Originally built over 700 years ago, much of what is now occupied dates back to Victorian time.

As the author Frank O’Connor once said: “It would take more than one lifetime to discover the reason for all the ruins in Ireland,” but it can certainly make for a diverting holiday trying at least to scratch the surface. Legends, ghosts, history, tall tales — and now luxury living — are all hidden in the grey stones which make up this integral part of Ireland’s landscape.

Join our family gathering...

Dublin

Leeds Manchester

Cork

...LANDMARK LOCATIONS

London

www.bewleyshotels.com/gathering www.moranhotels.com/gathering 17

Hidden depths The Gathering has many gardening treats in store for the discerning visitor

The lily pond at Powerscourt House and Gardens in Co. Wicklow.

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A

LONGSIDE Ireland’s iconic scenery — the Giant’s Causeway, the Cliffs of Moher, the ancient rocks of Brú na Bóinne — there lies an alternative Ireland. This road less travelled boasts hidden byways, tranquil boreens and secret gardens. Or rather it doesn’t ‘boast’ at all — it keeps positively quiet about them. They make up a hidden Ireland, gentle, tranquil, and a world apart.

You don’t even have to go to formal gardens to find a kaleidoscope of colours which even Fabergé might find a tad gaudy. The hedgerows bleed with fuchsia, while hawthorn, blackthorn, meadowsweet, cow parsley, wild mustard — and that wandering gypsy of a flower the orange, montbretia — decorate every boreen, alongside another 1,001 species of wild flower.

At the other end of the scale, in Coleraine, the Northern Ireland National Collection of Daffodils is held at the Guy L. Wilson Daffodil Garden at the University of Ulster. The garden reputedly has the world’s largest collection of daffodils with over 1,800 varieties. This is close to where the first humans arrived in Ireland, around 9,000BC at Mount Sandel, although it’s safe to assume daffodils were far from their thoughts.

Ireland’s benign climate has made it a paradise for shrubs. In Co. Clare, the Burren — a harsh, strange, hauntingly beautiful region — occupies most of the top north western corner of the county. The Burren seems to wear its stony skeleton on the outside, as if somebody has turned the landscape inside out. Spectral limestone pavements loom out of the turf. And everywhere the rocks are polka-dotted with an incredible mix of tropical and sub-Arctic flowers.

Few places in the world have such an extraordinary mix.

Further south, Kerry and south west Cork are together the only part of these islands where the wild strawberry tree, the arbutus, grows.

Meanwhile, up north, Florence Court, Castlewellan and Tollymore have all been responsible for introducing species which have spread round the world — the Irish yew, the Castlewellan Gold, and the dwarf spruce.

The Gathering 2013 will, quite literally, lead you up the garden path. Horticultural Hibernia at its best will be on show. Bloom, in the Phoenix Park, Dublin, will be the biggest botanical event, showcasing the latest in gardening trends. This

❛ Every year at Bloom, Irish garden designers demonstrate that Ireland is awash – not just with an embarrassment of natural beauty – but also with creative flair and talent. ❜ extravaganza in May is also a terrific culinary and family day out. Every year at Bloom, Irish garden designers demonstrate that Ireland is awash — not just with an embarrassment of natural beauty — but also with creative flair and talent. And not a garden gnome salesman in sight!

This gathering of sodding lovers attracts more than 90,000 visitors every year. Extravagant garden displays, live entertainment and hundreds of horticultural products will be on show, along with free gardening advice from the experts, workshops and craft demonstrations. If you want to know how to get your dibber into the mulch — they’ll show you.

But you don’t need to attend formal events to

see Ireland at its blooming best. All of the country’s great gardens will be putting their best show on this year for The Gathering.

Muckross House in Co. Kerry was once visited

by Queen Victoria. She was greatly taken by the area — and it would be hard to fault her taste.

For here is one of the truly great houses of Europe, set in the magnificent setting of Killarney National Park. The house, gardens and traditional farms are all open to the public.

At the other end of the island, Mount Stewart House, standing on the western shores of Strangford Lough, boasts a subtle beauty. These beguiling gardens are generally acknowledged as one of the great horticultural collections of Europe. Seventy-eight acres comprising formal areas, terracing, pergolas, pavilions, woodland and a water garden encircle a large lake. This sheltered habitat has the serendipity to enjoy a sub-tropical local micro-climate. If you planted a walking stick here it would grow. This is the least-visited of the National Trust’s many houses, solely, we must assume, because of its remote location.

In the middle of the country, Kilruddery House has been the home of the Earls of Meath for 350 years — somewhat confusingly, it’s in Co. Wicklow. Situated in a postcard-grade valley between Bray Head and the Little Sugar Loaf, the gardens have changed little in 300 years, and the sense of history is palpable. Small wonder that painters, writers and poets have all been moved to express their admiration of this lovely place.

Wicklow is also home to Powerscourt Gardens, at the foot of the Great Sugar Loaf Mountain.

This has one of the greatest collections of ornamental trees and flowers in Europe. Giant sequoias, dwarf copper chestnuts and a

Living Legends at the Irish National Stud See some legendary horses and enjoy a world famous location where Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II came to visit.

Open 12th February to November, 7 Days a week 9.30am - 5pm • Guided tours of the Stud • Miniature horses • St. Fiachra’s Garden is a natural habitat

• • • • • •

World Famous Japanese Gardens Horse Museum • Children’s playground Picnic area Free Car/Coach Park Gift shop & restaurant One admission charge covers Stud & gardens

Trace your Ancestors at the Irish National Stud.

In June 2013 a Student Reunion will be held at The Irish National Stud.

Over 1000 students from 32 countries will gather to celebrate over 30 years of The Stud Management Course.

– watch our website www.irishnationalstud.ie for dates and details.

Tel: +353 (0)45 521617 Email: reservations@instourism.net Bookable on line at: www.irishnationalstud.ie (Online shop)

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Exquisite: Bantry House and Gardens in Co. Cork.

bewildering array of shrubs jostle for space amongst azaleas, magnolia and rhododendrons.

All are overlooked by the ballroom where Princess Grace famously danced the night away.

Powerscourt is beautiful, dramatic, impressive and any other superlatives you care to think of.

But not many miles down the road, on the banks of the Vartry River, lies another botanical treasure.

Mount Usher Gardens offers ever-changing scenes as the seasons steal through its bucolic acres. Magnificent magnolia trees are worth the trip alone, and anyone here could take the risk of promising you a rose garden — for Mount Usher’s is truly a classic of the form.

Co. Carlow is, you might feel, somewhat unfairly endowed with beautiful gardens. It may be the second smallest county in Ireland — but it knows how to do flowers. Its mild climate has made it a veritable heaven for gardens and gardeners.

Carlow Altamont Gardens, near the village of Ballon, will give you an idea of what to expect. This horticultural spectacle is the product of some 250 years of planning, planting, pruning, coppicing, shaping, hoeing and weeding. The end result is a fascinating collection of ornamental gardens and lakeside walks.

The great behemoths of the tree world, the redwoods, thrive here. Dawn Redwood, although sounding like a Nashville country singer, is a sequoia from Manchuria in China. This Chinese takeaway is a thing of wonder to behold, as the sun glints through its wafer thin, multi-coloured needles.

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To the south of the county lies Clonegal, and the splendour of Huntington Castle. Packed full of peculiarities, its magnificent stand of palm trees gives the place the ambience of a Moorish palace rather than an Irish fortress. Think Alhambra rather than Anglo-Normans.

The manicured lawns of Huntingdon are marked out by the dark green hulks of Irish yew, a hybrid developed in Florence Court the former demesne of the Earls of Enniskillen.

The Carlow Garden festival will take place this year from July 27 - August 4. From bulbs to borders and woodland to wildlife, Carlow’s Floral Festival Trail is a great opportunity for budding and experienced gardeners and nature lovers to obtain practical advice and tips from some of

Ireland’s most respected gardening and nature personalities.

Visitors also have the opportunity to visit the Carlow Garden Trail, a collection of 16 different gardening attractions. The trail ranges from small to very large gardens, garden centres and forest parks and from old to new, so there is something to stimulate both the novice and experienced gardener.

Further south the warm waters of the Gulf Stream first wash Ireland’s coastline on its south-westerly shores. Garinish (sometimes spelled Garnish) Island, off the coast of west Cork, takes full benefit of it. For a few months each year the island can lay claim to being one of the most stunning garden destinations. Home to an extraordinarily exotic display of horticulture, Garinish lies in the sheltered A deer at the Phoenix Park, Dublin. waters of Bantry Bay. Nearby, at the head of the Bay, stands Bantry House. This fine Georgian mansion, set in exquisite surroundings, has a collection of tapestries, furniture and art treasures which were mainly collected by the Earl of Bantry during his travels through Europe in the 1800’s. The Gardens are home to sub-tropical plants and shrubs — thanks to the mildest of climates — with the added bonus of soft focus views across the last bit of Europe before it plunges into the Atlantic.

Strangely enough, Ireland is not particularly renowned for its gardens. Its scenery, yes, its wild coastline, its music, its craic. But a gentler Ireland exists too, one that in its own way is every bit as bewitching as its better-known sights.

Chasing your tale When Australian tourist David Ward went in search of his roots, he found a relative in the most unexpected of places

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N Australian tourist who visited a library to trace his ancestors didn’t have to look very far to find a relative. David Ward decided to investigate his family tree during his visit to Britain and wandered into Ashton-underLyne’s Central Library.

He asked archivist Anne Turner for help - and was subsequently astonished to discover she was his second cousin.

Most of us are unlikely, should we decide to look into our family tree, to be that lucky. Most Wards will certainly find out that their name comes from either (a) Irish origins - from Mac an Bhaird, or ‘son of the Bard’, or (b) from the Norman conquerors.

Of course, even if you don’t meet your second cousin, you can still find out a lot about your forebears — and this year’s Gathering 2013 in Ireland wants to help you.

The year long celebration is aimed at the 70 million or so people who claim Irish roots.

Many of them know exactly how far back their ancestors go — such as President Obama, who in 2011 visited Co. Offaly to see the homeland

— Walt Disney, Henry Ford, Bing Crosby, Ned Kelly, Neill Armstrong all had Irish roots.

Within our own community, the Irish in Britain, most people know exactly where their families came from in Ireland, although detailed knowledge in many cases may only go back a generation or two. One of the aims of the Gathering 2013 is to help people find out more about their forebears and forge a deeper connection with the country.

of Falmouth Kearney, his great great great grandfather.

Some 22 US presidents claim Irish roots, as well as one Mexican head of State, one Chilean founding father, and several New Zealand and Australian heads of state.

Charles de Gaulle, could trace his family back to the MacCartans of Co. Down — the French President’s descendants have been sent an invitation to join in this year’s Gathering.

In British political circles Irish roots are not uncommon amongst the leaders either — Tony Blair is half-Irish — his mother came from Donegal; Iain Duncan Smith’s mother came from Cork, Cecil Parkinson’s mother was from Belfast.

President Obama enjoys a pint of The Diaspora has its way the black stuff at Ollie Hayes’ into all sectors of society pub in Moneygall, Co. Offaly.

take a closer look inside…

Over 70 million people worldwide claim Irish ancestry. Are you one of them?

Instead of waiting for you to find us we’re inviting you back for The Gathering Ireland 2013. It might just be the perfect time to come and find out more about your Irish ancestors.

www.rootsireland.ie 21

Who knows, you could be descended from a Celt, a Dane, a Norman, a Scot, a Cromwellian, a United Irishman or a rebel from any century.

To find out in which geographic area your blood ties lie, before you head home, you could spit in a bag and send ¤210 along to Ireland’s DNA, www.irelandsdna.com.

In six to eight weeks the team of scientists and genealogists there will send you a detailed breakdown of where your DNA markers are likely to have arisen from.

When the company tested the Scottish comedian and broadcaster Fred Macaulay, his expectations were somewhat turned on their head. The Macaulays hail from the

❛ Who knows, you could be descended from a Celt, a Dane, a Norman, a Scot, a Cromwellian, a United Irishman or a rebel from any century.❜

Venues holding special Gathering events, or offering specialised advice: The National Archives At the National Archives on Bishop’s Street, Dublin (www.nationalarchives.ie) should probably be the first stop for those wishing to see if they’re related to a banking tycoon or bank robber. Here you can check both the Census returns from the start of the 20th century, or the surveys undertaken in the 1840s to the 1860s — called Griffith’s Valuation.

The National Library The genealogy office at the National Library (www.nli.ie) also offers expert advice. This is a free service and no appointment is necessary The Famine Museum, Strokestown The main destination for Ireland’s emigrants was North America and Britain, but substantial numbers went to Australia, New Zealand and

South America. Many people tracing their Irish heritage discover that their forebears were part of this Great Famine exodus.

The Famine Museum in Strokestown Park House, Co. Roscommon takes visitors on a journey back to this traumatic period in the history of the island. www.strokestownpark.ie Ulster American Folk Park, Co. Tyrone The Ulster American Folk Park (www.nmni.com) near Omagh graphically brings the story to life, and contains fascinating information such as the fact that Davy Crockett’s ancestors came from Ulster.

The museum tells the story of emigration to the New World. There can be few families in Ireland — Protestant or Catholic — that don’t have near-relatives in America, and you might be able to trace them here. The Ulster Park is centred round the restored farmhouse of Thomas Mellon who left Tyrone in 1818 and eventually founded the Mellon Bank of Pittsburgh.

Hebrides, an island group whose heritage is both Gaelic and Norse. Fred thought his father-line might be from the Viking raiders who originally colonised Orkney then headed south-west. However, he was somewhat surprised to find that his DNA was from an area in Munster. It seemed an odd quirk. How could a man with the surname of Macaulay whose family did indeed hail from the Hebrides, be a Munsterman? With further research through records, Fred may be able to trace his roots back to southwest Ireland. It seems likely an ancestor was a slave, sold to a sealord with the name of Olaf at the great Dublin slave-market some time in the 9th or 10th centuries.

WHAT’S ON Genealogy and emigration events throughout the year include: ■ March 15: St Patrick’s Genealogy and Heritage Weekend, in the Excel Arts & Cultural Centre, Tipperary Town.

■ April 2-4: The Kilkenny Conference Kilkenny Conference will be holding seminars on ‘Emigration through the centuries’ ■ May 19-24: The Emigrant Trail Tour in Sligo (www.sligoroots.com) ■ April 6: ‘Gathering the Scattering’, a genealogy conference in Ennis, Co. Clare, including a week of genealogy-based talks and events.

■ June 1: Genealogy conference, at the University of Limerick, Castletroy.

Genealogical and history-of-the-family experts from both Ireland and abroad will be on hand to give advice.

■ June 24-29: Ulster History & Genealogy Summer School at the Ulster Historical Foundation, 49 Malone Road, Belfast.

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The Gathering 2013 will help people find out more about their family tree.

Cobh Heritage Centre, Co. Cork Records are available in the local authorities of many Irish towns and cities across the island.

WINDOW ON THE PAST: IrelandsDNA can send you a detailed breakdown of your DNA markers.

Cobh Heritage Centre (www.cobhheritage.com) has a record finder specifically designed for those with little knowledge of genealogy, and will be putting this to use for Gathering visitors.

Dunbrody Famine Ship, Co. Wexford The life on board an emigrant ship can be experienced at the Dunbrody Famine Ship (www.dunbrody.com) in New Ross, Co. Wexford.

The Dunbrody is a reconstruction of an emigrant ship that carried emigrants to all corners of the world, and a visit below decks vividly portrays the cramped conditions of the desperate sea voyage. Visitors can also access a database of emigrants compiled from ships’ passenger lists free of charge. This contains records of three million Irish passengers who disembarked at New York, Boston, Philadelphia, New Orleans and Baltimore.

Numerous Genealogy Centres and services around the country will be opening their doors to help with family research.

Public Records Office, Northern Ireland In Belfast, the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (www.proni.gov.uk) houses the official archive for the Six Counties with records of historical, social, and cultural importance.

The Shelbourne Hotel, Dublin Guests who stay at The Shelbourne Hotel (www.marriott.com) can avail of an on-site genealogist who can assist guests to draw up practical research plans.

Community-led projects: A number of community-led genealogy projects and centres will also be offering advice and help to trace your ancestors throughout the year.

The Ireland Reaching Out project (www.irelandxo.com) enables parish communities across Ireland to identify and connect with their Diaspora, strengthening their community network worldwide.

Eachtra’s Historic Graves Initiative This is a community-based heritage project which digitally records and publishes historic graveyard surveys and stories — often an invaluable help to those seeking family ties. Visitors from Ireland and further afield can freely access this growing database of multimedia records and oral histories.

The Irish Ancestry Research Centre (www.irisharc.org), a not-for-profit organisation, providing research under the auspices of the University of Limerick.

The Association of Professional Genealogists in Ireland (www.apgi.ie) accredits genealogists in Ireland.

Members are based all over Ireland and provide advice and support to individuals tracing their roots and local groups who want to offer support to visitors interested in tracing their ancestry.

Throughout 2013, APGI members will be available to provide genealogy services to visitors.

Wexford invites you to the

Gathering Ireland 2013 Explore the Heritage and Culture of the Sunny Southeast of Ireland

www.visitwexford.ie Pictured is the World’s Oldest Operational Lighthouse ‘Hook Lighthouse’ in county Wexford, Ireland.

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HISTORY and heritage

Titanic Belfast is now the most visited tourist attraction in thge North of Ireland.

Giddy up to Limerick Races for your May Bank Holiday break!

Easy access to Shannon Airport with regular flights from London, Birmingham and Manchester with Aer Lingus and Ryanair.

Epic tales, saints and scholars, a landscape shaped by a tumultuous past — Ireland is so steeped in history and heritage that it’s easy to step back in time and savour the experiences of bygone eras.

The past crops up everywhere here.

The land is dotted with ancient stone remains — ever-present reminders that this is the seat of an age-old culture. Every county in Ireland has its castles and forts — most of the visible ones are of Norman construction. But these are modern, new-fangled structures compared with the complex Neolithic court graves, dolmens and ring forts, some dating back 6,000 years. Places like the Giant’s Causeway or Tara Hill even older, going back to the time when giants and banshees roamed the earth.

From its dark, spirit-haunted mountains and glens to the great horsegod Eochu, Lord of the Underworld, who lives below the water in Lough Neagh, Ireland is a place suffused with a sense of its own mythology and heritage. Yet it hardly seems large enough to contain its own clamorous past, a westerly island clinging to the edge of Europe. The country is now at peace — but its tortuous history has left a legacy of ancient sagas, literature, music and poetry.

In Ireland, history doesn’t repeat itself, but it certainly rhymes!

The fusion — some might say collision — of the Irish Gaelic society and the Christian religion some 1600 years ago produced a specifically Irish identity and resulted in some of the very finest early Christian art — the Book of Kells is the most famous example.

The High Crosses of Ireland are also remarkable, occurring throughout the island, and are a unique vernacular tribute to the art and skill of the early Celts. The Muiredach Cross in Monasterboice displays intricate stonework and artistry, testament to Ireland’s golden age of Christianity. Everywhere THE in Ireland you’ll see religious remains — BRIGID’S WAY CELTIC from hermits’ huts on Skellig Michael, to PILGRIMAGE will begin in huge impressive abbeys built by Faughart, Co. Louth — the traditional monastic orders over the centuries. birthplace of St. Brigid. It will follow an Ireland’s chequered history not only ancient pilgrimage route through Louth, brought in Christian monuments, Meath and Kildare to end at the site of but also castles, forts and fortified Brigid’s monastery in Kildare Town. The houses. But the ascendancy in 65-mile journey will take approximately Ireland also had time to build nine days and people are invited to walk great mansions and gardens some or all of the route. Food and complete with follies, mazes, and accommodation will be arranged on the fanciful monuments. first pilgrimage, starting July 7. See Industry has been important to the www.doloreswhelan.ie and shaping of parts of Ireland, www.slianchroi.ie for more details particularly in the North. Belfast, at or contact 00 353 87 one time the industrial hub of the British 1363224.

Empire, producing everything from ocean liners to linen handkerchiefs, is today a place that is proud of its commercial history. This year Titanic Belfast will play host too many events celebrating just one part of that history.

Whether due to the endeavours of engineers and shipbuilders, the pagan beliefs and impressive industry of our early ancestors, or the efforts of generations of religious believers, the historic sites of Ireland reveal the fascinating story of our island.

During this year of The Gathering, all major historic sites will be putting on special shows, exhibitions, lectures, talks or events.

Many, of course, don’t need any explanation. All you need do is stand and wonder.

Weekend Break to include 2 night’s accommodation in the picturesque village of Adare Co. Limerick in a hotel of your choice.

I Saturday 4th of May Tour of local trainers stables followed by National Hunt racing from 2.30pm to include admission and racecard.

I Sunday 5th of May (flat card) Enjoy a 4 course lunch in the Panoramic Restaurant with Irish Coffee.

Return bus transfer to and from the racecourse included.

Prices start from €179 / £150 per person sharing check out our website for more details.

Pre-booking required – more information contact us on 00 353 61 320000 or info@limerickraces.ie Website: www.limerickraces.ie *GBP price is based on current currency rates

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ROCK OF AGES: A dolmen in the Glen of Aherlow in Co. Tipperary.

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Seven Drunken Nights | Whiskey In The Jar | The Wild Rover | Black Velvet Band | Dirty Old Town | The Irish Rover | Home Boys Home | Liverpool Lou | The Ferryman | All For Me Grog | The Rare Auld Times | Paddy On The Railway | Molly Malone | The Rocky Road To Dublin | I'll Tell Me Ma | Spanish Lady | The Town I Loved So Well | Monto | Finnegan's Wake | McAlpine’s Fusiliers | The Old Triangle

MARCH 12 Dunstable Grove Theatre 13 Malvern Forum Theatre 14 Christchurch Regent Centre 15 Birmingham Town Hall 16 Northampton Royal & Derngate 17 SalfordQuays The Lowry 18 TunbridgeWells The Assembly Hall

01582 602080 01684 892 277 01202 499199 0121 345 0603 01604 624811 0843 208 6010 01892 530613/ 01892 532072 19 Truro Hall for Cornwall 01872 262466 20 Oxford New Theatre 0844 871 3020* 21 Swindon Wyvern Theatre 01793 524481 22 Basingstoke The Anvil 01256 844 244 23 Stevenage Gordon Craig Theatre 01438 363200 24 Southend Cliffs Pavilion 01702 351135 25 Shrewsbury Theatre Severn 01743 281281 26 Dartford The Orchard Theatre 01322 220000* *Booking fee applies

LISTOWEL WRITERS’ WEEK 2013 29th May to 2nd June 2013 Ireland’s longest running literary festival renowned for bringing together writers and audiences at unique and innovative events in the cultural landscape of Listowel, Co. Kerry.

Readings – Lectures - Literary Workshops – Theatre – Art Children’s’ Festival - Literary Tours & Music Here is a selection of guests who will feature at our 2013 Festival: Nadeen Aslam, Dermot Bolger, Lucy Caldwell, Gianrico Carofiglio, Cathy Cassidy, Marina Chapman, Emma Donoghue, Robin Dunbar, Thomas Keneally, Gene Kerrigan, Colum McCann, Martha Long, Andrew Miller, Rebecca Miller, Paddy Moloney, John Montague, Alison Moore, Peter Murphy, Audrey Niffenegger, Sunday Miscellany, Colm Tóibín and Willy Vlautin.

Full details and bookings are available on www.writersweek.ie We are pleased to offer special group rates/packages, please contact us for more details on info@writersweek.ie or 00 353 68 21074.

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TEAM

players Sporting enthusiasts will be gathering throughout the year for a host of sporting occasions, tournaments and festivals

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HE weighty Irish Annals, some written as long ago as 200BC, record the childhood exploits of one King Lowry Loingseach. The young lad was mute, and only uttered his first words after being hit during a hurling match. History doesn’t record what he said — but we can guess. If a sliotar is only doing 120kph it’s dawdling along.

Leprechauns, needless to say, played the game under moonlit skies on the surface of lakes.

Even today, long after the leprechauns have largely died out, hurling and other Gaelic games have a huge grip on the country. These unique sports are the very backbone of rural Ireland.

Paddywhackeray notwithstanding, hurling is one of the world’s oldest team sports, as well as the fastest, a wonderful shotgun wedding between muscularity, skill and poetry.

It can be seen in one of the finest sports stadiums in Europe, at Croke Park — the GAA finals are in September — or in the remote fastness of the Cooley Mountains in Co. Louth, where the All-Ireland Poc Fada tests the skills of Ireland’s best hurlers. Poc Fada, Irish for “long puck”, consists of hurlers driving their puck, or ball, across a mountain. The competition is based on the legend of Cú Chulainn, a mythological hero. The competition says everything about Irish sport — a mixture of community, legend, uniqueness, athleticism.

Even high profile Premier League footballers such as Naill Quinn have taken part.

Road bowling is another little-recognised sport

SEALED WITH A KISS: From the Curragh in Kildare to the Royal Course in Downpatrick, Ireland will celebrate its love of horses.

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❛ Paddywhackeray notwithstanding, hurling is a shotgun wedding between muscularity, skill and poetry ❜ outside the confines of a few counties, notably Co. Armagh and Co. Cork. The ancient sport takes place along quiet, leafy lanes of rural Ireland. Heavy betting is not unknown at these events — you never know, pop along and you might underwrite the cost of your holiday if you back the right participant.

Ireland has always attracted sportsmen;

traditionally it was the world’s golfers, horsemen and anglers who knew about the country’s facilities, fish and fillies. Today that sporting hat trick has been augmented with some of the finest surfing in Europe - not to mention canoeing, sailing, cycling and hillwalking.

Like Gaelic sports, horses and horse-racing are an integral part of rural Ireland, the backbone of the community. Every type of equestrianism will be celebrated this year at The Gathering. Events range from the Royal Dublin Horse Show (August 7-11) to Europe’s only first class race meeting held on a beach, at Laytown Strand Races in Co. Meath in September.

Steeplechasing was invented in Ireland, but horse-racing was going strong centuries before the celebrated first steeplechase race down in Cork in the 18th century. Galway is the biggest

ON THE BALL: Hurling is believed to be the world’s oldest field game.

and most important festival of the year, everywhere from the Curragh in Kildare to the Royal Course in LAYTOWN Downpatrick will be celebrating STRAND RACES, Ireland’s love of horses. The SEPTEMBER 3 Gathering is also holding a major international polo The annual Laytown Strand Races take place on the match — between Ireland and beach between Laytown & Bettystown in Co. Meath. the USA on April 6 in Dublin.

There is always a feeling, as the evening draws to a And if you prefer to be in the close, of being part of something very special in saddle rather than spectating, Irish folklore and sporting history. every county in Ireland has its See www.laytownstrandraces.ie stables and equestrian centres for details. where you can saddle up and do a spot of GIDDY UP TO hacking or pony LIMERICK RACES trekking.

Enjoy the May Bank Holiday weekend racing at Throughout the Limerick Racecourse — a weekend of great entertainment, year sporting racing, family fun and much more from May 4-5. With tournaments will regular flights from London, Birmingham and Manchester to take place across Shannon Airport the racecourse is offering packages to suit Ireland as part of everyone this year. On May 4 take a tour of local trainers’ The Gathering stables followed by National Hunt racing from 2.30pm 2013 — from rugby followed by a day of flat racing on May 5. to squash, from the See www.limerickraces.ie or call Mountain Biking Blitz 00353 61 320 000 for details. in Co. Wicklow to the Dingle Walking Festival, and from yacht racing to sub-aqua diving, and from international car-rallying to the Ballybunion Half Marathon.

Unusual sports such as dog-sled racing will take place alongside traditional sports such as court handball and Gaelic football. And for those who prefer their sports indoors, darts and 10-pin bowling are also part of what The Gathering has to offer this year.

Friday 4th January

Wednesday 3rd April

Friday 25th October

Friday 11th January

Friday 5th April

Friday 1st November

Friday 18th January

Wednesday 10th April

Friday 8th November

Friday 25th January

Friday 12th April

Friday 1st February Friday 8th February Friday 15th February Friday 22nd February

Wednesday 17th April Friday 3rd May Friday 12th July Sunday 18th August Sunday 8th September

Wed 13th November Friday 15th November Friday 22nd November Wed 27th November Friday 29th November

Friday 1st March

Friday 27th September

Friday 8th March

Friday 4th October

Wed 11th December

Friday 15th March

Friday 11th October

Friday 13th December

Friday 22nd March

Friday 18th October

Friday 20th December

Friday 6th December

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Fungie the Dingle dolphin.

In praise of a

PENINSULA Author and Dingle resident, Felicity Hayes-McCoy on why she’s supporting the Gathering 2013

I

became aware of The Gathering a couple of years ago. I was in Ireland, writing The House on an Irish Hillside, a book that’s part memoir, part exploration of my own sense of identity as a member of the Irish Diaspora, and partly an examination of the Dingle Peninsula’s Celtic inheritance.

More than half a lifetime ago I travelled from my home in Dublin to the West Kerry Gaeltacht, where Irish is the first language of everyday life.

As soon as I crossed the high Conor Pass at the end of the Dingle Peninsula I fell in love. With the place, which was more beautiful than any I’d ever seen. With the people I met there. And with a way of looking at life that was deeper, richer and wiser than any I’d known before. Corca Dhuibhne — the Irish language name for the Dingle Peninsula — became the place I missed most when, a few years later, I took the emigrant boat for London. Now, more than 30 years on, I live and work in both places, dividing my time between a flat in Bermondsey and a stone house at the end of the peninsula.

Like many people, I was sceptical about The Gathering. Seen from Dublin or London, filtered through Government ad-speak and stories of rip-off Ireland, it can come across as cheesy or as money-grubbing.

But in the last year I’ve changed my mind.

Many rural Irish communities depend on tourism for survival, and in Gaeltacht areas like Corca Dhuibhne it’s not just economic survival that’s at stake, it’s the survival of the Irish language and the communities’ ancient cultural inheritance as well. The Gathering 2013 may be a recent concept but strong links with the emigrant diaspora and a tradition of resilient response to hardship are central to Gaeltacht communities.

It’s brilliant to see how that tradition and those links have combined to produce the kind of dynamic, creative spirit that’s currently trending on Twitter as #positiveireland.

On New Year’s Day this year I was invited to read extracts from The House on an Irish Hillside as part of the launch of Féilire d’Imeachtaí & Tóstal Chorca Dhuibhne 2013, the Dunquin Harbour on the Dingle Peninsula in Co. Kerry.

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The Quintessential Irish Experience…

ON SONG: The Other Voices festival is recorded in St. James’ Church in Dingle.

Dingle Peninsula’s official calendar of events for The Gathering.

The woman who contacted me was Susan Ní Churnáin of Udarás na Gaeltachta, a regional state agency responsible for development in Gaeltacht areas.

Born and raised back west of Dingle, Susan is a native Irish speaker whose passion for her community is tangible. As we sat drinking coffee at a table overlooking the harbour, she described her own vision for 2013.

“We’ve put together a calendar of events to raise awareness of The Gathering on the peninsula,” she said. “But it’s also Y about sharing the fact that life here A KERR : G IN has always been lived to the R E GATH ór, changing of the seasons. We’ve M ff -O d An Spu s always had gatherings and e e s - 30 festivals that happen at particular June 28 rs west of e w o r g times of the year. I wanted to to a ly pot t serious e produce an actual calendar, g le g in D t illustrated with beautiful pictures of ive abou competit . the area, highlighting events each s d u p s month throughout 2013.”

She added: “Some have been specifically devised for The Gathering. More are ancient, annual events, like horse racing at Lúnasa or local gatherings at holy wells. There are things we do here every year as a community, even things that happen in particular villages, and we’re so used to them ourselves that we hardly notice them. But there’s so much richness, so much music and sport, and so much community spirit in the area. Sometimes I think it’s the people coming back and sharing them with us that remind us of what we have.”

The calendar was launched in Dingle library by Louise Ní Mhuircheartaigh, a local teenager with a GAA All-Star award for her achievements on the football pitch. The variety of events is awesome. Among them are the Ballyferriter Music School and the Páidí Ó Sé Football Weekend. Fifty Years of Scuba Diving in The Maharees, Thirty Years of Fungie the Dingle Dolphin, The Tom Crean Festival in Annascaul, The Other Voices and Food and Wine Festivals in Dingle, The Blasket and West Kerry Welcome Home Week, Kennedy and Moriarty Gatherings, The Maritime Heritage Weekend and the Dingle Boatyard Workers Reunion. But, for me, the smaller, less likely events are the most fascinating. Womens’ Christmas was celebrated all over the peninsula in homes, restaurants and pubs on January 6. And An Spud-Off Mór, from June 28 - 30, sees potato growers west of Dingle get seriously competitive about spuds. So if you’re planning a holiday round these parts, check out the calendar. It lists a wonderful eclectic mixture of events and it arises straight from the community that will host you.

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Experience a true Irish welcome in a real family home – you will arrive as a guest and depart as a friend.

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■ Irish Post readers who would like an e-copy of the Dingle calendar can request one by emailing s.nichurnain@udaras.ie

Felicity Hayes-McCoy is a Dublin born broadcast and print writer. She lives and works in Bermondsey, London and in a stone house at the end of the Dingle Peninsula. Her memoir The House on an Irish Hillside (Hodder & Stoughton) is available in bookshops and online in paperback and as an e-book.

Picture: Wilf Judd

Mayo North Welcome Home Festival Come Home to the People You Know Visit www.northmayo.ie for full programme

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Arty Ireland Find your favourite festival of literature, film, theatre or the arts in Ireland in 2013

Hand-made Ireland Festivals of food, craft and the wonders of the Irish countryside

Jameson Dublin Film Festival

Waterford Festival of Food Dungarvan

14 - 24 February

11 - 14 April

www.jdiff.com

www.waterfordfestival offood.com

Ennis Book Club Festival 1 - 3 March www.ennisbookclub festival.com

Musical Ireland Ireland rocks with music, classical and contemporary in 2013

St Patrick’s Festival Dublin 14 - 18 March

30 May - 3 June www.bloominthepark.com

Taste of Dublin

Cork Choral Festival www.corkchoral.ie

Forbidden Fruit Music Festival

OFFSET

June

Dublin 1 - 3 June

Dublin’s Festival of Creativity and Design 5 - 7 April

www.tasteofdublin.ie

www.forbiddenfruit.ie

Cork Craft Month

www.iloveoffset.com

August

Body and Soul Music Festival

Cuirt Festival of Literature Galway 23 - 28 April www.cuirt.ie

Cat laughs Comedy Festival Kilkenny 31 May - 3 June www.thecatlaughs.com

Listowel Writers Week Kerry 29 May – 2 June www.writersweek.ie

www.corkcraftanddesign. com

Galway Oyster Festival 27 - 29 September www.galwayoysterfest.com

Waterford Harvest Festival 9 -15 September www.waterfordharvest festival.ie

A Taste of West Cork 10 - 16 September www.atasteofwestcork.com

Street Performance World Championships

Dingle Food and Wine Festival

Dublin 18 – 21 June Cork 13 – 14 July

www.dinglefood.com

www.spwc.ie

Galway Arts Festival 15 - 28 July www.galwayartsfestival.com

Kilkenny Arts Festival 9 - 18 August

4 - 7 October

Savour Kilkenny 23 - 28 October www.savourkilkenny.com

The National Craft Fair Dublin December www.nationalcraftsfair.ie

Challenge yourself in the wild Irish landscape

Connemarathon 7 April www.connemarathon.com

www.stpatricksfestival.ie

1 - 5 May

Bloom

Adventurous Ireland

Meath 21 - 23 June www.bodyandsoul.ie

Sea Sessions Surf and Music Festival Donegal 28 - 30 June www.seasessions.com

West Cork Chamber Music Festival 28 June

Wicklow Adventure Race 20 April www.wicklowadventure race.com

Clare Burren Marathon 25 May www.clareburrenmarathon challenges.com

Leenane Walking Festival 3 - 5 May

Laois 31 Aug - 2 Sept www.electricpicnic.ie

Guinness Cork Jazz Festival 25 -28 October www.guinnessjazzfestival. com

Sligo Live Music Festival 23 – 28 October www.sligolive.ie

Sit back and watch the giants of international sport clash in Ireland in 2013

Six Nations Rugby Dublin 10 Feb Ireland v England 9 March Ireland v France www.rbs6nations.com

Punchestown National Hunt Festival Kildare 23 – 27 April www.punchestown.com

7 - 9 June www.focusireland.ie

The Ring of Kerry Charity Cycle 6 July www.ringofkerrycycle.ie

Achill Half Marathon

Carton House, Kildare 27 - 30 June

Galway Races 29 July - 4 August www.galwayraces.com

Dublin Horse Show 7 - 11 August www.dublinhorseshow.com

The All Ireland Finals

6 July www.achillmarathon.com

www.gaa.ie

Beast of Ballyhoura Adventure Race

Dublin City Marathon

2 - 5 August

28 October

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Gaelforce West

Autumn International Rugby

Dublin Theatre Festival

KillarneyAdventure Race

Ireland host New Zealand and Australia Aviva Stadium, Dublin November

26 Sept – 13 Oct

5 October

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Wexford Festival Opera 23 Oct – 3 Nov www.wexfordopera.com

Sea2Summit Mayo 8 - 9 November www.westportsea2summit.ie

Loughcrew Cairns Meath 20 - 22 March www.heritageireland.ie

Music In Great Irish Houses 11 - 19 June www.greatmusicinirish houses.com

National Heritage Week 17 - 25 August www.heritageweek.ie

Puck Fair, The World’s Oldest Country Fair Killorglin 9 - 12 August www.puckfair.ie

Cape Clear Storytelling Festival West Cork 6 – 8 September www.capeclearstory telling.com

Dingle Tradfest 5-8 September

www.kilkennyarts.ie

www.killarneyadventure race.ie

Equinox Dawn

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www.gaelforceevents.com/ west

www.dublintheatre festival.com

www.thegathering.ie

www.fiddlefair.com

Dublin 8 Sept Hurling 22 Sept Gaelic Football

Mayo 17 August

Killarney 20 - 24 February

9 - 13 May

Irish Open Golf

Four Peaks Challenge

The Gathering, Traditional Music and Dance Festival

Dublin 18 May

Dingle Adventure Race www.dingleadventure race.com

Ancient roots, ancient places bursting with new life

Baltimore Fiddle Fair

www.ercrugby.com/eng/ finals/2013.php

9 June

Traditional Ireland

European Rugby Cup Final

www.leenanevillage.com

www.westcorkmusic.ie

Electric Picnic Music and Arts Festival

Sporting Ireland

Rugby League World Cup Ireland v Australia Limerick 9 November www.rlwc2013.com

www.dingletradfest.com

Back to our Past Festival of Genealogy RDS Dublin 18 - 20 October www.backtoourpast.com

The Oireachtas Festival of Irish Language and Culture Killarney 1st Nov www.antoireachtas.ie

Call us on freephone

0800 234 6000 for further information or tell us about your gathering at thegatheringireland.com

To all the Irish, half-Irish and Irish-ish…

Whether you’re Donegal born and bred, or your Mum’s great Uncle Colm has a half sister from Cork, you’re Irish.

How fortunate is that. And as if that wasn’t enough, being Irish you get all the luck too. Well, even by your own lucky standards, this year is going to be something special – it’s The Gathering Ireland. And guess what, you’re invited.

Throughout Ireland in 2013 we’ll be doing what we do best – making the most of our rich culture and heritage.

And you know we don’t need much of an excuse to get singing and dancing, playing sport, sharing our great food and drink and… we could go on, and on and on and on, there really will be so much to enjoy.

So get your family and friends together to organise your own event, or just come along and join in.

The Gathering Ireland 2013 – one great big happy celebration of everything Irish.

Visit: gatheringireland.com or call 0800 234 6000