Ireland

Drive down the L3210 and you roll through bog and woodlands and crossroads. Crucifixes and flowers mark the accident-sites where people were killed. And one-lane roads jut from its course into the country. Where they disappear around bends…

This week on Fireside, we begin our look at the Fenian Cycle of Irish Mythology, as Kevin tells the story of the foundations of the warrior clan known as the Fianna, and of the birth of their greatest leader: FIonn Mac Cumhaill. Check in…

This week on Fireside is the final story of the Irish Mythological Cycle: The Landing of the Gael. This is the tale of the mortal men who would arrive on the shores of Ireland, to overthrow the Tuatha Dé Danann. We also finally meet Ériu,…

There’s a confidence flowing around Limerick city these days. Creative people are no longer waiting for support or validation from outside forces, thanks to a grassroots, DIY approach. Artists, musicians, and other creatives are realising…

Once the market would have packed the square of this small town in East Galway. And its patrons would have spilled out of the pubs, spouting cigarette-smoke and shit-talk to the sky. Then this was a big town. Now the market is a man selling…

This week on Fireside is the most famous tale from the Mythological Cycle, and probably the most famous Irish myth of all time: The Children of Lir. The Children of Lir is an imaginative, vivid and deeply tragic tale, of a man's love for…

Playwright Arthur Miller became a prominent name in 20th century theatre penning plays such as Death of a Salesman, All My Sons and A View from the Bridge to name just a few. He had built a sturdy career for himself in the theatre world but…

This week on Fireside, we hear a fairy story of a tobacco obsessed farmer who goes on a journey to find his precious smoke. A journey that takes him all the way to America! This is... The Tobacco Quest Find out about your Fireside Bard,…

The climax of the Irish Mythological Cycle. This week on Fireside, Kevin gives the epic conclusion to the Lugh and Bres Saga, in which the Tuatha Dé Danann, face off against the dreaded Fomorians, in The Great Battle of Magh Tuireadh. Do…

Late one night during the 2008 financial crisis, David McWilliams came up with the idea for the bank guarantee. The following morning, after the Irish Government had made the public liable for €400 Billion of private bank debt, David…