Search Results for 'King'

One of the most famous passengers of the old Galway Clifden railway line during its short history from 1894 to 1922 was King Edward VIII.

Hurling is one of the oldest field games in the world. Some stories portray it as a form of military training, proficiency on the field equated with skill in battle. Legend has it that the first battle of Moytura fought about 2000 B.C. between two rival tribes, was preceded by a fierce hurling match between two teams of 27 a-side drawn from opposing forces. The casualties were buried under a huge stone cairn – a megalithic tomb. The field where the game took place is still called The Field of the Hurlers. Ancient games were also played at Tara.

‘Westward Ho! Let us rise with the sun, and be off to the land of the west - to the lakes and streams - the grassy glens and fern-clad gorges - the bluff hills and rugged mountains - now cloud-capped, then revealed in azure, or bronzed by evening’s tints, as the light of day sinks into the bold swell of the Atlantic….’

Belcarra was bathed in the sunshine last Friday. The air conditioning in the car was insufficient to combat the record-breaking temperatures, so a stop off at Cunningham’s Costcutter for a cold drink on the way to the historic Ballinafad House was required. The beauty and tranquillity of this carefully manicured, quiet, rural hamlet belie the fact that Belcarra was at the centre of the justice system in the county for a brief time in the seventeenth century.

In many cases, ancient folklore linked holy wells with a god, a goddess, a mythical creature, or a serpent; they were places of pagan worship which were at odds with Christianity. Ever since medieval times, efforts have been made to stop well-worshipping and to Christianise them. Many townlands have a water source that has been marked out for special devotion, most of them being allied to a particular saint. These are usually sanctuaries within the landscape, threshold sites that enable us to step back from the hullabaloo of daily existence and allow us to access something grander and otherworldly, something infinite and unknown.

A number of Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann competitions will be streamed live during the course of 'The Homecoming' event in Mullingar this week, the highlight being the broadcast of the senior céilí bands competition on Sunday, August 7, from 6.15pm.

Lockdown brought all sorts of mayhem to the entertainment industry. It robbed artists of a livelihood; it stole the opportunity of witnessing the magic from the audiences; and it put a pall of darkness over theatres for the best part of two years.

The Cross of Cong, one of Ireland’s great ecclesiastical treasures, was reputedly made at Cloncraff monastary, Co Roscommon. Its unsurpassed craftsmanship was inspired by its relic, a splinter of the wood of the cross on which Christ was crucified.

An archaeological find alluding to the possible remains of the town’s 17th century defence walls has been unearthed as Westmeath County Council and the Office of Public Works progress the Athlone Flood Alleviation Scheme on The Strand at the River Shannon.

Galway camogie are through to the final of Glen Dimplex All Ireland Intermediate Championship and will now face Derry in Croke Park on August 7.