Season 7

In todays special Christmas episode, we share a selection of old Irish Christmas carols, songs and tunes. They include: The Bells of Dublin/Christmas Eve - performed by The Chieftains Christmas in Killarney - performed by Bin...

In today's episode we share some old Irish names - quite beautiful ones - that are just some of our favourites for boys and girls. Perhaps you already have one or two in your own family? We also share the …

This week we look at one of the most Irish of cities outside Ireland - the city of Liverpool on the western shores of Britain. It's a place that has seen over a million Irish pass through its port to …

This week we look at the fact that there are many, many more people of Irish descent OUTSIDE the island of Ireland than on the island of Ireland. Many Irish immigrants brought their Irish placenames with them when they settle...

Welcome to this special musical edition of the Letter from Ireland podcast. We take a tour around the five counties - Galway, Mayo, Sligo, Leitrim and Roscommon - of the Irish province of Connaught. We have chosen two songs/p...

In this episode we look at two types of storyteller. First, we have the "bard" who composes songs to honour the deeds and exploits of the great (and not so great) among us. In this case, a certain gentleman called …

In this episode, we look at the time of the Brehon laws of Ireland and take an example of just some of these Gaelic common laws that held our society together. We also chat about the Brehon families and some …

Join us on this episode of the Letter from Ireland show as we tell some surprising stories from an Irish Halloween! Did you know that many of the rituals and traditions associated with Halloween came from the Celtic Festival ...

In this episode, we feature two Irish Pub stories that are bound together. In the first, we chat about the book McCarthy's Bar - which gives a comical view of both the Irish Pub and the Irish by Pete McCarthy. …

Today we feature two Irish movie stars from the golden age of Hollywood - Grace Kelly and Maureen O'Hara. In one story we chat about the "Two Graces of County Mayo" and then we take a trip up Maureen O'Hara's …

In this extended musical edition of the Letter from Ireland podcast, we share 15 songs performed by 15 Irish artists. Each song has a connection with the song that went before it - and the one that goes after it. …

In this episode we look at the journey a branch of the Vikings took and established a Dukedom in what became known as "Normandy" in northern France. We look at their culture and traditions - traditions that they brought with …

In this week's episode we look at the way that unmarried mothers - and other "social undesirables" were treated in Ireland, especially in the period from the 1940s to the 1960s. Carina reads out two letters - one on the …

In today's episode, we explore the different sort of Irish music that was coming onto the scene from the mid-1970s. We first look at the story of that great London-Irish band - The Pogues - and then onto the more …

In this episode we take a musical trip around the nine counties of Ulster: Derry (Londonderry), Antrim, Down, Armagh, Tyrone, Fermanagh, Cavan, Donegal and Monaghan. Alongside the immortal "Danny Boy", we feature at least one...

In this episode we look at the many ways the Great Irish Famine was reported outside of Ireland - and the reaction from some of the groups that were exposed to that reporting. In one case, Mike's own ancestors were …

We look at the stories of two different Irish pioneers in early north America - in what is now the country of Canada. The first is the story of Denis O'Donovan - who had the opportunity to choose his final …

In this episode we look at the story of two men born seventy years apart on the west coast of Ireland - who went on to make a substantial mark on naval history. William Brown was born into poverty in …

Did you know that Ireland was an uninhabited, ice-covered piece of ground up to about 10,000 years ago? Since then, many waves of immigrants have arrived in Ireland and made it more of a "melting Pot" than many of us …

In this very special episode we take a trip around Inishmore - the largest of the Aran Islands - in the company of Cyril O'Flaherty. Cyril is a well known local historian and artist and gives a special insight into …

What have all these words got in common? Have a listen to today's show and find out. We look at two of Ireland's minority religions - the Methodists and the Quakers. We tell stories, share music and make a surprising …

The 12th of July is a holiday across the 6 counties of Northern Ireland. It is the day that many celebrate by participating in marching bands, having barbecues and enjoying the holiday with their families in different ways. I...

In today's episode we chat about all things Irish - the Irish language that is! The first letter looks at Irish sayings and proverbs in their original Irish, how to pronounce them and what they mean in English. We then …

In this episode, Carina and Mike chat about Irish Spirits - Irish Whiskey and other fine Irish concoctions that is! They look at the the story of Irish whiskey - share some Irish drinking songs along the way - and …