To put it plainly, the mythology of Ireland is comparable to a large, colorful Celtic knot — that is, beautiful, overflowing with meaning, and very often nigh-impossible to untangle. Timelines blur; facts seem to flip; characters that seemed to have a concrete home in one story dart like white rabbi …

County Waterford in the southeast of Ireland is known best for its Viking past and Norman monuments. Waterford City, founded in 914 by Viking settlers, is officially the oldest city in the country, but the name is a bit of a misnomer. Waterford, it turns out, actually comes from the Norse word Veðra …

Once upon a time, a man responded to a king’s request for help—and found himself becoming king. Although he was forced to walk a fine line between honoring the king of his homeland and fulfilling his responsibilities to his new land, he managed to hang on to power and thwart his enemies. This man wa …

Every year on June 16, literary aficionados across Dublin (and other major cities around the world) celebrate Bloomsday. The day is a tribute to the work of Ireland's most famous author, James Joyce, and his groundbreaking slice-of-life novel, Ulysses. Since the first Bloomsday (named for a key prot …

Historically, the Irish provinces were a group of kingdoms with squishy shifting borders and rich history and culture. Modern Ireland has four provinces: Leinster in the east, Connacht in the west, Ulster in the north, and Munster in the south. Every Wednesday this June, we're bringing you our trave …

Every culture, every country, has their own wedding traditions. And why not, it is one of the most important days in any person’s life. It symbolizes the bond and union of two people who love either, and are willing to go through the highest of highs and the lowest of lows together. It is a sacred a …