Erin's Isle podcast

Have you ever noticed how many sheep there are in Ireland? A lot. And that means there quite a need for well-trained sheepdogs. Joe Joyce knows all about both, the sheepdogs and the sheep. He runs Joyce's Country Sheepdogs in Connemara. Hear how he trains them, how to know if you have a good one, and why all the sheep are so colorful, in this episode of Erin's Isle.

Bagppipes are an unmistakable instrument all over Scotland. And Glasgow has a National Piping Centre where you can learn all about the history of the bagpipes, how to play them and how they have evolved since the 1400s.  Hear the pipes...the pipers and the story f the bagpipes in this edition of Erin's Isle.

Ever wanted to learn the history of whiskey....as you sip it? Bruce MacGregor offers just that at his bar in Inverness. He explains the historic events relative to whiskey distilling in Scotland plus he accompanies the sipping and the history with his own award-winning fiddle playing and interesting anecdotes.  You can experience the Malt Whiskey Experience for yourself in this episode of Erin's Isle.

Trad sessions in Ireland always draw a crowd. But it is almost always a crowd there to listen. Dabilla is changing that. Anywhere they play they draw. crowd alright, but it's a high energy, highly involved crowd singing along, clapping, and feeding off he energy produced. That's because Dabilla blends traditional instruments and technique into a new approach to classic Irish tunes and popular music. Think uillean pipes playing the part of an electric guitar, or a tin whistle soloing through The Fields of Athenry.  Hear how it all comes together in this episode of Erin's Isle.

The Kilbaha Gallery on the Loop Head peninsula is a showcase for painting, sketches, sculptures and history.   Not only do they focus on Irish artists, it is the home of famous Irish bronze artists James and Seamus Connolly. Hear the story of their foundry, their aftwork and their love of what they do, in this episode of Erin's Isle.

Kenmare Lace played a big part in sough County Kerry's history. And the Lace design center in that village is working to educate people about the different types of lacemaking in Ireland, and to keep the art alive. Kenmare is also known for a three thousasnd year old stone circle many say has magic powers. Hear about both in this episode of Erin's Isle. 

The Dursey Island Cable Car travels a short distance from the tip of the Beara Peninsula to the island and back. And it is a lifeline for those who live and work on the island. And it is an adventure for those visiting. Take a ride on the Dursey Island Cable Car in this edition of Erin's Isle.

Experience a truly Scottish find. MacGregor's Bar in Inverness is the real deal. It celebrates Scotland through food, libations, atmosphere and music.  Owner Bruce MacGregor, is also a member of a famed Scottish band, Blazing Fiddles. But his bar is about keeping Scottish music alive with all other bands in the area. Hear the magic for yourself in this episode of Erin's Isle.

Inverness is home to the largest second hand book store in Scotland. You'll hear all about what you can find there and the man who is behind that bookseller's business in this episode of Erin's Isle. Plus you'll meet one of the change ringers at St. Andrews Cathedral. She stumbled into it and says it's changed her life. All that and more in this episode of Erin's Isle.

Inverness is a city in the north of Scotland, steeped in tradition from music to food to attire. It's one of those places where kilts are not just worn for the tourists...but for everyday wear. And in a little shop called Chisolm's Highland Dress you'll find tradition wrapped in tarten and adorned with a sporran. Heather has been making kilts there for 60 years.   "A kilt is 8 yards of fabric and it takes time to get the pleating right," she says. "It's an art and it is founded on tadition. And even though we have become a society of 'wants', meaning you want this plaid or that instead of the one assigned your clan, we believe in the old ways of doing things. That means doing things right every time." And she means it.  Hear her take on kilts and traditions in this episode of Erin's Isle.

Ireland is known for its dairy products, but Johnn Lynch in Macroom, west of Cork City, is putting dairy in the spotlight himself with water buffalo. That's right, he has established a substantial water buffalo industry. And his Water Buffalo Mozerella and other products are becomeing a national hit. 

Newgrange is a passage tomb located in Ireland's Ancient East. It is one of many monuments there. But what was it actually used for?  Anthony Murphy has studied and written extensively about Ireland's Ancient East. From the henges to the tombs and from the dolmens to the standing stones, he has written 7 books about them. Hear his views in this episode of Erin's Isle. 

Ireland is a land of wool. And in this episode of Erin's Isle, visit O'Maille's on High Street in Galway to see the variety of stitches, patterns, and wools the Irish are known for. Anne O'Maille has been knitting for 7 decades and is always happy share secrets with her customers.  

UCD's Scholars Choir has been an award-winning internet-famous, crowd-pleasing act for years. It began 23 years ago with  Artistic Director Desmond Earley and continues with him in charge. But even with a guest director the group is unbelievable. These singers are mostly scholars in other disciplines across the UCD campus. Only a handful are music majors. But their sound is intoxicating whether they are singing a capella, with an orchestra or with other famous Irish performers.  Hear their magic in this episode of Erin's Isle.

While Ireland brings visions of whiskey and Guinness to mind, Listoke, north of Dublin has opened Ireland's first all gin distillery and giin school. You can learn all about the business and all about distilling your own, in a 3 hour session at the school. They provide the botanicals and the stills, the rules and the recipes. You go home with an education and a bottle of gin distilled to your own specific tastes. Learn all about it this edition of Erin's isle

Michael Kelly is a fiddler who can play anything from rock and roll to bluegrass to jazz. But these days he focuses in on the musice that is in his heart; Irish Music. And while in Reno recently he enchanted the crowd with drinking songs, ballads and instrumental that make you dream of the Emerald Isle.  Hear his story and his music on this episode of Erin's Isle.  

When you visit the city of Cork, don't miss the hidden gems: the butter, the bells and burros.  That's right there is a museum there dedicted to butter, you can ring the Shandon bells if you are willing to climb the tower, and not far from Cork the Donkey Sanctuary houses and cares for hundreds of donkeys turned out on their own when agriculture in Ireland was motorized with tractors. Hear all about it in this episode of Erin's Isle. 

Meet the coooper master for Jameson Whiskey and hear how he views his all-important job, how important the casks are to Jameson and how he drinks his whiskey...on Erin's Isle.

The bodies of men who lived in the Iron Age have been pulled from the bogs in Ireland and are on display at the National Museum in Ireland. Hear the stories of how they came to be there, what happened to them and what we can all learn from such old bodies in this edition of Erin's Isle.

     Connemara is known for it's rustic landscapes.  So you may not realize it is also home to a few refined businesses. Like a chocolate factory and a perfumery.     Hear all about both businesses and the adventure getting there in Episode #304 of Erin's Isle.

Sean Smyth is one of about a dozen Irish harpmakers and his instruments are in demand. He makes each one to order from his workshop in the back of HollyTree Cottage not far from the Village of Naul. Hear what he puts into his harps and what harpis Fiona Gryson gets out of them, on Erin's Isle.

How did 100 women from all walks of life become a community voice in Drogheda? They got together to sing and found friendship, escapism, friendship and harmony with life.  Hear how a passtime the all love became the basis for a community service group, as they raise money for charities with their concerts.

Gaeltachts are Irish communities where Irish is designated as the primary language. Anyone can drop in, and, yest they will explain things in English if you can't understand them. But it's a way of encouraging the native language and keeping it alive. Donegal is a great Gaeltacht. Not only do you hear Irish all around you, you can see the Irish in action and you can see the pink skies of Donegal long into the night. 

Just because you aren't in Ireland doesn't mean you can't celebrate with traditional music.    Chances are there's a session in your own town. You just have to look for it.  This is one I found in Reno, Nevada

How the Galway Cathedral shows the resilience of the Irish Spirit.

Ballyfin is a luxury country house in County Laios, not far from Dublin, Ireland. It is was build in the 1800's and has been a popular getaway for the rich and famous from around the world.  In 2018 they held a special dinner and invited Chef Patrick O'Connell from Little Washington Virginia to help. It was  grand dinner indeed.  Tour the home and the gardens and hear the chefs talk about locally sourcing food in Ireland and in Virginia for the best they can offer.  All that plus A Broad Abroad in Episode #7 of Erin's Isle.

Tour the Dunbrody Famine Ship and hear the stories of those who sailed her. And hear the history of the Hole in the Wall Bar in Kilkenny. All that plus A Broad Abroad in Episode 40 of Erin's Isle.

Hear all about Kilkenny Castle, the Medieval Mile and Kytler's Inn, also known as a Witches' Kitchen. History that shaped the town and that will make you want to visit. All that plus A Broad Abroad in Episode 39 of Erin's Isle. 

A working windmill and a competition for roses. You can find them both within miles of each other in the west of Ireland. Tralee is where women from around the world compete for the title of the Rose of Tralee every August. Hear where they come from and just how the competition began so many years ago.  And Blennerville, between Tralee and the Dingle Peninsula is where you'll find Ireland's only working windmill. It works to this day, but not more to bring in tourists than to turn out tons of flour. Hear all about the area in Episode 38 of Erin's Isle.

From cemeteries and funerals to wakes and monuments, the Irish know how to celebrate a life well-lived. Hear all about about, including the role grave robbers played and how the newly dead are honored daily.  All that plus A Broad Abroad in Episode 37 of Erin's Isle.

From preserving Irish ancestry to musicians creating and sharing Celtic music, Episode 36 of Erin's Isle explores them all. In particular there is a focus on the connections from Ireland and Scotland all the way to the high desert of Nevada, and all across the United States.

Finding your way around Ireland can be tricky. The good thing is that everyone you see will help you. Hear the kind of directions you will get, and learn all about the Cliffs of Moher and what to listen for along with the seabirds and the never-ending wind.  ASll that plus A Broad broad in Episode #35 of Erin's Isle. 

Dingle Gin has just won awards for both its whiskey and its gin. Hear all about how they go about their distilling and why they serve you whisky before the tour even begins. And Sean and Kieran Murphy have found sweet, sweet success using the dairy products of Ireland. They moved to Ireland 20 years ago and have built an empire around ice cream. Murphy's Ice Cream celebrates the flavors of Ireland from Irish Brown Bread to Sea Salt, to Dingle Gin. All that plus A Broad Abroad in Episode 34 of Erin's Isle.

Hear all about Ann O'Maille and her House of Original Style in Galway. She's a knitter, a teacher and a businesswoman extraordinaire. And find out how a love of nature and a love of art resulted in the silver shamrocks that Maura Dickerson sells at the Galway Market in Galway. All that plus A Broad Abroad, in this episode of Erin's Isle.

Riding along the beaches of Ireland free as the wind atop a Connemara Pony is something you see in the movies. And it feels like you're in a movie when you do it, too. Hear what it's like, feel the thrill of the adventure and find some tips on planning your own adventure in Episode 32 of Erin's Isle. And if watching the talents of the sheepdogs that the Irish sheep farmers rely on is more your speed we've got that too. Demonstrations are put on for tourists to see what goes on behind the scenes bringing sheep in from across the land.  It's all in Episode 32 of Erin's Isle.    

Michael Browne calls his oysters The Galway Breakfast. "They clean the palette and give you a boost for the day," he says. Hear about how he harvests them and how he gets people to try them. And Seaweed may just be the new Kale. The Connemara Seaweed Company is growing in leaps and bounds. Find out how they harvest that, what goes into processing it and how to use it. All that plus A Broad Abroad in Episode 31 of Erin's Isle.

Viking reenactments have become quite a popular thing all across Europe and in Northern Ireland they celebrate the Viking heritage in Portadown, not far from Belfast. The annual Viking Festival there includes longboats, a Viking village, crafters, concerts and Vikings of every age.  They cook, camp, craft, and battle all through the weekend. And the television series Vikings put on by The History Channel has helped fuel the Viking Festivals as a circuit. Hear the battles, the music and the people, in Episode 30 of Erin's Isle.

Dingle is a magical place. And there are some passionate artists who live there.  Abi Dillon followed her passion for beach combing and crafts all the way to opening a shop featuring Sea Glass and other artists in the Dingle Area.  Harris Moore settled in Dingle and built a Celtic and Prehistoric Museum after traveling the world playing music.  And they are the tip of the iceberg for magic in Dingle.  Check out their stories plus A Broad Abroad in Episode 29 of Erin's Isle.

Imagine rustic coastal courses with incredible greens, golfing around a castle, or a lakeland course that is also home to a historic Abbey and carriages from the Orient Express. Golfing in Ireland offers all that and more.  You just need to know where to go to find it.  Episode 28 of Erin's Isle shows you were to go, what you'll find and what you just might want to ask about.  

Meet the Galway Hookers. They are a tradition, and there is a movement to bring them back as a working force in the West of Ireland.  The effort to restore the traditional fishing boats of the Claddagh, known as the Galway Hookers, is an international effort and a growing project that involves people from all walks of life all focused on seeing the shiny black beauties with their bright red sails working again on Galway Bay. And...they are so iconic that The Galway Hooker is also a winning brand in Ireland for everything from GAA teams to beer. Hear the story of the Galway Hookers from boats to beer in this episode of Erin's Isle.   

Irish crystal is known for it's strength, sparkle and elegance.And it's still made by hand. In fact, at Waterford Crystal every piece is hand blown, hand cut and hand finished. And you can watch them making timeless art, and admire the results in every shape you can image. You know what else shines bright for the future? The Blackrock Castle Observatory. From a colorful history to a starry eyed future, the people of Cork have retained it's history and given it a new lease on life. All that plus A Broad Abroad in Episode 26 of Erin's Isle.  

The village of Adare looks like it's from a storybook about Ireland, with thatched cottages, a lovely park and a magnificent Manor House. Find out why Abbeyglen Castle is the friendliest castle  in Connemara, hear what sets if apart. And learn all about how wool gets from the sheep to the famous sweaters of the Aran Islands, at Ireland's National Wool Center.  All that plus A Broad Abroad, in episode 23 of Erin's Isle.

When it comes to tractors in Ireland, no one knows more about them than Austin O'Sullivan. He's has studied what they mean to Ireland and he collects them. He started the Agriculture Museum of Ireland and if you're lucky he'll take you on a tour. It's housed in the historic outbuildings of Johnstown Castle near Wexford. Those tractors put a lot of donkeys out of work. But there is a sanctuary here that looks for those donkeys and takes them in. Hear how thankful they are, and how you can offer a few welcomed hugs to them if you like.  All that plus A Broad Abroad, in Episode 23 of Erin's Isle.

Award-winning food! In this Episode of Erin's Isle we visit Ballymaloe, Ireland's premiere cookery school. Located in rural Ireland between Waterford and Cork it is an amazing international operation training chefs for work around the world.  And then we take The Galway Food Tour through the best the west has to offer in cooking and in fresh locally-grown products. From seafood to whiskey the key is to learn what's available and where to find it.  All that plus A Broad Abroad, in this episode of Erin's Isle.

What draws people to Clare Island? Ciara McCalla moved there for what it offered her in natural beauty. She celebrates that energy through yoga and organic food. Beth Moran was drawn to the beauty as well, she celebrates nature with her weavings. And see how a flock on the dock of Clew Bay marks each passing year. All that plus A Broad Abroad in Episode 22 of Erin's Isle  

History is valued and protected in Ireland, and that keeps the country's heritage alive and well. Such is the case with the Heritage Park in Wexford where you can see six thousand years of Ireland's history as it was back then.  In Kinsale, the Irish Veterans Museum commemorates the Irish born who were lost fighting in wars around the world.  And at the Tap Tavern, which is also in Kinsale you are surrounded on all sides by history reaching back to the 11th century. Hear about them all in Episode 20 of Erin's Isle.  

Visit the Matchmaker Bar in the village of Lisdoonvarna and see how third-generation Willie Daly works his craft. Tour Terra Nova Gardens where Debra Begley has created a fairyland so wonderful that real fairies have moved in. Hear how it all came to be. And learn all about chocolate at the Hazel Mountain Chocolate Factory in Connemara. All that and A Broad Abroad in Episode 19 of Erin's Isle.  

Scotland is so much more than plaid kilts and haggis. It's a country of museums and highlands and of castles and bustling cities. And the people there are not only friendly, they have very cool accent. As usual for me, my adventures were better because of the things I stumbled upon, than to what you find in a guide book. From the Grand Central Hotel that blew me away, to the museums chocked full of the country's colorful history it was a place `i plan to go back to someday. 

The Dingle Peninsula is known for a few things, including the beautiful landscape, Fungi the Dolphin who lives in the bay, and Murphy's ice cream which is made there. But don't miss the pubs.They have some original including one that doubles as a hardware store, one that sells leather goods including shoes, and one that sells all kinds of things and keeps ledgers on what others have sold in the past.   Take a tour of some enduring pubs run by charming people, in Episode 17 of Erin's Isle. 

When it comes to finding hidden jewels, The West of Ireland is a great place to hunt.  From the buskers  in the streets of Galway to the technicians behind the ancient harps of long ago, to the up and coming artists of the future, the west is rich in culture, heritage and art.  Learn about how the ancient Irish harps are made, the ideas behind award-winning jewelry designer Linsey DeBurca, and what sets Galway buskers apart, in this episode of Erin's Isle.     

Clare Island is off the coast of Westport on the west coast of Ireland. It's just a 20 minute ferry ride to get there. But it does feel like you are a million miles away once you land there. Life is just a lot simpler there. People are friendlier and there is a feeling of community everywhere you go.  You can meet those who make it so special, learn the history of Granuaile, the fabled Pirate Queen who lived there and walk to the Clare Island Lighthouse that now hosts guests as a manor house hotel.