When I was in Dublin I visited a small indie bookshop called The Winding Stair. I was just looking up their website to share and discovered there is a restaurant upstairs! Up the winding stairs. How did I miss that??? Probably because it was my first day in Ireland (thus no sleep!) and I was…
Author: Cindy Thomson
Glendalough, Valley of Two Lakes
I have been wanting to blog about sites on my last trip to Ireland ever since I got back! So sorry it’s taken months for me to get to this (other obligations) but I’m happy to start sharing! Glendalough is a popular tourist destination, and it’s not far from Dublin, but this was my first…
Happy St. Brendan’s Day!
Amazon affiliate links are used, which help support the blog but do not cost you more to use. He’s one of the most interesting Irish saints, in my opinion, and there are plenty! Today is his feast day, a fine time to chat a bit about the man. He’s most famous for his voyage, which…
5 Things To Do To Celebrate Beltane
It’s May 1, the Celtic festival of Beltane, May Day, and in Ireland the first day of summer. There are traditional ways to celebrate: dance around a May pole, make a basket of flowers and leave it anonymously on your neighbor’s door….But who does that? So, how do you celebrate? Here are five ideas for you: 1….
Ireland 2023 Recap
This will be a brief summary of the trip. I plan to blog more extensively on several of the stops we made on the Brigid’s Ancient Ireland Tour. I was honored to be asked by Prime Tours to help plan and lead a tour to Ireland based on places in my book Brigid of Ireland….
Where I Am Going, You Cannot Follow Now
Simon Peter asked him, “Lord, where are you going?” Jesus replied, “Where I am going, you cannot follow now, but you will follow later.” (John 13:36 NIV) This passage comes from The Last Supper, and seeing that this is Holy Week, it seems fitting. And it makes me think today of the Celtic pilgrims who set out…
Irish Lace
Did you know that lace window curtains were a sign of prosperity among Irish immigrants? Even on the frontier where houses were rough hewn dwellings a woman hung lace curtains in the window if she was able. In Ireland you’ll see windows covered in lace curtains. I can’t think of anything more homey and welcoming….
The Irish Harp
The harp is one of the symbols of Ireland. You’ll find it on Irish euros, the Guinness logo, and many more places. The harp has been a beloved instrument since Old Testament days and maybe since the beginning of time. Angels play harps, right? In my book, Celtic Song, I talk about the legend of…
Thoughts on St. Patrick’s Day
A few things I’ve been thinking about…. St. Patrick is in the same category as St. Nicholas and St. Valentine, real people who have been reduced to cartoon-like effigies in order to celebrate a secular holiday. And to a history buff, that’s a bit annoying. However, who among us would even have heard of these…
5 Things You May Not Know About St. Patrick’s Day
Happy St. Patrick’s Day!Here’s my list of things you might not know (and you just might because I have such smart blog readers!) 1. Ireland’s traditional color is blue, not green. Shocking, isn’t it? Well, I suppose that depends on how far you want to go back. I’m thinking there wasn’t an official color when…
