2.5 million images of Irish births, deaths and marriage records from the General Register Office are available online

In September 2015, over 2.5 million images of Irish births, deaths and marriage records from the General Register Office (GRO), were released online for the first time. The images, available on www.irishgenealogy.ie, date back as far as 1864. Among the records are the birth, marriage and death register for Tom Crean, the Antarctic explorer. Crean’s grandson Brendan O’Brien joined the Irish Government Ministers Heather Humphreys and Leo Varadkar at the release launch event at the National Library. The online database also includes death register entries for the Leaders of the 1916 Rising, including James Connolly, Thomas Clarke, Padraig H Pearse, and Eamonn Ceannt.

Mullingar has been selected as the venue for Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann 2020, Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann

Mullingar has been selected as the venue for Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann 2020, Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann announced on Saturday. The event will take place from August 2nd-9th next year. This year’s event in Drogheda, Co Louth attracted around 400,000 visitors to the town with up to 10,000 musicians taking part. Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann founded the event in the Co Westmeath town in 1951 but the event has not been hosted there since 1963. “We are very proud to be part of this mammoth endeavour and have pledged that all necessary resources will be made available to the organising team,” said Pat Gallagher, chief executive of Westmeath County Council. Chairperson of […]

Fab Fermanagh: Is this Northern Ireland’s best-kept secret?

Fab Fermanagh: Is this Northern Ireland’s best-kept secret? Year of Food & Drink 2016 5Finn Lough’s transparent domes. From delicious cafés to domes under the stars, Lorraine Courtney says Fermanagh makes a super short break. Fancy seeing the heavenly bodies peppering Fermanagh’s ink-black skies from one of Ireland’s quirkiest new hotel rooms (above)? I spent a January night counting shooting stars in the middle of a Fermanagh woodland – and all while snuggled under the duvet. Designed by Belleek’s Ronan Lowery, Finn Lough’s transparent domes are very snazzy with four-poster beds crafted from local oak, a Nespresso machine, two cosy armchairs, fluffy robes and a telescope for gazing at the […]

Emma Sides chooses Belmullet over Bordeaux and discovers a holiday she didn’t know she would appreciate

Travel Writer, Mayo: “Because it wasn’t vineyards and bistros we initially had a feeling of being hard done by. We were, of course, entirely wrong.” Emma Sides chooses Belmullet over Bordeaux and discovers a holiday she didn’t know she would appreciate “Blind Harbour’s secret beach within a beach, reached by clambering through a small cave, still gave me a thrill and brought me back to boogie boarding on wooden surfboards (purchased in Cornwall in the 1950s) and cartwheels and handstands on the sand to warm up after.” Last summer, trying to save money, we ditched our plans for a continental holiday and exchanged Bordeaux for Belmullet, pretty much as far […]

Record crowds attend the Fleadh in Sligo

It was an exciting and successful weekend of competitions, concerts, céilithe and sessions as the Comhaltas 64th Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann was celebrated by an estimated 400,000 throughout Sligo. The biggest event to have ever been hosted in Sligo, organisers estimate that attendance was up 30% on the previous year. Sligo seemed to pulse with Irish rhythm and revelry as age-old traditions were celebrated by fresh generations. The Fleadh Cheoil featured a week-long festival of fun with over 250 events and in excess of 8,000 competitors taking part in the All Ireland Fleadh competitions. Sligo spared no effort ensuring an entertaining event-packed programme that brought the world’s premier festival of […]

Irish tourism set for ‘record year’ as visitor numbers surge

Overseas visitor numbers to Ireland grew by 12.1pc in the first five months of the year. The growth sets Ireland on a course for its best ever year in tourism. “If this trend continues we will be looking at a record year for overseas visitor numbers,” said Minister for Transport, Tourism & Sport, Paschal Donohoe. Ireland is now in its fifth consecutive year of growth in visitor numbers, with the economic recovery, expanding air routes, a 9pc VAT rate for the sector and marketing initiatives like the Wild Atlantic Way and The Gathering all apparently paying dividends. 2007 was Irish tourism’s busiest year to date, with 7.7m visitors. “These are […]

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This stunning family hotel is now one of the largest leisure hotels in the West of Ireland. It offers guests indoor heated swimming pool, spa jacuzzi, sauna, steam room, children’s pool, hairdressing salon, beautician and health suites for aromatherapy and massage.

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