For many years as a child, we went on our summer holidays to Donegal. My sister and I were attending an Irish primary school in Dublin City Centre (Marlborough Street) and my dad was keen on getting us up to hear Irish being spoken naturally. We had great times up there and working up the […]
Last year when I was researching the Celtic Festival of Bealtaine, I learned about the fire celebration that takes place in Uisneach in County Mullingar. I’m crazy about triple spirals (triskele) and I love a good fire, so when I saw the photographs of triskele with flames (!!) well the Uisneach Festival was immediately put […]
I managed a kid-free trip to the Hill of Tara over Easter and I loved it. Given the many stories about Tara and it being the place where the High Kings of Ireland lived and the old stories that link it to the Ark of the Covenant, it amazes me that so much of the […]
The 1st of February celebrates St. Brigid, one of the patron saints of Ireland and was known also as a fertility goddess in Celtic mythology. There are many spellings for her name – Brigid, Bridget, Brigit, Brighid, Bríd, and Bride. The feast day co-incides with what was originally a pagan festival called Imbolc, marking the arrival […]
The Claddagh Ring And Its History There are many pieces of traditional Irish jewellery including the Celtic knot bands and crosses which I adore but there has always been a special place in my heart for the Claddagh Ring. The Claddagh Ring is a beautiful piece of jewellery showing great craftsmanship and has a lineage […]
One of the most significant dates in Celtic times was the Festival of Bealtaine. Around May 1st is when the ancient festival of Bealtaine (also called Beltane) took place, about halfway between the spring equinox and the summer solstice. Like many other Celtic festivals the date has an agricultural significance as it symbolised the start […]
I’ve been meaning to write about our family trip to Ennistymon in County Clare for ages now but the preparation for the National Crafts Fair in the RDS before Christmas was quickly upon me followed by preparing for Showcase (tradeshow) in the middle of January and then fulfilling orders from Showcase! The amazing Irish landscape […]
The Claddagh is a truly exceptional design that has stood the test of time and will continue to do so for centuries to come. It is as beautiful in meaning as it is to look at aesthetically. The meaning of the Claddagh remains as potent as it did when it was first designed: love (grá) […]
Very recently, I was commissioned to make a Christening bracelet for a baby girl. The Children of Lir story was an important story to the family and as such one of my Children of Lir charms was to feature. It also included a garnet charm to represent the baby’s birthstone. I was very honoured to […]
Growing Home Collection – the meaning behind the jewelry Tracy’s vision of Ireland is reflected in her ‘Growing Home’ collection with Ireland represented as a tree with deep roots – resilient and enduring – that has remained standing strong, swaying but unbroken. Throughout the years, Ireland has continued to grow whilst never ceasing to give shelter to past, […]