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.

Erin's Isle podcast

Ballyfin

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.

The Dunbrody and the Hole in the Wall

Tour the Dunbrody Famine ship docked in New Ross and hear the challenged the Irish had in escaping the famine. And visit the Hole in the Wall in Kilkenny. A famous tiny tavern with a huge history. All that plus A Broad Abroad in Ep#40 of Erin's Isle.

Ep 40: Dunbrody & Hole in the Wall

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. 

Ep 39: Kilkenny

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.

Windmills and Roses

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.

Death, it's another part of life

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.

Celtic Connections

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. 

Cliffs of Moher & Irish Directions

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.

Dingle Gin and Murphy's Ice Cream

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.

Knitting Needles and Silver Shamrocks

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.    

Horseback Riding and Irish Sheepdogs

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.

Oysters & Seaweed...Yum!

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.

The Vikings are...here!

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.

Dingle Magic

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.  

Gaelic Golf; A Hole in One

Ireland is full of cottages and castles and cathedrals and pubs. But it so much more than that. Erin's Isle takes you beyond the shillelaghs and the shamrocks in stories that will make you feel like you are there. Plus, you'll get to know the real people who live here and both the authentic and the offbeat you won't want to miss when you travel here yourself.

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Erin's Isle podcast

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