Episodes

In todays special Christmas episode, we share a selection of old Irish Christmas carols, songs and tunes. They include: The Bells of Dublin/Christmas Eve - performed by The Chieftains Christmas in Killarney - performed by Bing Crosby Curoo, Curoo Carol of the Birds - performed by Maggie Sansone, Andrea Hoag, Sharon Knowles, Patrick Egan Christmas Angels - performed by Clannad The Wexford Carol - performed by Alison Krauss, Yo-Yo Ma, Natalie McMaster Once in Royal David's City - performed by The ...

In today's episode we share some old Irish names - quite beautiful ones - that are just some of our favourites for boys and girls. Perhaps you already have one or two in your own family? We also share the story of Jimmy Hasty, an Irish footballer from Dundalk in County Louth and how I learnt a good lesson when I received som particular feedback on this story from one of our readers. Running through today's episode we have the beautiful music of Cork songwriter Jimmy McCarthy. We hope you enjoy!

This week we look at one of the most Irish of cities outside Ireland - the city of Liverpool on the western shores of Britain. It's a place that has seen over a million Irish pass through its port to stay in England, Wales and Scotland or to head to places further afield such as the USA, Canada, Australia and other locations. We chat about just some of the Irish families who decided to stay in Liverpool - and their very famous descendants, four lads who formed a band called The Beatles. We then ...

This week we look at the fact that there are many, many more people of Irish descent OUTSIDE the island of Ireland than on the island of Ireland. Many Irish immigrants brought their Irish placenames with them when they settled in a new country. We look at just two cities with an Irish pedigree and chat about their Irish connections and links to specific places in Ireland. All this accompanied by music from one of the best Irish Diaspora bands - The Pogues. I do hope you enjoy!

Welcome to this special musical edition of the Letter from Ireland podcast. We take a tour around the five counties - Galway, Mayo, Sligo, Leitrim and Roscommon - of the Irish province of Connaught. We have chosen two songs/pieces of music from each County with plenty of history and stories along the way. We hope you enjoy them very much! As we move around the counties, Mike refers to a map of the province which you can find at https://www.aletterfromireland.com/744

In this episode we look at two types of storyteller. First, we have the "bard" who composes songs to honour the deeds and exploits of the great (and not so great) among us. In this case, a certain gentleman called "Thady Quill" had a song composed in his honour which has lived on long past himself. We then move on to a storyteller who was immortalised in the book "The Tailor and Ansty". With plenty of Irish music and song to keep things lively along the way from the Clancy Brothers and Tommy Mak...

In this episode, we look at the time of the Brehon laws of Ireland and take an example of just some of these Gaelic common laws that held our society together. We also chat about the Brehon families and some of the Irish surnames associated with these families. We then go on to chat about the early Irish monks and some of the monastic-related surnames of Ireland. We tie it all up by linking to the book "How The Irish Saved Civilization" with lots of good Gaelic Chieftain music and more along the...

Join us on this episode of the Letter from Ireland show as we tell some surprising stories from an Irish Halloween! Did you know that many of the rituals and traditions associated with Halloween came from the Celtic Festival of "Samhain" (pronounced "sow-en" - "sow" as pronounced in pig)? Carina and Mike talk about the Celtic seasons and festivals, their own Irish Halloween memories - and tell two very special Irish stories linked to this time of year. So, come on in - sit down and have a listen...

In this episode, we feature two Irish Pub stories that are bound together. In the first, we chat about the book McCarthy's Bar - which gives a comical view of both the Irish Pub and the Irish by Pete McCarthy. We then travel to the pub featured on the cover of that book - McCarthy's Bar in Castletownbere - and tell the story of a special item at the back of that pub. With lots of Irish drinking songs to keep us company along the way!

Today we feature two Irish movie stars from the golden age of Hollywood - Grace Kelly and Maureen O'Hara. In one story we chat about the "Two Graces of County Mayo" and then we take a trip up Maureen O'Hara's ancestry tree. We even manage to uncover songs on which they feature. Not to be missed!

In this extended musical edition of the Letter from Ireland podcast, we share 15 songs performed by 15 Irish artists. Each song has a connection with the song that went before it - and the one that goes after it. Hence the title! We feature artists you may already be familiar with - Van Morrison, Mary Black, Lisa Hannigan - as well as many more you may be hearing for the first time. Lots of chat between the songs from Mike. We hope you enjoy!

In this episode we look at the journey a branch of the Vikings took and established a Dukedom in what became known as "Normandy" in northern France. We look at their culture and traditions - traditions that they brought with them to England in 1066 and then onto Ireland in the late part of the 1100s. From this group we have so many of the Norman-Irish surnames that we know today -Fitzgerald, Barry, Roche etc. We also feature the music of a singer from Gweedore in County Donegal who become known ...

In this week's episode we look at the way that unmarried mothers - and other "social undesirables" were treated in Ireland, especially in the period from the 1940s to the 1960s. Carina reads out two letters - one on the Magdalene Laundries and the other shares the story of one mother who never gave up on searching for her adopted son. This is quite a sombre episode - but I think you will find the overall message to be somewhat uplifting, see what you think!

In today's episode, we explore the different sort of Irish music that was coming onto the scene from the mid-1970s. We first look at the story of that great London-Irish band - The Pogues - and then onto the more subtle music of Paul Brady. In both cases, lots of background stories, music and craic. We do hope you enjoy!

In this episode we take a musical trip around the nine counties of Ulster: Derry (Londonderry), Antrim, Down, Armagh, Tyrone, Fermanagh, Cavan, Donegal and Monaghan. Alongside the immortal "Danny Boy", we feature at least one tune or song from each of the counties. I refer to a map while talking - and you can see the map in the shownotes at aletterfromireland.com/732 . This episode of the Letter from Ireland podcast was based on an earlier show we broadcast only to Green Room members. Enjoy! Mus...

In this episode we look at the many ways the Great Irish Famine was reported outside of Ireland - and the reaction from some of the groups that were exposed to that reporting. In one case, Mike's own ancestors were included in a report that went out in English newspapers in the 1840s. One of the letters covered looks at the way the famine was depicted through paintings - and the power such paintings had on the general public outside Ireland. Finally, we look at the impact the reporting of the fa...

We look at the stories of two different Irish pioneers in early north America - in what is now the country of Canada. The first is the story of Denis O'Donovan - who had the opportunity to choose his final resting place - and the second is Tadhg O'Brennan who may have been the first "Irish-Canadian" . All accompanied by music from The Chieftains and local Canadian folk singers and musicians. Enjoy!

In this episode we look at the story of two men born seventy years apart on the west coast of Ireland - who went on to make a substantial mark on naval history. William Brown was born into poverty in County Mayo but went on to become the father of the Argentinian Navy while John Philip Holland from County Clare designed the first submarines used by both the British and US Navies. Two fascinating stories with lots of sea-shanties to enjoy along the way!

Did you know that Ireland was an uninhabited, ice-covered piece of ground up to about 10,000 years ago? Since then, many waves of immigrants have arrived in Ireland and made it more of a "melting Pot" than many of us might imagine. In this episode we look at the arrival in Ireland of two of these groups - one to County Limerick in the late 1700s and the other to County Fermanagh in 1600s and 1700s. With lots of Irish music along the way. We do hope you enjoy!

In this very special episode we take a trip around Inishmore - the largest of the Aran Islands - in the company of Cyril O'Flaherty. Cyril is a well known local historian and artist and gives a special insight into many old Irish culture and traditions as we travel around - many of which are still alive in this most beautiful of settings. Along the way, Carina and Mike have plenty of chat, craic and music. We do hope you enjoy!

What have all these words got in common? Have a listen to today's show and find out. We look at two of Ireland's minority religions - the Methodists and the Quakers. We tell stories, share music and make a surprising connection from a village in county Cork to the first Quaker colonies in Pennsylvania. We do hope you enjoy!

The 12th of July is a holiday across the 6 counties of Northern Ireland. It is the day that many celebrate by participating in marching bands, having barbecues and enjoying the holiday with their families in different ways. In this episode we look at the arrival of the Scots in the counties of Ulster - and the subsequent "first migration" in the 18th century to the colonies of north America where they eventually became known as "Scotch-Irish". We also look at the rise and (gradual) fall of the O...

In today's episode we chat about all things Irish - the Irish language that is! The first letter looks at Irish sayings and proverbs in their original Irish, how to pronounce them and what they mean in English. We then go on to examine how local Irish accents changed how one Irish surname was anglicised in different parts of the island. We also feature three very beautiful Irish songs in their original Irish. Hope you enjoy!

In this episode, Carina and Mike chat about Irish Spirits - Irish Whiskey and other fine Irish concoctions that is! They look at the the story of Irish whiskey - share some Irish drinking songs along the way - and then travel to the Green Fields of France for an unexpected link to a little village in the north of County Cork and the great Cognac houses of France. With lots of Irish history, surnames, genealogy, chat and craic along the way.