Ireland's Hidden Gems

Even as I write the headline it doesn’t ring? true, we are just not a romantic lot in the ‘hallmarked’ sense of the word in Ireland, unless it stamped on inside of a nice sparkly piece, that’s laden down with the right type of carats (not carrots?) believe me there’s are lads here still wouldn’t know the difference.

And that’s despite us having the actual certified remains of St Valentine himself in Whitefriar St Church in Dublin? Great, how romantic is that? we can claim some bonafide bones, no wonder if never took off as a tourism idea? All mocking aside, there is a special blessing of the rings ceremony on the day, and all are welcome to go along and renew their wedding vows, ahh..…

The most romantic Irish fellas usually get is a pathetic bunch of flowers from the petrol station on the way home from work and one of those afore mentioned cheesey cards, please? Listen up guys if you really want to impress the love of your life, be it the Mammy, wife, girlfriend or both? Order (in advance) a one of a kind, piece of floral perfection from the guys at Yes Flowers, in Galway. Having given up hinting years ago, I now book my own ‘surprise’ from them, with his credit card of course, et voila romance!

Read more: St. Brigid’s Day, Feb. 1, marks start of Celtic Spring

Read more: How to make a Saint Brigid's Cross - SEE VIDEO

Spring in Ireland officially starts on St Brigids Day which is February the 1st in our calendar? Which may not be accurate as this is a celebration that has its roots along way back in pre-christian times, some 6000 years ago actually when there was no written tradition. Like many other cultures around the world female deities ruled supreme, the similarities between Egyptian mythology and Irish mythology being quite remarkable? For example most people will be familiar with Egyptian ritual from the Book of the Dead, of Isis breathing life into the mummified corpse, well not many know that the same scene is depicted in stone at the foot of a high cross in Ireland.