Irish History, Records, and Myths

History

Biden halts release of John F Kennedy assassination documents to "protect against identifiable harm"

A memo from the White House announced that the next document dump will be December 2021, with the more sensitive material delayed until 2022.

History

From here to Timbuktu: Daniel Houghton, the Irish Sahara desert explorer

The Tyrone man who almost made it to Timbuktu in 1793 but was never seen again.

Roots

The infamous murder of an Irish beauty, Colleen Bawn

The murder of 15-year-old Ellen Scanlan - the Colleen Bawn - at the request of her older husband in 1819 is one of Ireland's most haunting crimes.

History

Yikes! These early 20th century Halloween costumes are horrifying

Looking for the scariest Halloween costumes? You'll have to look into the past to the early 20th century!

News

Vikings arrived in North America 1,000 years ago, new dating shows

A study of wooden artifacts uncovered at L’Anse aux Meadows in Newfoundland found that Vikings lived and felled trees in the area exactly one millennium ago.

History

3,000-year-old baby skeleton discovered at the Irish birthplace of Halloween

A 3000-year-old skeleton of a baby was found at Tlachtga on the Hill of Ward, which is considered to be the birthplace of Halloween in County Meath, Ireland.

History

Meet Averil Deverell, the first Irish woman barrister called to the Bar

Averil Deverell from County Wicklow was one of Ireland’s first woman barristers and played an important role in momentous changes both for Ireland and for women.

History

On this day: Samuel Beckett won a Nobel Prize for Literature in 1969

Born in Dublin, the Irish novelist and playwright is recognized as one of the greatest Irish writers and was awarded the prestigious Swedish literature prize in 1969.

Genealogy

The fascinating history of Ché Guevara’s Irish ancestry

A genealogist explores how Ché Guevara, a major figure of the Cuban Revolution, held Irish roots in County Galway.

History

Why is the Irish border where it is?

Northern Ireland wasn’t always destined to be a six-county state.

News

Six skeletons found under famous Cork pub unearth fascinating medieval history

Archaeologists work to uncover details around human remains found in a building site.

News

Dr. John Lahey saddened over closure of Ireland’s Great Hunger Museum

"I am perplexed why anyone in this day and time would even consider closing a museum dedicated to educating people about the evils of discrimination and bigotry."

History

History rewritten: DNA evidence shows Vikings weren’t all Scandinavian, some were Irish

The study finds Scottish and Irish people have integrated into Viking society well enough to receive a full Viking burial.

Other Writers

Halloween, an Irish gift to the world

IrishCentral Contributor John Joe McGinley takes a look at one of Ireland's "greatest inventions" - Halloween!

History

Original Irish Jack-o-Lanterns made of turnips were truly terrifying

The Jack-O-Lantern story comes from Irish folklore, and the original was a far cry from the cute friendly Halloween decoration we know today!

Roots

These terrifying Halloween figures all have Irish origins

The scariest of Halloween monsters and ghouls have the Irish to thank for their terrifying origins.

History

This centuries-old Irish ghost story will give you all the chills ahead of Halloween

An Irish ghost returning from the dead in warning makes this super creepy tale one of Ireland's greatest ghost stories for Halloween.

History

How Féile Na Marbh or 'Feast of the Dead' became Halloween

All Hallows Eve actually began as a harvest festival, the Celtic Feast of the Dead, several millennia ago in Ireland. Here are some Halloween recipes to help you celebrate.

History