Ireland

Sanctuary of St. Patrick, Lough Derg, Co. Donegal Gordon Dunn - Shutterstock

Saint Patrick’s Purgatory: The rigors of Ireland’s ancient pilgrimage

TrailsMarch 6, 2025

The pilgrimage to Saint Patrick’s Purgatory is an exercise in physical endurance, sure, but it is mostly a symbolic act that resonates with themes of repentance, humility, and renewal

Traditional Irish dinner with corned beef, soda bread and colcannon Elena Veselova - Shutterstock

Potatoes: The heart of Irish cuisine

Food and DrinkMarch 5, 2025

Humble in appearance yet rich in history and versatility, the potato holds a special place in Ireland’s cultural and culinary identity.

St. Patrick’s Green

StoriesJuly 25, 2024

Green is more than a color. It is a matter of national identity –a crossroads of history, religion, and folklore.

How many wells of Saint Patrick are there in Ireland?

StoriesApril 11, 2024

On the Tochar Phadraig, the pilgrimage to St. Patrick’s Hill, we find at least two of the famous St. Patrick’s Wells –artificial or natural springs deemed as sacred, associated with…

A “stout” tradition: Guinness on the Celtic Camino to Santiago

Food and DrinkApril 10, 2024

Steeped in history and spirituality, this journey has a surprising connection to the famous Irish stout: Guinness.

The saint who got to an island that doesn’t exist

StoriesJanuary 27, 2024

Saint Brendan’s Island is not a minor myth. It is part of the most epic of all legendary pilgrimages: a journey to paradise and back.

Passport to Ireland’s Medieval Pilgrim Trails

TrailsNovember 29, 2023

To be considered an official pilgrim, one must walk a minimum of one hundred kilometers: this is the requirement for receiving the compostelana on the Way of Saint James. The…

Celtic Christian History: Saints, Monasteries, and Pilgrimages

StoriesNovember 28, 2023

The Hiberno-Scottish missions distinguished themselves through a unique form of monasticism that contributed to a robust intellectual tradition in Europe.

Caherdorgan Stone Fort

SitesNovember 28, 2023

Ruins of an imposing cashel probably from the 9th century on the Cosán na Naomh pilgrimage route.