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Children’s book illustrator PJ Lynch has enticed generations of children and adults into the magical worlds of Andersen’s The Snow Queen, the smoky Victorian London of Dickens’ A Christmas Carol and the adventures of John Howland, a stowaway on the Mayflower who survived falling overboard to land in the New World.

A Vibrant Cultural Heritage

Life & Culture

We may be a small country, but we’re very proud of the huge wealth of creative talent we’ve unleashed upon the world.

Foraging Flavours from the Deep

Life & Culture

The Irish have long enjoyed a passionate relationship with the ocean; we are an island nation after all, and a nation of poets and artists who find their muse in the tumultuous seas.

The National Museum of Ireland: Country Life

Life & Culture

Opened in 2001, the grounds were originally owned by the Fitzgerald family until 1991 when the 15.7 hectares estate was purchased by Mayo County Council. The National Museum of Ireland- Country Life opened in 2001, and is the only National Museum of Ireland site located outside Dublin.

National Museum of Ireland: Decorative Arts & History

Life & Culture

On Easter Monday, 24 April 1916, rebel leader Pádraig Pearse read the Proclamation of the Irish Republic outside Dublin’s General Post Office (GPO) as a new flag was symbolically raised above the building.

National Museum of Ireland: Natural History

Life & Culture

Affectionately known as The Dead Zoo by Dubliners, the National Museum of Ireland: Natural History is home to two million specimens of animal, with 10,000 displayed in glass cabinets. The museum has changed little since opening in the 19th century, which is part of its enduring charm.

In the Frame: Innovative Irish Animation

Life & Culture

From the sea shanty tales of Song of the Sea to the beautifully drawn Celtic mythology of The Secret of Kells, Irish illustrators and cartoonists are at the forefront of a new wave of storytelling for children and adults.

Getting to Grips: GAA Handball

Life & Culture

From ancient Egypt to the Aztecs, handball-like games have been depicted in history over millennia. In Ireland, what is now known as GAA Handball was first known as Gaelic handball.

Panti Bliss: Queen of Ireland

Life & Culture

Ireland is renowned as a nation of storytellers, a land of rolling fields and 40 shades of green. But that’s only part of the story; there exists another Ireland, too - one where an LGBT activist known as Panti Bliss reigns supreme.

Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh, Musician

Life & Culture

From lively and spirited to melancholy and melodic, traditional Irish music is complex, diverse and affecting. And it’s flourishing. Across Ireland, young traditional performers are now taking the genre’s mantle and using it to create interesting things. One such example is fiddler Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh, a traditional Irish musician who is known for his distinctive drone-based music stylings.

Eamonn Doyle: Eagle Eye of the Northside

Life & Culture

There is nowhere in the world quite like north inner city Dublin. It’s where Pádraig Pearse read the Proclamation aloud at the height of the 1916 rebellion and where vibrant new immigrant communities are springing up all the time.

Life & Culture Stories

Related Stories

The Big Picture

A Vibrant Cultural Heritage

Foraging Flavours from the Deep

The National Museum of Ireland: Country Life

National Museum of Ireland: Decorative Arts & History

National Museum of Ireland: Natural History

In the Frame: Innovative Irish Animation

Getting to Grips: GAA Handball

Panti Bliss: Queen of Ireland

Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh, Musician

Eamonn Doyle: Eagle Eye of the Northside