5 Ways to Celebrate Ireland from Home

It's a great time to discuss ways to celebrate Ireland without leaving home.

While Ireland is a place, it’s also a culture, a sound, and a flavour. Ireland is more than a spot on a map and there are ways to bring that Irish experience to wherever you are on Earth. So please do join us as we discuss ways to make your day a little greener.

1: Plant a Garden



Ireland isn’t called the Emerald Isle for no reason! Colorful plants and swaths of bright grass, moss, and trees are abundant across Ireland, especially in the Spring. And with the weather getting warmer, it’s the perfect time to bring a bit of green to your corner of the world. You can start now by composting and creating a healthy environment for your garden. Tilling the soil, adding nutrients, and getting ready for the new year will help to ensure that when you are ready to plant, everything should be ready to spring to life.

Once you are ready to start growing your garden, choices like primrose - which is native to Ireland - can help you feel closer than ever to the Emerald Isles.

2: Learn Irish



Dia duit, conas atá tú? Rochelle is ainm dom.

Irish is a beautiful, musical language that is, unfortunately, not widely spoken. By taking the time to learn this amazing language, you can help to keep it alive and preserve a little slice of Irish culture. There are plenty of sites that offer free courses in Irish, and taking just a few minutes a day can help you take a step to fluency.

3: Discover your Heritage



If you have Irish roots, you’re not alone. Millions of people have taken the steps to learn more about their family tree and have traced their roots back to Ireland. In fact, we have a full section right here on our community all about learning about your family history. There are tips and tricks to help you get started, as well as other helpful advice from experts. Do feel free to pop over to the Genealogy section to get started.

4: Learn to play Trad Music or how to Dance



Trad music is an Irish tradition and for good reason! It’s light, fun, and festive music that makes you want to sing along or just get up and dance. Learning a song or two can help you feel closer to the Emerald Isle than ever, without ever leaving the comfort of your own home. If you’re feeling super adventurous, you can learn to play on a traditional Irish instrument, like the bodhrán or the uilleann pipes. There’s no wrong way to celebrate Irish music, whether that’s just putting it on, singing along, or joining in a dance. If you have a favourite piece of trad music, please do suggest it below!

5: Cook an Irish meal



Have you ever enjoyed an Irish meal? If not, you’re missing out on a fresh and unforgettable experience! Irish food is hearty, filling, and always tasty. There’s no shortage of delicious recipes to try that can help bring the Emerald Isle right to your kitchen. Do you have a favourite recipe? Leave it below!

Enjoy a bit of Ireland from home

You may not be able to travel to the island of Ireland right now, but that doesn’t mean you have to miss out on seeing its beauty. Now is the time to get inspired for when you can travel and we’ll be waiting to welcome you. #staysafe

What you can look forward to....

📸 Tourism Ireland

Sliabh Liag in Donegal will amaze you. At 600m, the sea cliffs are the highest and most impressive marine cliffs in Europe. Located on Ireland's Wild Atlantic Way, the location is a walker’s paradise with outstanding views, so bring your camera! 👇

Trim Castle is an impressive Anglo-Norman fortress in Trim, County Meath. Located along Ireland’s Ancient East the castle lies on the south bank of the River Boyne and it is the largest and best preserved castle in Ireland. 👇


Kinsale is a beautiful and popular town in the South West of Cork. It is one of the oldest fishing villages in Ireland and is situated on a commercial harbour. Kinsale is a bustling little hub with beautiful narrow winding streets occupied by quaint artsy shops, eateries and traditional pubs with live music. 👇

Quelles bonnes idées, Rochelle ! 😊

Mmmm mmmm!  Here's a sweet and savoury variation on tradition Irish Soda Bread: super easy and delicious!
Sift together:
3C flour
3/4tsp salt
1/4C sugar
1tsp baking soda
1/2tsp baking powder
1/4tsp cream of tartar
(optional handful of rolled or steel-cut oats, for texture) 

Cut in:
1/3C butter 
Add till moist:1 1/3 C buttermilk 
Knead 15 sec.  Turn out on lightly-greased cookie sheet (add more oats here if you like).  Cross-cut (to let the faeries out!).
Bake at 350f for 45-50 min.
I love this nice and hot, with home-made apple butter.......

I can't think of a better way to celebrate Ireland at home than homemade fish & chips. I found a Guinness batter recipe online and the rest of the pint will accompany my dinner. 



I also put this playlist as background music. And the final touch is 10 hour footage of Glendalough's upper lake projected on the wall. I don't even have to close my eyes!

Tutto quello che ho letto mi ha fatto venire l'acquolina in bocca!

Ecco a voi la ricetta della zuppa di pesce (nota col nome di seafood chowder) che ho preparato in questi giorni.

Tempo: 60 minuti; 
Ingredienti per 4 persone:

1/2 kg di cozze
1/2 kg di vongole
1 filetto di salmone
1 filetto di merluzzo (o baccalà)
250 gr di gamberi
2 patata grandi
1/2 cipolla
sale e pepe q.b.
burro q.b.
prezzemolo e timo (o erba cipollina) q.b.
1 lt di brodo di pesce
250 ml di panna fresca
1 gambo di sedano
2 carote

Procedimento:
Pulite e sciacquate bene tutto il pesce, tagliarlo a cubetti. Aprite le cozze e le vongole, e sgusciate attentamente i gamberi. Tritate la cipolla e il sedano, lasciate ad appassire in un tegame con una noce di burro e poi aggiungete le erbe.
Nel frattempo preparate il brodo di pesce (ho usato quello granulare) e, una volta pronto, versatene circa ⅔ e aggiungete le patate e le carote tagliate a dadini. Dopo 15 minuti, unite il pesce tagliato a cubetti, le cozze, le vongole, i gamberetti e la panna. Aggiungete il brodo restante finché il pesce non sarà cotto e la zuppa non avrà aggiunto la sua consistenza cremosa. 
Aggiustate di sale, pepe e prezzemolo fresco e servite la zuppa con del soda bread. 

Varianti:
Se volete, si possono aggiungere anche 250 gr di bacon quando si soffrigge la cipolla. Oppure, come ho fatto io, ho aggiunto 200 gr di piselli dopo il pesce.

Buon appetito!

Er is niks lekkerder dan een goed Iers Sodabrood, maar als je glutenvrij moet eten dan moet je extra oppassen.

Met wat recepten van het internet, wat experimenteren en een hele hoop mislukte broden heb ik uiteindelijk een recept dat een brood geeft dat op het echte Ierse Sodabrood lijkt.

500 gram glutenvrije broodmix
20 gram glutenvrij bakpoeder
1 theelepel zout
5 gram psyllium
75 gram boter
150 ml karnemelk
150 ml melk
 2 eieren

Zorg dat alle ingredienten op kamertemperatuur zijn en de boter zacht. Verwarm de oven voor op 200C

Voeg alle droge ingredienten samen in een kom en zorg dat ze goed met elkaar vermengd zijn.
Voeg de boter toe en kneed alles goed door elkaar.
Klopt de eieren los en voeg dan alle natte ingredienten toe aan de mix. Kneed tot het een mooie bal is, het kan wat nat en plakkerig blijven.

Laat de bal even 20 minuten rusten. Je kunt dan het traditionele kruis in de bovenkant snijden en even bestrijken met een restje melk voor een wat krokantere korst.

Zet de bal in de oven en na 30 minuten even controleren. Haal de bal eruit als het brood goudbruin is, 30-45 minuten.

Als de onderkant hol klinkt is het goed gaar. Even laten rusten en afkoelen, en eet smakelijk!

Veel succes!

¡Qué mejor manera de disfrutar de Irlanda desde casa que con una buena receta irlandesa!

Os comparto la receta de pastel de ternera a la Guinness que he hecho hoy mismo:

Ingredientes:

900 gramos de ternera magra en dados,
30 gramos de harina,
1 cebolla grande cortada muy fina,
2 cucharaditas de mostaza inglesa,
3 ramas de apio picadas finamente,
2 zanahorias grandes picadas,
500 ml de Guinness,
200 ml de caldo de ternera,
2 hojas de laurel,
2 láminas de hojaldre,
perejil,
tomillo,
un huevo
aceite de oliva,
sal,



A pesar de ser una receta que lleva su tiempo, el resultado merece la pena. En total lleva unas 3 horas más o menos en tener el pastel hecho, pero lo bueno es que al día siguiente está incluso más rico.

Lo primero es picar todos los vegetales, la cebolla, zanahoria y el apio. Después se enharina la carne y se salpimenta al gusto.



Una vez se tienen todos los ingredientes preparados, se sella la carne en una cazuela hasta que está dorada, y se reserva. Entonces se pocha la cebolla durante 3-5 minutos hasta que está dorada, después se añade la zanahoria y el apio y se mantiene unos 3 minutos más todo junto.



Una vez que las verduras están listas, se añade la carne, la Guinness, el caldo de ternera, la mostaza y las hojas de laurel y se deja a fuego bajo durante 1 hora o 1 hora media, controlando el punto de la carne y la salsa al gusto. Si la carne ya está hecha, se retira y se deja que la salsa siga cogiendo cuerpo. Cuando esté suficientemente espesa, se aparta del fuego y se deja enfriar.



Cuando el guiso haya quedado a temperatura ambiente, se procede a montar el pastel. Se pone una lámina de hojaldre en la base de un molde de horno, se echa el guiso y se cubre con la otra lámina. Pueden usarse moldes individuales o uno grande. Por encima, se pinta con una yema de huevo batido y se hornea durante 25-30 minutos.

El resultado: 


¡Qué aproveche!

Francesco, il mio soda bread va benissimo con la tua deliziosa zuppa di pesce!



Ecco la mia ricetta tutta personale:

150 gr di farina integrale
100 gr di farina di farro, mais o di altro tipo a basso contenuto di glutine
1/2 cucchiaino di bicarbonato di soda 
1/2 cucchiaino di sale
2 cucchiaini di zucchero integrale di canna
2 e 1/2 cucchiai di olio (di oliva o di semi di girasole)
100 ml di acqua

Mettete tutti gli ingredienti insieme in una ciotola larga, versate l'acqua e iniziate a lavorare il composto con le mani per 5 o 10 minuti, aggiungendo farina se la massa lo richiede, perché troppo appiccicosa sulle mani.
Lasciate riposare per 30 minuti avvolgendo la ciotola in un panno di cotone ed in una zona calda della casa.

Pre-riscaldate il forno a 180 gradi e nel frattempo create panetti dall'impasto e posizionateli in una teglia con un filo d'olio alla base.
Aggiungete un altro filo d'olio sopra i panetti e se volete anche un po' di sale grosso e rosmarino.
Infornate per circa 25 minuti.

La vostra ricetta personale? 😊

Have you ever thought of delving into the ancient history of Ireland?

Hopefully I can spark your interest by telling you a little bit about the earliest known inhabited site in Ireland where ancient Mesolithic man lived around 7,600 BC.

Irish History starts here!

The site at Mountsandel, one mile south-east of Coleraine, on the banks of the River Bann was excavated back in the 1970s and it was discovered that a group of hunter-gatherers lived in this settlement in huts made of wood and animal skins. They lived here all year round because of the abundance of food yielded by the river and the surrounding woods. This included salmon, eels, wild pigs, birds, nuts and berries. Hundreds of flint tools including axe heads, arrow heads and fish hooks were found at the site. The River Bann facilitated easy travel to the coast, about 4 miles downstream. This gave access to the beaches along the Causeway Coastline.

Beside the ancient site and the natural weir in the River Bann, there is the remains of an earthen Norman Fort, called Mountsandel Fort.

When the restrictions have been lifted, the Mountsandel Wood is a beautiful place to visit for a riverside walk. There are interpretation panels depicting what the huts would have looked like and timelines to show just how far back in history man inhabited these shores. It is a lovely quiet woodland that gives you an opportunity to step back in time and imagine life all those years ago.

If you would like to find out more about Mountsandel please visit: www.irisharchaeology.ie
www.visitcausewaycoastandglens.com
Enjoy!
Anne