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Ireland may not have a public Mardi Gras celebration but, in recent years, St. Patrick’s Day festivities have come close to resembling it. The festival marks the life and times of St. Patrick, the Christian saint, kidnapped from Wales by Irish pirates, and widely credited with bringing Christianity to Ireland in the fifth century. Based on widely accepted historical evidence, especially that … [Read more...]

The history of Valentine’s Day–and the story of its patron saint–is shrouded in mystery. We do know that February has long been celebrated as a month of romance, and that St. Valentine’s Day, as we know it today, contains vestiges of both Christian and ancient Roman tradition. But who was Saint Valentine, and how did he become associated with this ancient rite?  Search the internet, and … [Read more...]

Ireland has a wide number of Christmas traditions that are steeped in the Gaelic and Catholic heritage of the country.  THE WREN BOY PROCESSION The Wren Boy Procession has been revived in recent years with parades being held on St. Stephens Day in Sandymount in Dublin and other locations. There are several legends regarding the 'wren boy'.  One such tale tells of a plot in a … [Read more...]

On behalf of the McGettigan Hotel Group we would like to wish all our customers and their families a very Merry Christmas and a happy and healthy New Year. … [Read more...]

IRISH HALLOWEEN TRADITIONS The Celts celebrated Halloween as Samhain, 'All Hallowtide' - the 'Feast of the Dead', when the dead revisited the mortal world. The celebration marked the end of Summer and the start of the Winter months.  During the eighth century the Catholic Church designated the first day of November as 'All Saints Day' ('All Hallows') - a day of commemoration for those … [Read more...]