October: Ireland The United States of America (the USA) is a large country in North America. It has 50 states, and each state has its own government and capital. The capital of the USA is Washington, D.C., but New York City, Los Angeles and Chicago are among its best-known cities. The...

October: Ireland Our journey through Ireland ends with a celebration that has travelled across centuries and continents. Irish emigrants helped carry Halloween customs to new countries, where they mixed with local traditions and gradually changed. Today, children dress up in costumes,...

October: Ireland Bram Stoker was an Irish writer born in Dublin in 1847. He became world-famous for creating Dracula, a Gothic novel published in 1897. The story follows Count Dracula, a mysterious vampire who travels from Transylvania to England and threatens the people he meets....

October: Ireland Today, carved pumpkins with glowing faces are a familiar symbol of Halloween, but in Ireland, people traditionally carved turnips and other root vegetables. They made frightening faces in them and sometimes placed lights inside to create spooky lanterns. These customs...

October: Ireland Samhain was one of the most important seasonal festivals in ancient Celtic Ireland. Celebrated around the end of October, it marked the transition from the bright half of the year to the dark winter months. Communities gathered, lit fires and took part in rituals...

October: Ireland Many Halloween traditions have roots in the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, celebrated in Ireland and other Celtic regions more than 2,000 years ago. Samhain marked the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter. People believed that the boundary between...

October: Ireland Modern Ireland is much more than its ancient castles, legends and green landscapes. Today, the country is home to young entrepreneurs, scientists, artists, designers and technology specialists who are developing new ideas. Dublin has become an important European centre...

October: Ireland Dublin is a city where history and modern life meet on every street. Visitors can admire historic buildings, walk along the River Liffey and explore famous places such as Trinity College Dublin. At the same time, the city is full of young people studying, working in...

October: Ireland Irish culture has travelled far beyond the island itself. Thanks to generations of emigrants, Irish music, dance, literature and celebrations have become familiar in many countries. Every year, St Patrick’s Day is celebrated in cities from New York to Sydney, often with...

October: Ireland During the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, millions of Irish people left their homeland in search of safety, work and a better future. The Great Famine forced many families to escape hunger, while poverty and limited job opportunities encouraged others to leave....

October: Ireland The Great Famine was one of the darkest periods in Irish history. Between 1845 and 1852, a potato disease destroyed much of the crop that millions of people depended on for food. Poverty, hunger and disease caused the deaths of about one million people, while another...

October: Ireland The Aran Islands lie off Ireland’s west coast, where life has long been shaped by the sea, strong winds and rocky land. People have traditionally built stone walls to protect small fields and raised animals in this challenging environment. Irish, or Gaeilge, remains an...