Vibrant Ireland!

Next Week is the Big Reveal!

2013-05-03T12:12:00.001+01:00

Spring is here- finally- in Ireland, and I am almost ready to reveal the new, re-vamped vibrantireland.com. If all goes to plan, by the end of next week (10 May?) the site will be live! It won't be perfect, and there will still be plenty of old posts I want to revise as well as half-finished new ones to complete & add-- but the new look & more will be debuted :-) I'll need your

You Say You Don't 'Get' Dance? Check This Out!

2013-04-26T12:27:00.000+01:00

(STOCK PHOTO)There are SO many types of dance- something for everyone! There is an exciting new opportunity being offered by the Dublin Dance Festival & Project Brand New! 15 people who are curious about (seeing, understanding) dance performances will be selected to take part in an innovative program during the Festival from the 16- 19 of May. Fast Track to Dance I am very excited about

2 Fab Music Festivals in 2 Fab Irish Towns

2013-04-24T20:19:00.002+01:00

Here are 2 music-based festivals in delightful settings for you to consider for your calendar of Irish fun this year- and take note of for next, as they are annual events. First off in May is Kilkenny's Rhythm & Roots festival, from the 3rd to the 6th. The small medieval city of Kilkenny is perfect for this fantastic festival- everything is within walking distance & the chances that you'll

A June Gem: Lismore Immrama Festival of Travel Writing

2013-04-18T20:32:00.000+01:00

If you enjoy travel, reading top notch writers, and beautiful settings then Immrama, the Lismore Festival of Travel Writing is a must do. I am very excited about this year's programme- and I bet you will be too! The days of the 13th-16th of June 2013 will be filled with talks & readings from international authors, as well as a workshop on e-publishing (I'm certainly going to try to get my

Fun Events for Kids & Adults at The National Craft Gallery

2013-04-12T10:51:00.000+01:00

Beautiful work by Nuala Jamison at a past gallery exhibit The National Craft Gallery in Kilkenny is a fantastic place to see gorgeous craft for free, and they also have free events. Here are e upcoming ones from their newsletter. Apologies that I haven't time to write a proper post on the events, but I'll pass on what they've sent me. I think I may borrow a child so I can do the Tin -Can

The Arts in Beautiful Settings: The Barrow River Arts Festival

2013-04-09T19:21:00.001+01:00

The idyllic Barrow river, Graiguenamanagh, The idyllic Barrow river valley of counties Carlow and Kilkenny is the setting for The Barrow River Arts Festival 19-21 April 2013. Okay, I may be biased because this is where we live, but why don't you come and see what you think of it yourself? If you enjoy the arts the festival is a great excuse to visit. There will be music, visual art,

Photos & Tips: visiting the ruins of Clonmacnoise, Ireland

2013-04-03T12:38:00.000+01:00

These photos are from the extensive ruins of Clonmacnoise in county Offaly, Ireland. We went during the off season and were lucky that this much visited site was nearly deserted of visitors. It costs €6 to enter, and the staff in the centre were very welcoming. TIP: Unfortunately, I think I should tell you to avoid the coffee on site. Pity. They could really use some tips on having a nice

Changes a-coming!

2013-03-25T19:04:00.003Z

Listen up! :-) Exciting changes are coming to vibrantireland.com & vibranttravels.com to make them more useful & enjoyable to use. That means, though, that I'm on a huge learning curve at the minute with the as-yet-to-be-revealed site. Until all is revealed I may not be posting loads. Thank you for understanding-- back to normal posting in a few weeks or so! Thanks again,

Photos: Roscommon, Ireland; Castles & more

2013-03-19T12:22:00.000Z

St Patrick's weekend for us was spent in the gateway to the West of Ireland, Roscommon. It was sort of like another world. The old castle on an island in Lough Key is like something out of mythology. We found castles, a windmill, a whole lot of fantastic craft beer in a wonderful pub, tasty local food, and more! Twas a very relaxing holiday & I'll give you my

The Celts are Coming, & they're armed with Fun!

2013-03-13T12:54:00.000Z

Sarah Foley (7), Shayna Howe (6), Hannah Matthews (4), Chantelle Matthews (9) Ava Kehoe,8Photo Dylan Vaughn. Carlow Pan Celtic Festival Get jiggy at the Carlow Pan Celtic International Festival this Easter! I've been sent the info on this year's fest (2-7 April 2013,) & it sounds brill! Bride de Róiste, festival director says there will be ''a great festival line-up and

Forget the Guinness- wear a potato for St. Patrick's Day!

2013-03-12T17:01:00.002Z

Earth Apple Jewellery, by Jane Way Are you ready to enjoy something different, fun, & beautiful? I thought this was perfect to share with you, especially for St. Patrick's Day. Look at this-- jewelry handmade from potatoes! :-) I'll let Jane tell you the story: How exciting to be asked by Susan to write a post about my potato jewellery, just in time for St.Patrick’s Day. Yes you heard

Fab food, fun adventure- try these in Ireland!

2013-03-02T14:49:00.002Z

Time to explore new things! Whale watching Eating Irish artisan foods A ladies' learn-to-surf weekend 4x4 track driving Learn how to felt These are some of the more unusual things you can do in Ireland-- and things my readers suggested I do for my #13for2013 challenge. Each month in 2013 I'll do something new-- that's the 12 taken care of-- whilst the 13th is trying a new Irish food

Something for ALL at Waterford Writer's Weekend!

2013-02-21T14:09:00.002Z

Waterford Writer's Weekend is for all ages! Picture: Patrick Browne Even though I live in county Kilkenny, and we are- ahem- the festival capital of Ireland, I must say Waterford is brilliant for festivals too! March brings us another Waterford festival; and you don't actually need to be a writer- just a reader or listener- to enjoy it!The Waterford Writer's Weekendruns from 21-24 March

Whale Ahoy! Whale watching in Ireland

2013-02-05T14:11:00.002Z

The sky & sea are incredibly beautiful- whales or no! Did you know that Ireland is a good place to see whales? It is, and here in the sunny southeast some of the best months are Nov- Feb, when you can often see fin whales. They are a big whale, on average around 65 ft long. And we saw 11 of them! How did we do it? And what else did we see? Rebecca C & Duncannon harbour

Photos: Why I Love Ireland

2013-02-04T12:09:00.000Z

Tinnahinch Castle& a lockkeeper's cottage on the river Barrow, Ireland Tweeting as @Ireland for a week was a fun and interesting experience! As my last few tweets I wanted to say & show a few reasons why I love living in Ireland. Not all my photos attached to the tweets though, & I didn't realize until later. SO- here they are. This photo to the left was meant to illustrate this tweet:

What? Good coffee in Ireland!? Where??

2013-02-01T16:25:00.001Z

Is Ireland's coffee cup half full or half empty? PLEASE NOTE: this post may take a little longer to load as way made with Twitter Storify- but it is WORTH IT if you want to know where to get a good cup of coffee! [View the story "Tweeple's recommendations of good coffee places in Ireland" on Storify] Tweeple's recommendations of good coffee places in Ireland I'm honored to be tweeting as @

Culture Lover on a Budget in Dublin? Here's a great place to stay!

2013-01-25T20:44:00.001Z

3 galleries, 1 museum, 2 dance performances, 4 cafes, 1 mexican eatery; 24hrs. Whew! #Dublin you're fab! Blog posts soon :) — Susan(@VibrantIreland) January 23, 2013 Dublin can be the perfect place for a culture vulture on a budget. To get you started, in this-the first of my Dublin posts, I'll tell you about a stylish, brilliantly located hostel where I stayed January 2013. Oh yes!- the

The outlaw Ned Kelly at IMMA this week!

2013-01-24T12:28:00.001Z

This is OVER now, but the Alice Maher exhibit is also one I loved, on at IMMA Earlsfort Terrace ti 17 Feb. NOT really suitable for kids, though. The outlaw Ned Kelly paintings by Sidney Nolan are on display at IMMA until this Sunday, 27 Jan 2013- and you should go! I was there on my 24hrs in Dublin visit, & I made a quick little video: I wonder WHY does each of the 3 thumbnail options

Legos & Mini Sumo Robot Battles, Oh My!

2013-01-09T11:33:00.000Z

This pic is from a blog on a Lego League in the US Look, everyone- another great Lego event! This one is taking place in Galway Sat. 19 Jan, and looks to be big. Here's the info I was sent: The Perfect Post Christmas Family Day Out- Visit the FIRST LEGO League Challenge! Saturday, January 19th, The Radisson Hotel in Galway (I've added a map below) will come alive with the buzz and

Where To Stay In Kilkenny City & County

2013-01-08T20:48:00.001Z

Kilkenny Castle, Ireland. Looking up from the rose garden. Kilkenny- a county of great food, an exciting arts scene, 1,000's of years of history, and very friendly people. It is a beautiful, special part of Ireland, with rolling, river filled countryside, charming towns, & a splendid medieval city. I've gotten an enquiry as to where to stay B&B in Kilkenny, & I wanted to share my answers

Fantastic Irish Food for 2013

2013-01-06T15:10:00.002Z

Beet cured Flanagan's Irish salmon gravlox, Bodega restaurant, Waterford Irish artisan food is gaining a reputation as some of the best in the world. Each year we come across more & more fantastic artisan products, and restaurants which use local Irish food products. For one of the 13 for 2013 things to try this year, (oh, yes; I've more- this is just part 1 of 13!) Majella O' Shea

Blow Away The Cobwebs At Hook Lighthouse, Ireland

2013-01-02T11:35:00.001Z

The sea crashes into the rocks at low tide, Hook Lighthouse, Wexford, Ireland As the New Year approaches, Irish people often like to head outdoors to 'blow away the cobwebs.' The end of this year, 2012, was very good for just that activity, with storm force winds blowing all over Ireland during the last week of December. I recommend Hook Head peninsula in county Wexford (home to the

A letter to you

2013-01-01T22:46:00.000Z

The first sunrise of 2013 over the Blackstairs mountains in Ireland Hello! As you probably know, Ireland has been struggling financially for several years. We all hope that 2013 will bring an upward turn, but truthfully, it is hard to know. Fortunately, Ireland has much to enjoy- and plenty of it is free of charge. As a bit of personal background, thankfully, 2012 was a good year for

Be part of tradition at Hook Head Lighthouse, Ireland-the world's oldest!

2012-12-26T16:04:00.002Z

New Year's Daisy Day at Hook Lighthouse, Ireland. Photo Jimmy Fallon. Age Old Tradition fresh as a daisy this New Year's Day at Hook Lighthouse Hook Lighthouse (the world's oldest operational lighthouse) are bringing back a Hook Head peninsula tradition- Daisy Day! On Tuesday 1 January 2013, bring the kids to the Lighthouse from 11.30am for an afternoon of fun, with a traditional

Christmas Twinkle

2012-12-24T23:05:00.001Z

There is no snow in Ireland this Christmas, unlike my photo from 2010, but Christmas magic was in full swing at the Waterford Winterval festival. This carousel provided fun for young, middle aged and old alike, and the the city was full of such timeless joys. May this Christmas put a twinkle in your eye that remains throughout the year. Happy Christmas, Susan.