Ireland is a land built on ancient Celtic traditions, one of which is the harvest festival known as Lúnasa. In Irish mythology it is said to have been started by Lugh, the ancient Irish god of crafts, in honour of his mother, and is traditionally celebrated on the first of August. Which is why Lúnasa is also the Irish word for the month of August.

Traditionally Lúnasa has not only been a celebration of the harvest but also a time to show gratitude for everything that has been provided over the year just passed. In a more modern sense, Lúnasa can be used as a time of introspection, to reflect upon your journey and progress throughout the year and how much you’ve grown or changed.

In this episode we chat to Ciaran Hogan from Ciaran Hogan Baskets. Ciaran is a basket weaver located in the craft village of Spiddal, County Galway. His beautiful woven creations are helping to continue the tradition of one of the world’s oldest crafts. We also head to Killorglan in County Kerry to take a look at one of Ireland’s oldest and most unique festivals. 

Find out more at Irish At Heart and, exclusively for listeners to this podcast, use the discount code IRISHPOD for 10% off your Irish At Heart subscription box. 

Ireland is known for being one of the friendliest countries in the world. From greeting strangers on the street, to thanking our bus drivers, Irish people are proud of their welcoming nature. 

So that is why we have decided to make friendship (or 'cairdeas' in Irish) the theme of this month's episode. On our meet the maker section we chat to Catherine Bradford from Simply Mourne. She's an artist based in County Down in the majestic Mourne Mountains of Northern Ireland, who creates elegantly crafted artworks made with natural materials that reflect the joy of her natural surroundings.

We check in with Mary Moore, founder of the Irish at Heart subscription box service, and we head to a fishing town in Galway to have a look at a famous piece of jewellery that has been a symbol of love and friendship in Ireland for many years. 

Find out more at Irish At Heart and, exclusively for listeners to this podcast, use the discount code IRISHPOD for 10% off your Irish At Heart subscription box. 

Ireland is famous for its beautiful and picturesque landscapes. And while sprawling green fields might be the image that springs to mind when you think about Ireland, the island is filled with a variety of beautiful landscapes. 

And there is one region of Ireland that stands out amongst the rest: The Burren, located in County Clare in the West of Ireland.

On this episode we chat to Mary Moore, founder of Irish at Heart, about her many visits to the Burren. Conor tells us about the matchmaking festival in Lisdoonvarna, renowned for helping singles across the world to find love. And finally, on our Meet the Maker section, we chat to Evan Talty from Wild Irish Seaweeds, a company that has been harvesting wild organic seaweed off the West Coast of Clare for over 100 years.

Find out more at Irish At Heart and, exclusively for listeners to this podcast, use the discount code IRISHPOD for 10% off you Irish At Heart subscription box.

Ireland is known as the land of saints and scholars and has produced some of the greatest poets, playwrights and novelists in history. On this month's episode we are celebrating one of greatest of them all: James Joyce.  

On the 16th June every year Ireland celebrates Bloomsday, a festival to celebrate the life and works of Joyce and in particular his most famous work, Ulysses. 

On this episode we chat to Mary Moore, founder of Irish at Heart, about her ideal Bloomsday. Conor heads to Sweny’s Pharmacy in the heart of Dublin to learn all about the building's incredible legacy and famous connection to Joyce. And finally, on our Meet the Maker section, Amy talks to Niall Laverty and Maite Lopez, from At It Again, who create guides to inspire you to go on your own literary adventure and re-discover Irish classics in a fun way. 

Find out more at Irish At Heart and, exclusively for listeners to this podcast, use the discount code IRISHPOD for 10% off you Irish At Heart subscription box.

 

Welcome back to Irish at Heart: The Podcast. 

Ireland is surrounded by the sea and that's the them of this month's episode: An Fharraige, the sea! We catch up with Mary Moore, founder of Irish at Heart. We talk with Tony Hayes, from the Irish Handmade Glass Company, a master craftsman keeping an age-old tradition alive. Finally, we'll hear from Conor Reid, who has been inspired by Tony's location in Waterford's Viking Triangle, to look at the history of the Vikings in Ireland. 

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Welcome back to Irish at Heart: The Podcast.  

We couldn't bring out a March episode without mentioning St. Patrick!  And on this episode, we once again catch up with Mary Moore, founder of Irish at Heart, we talk with Alix from Field Day, a girl from County Down who was inspired to capture and bottle the scents of the Irish countryside and we'll hear from Conor Reid again, who has his hiking boots on and will be telling us about the famous Croagh Patrick. 

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Welcome to the first episode of Irish at Heart: The Podcast. This month we are exploring the theme of "Grá", the Irish word for LOVE. We catch up with Mary Moore, founder of Irish at Heart, and on our Meet the Maker section we talk with Sam agus Neasa, an award winning duo who design furniture and homeware using sustainable Irish timber. Finally, we hear from Conor Reid, who takes us through one of Dublin’s hidden gems with a centuries-old connection to love and romance. Don't forget to listen out for your Irish vocab too!

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A preview of what you can hear on Irish At Heart: The Podcast