Q:
I was wondering if i could purchase a listing of Bed & Breakfast locations in Republic of Ireland.

A:
We do not sell any guides to accommodations in Ireland, but if you follow the link, it will take you to Tourist Information for Ireland, including lists for B & B's, hotels and self-catering homes.

www.info-world.com/tourist.info

Q:
I have just happened upon your story of your stay at a farmhouse in Drumgrania. I am almost certain it is the house my grandfather grew up in. His half-sister was Margaret Burbage. We met Michael Heslin the present owner who gave us a tour of the house, and later to Crian's in Carrick for traditional music. I would be delighted to hear if this was the house you stayed in.

A:
Thank you for your e-mail. I was very interested to read your submission. It sounds like you are talking about the same house where your grandfather grew up. Francis Heslin was the owner at the time, and from what I have been told, he left the house to his nephew. I understand that his own children (or child) was not interested in the place. Whomever owns the house now is renovating it. I believe that Michael Heslin is the man who owns the antique shop on Bridge Street in Carrick. We have been into that shop and have spoken to him a few times. Other than Francis Heslin, I'm afraid that I don't know who owned the property in the past. We are very familiar with Cryan's Pub in Carrick. We have been there every time we have gone to Ireland. We met Liam Cryan and became friends with one of the waitresses, Mary Lynch. I don't know when you were there last, but they have expanded it quite a lot, all the way back to the street behind it. We like it very much and they serve excellent food in the restaurant. I was very happy to hear from you.

Q.
I am interested in the John Reynolds story. Our family also may be decendents from this Reynolds family. Do you have a linage charted out? Or family tree? We are visiting Ireland in March 09 and would like to go to the Reynolds castle ruins also.

A.
Have you ever been to Co. Leitrim? If not, you wouldn't be aware of how many John Reynolds' families, or other Reynolds' families are there. I do not have a family tree or history of any of the Reynolds clan. My friend Terry Reynolds can only find back to about 1850, and then only knowing what his great grandparents' names are.

We have been trying for 10 years to find exactly where in Co. Leitrim they came from. There is a lot of misinformation and contradictory record keeping, so it is very difficult to find anything. There are also many gaps in the record keeping because much of it was done by the parish priests, and some of them didn't bother to do any at all. Terry's grandfather, Bernard Reynolds, and grandmother, Winifred (Oona) Shanley Reynolds have no records of births, along with some of their children.

I would suggest that you contact the Leitrim Genealogy Centre in Ballinamore. That would be the best place to start. I'm sure that if you go to the Rynn Castle Hotel, just outside of Mohill, they would allow you to walk the grounds. The ruins of the Reynolds Castle are down by the shore of Lough Rynn. They also have lovely gardens, a golf course and other amenities. I hope you enjoy your trip in March.

Q.
Where in Belfast, Northern Ireland can I buy Lakeshore Wholegrain Mustard with Honey?

A.
To be honest, I don't know for sure. I know that Tesco sells several of Lakeshore's flavored mustards because I have purchased some there myself. I would say that any major grocery store chain would carry it. I hope this helps.

Q.
I'm planning a trip to Dublin, Ireland in June 2009 with my two nephews. I want to give them the best time of their lives ... that's the reason I have started planning now.

So my question is: where is the Oatfield Candy factory or simply a candy/fudge factory (in Dublin)? I'd really like for the boys to see candy being made and, of course, tasting it at the same time :)

A.
Oatfield candy is made by Sweets & Treats located in Letterkenny, Co. Donegal, Ireland. Their contact phone number is 1-800-514-1066. Aran Candy Headquarters and Factory, located at Blanchardstown Business Park, Blanchardstown, Dublin, Ireland. Their contact number is 353-1-640-9333.

Butler's Irish Chocolates is located at Clonshaugh Business Park, Dublin, Ireland. Their contact number is 353-1-671-0599 and their office hours are Monday to Friday, 9.00am to 5.30pm.

Cadbury Ireland PLC is located at Malahide Road, Coolock, Dublin, Ireland and their contact number is 353-01-848-0000. I would phone these companies to see if they give factory tours. I hope this helps and that you and the children enjoy your holiday in Ireland.

Q.
Hello, and thanks for your site. I'm working on a screenplay that requires a roundabout in south County Leitrim. I have a fairly good map of Drumshanbo but I cannot find the roundabout you mentioned. Does your original photograph give any clues (from the signage) as to the roads that branch off of it? Could I impose on you to send me a higher resolution copy of that photo?

A.
I'm not sure which photo you are describing. It could it be the sign in Drumshanbo, which is the first one I have attached. The one on the top right points to Ballinamore and Mohill; the bottom right is to Dowra and Blacklion; the center top goes to Carrick-On-Shannon but I can't read the other name; the one on the left, I believe goes to Boyle, Co. Roscommon but I can't read the bottom one. The signs are both in Gaelic and English. The only problem with that sign is that it is not a roundabout, it's just in the center of town. The second photo is a roundabout sign in Trim, Co. Meath, which is nowhere near Co. Leitrim. The third photo is a poster taken from a painting by a local Leitrim artist. It was commissioned by the establishments depicted that are in Leitrim. The fourth photo is also a roundabout in Co. Meath. I'm sorry that I don't have any other photos of roundabouts.

Follow-up comment:
Thank you so much for sending the photos. It was the picture with the signs pointing in all directions that I needed and, having a better image of it, helps tremendously in locating it on the map. I really like your site. I went on a sort of literary pilgrimage to Ireland in early 1981, and I have many photos and slides from that time that I hope someday to put up on a site of my own. Among other things, I have photos of every location in Ulysses -- places like the home of Leopold Bloom (then condemned but still standing) with St. Stephen's spire in the background, and Nighttown, both of which have since been destroyed to make way for the new. People trying to slog through the book for the first time might find them helpful.

Reply:
I'm glad that the photos are of help to you. I wish you tremendous success with your book.


Questions About Irish Food, History, Culture & Tradition

Q:
Hi, am meant to be making 15's for a birthday party but I can't find my recipe anywhere or on the net. I also can't really remember how to make them. I was hoping you would have a recipe for me, please.

A:
I did find a recipe for Fifteens . I think I might make them to try them out.

Q.
Why do Irish dancers always dance with arms straight by their sides?

A.
There are several theories as to why this is done. Some say it was a manner of protest for having to dance before the Queen of England. Others say that it was because the Catholic church frowned on the movement of the arms, or that they didn't approve of the boys and girls holding hands. The following is the best answer that was chosen by voters and taken from the following website.

From Yahoo Answers:
Why do Irish dancers always dance with arms straight by their sides? Click here for answer.

Q:
My son's 5th grade class is celebrating Christmas Around the World and he chose to report on Ireland. We must make an Irish food and he has to explain in a paragraph what makes it Irish. He likes the picture of the Pinwheels and Checkerboards - can you tell us how it pertains to the Irish? Or maybe suggest a better recipe for sampling. Thanks.

A:
The Pinwheels & Checkerboards cookies do make a nice photo. The checkerboards do not have any Irish meaning, but the pinwheels are similar to Celtic spirals. There is also a recipe for Celtic Spiral cookies which is actually the same recipe. The recipe is an Irish recipe for sugar cookies. I would make the pinwheel cookies, but not the checkerboards. I would use the dough for the checkerboards to make celtic spiral cookies, and I would call them all Celtic Spiral Cookies.

What are Celtic spirals and in what way are they associated with Ireland? Celtic Spirals are ancient symbols, which date back to about 3000 B.C. in Ireland, and the other Celtic countries of Scotland and Wales. Celtic spirals and Celtic knots are believed to be the oldest of the many symbols used by the Celts before there was a written language in Ireland. Unlike the ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics, there were no records found along with these ancient symbols, so there have been many educated guesses and theories about their meaning. The most popular theory is that they were symbols used by the ancient Druids, who practiced paganism, which was the Celtic religion prior to Christianity.

Many of the other ancient civilizations around the world have also been associated with some type of pagan religion. It is believed that all of these ancient religions, including those in Ireland, were based on astrological happenings. The sun, the moon, the stars, the changing of the seasons and all things in nature had some important meaning to the Druids. The most notable place in the world exhibiting Celtic spirals is the famous ancient burial mound in County Meath, Ireland, which is called Newgrange.

I hope that this helps with your son's project.

Q.
I love this site! I was researching 'handfasting' and found this. I'm planning my wedding and want to do a handfasting ceremony. I also want to do a unity candle so I was wondering if you had any suggestions on how to incorporate them both. Is it acceptable for just the right hands to be linked between my fiance and me so that we each have a hand free to light the candle? There's no rush to get back to me though, we're waiting until we're both done with college to actually get married. I'm just starting early. :)

A.
It's good that you are starting to make your wedding plans early. Too often people wait until it's almost too late and end up frantically finishing plans at the last minute. I have researched proper Irish wedding customs and learned something I didn't know.

The Irish unity candle is widely used in Irish theme weddings. Celtic wedding unity candle sets are a unique way to incorporate Celtic art and heritage into your wedding ceremony. The Celtic Unity Candle Ceremony, while non-denominational, can be used as a symbol of the spiritual union brought about through holy matrimony. I did not find any results where both the unity candle and handfasting were done in the same ceremony.

However, I found that, in ancient times, the handfasting ceremony was usually performed in rural locations, where clergymen rarely visited - sort of a civil ceremony with no official blessing of the marriage. It was actually more like an engagement or promise to each other, and the couple would live together without any rights of a married couple. The source suggests that it was actually a "trial marriage" that was valid for only a year and a day. At that time the bride and groom would decide if they wanted to stay together and would then marry for "real".

The handfasting ceremony is still used today by pagan and wiccan groups.

Learning that information, I would not do the handfasting part of the ceremony on your wedding day. A suggestion: if you would still like to include it in some way, do it at an engagement party, as an unofficial promise in a gathering with your friends and family.

Q.
Our local museum has been donated a large miniature collection. The collection consists of complete, detailed dollhouses along with dollhouse kits and everything imaginable to create miniature scenes. The craftswoman that created all these things passed away and the family donated everything in the collection to the museum to display and sell. I'm in charge of going through the collection and organizing/categorizing. I ran across a box containing tiny ceramic buildings that have *Wade Ireland* stamped on the bottoms. There are four complete villages along with cardboard cards that they sit on. Can you give me any information about these villages? Thank you so much for your time.

A.
I will tell you as much as I can about the Irish Wade Village sets. The name of the series is Bally-Whim, which is similar to English Wade's Whimsey-on-Why English House collection, each set consisting of 8 houses. The miniature porcelain houses and buildings were issued by Wade's Irish pottery from 1984 to 1987 and are highly collectible. The houses and buildings are typical of houses found in an Irish village. The 8 houses are: #1 The Undertaker's House, #2 Moore's Post Office, #3 Barney Flynn's Cottage, #4 Kate's Cottage, #5 The Dentist's House, #6 Mick Murphy's Bar, #7 Ryan's Hardware and #8 The Bally Whim House. I have seen the individual buildings sell for $28 to $48. Your four complete Bally-Whim sets are worth about $250 each, as long as they are not damaged. I hope this has been of some help.

Follow-up comment:
Thank you so much for your quick response to my email. I had opened only one of the boxes of villages and the one I opened was the 'Wade Ireland' village. All of the houses you mentioned in your email are there and they look perfect. They also have the card that they sit on. I opened the other three boxes and those houses say 'Wade England' They also have the cards, are complete and the buildings look perfect. One of the villages has a windmill with 15 other houses that go on the card with it and the other two villages have 8 houses each that sit on the display cards. I had never seen or heard of the villages and it's been so interesting to read your information. I know the other folks involved with the museum will be excited to read your thoughts on the subject.

Thank you so very much for your time and insight.

Reply:
You are most welcome. I'm glad that I was able to help. Good luck with your display.

Q.
Just last week I visited my Mom's birthplace in Ireland Co Cork; also Dingle and Galway.

I had the most delicious breadcrumb stuffing in chicken/turkey sandwiches. It was loose light and tasty. I believe it had breadcrumbs, butter and sage or some other herbs. I would love to have the recipe for it. Could you please send me a recipe for this type of bread crumb stuffing.

Our stuffing in the states is nothing like this. I would really appreciate it. I cannot afford to buy a cook book at this time as I am flat broke. I simply would love this stuffing recipe and I will be forever grateful.

A.
I have been searching for an Irish bread crumb stuffing but without much luck. I have a stuffing recipe that sounds similar to your description. If you want to make the stuffing alone, half the recipe and cook in a covered casserole at 350F for 1 hour.

Follow-up comment:

Thanks so very much for the stuffing recipe.. It will be great. I can taste it already.. I will try to alter it to make just enough for two people. I love it in sandwiches once in a while.

Gotta watch those calories, right!

Reply:
You are very welcome. Enjoy!


Questions about LittleShamrocks.com

Q:
We are an incentive company that has a group coming to Ireland in 09. I am interested in purchasing candy (wrapped) from Ireland to send as a mailing to the potential travelers. I am looking at the Irish Whiskey Fudge candies. Can you tell me if you have wholesale pricing? we would be purchasing approximately 60 units. Also - do you have a US distributor?

A:
LittleShamrocks.com is located in New Hampshire in the USA. Our online store is a retail only store because we don't purchase and sell the products out of our location. We are an affiliate of several companies that sell imported Irish food and other Irish products. We have no control over the prices, so I'm sorry to tell you that I can't give you a discount or wholesale pricing. When you said that you are interested in purchasing 60 units, I assume that you meant 60 packages. The price per package went up since we posted it and it is now selling for $7.99 on sale. The regular price is $8.99, so now would be a good time to purchase it. We will correct the price listed on our site. I hope this helps in your decision.

Q.
I would like to order a cheese assortment but will it still be fresh at the end of January 2009?

A.
We do not actually store any of the products at our location. They are shipped from the warehouse in New York. When ordering cheese or other deli items, they are shipped in insulated Styrofoam coolers via UPS 2nd day air. In this colder weather it should still be quite chilled when it arrives. All of the deli items have sell-by dates on them, and cheeses should last quite a while. You could request that they send you cheeses that are dated for after the end of January.

Q.
Do you ship priority mail via the US post office?

A.
We don't actually ship the products from our location in New Hampshire. You would place an order through LittleShamrocks.com via our affiliate companies. There, you would purchase and pay for your order, and it would be shipped to you from their location. We have several affiliates, so I'm not sure which ones ship by Priority Mail. They all have a choice of shipping methods and they could ship it 2nd-day or overnight, whether it is done through the Postal Service or UPS. I'm sorry that I can't be more specific but I hope this info helps.