Every visitor to Dublin will want to go to Trinity to see one of the World’s most precious books, the famous book of Kells. The book is taken from its case every evening for safe keeping in the vaults, and every morning it is carried back to its place and one leaf is turned over so as not to let the daylight cause any further destruction, by being exposed all at once.

What’s the value of this book, well its priceless really, so how old is it, it must be 1400 years and at this time monks ...

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Dublin university, a great place to stay, just one of the bestest places I have ever had the pleasure of frequenting, also the home of the most famous book in the world. The book of Kells, over 800 years old, first written in Iona by amazing monks, and then startlingly moving to  Ireland at Kells Monastery in County Meath. Then for safe keeping it’s off to Dublin in 1654, wow, these dates make my mind boggle at times especially from the perspective here in New Zealand. Not that NZ does not ...

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Well, Dublin’s heart, not one of the longest rivers in the world it’s only about 100 kms from its source away up in the Wicklow Mountains to Dublin bay, passing under 14 bridges on the way.

But it meanders all over the place, and changes remarkably over that distance, going through the very lovely phoenix park. Nice views we had from O’Connell bridge and also from the old Ha`penny pedestrian bridge. I wonder if it is still standing (of course it is, they built em well in those days) as...

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One of the best things about being in my shop for last nine years is the enjoyment of seeing people and also hearing them so proud of their ancestral ties. That’s what Celtic connexions is all about, but even better is when someone who had not really thought about `where they came from ` starts to take an interest. It’s fascinating.

So where do you start, well we are no experts and the best place to go is to a genealogist society for help. Sadly we have not been able to make these groups...

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Is the best known Irish saint after Saint Patrick, but there does not seem to be as much recorded data on her life. The life of Brigid, written by Cogitosus was written more than 100 years after she died, and he seemed preoccupied with the many miracles she performed. She may have been born in County Kildare but some suggest County Lough and equally she seems to have come from a poor family and other stories tell of some wealth. One thing for sure she gave all she had to the poor and was note...

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We are starting to get hooked on blogging. There are so many stories I seem to have,strories I have picked up over  many many years being around the Celtic scene.
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