Travellers have been part of Irish life for centuries, long before the Great Famine, although it’s only in recent years that they have been formally recognised as a distinct ethnic group within the Irish state. Traditionally nomadic, working and trading and camping in barrel top wagons alongside the road, an […]
Bere islander Gerald Orpen, 86, spent his working life at sea until the recession hit Ireland in the 1980s and he packed his bag and headed to New York to find work on a construction site. While the island was a wonderful place to raise a family, it wasn’t an […]
As our society becomes more globalised and increased numbers of people look to connect with their Irish language, culture and heritage before it vanishes, small businesses such as eco-adventure company Gormú in West Cork are busy filling the niche. Gormú co-founder Conor Ó Buachalla tells Mary O’Brien how he was inspired […]
Teertha Ordish is in the enviable business of transforming people’s lives. While life coach and educator are in her job description, the Ballydehob-based shamanic practitioner, who was brought up in a deeply spiritual family, is so much more than this, having committed most of her adult life to the study […]
There isn’t a whisper of a West Cork accent in Dave Scully’s voice, as he serves up his famous sirloin steak burgers over the counter to a regular. “Howya love” and “Janey Mac” are common refrains as customers spill into the butcher shop on Pearse Street in Clonakilty. “I’ll change […]
A familiar character around town and still on the shop floor, known for his friendly, if occasionally gruff nature, Christy Thornhill, 76, is possibly most famous for being one of the first rowers in Skibbereen after he was captured on camera in the fifties taking a trip down the llen […]