Darina Allen is hailed as one of the premier architects of modern Irish cooking. Everything old is new again, as she rediscovers the whole and real foods used throughout the centuries by the Irish people.

Stopping at Shannon Airport at 8:00 AM after a night-long flight makes the mixing of coffee, cream, and Irish whiskey a perfectly natural thing to do. Irish Coffee is made to be savored, and St. Patrick's Day is another perfectly natural time to enjoy a sip or so.

Irish Christmas Cake is a cherished tradition indeed, but it's a delicious treat to offer family and guests any time of the year. A bit of Christmas Cake at Easter will bring cheers. No time to bake? Try Tea Time Express's Handmade Irish Christmas Cake from FoodIreland.com. It's superb.

Tara's Diary is a collection of Celtic-themed charms bracelets. They are Pandora-style, compatible with Pandora bracelets, but with an Irish identity.

Go to this excellent site for tips on social mores and good conduct when on business or pleasure in Ireland.

Many readers have asked for the recipe for Irish Brown Bread. It´s not so long ago that I would not have been able to help them, as the flour was hard to get outside of Ireland. Now it´s easily acquired in the U.S. This is the Brown Bread of the Irish Country Breakfast...appetizers, tea, anytime!

Whether it's called Brandy Butter or Hard Sauce, this delectable creamed mixture of butter, sugar, and brandy is the traditional topping for Irish steamed puddings, especially the king of all puddings, Plum Pudding.

Gathering "news" is one of Ireland's national pasttimes and this is reflected in the Irish love of a good book. Here are some of mine.

Irish aid convoy reaches Palestine with medicine and supplies for the refugees. Allowed to cross into Gaza by light of day!

Ireland's history starts about 6000 years ago. Recent archaeological finds date Irish colonization to about 9,000 years ago. Here is a timeline of Irish history from the start of "kept records," condensed from then to the 1400s.