Contemporary Ireland #6

Celebrating: County Meath May Be Ancient Home of Halloween

The States may have popularised Halloween as we know it, but how many of our American friends the world over know the proper Irish roots behind the holiday?

Samhain, the ancient Celtic pagan celebration, is thought to have its roots in County Meath, according to a report published this week by BBC.

The ancient lore of Samhain speaks to the idea that the veil between this world and the fairy world is at its thinnest at this time of year, allowing all manner of ghouls, demons, and fairies to pass through.

Back in the day, it wasn’t pumpkins that the Irish carved, either—but turnips!

Reading: Sally Rooney Dubbed as First Great Millenial Author

Having just published her fourth novel, Intermezzo, Sally Rooney is being touted around the world as the first great millennial author. From the New York Times to BBC, her work is being met with absolutely stonking reviews—everyone is mad for her work, and we can certainly see why.

Her previous novel, Normal People, was turned into a smash hit limited series which catapulted her into the limelight.

Kicking: Galway Native Kills It at World Cup

Galway woman, Julie-Ann Rusell, has made a killer comeback at the 2024 World Cup after taking some time off in 2023 to give birth to her daughter. 

Last week, Russell nabbed player of the match after securing the opening score for Ireland against Georgia at their match in the Aviva Stadium in Dublin. This sees Ireland progress past Slovakia, too, and will be facing Wales next in a highly anticipated game.

Supping: Rugby Icon Backs New Irish Whiskey

Ex-Munster and Ireland rugby star, Simon Zebo, has backed a new Irish whiskey brand called Black Emerald. 

Zebo, a record-breaking fullback and winger, says that he’s absolutely mad for whiskey and got his taste for it through his dad, who was a massive collector and enthusiast.

Black Emerald is set for launch sometime in 2025, The Irish Times reports.

Screening: Belfast Film Festival Kicks Off

The 2024 Belfast Film Festival is always a corker of an event. This year, the festivities launched on Halloween and will be running for the next week and a half—through to November 9th.

Hot on the roster this year is Barry Keoghan’s new flick, Bring Them Down, as well as Jesse Eisenberg’s ‘A Real Pain’ and Lalor Roddy in conversation on November 5th. Roddy will be the recipient of an honorary award for Outstanding Contribution to Irish Film at this year’s event.

Boogying: Ennis Trad Fest Celebrates Irish Musical Heritage

Anyone who’s been to County Clare will know the pure magic of trad in Ennis. It’s one of the country’s remaining hotspots if you want to catch traditional Irish music—so it comes as no surprise that the Ennis Trad Festival boasts such a stellar lineup.

The festie, now in its 30th year, is set to run from November 7th to 11th and will see the likes of Michael McGoldrick Big Band, Sharon Shannon and her band, the Five Counties Céilí Band and the Clare Youth Trad Orchestra take the stage.

Strutting: Longford Takes on the World at Miss International Competition

This year’s Miss International contest is set to be held in Tokyo, and Longford's Hannah Kathleen Hawkshaw is representing Ireland this time around. 

The contest kicked off earlier this week and will run until November 12th in the Japanese capital.

Throughout the competition, participants will be chatting away in public interviews, going on cultural excursions, and doing their bit to strengthen ties with the other international participants. Sounds like a grand few days out, no?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQw_ylk2cM8

Studying: Irish Uni Launches Influencer Degree

It might sound a bit mad to some, but the reality is that social media influencing is a market worth well in excess of $20 billion dollars—so the launch of a social media influencing degree isn’t the most outlandish idea in the world. Is it?!

South East Technological University (SETU) in County Carlow has just launched its first year of a social media marketing and content creation course, which is the first of its kind in Ireland. The four-year degree aims to equip its students with everything they need to become successful social media influencers once they graduate. 

How d’ya like them apples?