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Stair na hÉireann / History of Ireland

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Stair na hÉireann / History of Ireland

Stair na hÉireann / History of Ireland tells the story of Ireland — its history, culture, legends, and people. © Stair na hÉireann / History of Ireland.

All Rights Reserved. 2013 Stair na hÉireann is steeped in Ireland's turbulent history, as well as it's culture, music, and is populated in myth and characters. © Stair na hÉireann | History of Ireland 2013. All Rights Reserved.

19/06/2026

☀️ The Summer Solstice in Ireland ☀️

The Summer Solstice, usually falling on 21 June, marks the longest day of the year and the point at which the Sun reaches its highest position in the Northern Hemisphere. Across Ireland, daylight stretches for more than 17 hours in some parts of the country, with dawn arriving early and dusk lingering long into the evening.

The word “solstice” comes from the Latin solstitium, meaning “sun stands still”. To ancient observers, the Sun appeared to pause in its northward journey before beginning its gradual return southward.

Ireland’s prehistoric communities were keen observers of the natural world and the changing seasons. While sites such as Newgrange demonstrate an extraordinary awareness of the movements of the Sun, there is little direct evidence for how, or even if, the summer solstice itself was marked in ancient Ireland.

Today, many people gather at ancient places such as the Hill of Tara to welcome the sunrise and reflect on our enduring connection to the land, the skies above us, and the turning of the year.

18/06/2026

A photo I took of the Di**le Famine Fever Hospital located behind the Workhouse. There was a Fever Hospital attached to each workhouse. Nearby also stood the ‘Dead House’, a holding area for corpses before burial. The Burial grounds were usually located not far from the Workhouse building. Used for the treatment of people suffering from fever, typhus or other deathly and contagious illnesses. Taken from The Truth Behind The Irish Famine, 100 images, 472 eye witness quotes (see comments for book details):

17/06/2026

The Ark of the Covenant and the Hill of Tara

Between 1899 and 1902, members of the British-Israel Association of London excavated the Hill of Tara in Co. Meath, convinced they would uncover the Ark of the Covenant – the sacred chest said in the Bible to contain the stone tablets of the Ten Commandments.

Their digging focused on the Rath of the Synods, one of Tara’s most important monuments, and caused considerable damage to the site. The excavations provoked outrage among Irish cultural nationalists, with figures such as W.B. Yeats, Douglas Hyde and Maud Gonne publicly condemning the destruction.

Supported by the Irish press, the protests are widely regarded as Ireland’s first media campaign to protect a national monument. Although the Ark was never found, the controversy helped raise public awareness of the importance of preserving Ireland’s archaeological heritage.

16/06/2026

in 1904 – Bloomsday

On 16 June 1904, James Joyce and Nora Barnacle first walked together through Dublin – a meeting that would become one of the most famous dates in modern literature.

Joyce later set the entire action of his masterpiece Ulysses on this single day, following its central character, Leopold Bloom, as he moves through the streets of Dublin in a richly detailed, and often humorous, modern epic.

Today, “Bloomsday” is celebrated around the world every 16 June, marking both Joyce’s literary achievement and the real-life meeting that inspired it.

15/06/2026

The Irish Harp

Few symbols have carried as much political and cultural meaning as the Irish harp.

Recognisable today as the emblem of Ireland, it has appeared in different forms across centuries of Irish history — from medieval Gaelic society to British administration, and later as a symbol of Irish nationalism and the modern Irish state.

The harp’s origins in Ireland are very ancient, with depictions and references appearing in early medieval sources. One of the most famous surviving instruments is the 14th–15th century Trinity College Harp (Brian Boru harp), now housed in Dublin. While later tradition linked it to High King Brian Boru (d. 1014), there is no historical evidence that he owned or played it.

By the late medieval and early modern period, the harp had become strongly associated with Gaelic Ireland and its bardic tradition. From the 17th century onwards, it also began to be used in English-controlled Ireland as a heraldic symbol.

In the modern era, the harp was adopted by Irish nationalist movements and appeared on flags and insignia during Ireland’s struggle for independence, including the period around the Easter Rising. It later became the official state emblem of the Irish Free State, and remains in use on Irish coinage, passports, and official seals today.

One popular misconception is that medieval sources refer to the harp as the only music played during the Crusades — there is no historical evidence for this claim.

What remains true is that few instruments in the world have become so deeply tied to a nation’s identity, evolving from courtly instrument to enduring national symbol.

14/06/2026

☘️ in 1995 – The death of Donegal-born blues legend Rory Gallagher.

Born in Ballyshannon, Co. Donegal, in 1948 and raised in Cork, Rory Gallagher discovered the blues through broadcasts on American Forces Network radio. With his fiery performances and unmatched dedication to live music, he became one of Ireland’s greatest rock musicians and earned worldwide acclaim with Taste before embarking on a hugely successful solo career.

On this day in 1995, Gallagher died at King’s College Hospital in London from complications following a liver transplant. He was just 47 years old.

Such was his reputation that in the 1971 Melody Maker Pop Poll, readers voted him International Top Guitarist ahead of Eric Clapton.

“There are things you can replace. There are things you cannot.” – Rory Gallagher

Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam.

13/06/2026

☘️ in 1865 – Poet, playwright and Irish nationalist W.B. Yeats was born in Sandymount, Dublin.

The son of artist John Butler Yeats, William Butler Yeats spent much of his childhood in Co. Sligo, whose landscapes, folklore and traditions would inspire some of his most celebrated works, including The Lake Isle of Innisfree.

A leading figure of the Irish Literary Revival, Yeats helped rekindle interest in Ireland’s mythology, folklore and cultural heritage. His life beyond poetry was equally fascinating. Deeply devoted to revolutionary Maud Gonne, he proposed marriage to her several times, only to be repeatedly refused.

Awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1923 and later serving as a senator of the Irish Free State, Yeats remains one of Ireland’s most influential literary figures.

“The world is full of magic things, patiently waiting for our senses to grow sharper.” — W.B. Yeats

12/06/2026

in 2003 – Legendary Oscar-winning actor Gregory Peck passed away at his home in Los Angeles, aged 87.

Born in La Jolla, California, Peck was one of the world’s most beloved film stars, captivating audiences from the 1940s through the 1960s in classics such as Roman Holiday, The Guns of Navarone, and To Kill a Mockingbird, for which he won the Academy Award for Best Actor as Atticus Finch.

Less well known was his proud Irish heritage. Through his paternal grandmother, Catherine Ashe of Minard near Di**le, Co. Kerry, Peck was related to Thomas Ashe, the Kerryman who commanded the Fingal Battalion during the 1916 Easter Rising. Ashe led the Volunteers to victory at the Battle of Ashbourne—widely regarded as the Rising’s most successful engagement outside Dublin. Arrested after the surrender, he was released in the 1917 amnesty but died later that year in Mountjoy Prison after being forcibly fed while on hunger strike.

Gregory Peck never forgot his Irish roots. A portrait of Thomas Ashe hung in his study, serving as a constant reminder of the courage and sacrifice of the man he proudly called kin.

☘️ “I feel drawn to Di**le. I feel a sense of coming home.” – Gregory Peck

11/06/2026

in 2009 – The Blarney Stone was named the world’s “germiest” tourist attraction.

According to a TripAdvisor survey published on 11 June 2009, the famous Blarney Stone topped a list of the world’s most germ-laden tourist attractions. The ranking was inspired by growing concerns about hygiene during the swine flu outbreak and the fact that hundreds of thousands of visitors kiss the stone each year.

Legend holds that kissing the Blarney Stone bestows the gift of eloquence. One popular tradition links its powers to Clíodhna, the goddess of the Otherworld, while another attributes it to Cormac Láidir MacCarthy, who built the present Blarney Castle in the 15th century.

Earning the gift of gab is no simple task. Visitors must climb to the top of the castle and lean backwards over the battlements to kiss the stone. Despite its reputation, the Blarney Stone continues to attract around 400,000 visitors annually and remains one of Ireland’s most famous landmarks.

09/06/2026

in Irish History – 9 June 597

Today marks the death of Saint Columba, better known in Ireland as St Colmcille, one of Ireland’s three patron saints. He died on the island of Iona on 9 June 597.

Born in Gartan, Co. Donegal, around 521, Colmcille was a monk, scholar, poet and founder of monasteries across Ireland and Scotland. Tradition holds that he copied a manuscript without permission, leading to a dispute that ultimately contributed to his exile from Ireland.

From Iona, he helped spread Christianity throughout Scotland and established a monastic tradition that would preserve learning during some of Europe’s darkest centuries. His legacy remains so strong that there have even been modern calls for a public holiday in his honour.

“Be a bright flame before me, be a guiding star above me.”
— traditionally attributed to St Colmcille

Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam.

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