BBC One has announced a “magical new commission” for Harry Potter-loving muggles everywhere. Entitled Fantastic Beasts: A Natural History, the documentary is in partnership with Warner Bros. and London’s Natural History Museum. Presented by none other than Stephen Fry, who voiced many of the Harry Potter audiobooks. https://www.instagram.com/p/B7DPaLsisSZ/ Exploring the origins and stories of the […]

7 years ago

Citizenship plays a major role in people’s lives. It’s probably the biggest contributor to a person’s quality of life. A new list by Italian Dual Citizenship, and published on Lonely Planet, ranks countries in accordance with the benefits and rights it offers its citizens. With Ireland coming in at number two. A number of factors […]

7 years ago

G Adventures’ travel horoscopes are here – in case you need some help choosing where to go. One of my goals for this year is to travel more. Saving is not my forte but hopefully, with a little self-discipline and focus, I can manage to put some money aside to help me on my way. […]

7 years ago

No doubt the fitness goals are in full swing…but are they being implemented? The problem with making loads of aspirational health and fitness resolutions is that oftentimes they’re far too ambitious and so you burn yourself out before you’ve even really started. Committing to going to the gym seven days a week, twice a day […]

7 years ago

The Great British Bake Off is set to welcome some very famous faces onto the show with Louis Theroux and Ovie Soko amongst them. This follows on from the roaring success of the festive special that aired on New Year’s Day. Starring the cast of the hit show Derry Girls, the reaction to the celebrity […]

7 years ago

It’s no secret that Galway is one of my favourite places in the world. For many reasons – the people, the craic, the pubs. The list goes on. Perhaps the biggest reason though? The food obviously. And as it happens, the travel-wise folk over at Lonely Planet are in agreement with me as according to […]

7 years ago

What’s occurring? The nation is a little Gavin & Stacey obsessed at the moment, having rediscovered our love for the iconic series after watching the Christmas special that aired on December 25th. We had to be together to watch it go out tonight!Gavin and Stacey is a show about friendship and family. Tonight’s show has […]

7 years ago

January has us feeling in need of a serious pick-me-up and these unreal hotel deals are enough to get us into action and start planning our next staycation. Ireland has plenty to offer (except for maybe the scorching summer weather of our dreams) and is as good a choice as any when brainstorming holiday destinations. […]

7 years ago

Happy Singles Sunday. According to the experts, today is the busiest day of the year for dating apps. https://www.instagram.com/p/B678QqhnrNO/ Known as ‘Singles Sunday’ or ‘Dating Sunday’, the first Sunday after the new year tends to be the busiest day of the dating season, with the highest number of singletons signing up to a dating app. […]

7 years ago

Ready for your 15 seconds of fame? Popular English band, The 1975, are looking for couples to star in their next video. https://www.instagram.com/p/B5nrxYYJ2W3/ The message, posted to Twitter by Dirty Hit, the band’s record label, reads: “We’re filming a new @the1975 video in London on 18th January. We’re looking for couples to be a part […]

7 years ago

Providing us with endless travel inspiration. The guys at Conde Nast Traveler have released a list of what they consider to be the ’20 most beautiful cities in Europe’. And we want to visit all of them. Admitting that “it’s the cities that keep us coming back to the continent again and again”, the list […]

7 years ago

I’m about to share some very precious information with you. Information so precious in fact, that I’ve been debating whether to reveal all or just keep it to myself. Maybe it’s the caffeine from my mid-afternoon coffee kicking in, maybe I’m just feeling generous, who knows – either way you should listen up because it’s […]

7 years ago

What a time to be alive. If you’ve been dreaming about a trip to Disneyland, but can’t quite swing the funds post-Christmas…attending a Disney-themed brunch is the next best thing. And as it turns out…there’s a huge Disney inspired brunch coming to Belfast (and Dublin) this summer. Hooray! Seriously impressive costumes right there. Taking place […]

7 years ago

The legendary broadcaster died suddenly on Thursday last. According to funeral arrangements for the late great radio presenter, she will be laid to rest on Tuesday, January 7th 2020. Found at her home on Thursday, the 69-year-old passed away in her sleep. The funeral is set to take place at St Brigid’s Church in Kill […]

7 years ago

Westlife fans rejoice. The popular hour-long special that aired over Christmas will return to Irish TV screens once again this afternoon. Giving us a glimpse of life backstage, the programme features behind-the-scenes footage, as well as clips from the foursome’s sold-out gigs at Croke Park. The group comprising of Shane Filan, Mark Feehily, Nicky Byrne […]

7 years ago

West is best as they say. Popular US news channel CNN has released a list of the ’20 best places to visit in 2020’ with little old Galway making the list. https://www.instagram.com/p/B6K5S8xpv1q/ Saying that it “wasn’t in need of any help where the arts are concerned”, the full description reads: “As with the United States, […]

7 years ago

Derek Acorah’s wife, Gwen, confirmed the news. Star of the popular TV programme Most Haunted, Derek Acorah has died following a brief illness. Aged 69, he passed away in intensive care last night. Announcing the news on Derek’s official Facebook page, Gwen wrote: “Farewell my love! I will miss you forever! I’m devastated to announce […]

7 years ago

The Late Late Show returned last night for its first episode of 2020. Former President of Ireland, Mary McAleese, made an appearance discussing topics ranging from post-presidency life to religion and Brexit. Architect Dermot Bannon of Room To Improve chatted through the process of renovating his own home, while Nathan Carter performed alongside The High […]

7 years ago

Do you want to double your annual leave this year? Obviously, the answer to that is yes. I mean who wouldn’t want that? The cold wintery mornings and long dark evenings have us wrapped up by the fire dreaming of our next holiday. Places where the sun still shines and it doesn’t rain all the […]

7 years ago

US politician Hillary Clinton has been appointed as the new Chancellor of Queen’s University in Belfast. The 11th Chancellor of the university and first female to hold the role, the position came into effect on January 1st and will serve for a period of five years. Queen’s University took to Twitter to announce the news, […]

7 years ago

With Veganuary in full swing, this is sure to be very popular. KFC has come out with an all-new KFC Vegan Burger for the plant-based aficionados amongst us. Vegans can enjoy the iconic original recipe flavour that they’ve been missing out on until now. Featuring the same herbs and spices, the vegan version replaces the […]

7 years ago

2020 is already off to a stellar start. Especially for one Irish city which has been singled out and given the top accolade of ‘number one destination for foodies in 2020’. So dubbed by the folks at BBC Good Food, Galway impressed as “a shining star in the country’s ever-expanding culinary firmament”. Awarded Ireland’s first […]

7 years ago

Pure chaos in the best possible way. Things heated up in the Great British Bake Off tent last night, when the cast of the hit show Derry Girls stepped into the kitchen. Making a cameo for the festive edition of the popular baking programme, Saoirse-Monica Jackson, Nicola Coughlan, Jamie-Lee O’Donnell, Dylan Llewellyn and Siobhan McSweeney […]

7 years ago

New jewellery is always nice. New jewellery with a funny name is nicer. Created by Aoife Stapleton, they’re named after the Irish word ‘Clé’ meaning ‘left’. Made with pure Irishness at its core,  each set of earrings also has a gas Irish name. Behold. The ‘bacon and cabbage’ earrings: not quite good enough to eat, […]

7 years ago

2019 has come to a close and with it the end of another decade. The end of the year is always cause for great nostalgia – a time to whip out the photo albums and remember the good times. We decided to do just that and take a look back at some of last year’s […]

7 years ago

A new year, even a new decade …but the same unpredictable Irish weather. Met Eireann took to Twitter last night to wish the public a very happy New Year…following their well wishes up with some less than ideal weather predictions. Happy New Year from everyone at Met Éireann.And the first day of 2020 will be […]

7 years ago

There is no bad time for a Friends reference. At least in my book. And if you want to start the year off on the right foot (by watching Friends, obviously), then there is one specific episode that you should put on. Remember the episode with Emma’s first birthday? Part of season 10, and aptly […]

7 years ago

Minister for the Environment Richard Bruton has proposed a ban on dumping clothes in rubbish bins in a move to help alleviate the country’s ‘fast fashion’ waste problem. Speaking out against waste management, he took to Twitter to say: “I am determined to address how we manage our waste as part of the government’s Climate […]

7 years ago

Happy New Year’s Eve, lads. Reality is just around the corner, but there is still time to enjoy a few more days of mindless TV and complete relaxation. Though many choose to brave the elements (and the crowds) and head out for a night on the tiles, I much prefer to ring in the new […]

7 years ago

Barack Obama is a man of good taste. A well-established tradition, each year Barack Obama releases a list of his favourite things. How very Sound of Music of him. From hip-hop to country to The Boss, here are my songs of the year. If you’re looking for something to keep you company on a long […]

7 years ago

“Santa, oh my God! I know him!” And isn’t he some man for one man?! A couple of years ago I was lucky enough to win a trip over to Lapland to visit the man in the big red suit at his grotto in Lapland. And it was nothing short of magic. From the icy-weather […]

7 years ago

Happy Christmas Eve eve! With Christmas just around the corner (literally, just around the corner, two more sleeps eek!), most people will find themselves sans motivation. Well, do you know what the cure for that is? A trip away of course. Sure, there’s no harm in just looking, now is there? Offering some of the […]

7 years ago

The President of Ireland has delivered his Christmas and New Year’s message this morning. And you’ll be happy to know that Bród and Síoda also make an appearance – as both the opening and closing shots of the video. https://www.instagram.com/p/B6aK2OTnqOt/ Honing in on pertinent issues such as climate change and emigration, Michael D reiterated the […]

7 years ago

Christmas come early. Literally. Today is a good day – any day involving dogs is a good day in fairness. Prepare yourselves because this is glorious. Uploading a video to social media, Dogs Trust showed some of their lovable pooches picking out their Christmas presents. And it’s the most wholesome thing I’ve ever seen. Combining toy […]

7 years ago

I’m a big child at heart, and even though I know this is fake, it’s made me all the more excited for Christmas Eve. Some people go to all the rounds in an attempt to leave signs of Santa’s visit. Half-full (I’m an optimist don’t ya know?) glasses of milk, biscuit crumbs trailing the floor, […]

7 years ago

A Status Yellow warning was issued for the whole country with it being upgraded to a Status Orange for Cork and later Galway and Mayo too. Storm Elsa arrived in full force yesterday, with the west and south of the country bearing the brunt of it. Hundreds of people have found themselves without power this […]

7 years ago

Prosecco is bloody great, isn’t it? Bubbly and delicious, it’s a cheaper alternative to champagne – and when drank from a fancy glass, will make you feel very civilised altogether. Sure, it wouldn’t be Christmas without a few bottles of bubbly in the fridge waiting to be popped open now would it? So versatile too […]

7 years ago

Live at the Marquee 2020 is set to be a big one. The Coronas have confirmed that they will take to the stage for a performance at Live at the Marquee next summer. Currently, on tour around Ireland, the band are busy with a string of sell-out shows in Dublin this month. Heading south to […]

7 years ago

Dogs Trust is suspending adoptions over Christmas once again this year. The animal charity has confirmed that it will be suspending adoptions over the festive period once again this year. Urging people to think about the lifelong commitment and responsibility that comes with owning a dog, the centre will be halting adoptions from today, December […]

7 years ago

That’s mad, Ted. Instagram can be a treasure trove of hilarity, but only if you know where to look. If your home feed is filled with selfie after posed selfie, filtered to bits and captioned “live, laugh, love”, then you’re doing it wrong. I’m sure such accounts have their appeal but for me personally at […]

7 years ago

Locals down in Kerry were left surprised when Hollywood actor Chris O’Dowd showed up to give them a lift to the pub. Part of a campaign by Guinness, the aim is to provide a safe and sociable option to get to and from the pub. Starting down in the Kingdom, the idea came about when […]

7 years ago

I’ve said it once, and I’ll say it again; tis the season. December has arrived, bringing with it a host of gorgeous Christmas markets. Dotted along Europe, the markets give some of the continent’s most popular sights a festive facelift. Think twinkling fairy lights, wooden alpine stalls, seasonal eats and loads of mulled wine. Perhaps […]

7 years ago

Portugal seems to be one of the new cool spots to holiday and while everyone always talks about the unreal pastéis de nata (Portuguese custard tarts that are absolutely divine) there is less talk about the wine. Surprising considering it’s the home of Port and Douro wine. Which is why a stop to the Douro […]

7 years ago

Sustainability. We hear the word all the time, but do we really know what it means? In essence, sustainability is about working with nature and the environment rather than against it. Some may fear it is just a passing trend, but I personally think it’s here to stay and it’s great to see people jumping […]

7 years ago

Travelling home for Christmas? Then this will be of interest. Bus Éireann has released their festive timetable ahead of the busy Christmas and New Year’s rush. Bus Éireann wishes to advise customers of its timetables for the Christmas and New Year period, with some extra services over the festive season. Please see https://t.co/POn4qYcci3 for details […]

7 years ago

Burritos aren’t just a food, they’re a way of life. Get them deconstructed, in bowl form, or wrapped snugly in a warm flour tortilla -either way they’re delicious. A fact that us Irish folk are well aware of, considering the unwavering popularity of Boojum. https://www.instagram.com/p/B5VaFzPBLeO/ A casual Mexican burrito bar, they arrived on the scene […]

7 years ago

Food and drink is a language we can all understand. Taste and Tour is adding three new tours to its 2020 line-up, including a ‘City Cocktail Circuit’, the ‘5-stop Brunch’ route and a ‘Crafty Beers and Street Eats’ tour. Winner of Northern Ireland’s ‘Best Small Visitor Attraction’, the uber-popular tours have welcomed more than 15,000 […]

7 years ago

Just in time for Veganuary. McDonald’s Ireland has announced that it will launch its first fully vegan meal in January of next year. Though the popular fast-food chain has released vegetarian and vegan meal options before, the items couldn’t be labelled as being 100 per cent fully vegan due to the fact that they were […]

7 years ago

Now in its fourth year, Yulefest has been serving up some festive family fun to the people of Kilkenny since its arrival on November 22nd. Running until January 6th, there is still plenty of time to enjoy the atmosphere. Aiming to bring people closer – to fill their hearts and not empty their pockets, the […]

7 years ago

Tis the season to eat all the good food and drink all the delicious drinks…and we couldn’t be happier. And where better to do so than in the winter wonderland at Massimo, Galway’s most Christmassy pub? Decked out for the festive season, the interior has transformed into a bopping après ski bar. Resembling a cosy […]

7 years ago