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*New Column: “Letter From Ireland”: A humorous overview of Irish life right now from our American correspondent in Galway.
*Balybunnion: an inside look at the grand dame of Irish links.
*An Irishman’s remembrance: Meeting my first American.

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*Where is the absolute best pub in all of Ireland?
*A Voice Still Heard: When the church speaks – politicians still listen.
*Irish Yuppies Jump Into Seaweed baths

*Ireland Blog – Offbeat Irish links from around the web
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Ireland Fun Facts
- Ole! About ten percent of County Roscommon's population is Brazilian today. The samba is danced in local clubs on "Brazil Nights" and one local radio station broadcasts in Portuguese on weekends.

- Couples in Ireland could marry legally on St. Brigid's Day (February 1st) in Teltown, County Meath, as recently as the 1920’s by simply walking towards each other. If the marriage failed, they could “divorce'” by walking away from each other at the same spot, on St. Brigid’s day the following year. The custom was a holdover from old Irish Brehon laws, which allowed temporary marriage contracts.

- One of the most popular radio shows in rural Ireland is still the weekly broadcast of local obituaries.

- The tune of the "Star Spangled Banner" was composed by the great blind harper Turlough O’Carolan, who died about 35 years before the American revolution.

- Achill Island is the largest island off Ireland’s coast. It’s 56 miles square, with dramatic landscape featuring wild cliffs and moors.

- The Phrase “by hook or by crook” allegedly comes from a military campaign by English bad guy Oliver Cromwell, who in 1649 planned to attack Waterford by taking ships around Hook Head or marching through the village of Crooke. Some say Richard DeClare, Earl of Pembroke first used the expression to describe his invasion way back in 1170. Cromwell failed, while DeClare succeeded in capturing Waterford.

Irish Quote of the Week:
“Men always want to be a woman's first love. Women have a more subtle instinct: What they like is to be a man's last romance.”
- Oscar Wilde

FREE STORIES
Letter From Ireland: Howling January winds, an Americanized Christmas shopping season, a Golden Globe for a Cork boy & more. What's happening now.
Ballybunion: How this Southwestern gem became the grande dame of Irish links courses. It’s mystique, and the ways it challenges golfers at every level.
My First Irish-American In 1960’s rural Ireland, a cigar-smoking New Yorker in a homborg hat made a big impression.

STORIES OPEN TO IRISH CROSSINGS MEMBERS:

Where is the Absolute Best Pub in Ireland? Six Irish writers describe their favorite watering holes in city and countryside, where pints of Guinness and life stories overflow.
When The Church Speaks, Politicians Still Listen
Ireland seems like a very secular country on the surface today. But in subtle ways, The Roman Catholic Church still has far more influence on politics there than in the US.
Seaweed Baths Get Popular Again Spartan seaweed baths were once popular with Irish elders. Nowadays young people like to take a briny bath surrounded by soft lighting, music and stylish appointments. Some top places to take the dive in Donegal.

Ireland Blog...from all around the Web
- Hello Mr. weak dollar: There are plenty of new tourists in Ireland these days, but most of them aren’t Americans: See Board Failte's new report
- Irish folks are getting a little uncomfortable with the tidal wave of foreign workers in Ireland. Is it time to bring back work permits?
- In a further complication of life in the European Union, the Irish government is trying to sidestep EU rules that allow foreign workers to claim Irish welfare benefits if they are laid off from jobs.
- Nasty story about alleged secret drug trials (which patients did not know about) in Ireland by, you guessed it, American pharma companies.
- Check out this interesting site offering salvaged collectibles from Irish farms and other buildings.
- The Irish Pub: Reports of it's death were premature
In spite of grumblings that the smoking ban was killing business
2005 turned out to be a great year for publicans.
- Watch live television from Ireland
over the Internet.
- Political website about all sorts of rip-offs in Ireland.

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