I have always known that I have Irish ancestry. It is something that was brought up when I asked about my ancestry in relation to school projects. I am working on my family history, but AncestryDNA says my family has connections to Munster, specifically Limerick and Cork.
Connolly’s Irish Pub and Restaurant is located on West 45th Street in New York City, New York. The pub features a wide menu, featuring pub fare and traditional Irish dishes. It is a family-owned restaurant in Times Square.
Charm bracelets are a fun way to showcase something or various things that mean a lot to the person wearing the bracelet. There are a variety of charm options out there, so finding ways to make a charm bracelet unique is easy and fun. One way to make a themed bracelet is to find charms having to do with Celtic music, whether it means general song titles or song titles of a specific band. This particular charm bracelet features charms that correlate to High Kings songs, but many of these songs are traditional Celtic songs.
Junk journaling has become popular over the past few years. People use it to gather things like movie tickets and other things that would normally get thrown away, and put them in a notebook or journal. I decided to use it as a way to gather things pertaining to the Celtic world. I have included things like tags with sayings, concert tickets, movie tickets, news articles, and more.
Anyone who knows me knows that I grew up listening to Celtic music from a young age. From the Irish Tenors to the Chieftains, Celtic music has had a huge impact on my life. However, one of my earliest memories includes a random song, “Rakes of Mallow,” that has made its way into my life throughout the years.
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As a lover of Celtic culture and someone who has Irish
ancestry, there are things that people say and do that irk me. They may seem
insignificant, but they get on my nerves when people do or say them, as they
come from a place of ignorance that can be changed.
Thinking “Zombie” by the Cranberries is a Halloween song
I remember the first time I heard “Zombie” on the radio on
Halloween. I did not know the entire history of the song, but I did know enough
that it was actually a serious song about a tragic event that happened. Hearing
it played as I now know the full meaning, and even thinking back to that first
time makes me mad. I did not hear it on Halloween in 2025, but it was a part of
a radio contest where the radio host either played it really quickly or played
it in reverse. When he gave the clue, he mentioned that the title was “Halloween
vibes,” which is not the best, but it was still better than calling it a
full-on Halloween song.
Celtic concerts are concentrated in March or September
I am a huge fan of Celtic music. From Celtic Thunder to the Red
Hot Chilli Pipers and many, many other bands, I love seeing these musicians
live in concert. However, a lot of Celtic music gets condensed to March for St.
Patrick’s Day, even if they are a Scottish band, or for September to celebrate
halfway to St. Patrick’s Day. This
leaves me craving this music the rest of the year for the most part. When these
months do come, I am often left with having to spend a huge amount of money and
having to decide who I feel is worth seeing as schedules overlap.
Lack of Irish pubs in my small town
I live in a small town outside of Philadelphia. There used
to be a pub in a neighboring town and another a bit further out. Now, I have to
go more than half an hour away if I want to go to an authentic Irish pub. In
the meantime, several sit-down restaurants near me are closing and are being
bought out for things like gas stations and dentist offices. If I had the means
to make my own pub, I would. Unfortunately, I do not have the knowledge or the
resources to make this, nor do I know anyone who does.
“Fake” Irish Pubs
Not only are there no Irish or Celtic pubs near me, but the ones
that claim to be Irish pubs are not authentic. There is one about half an hour
from me that I have yet to go to that seems genuine, but it is further away
than the inauthentic pubs. These “fake” pubs don’t have any authentic music
playing or food to offer. They put a few Irish-like decorations on the wall and
call it a day without aiming for real authenticity.
Those who have been to Ireland (or any other Celtic
nation) before me and without me
I have been longing to go to the Celtic nations since I was
a kid. When I was a child, I distinctly remember having a dream that I was in
Ireland, and as I stood at the bottom of a hill, a whole herd of sheep came
running towards me. Most kids would have been afraid, but I was unafraid. If
anything, it made me want to visit Ireland more. However, I know of family
members and friends who know this about me and went without me. Of course, this
gives me a chance to ask their advice on what to see and do when I do get there
someday, and I am thrilled they got to experience it, but I can’t help but be a
bit jealous at the same time.
Related Articles
-New Hope's Dubliner on the Delaware To Close: https://kiltedowl.blogspot.com/2025/11/new-hopes-dubliner-on-delaware-to-close.html
-Concert Review: Red Hot Chilli Pipers: https://kiltedowl.blogspot.com/2025/09/concert-review-red-hot-chilli-pipers.html
-Irish Pub Review: Harrigan's: https://kiltedowl.blogspot.com/2025/08/irish-pub-review-harrigans.html
From film festivals to hikes and everything in between, there is something for everyone to do this month, whether you want to embrace your own Celtic roots or learn more about Celtic culture. If you know of any upcoming events, either in May or otherwise, please reach out!
Fadó Irish Pub is a group of pubs with locations along the East Coast of the United States. The name itself means “long ago.” The pubs began in 1996 and have become staples in their communities since. I recently visited the Philadelphia location, and it was delightful.
Picture frames are a fun and easy way to add some color. They are a way to show off artwork as well. You can decorate wooden frames to show off your Celtic pride and do fun artwork to showcase in them.
From Highland Gatherings to jazz festivals and everything in between, there is something for everyone to do this month, whether you want to embrace your own Celtic roots or learn more about Celtic culture. If you know of any upcoming events, either in April or otherwise, please reach out!
On March 14, 2026, Perkasie held its annual Upper Bucks
Celtic Festival. The event featured a variety of vendors, entertainment, and
activities for people of all ages to enjoy within downtown Perkasie. It was a
great day that was enjoyed by participants and attendees alike.
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For me, music has a way of highlighting certain memories in
my mind. I can hear a song and instantly tie it to some moment in my life. So
many artists are like that for me, so I want to do a series where I look at how
Celtic music and musicians have influenced my life, and how they show up in
even the smallest ways.
Irish musician Enya is one of those artists who is there,
but she has a bit of a quiet yet strong presence to her. She is there in subtle ways, but she
is not trying to outdo anyone or take away from what everyone else is doing.
She is doing her own thing and rocking it.
The puns in this book are glorious. I am someone who is
obsessed with making silly puns and jokes, so I really appreciated this book for
that reason alone. They were natural and creative without feeling too forced.
More than 12 million crayons are manufactured each day. When these crayons break, people tend to throw them away. However, they end up in landfills, and crayons take several years to biodegrade. Luckily (pun not intended), there are ways to make melted crayons. While this method works with any kind of mold or even a muffin tin, I am using a shamrock silicone mold.
Making your own mugs is a creative way to make something fun, festive, and practical. You can make it Celtic-themed. I decided to go with Ireland because I have ancestors from Ireland, but if you are super talented at drawing (unlike me), you can do anything from a country to Celtic knotwork. The possibilities are as endless as your creativity! Be careful- many plastic ones are unable to be used in the microwave or dishwasher.
-Mug that you can design yourself
-Paper
-Drawing supplies
-Stickers (optional)
-Clear ornament (any size)
-Filler (I used scrap fabric)
-Stickers
While St. Patrick’s Day is not typically a gift-giving holiday, if someone in your life is especially in love with this day, you may opt to give them a gift. However, St. Patrick’s Day bags, or bags that have Celtic designs on them in general, can be difficult to find. Luckily, it is not difficult to make your own bag!