Latest news with #StPatrick
Western Telegraph
3 hours ago
- Western Telegraph
Whitesands Beach named among the best in the world
From Australia to Hawaii, Barbados to the Maldives, Big Travel 7 has come up with a list of the best beaches in the world. Introducing the list, the travel experts said: "From the sun-soaked tropics to the icy edges of the poles, our planet is home to some truly spectacular beaches. Best-rated UK beaches for 2025 - Tripadvisor rankings "Whether you're dreaming of sipping a cocktail under the warm sun or taking a romantic stroll along a pristine shoreline, we've got you covered. "From pearly-white sands that stretch unbroken for kilometres to crystal-clear waters that invite you in for a swim or snorkel, these are the 50 most beautiful beaches in the world." The best beaches in the world The top 50 best beaches in the world, according to Big Travel 7, can be found on the map below: Why Whitesands Beach is among the best in the world Whitesands Beach, located near St David's, ranked 28th in Big Travel 7's list of the world's best. Describing the Pembrokeshire beach as "arguably Wales' best", the experts explained: "This Blue Flag beach is overlooked by the hill of Carn Llidi, while the white sands curve towards the rocky headland of St Davids Head. "A popular but quiet beach due to its size, it is well worth visiting next time you're in Wales, as it is a favourite among both locals and tourists. "The water quality is excellent, perfect for swimming in the summer months as well as snorkelling and scuba diving." This is not the first time Whitesands has been recognised as a top beach. Conde Nast Traveller also ranked it among the UK's best beaches for 2025, in a listicle released earlier this year. Whitesands Beach isn't just highly recommended by experts, but by visitors as well, boasting a 4.2 (out of 5) rating on Tripadvisor from 532 reviews. One person said: "Stunning beach and a great coastal path walk near the beach. Beach is great for families and surfing/ swimming. A great place to visit in summer or winter." Another visitor to the Pembrokeshire beach added: "An absolute gem! Beautiful dog friendly beach with the sound of crashing waves. "Footpath either side fir a view across the bay. Called into the cafe which is also dog friendly for an ice cream, the staff where really friendly and welcoming. "Plenty of parking available however £6 is expensive if you are only there for a short visit." Whitesands Beach comes highly recommended by visitors as well as travel experts. (Image: Tripadvisor) Things to do at Whitesands Beach Whitesands is described as "one of the most popular beaches in Pembrokeshire" by Visit Wales, and is said to be ideal for: Sandcastle building Paddling and swimming Surfing Windsurfering Kayaking Diving Angling Short walks along the Pembrokeshire Coast Path or to the summit of nearby Carn Llidi There are also traces of a 6th-century chapel to St Patrick buried beneath the dunes located behind Whitesand Beach. You may also be able to see some of the local wildlife while visiting the beach, with a variety of sea birds, seals and porpoises often spotted close to the shore, according to Visit Wales. The beach is accessible to wheelchair users. Visit Wales said: "A slipway provides easy access onto the sand and there are beach-friendly wheelchairs available for hire." There are also lifeguards on duty at various points throughout the year (see the Visit Wales website for more details and times). Lifeguards are on duty at Whitesands Beach at various times throughout the year. (Image: Tripadvisor) Is there a cafe at Whitesands Beach? There is a cafe (Whitesands Beach House), shop and surf hire located behind Whitesands Beach. Toilet and changing facilities are also available. There are more shops, cafes and other services in St David's, which is located just two miles from the beach. Is Whitesands Beach dog-friendly? Yes, Whitesands Beach is dog-friendly. However, there are restrictions in place between May and September, which means dogs must be kept on a lead. RECOMMENDED READING: Parking at Whitesands Beach There are parking spaces for around 60 cars above Whitesands Beach. Parking "can be a problem during the height of summer", Visit Wales says, but there is a Celtic Coaster shuttle bus (summer only) available which travels to the beach from The Oriel y Parc car park on the edge of St David's.
Extra.ie
12-07-2025
- Extra.ie
The Weekend Run with Liam Gaskin — A unique Mayo ride and a legend among sports bikes
I started this weekend ride just outside Castlebar in a suburb called Snugborough. The only reason I tell you that is because Snugborough sounds like a great place to live. The road from there to Newport had everything—an almost perfect road surface with lovely twists and bends. Along the 12 kilometres to Newport, I passed rivers, lakes, forests and bogland. Only in Ireland could you enjoy such a variety of landscapes in such a short distance. Newport is set in a wonderful location on the shores of Clew Bay. It has a disused railway viaduct over the Black Oak River, which runs through the town. The Railway viaduct over Black Oak River, Newport. Pic: Supplied I took the road to Westport alongside the Great Western Greenway. Living in Dublin, I'm not a massive fan of cycle tracks, but this one is exceptional. It facilitates walkers, joggers, and cyclists running from Westport to Newport and on to Achill. The great Western Greenway with Croagh Patrick in the distance. Pic: Supplied As a biker, I have nothing but praise for the road from Castlebar through Newport and on to Westport. I don't know if it's because of the Wild Atlantic Way or just that Mayo County Council is great at its job, but as a biker, you couldn't ask for a better road surface or a more scenic biking route. Westport is a picturesque town filled with great bars, coffee shops, and restaurants. If you like a good traditional Irish music session, Westport is the place for you. All day and well into the night, you'll be at a bar with a bandy. The Octagon in Westport with the great man himself on top, St Patrick. Pic: Supplied The only drawback to this lovely town is that it's choc-a-block with traffic. Even on a motorbike, it'll take you 15 to 20 minutes to get through it. I suggest when you get to the centre of the town, stop for a coffee and a slice of cake and watch the world go by. Leaving Westport, take the road to the harbour. As harbours go, this is a good one, with a vast terrace of stone-faced, three-story buildings housing a small Hotel, bars, and restaurants. It is really well laid out and well worth stretching your legs here. I point my sturdy steed towards Croagh Patrick, which dominates the skyline along this stretch of the Wild Atlantic Way. All along this next stretch of the run, you have Clew Bay on your right side and the imposing presence of Croagh Patrick in front. A thought struck me that we don't stop enough to take in the majesty of the country we live in. Croagh Patrick, shrouded in a veil of cloud. Pic: Supplied Tourists from across the globe spend thousands of dollars or euros to come to our shores and experience the unique beauty of this Island we call home. Yet we shoot by rarely stopping to take it all in. Clew Bay is stunning at this time of year; take some time to take it all in! Pic: Supplied My last and final stop was at one of my favourite places in Ireland, Staunton's Pub, literally nestled in the shadow of Croagh Patrick. I don't know quite why I feel very much at home here, but I do. I relax completely in this place. It may be the smell of the bog fire, or the best toasted sandwiches around or the seafood soup or just the friendliness of the staff and locals, but whatever it is, this place feels like home. I highly recommend a visit if you're in the area. T. Staunton, a fine establishment for drinking and dining. Pic: Supplied As always, click this link to the Detecht map for the route of this run. Remember, when you open the map, enlarge it to see the details. This is my last run out for a while, but I will be back with more ride-outs, 10 questions, stories about Irish bikers with huge hearts, and great runs around the World. They say you can't teach an old dog new tricks, but apparently, you can give him the keys to a KTM 1290 Super Duke R and he can learn some for himself. I recently had the chance to take the KTM 1290 Super Duke R for a spin, and I have to say—it was an experience I didn't expect to enjoy as much as I did. This machine is a legend among sports bikes, having been introduced in 2015 and has since become a huge fan favourite. It was an experience I didn't expect to enjoy as much as I did. Pic: KTM This bike is everything you'd expect from KTM: raw power, precision engineering, and a surprisingly comfortable ride. As a laid-back rider myself, I'm not typically drawn to super bikes or sport bikes, but the Super Duke impressed me right from the start. Navigating tight spaces around a housing estate, the handling was sharp and intuitive, making the bike feel lighter than it actually is. Once I hit the motorway, the acceleration was nothing short of exhilarating — smooth, immediate, and utterly confidence-inspiring. Comfort-wise, it exceeded expectations. Even for someone like me — let's say I'm not in my 20s anymore—it was an easy and enjoyable ride. The riding modes (wet, dry, and fast) offer just the right amount of customisation depending on conditions and confidence levels, and the bike responded beautifully in each. Comfort-wise, it exceeded expectations. Even for someone like me — let's say I'm not in my 20s anymore—it was an easy and enjoyable ride. Pic: KTM The bike I rode came with the usual ABS and all the standard features. However, it was fitted with a Tech Pack which enables Track Mode, Quick Shifter, MSR Motor Slip Regulation and Adaptive Brake Light. I threw that in for all you tech-hungry nerds out there. The 1290 Super Duke is a textbook example of KTM's engineering brilliance. It's the machine that helped cement their reputation in the world of performance motorcycles, and even though KTM don't produce them anymore, their reputation is such that used 1290s are in huge demand. The 1290 Super Duke is a textbook example of KTM's engineering brilliance. Pic: KTM Although you can no longer buy a brand-new model, the good news is that 2 Wheels Motorcycles still has a few carefully selected units kicking around —probably waiting for another rider like me who thought he was 'too old for that sort of thing.' As I said to Charles, my main man in 2 Wheels, when I win the lottery, a touch of optimism there, the KTM 1290 will be in my collection, but it will travel on a trailer to Mondello to enjoy it on track days Change your tyres every five years at the latest. Even if you don't ride out much, the rubber will degrade and start to perish. Ride Safe, everyone.
The Journal
06-07-2025
- General
- The Journal
Pilgrimage organisers seek priests willing to climb a mountain to hear confessions
THERE HAS BEEN a callout for priests to help minister sacraments at the top of Croagh Patrick for Reek Sunday – as the Church has been forced to halve the number of its services as a result of a diminished and ageing clergy. Reek Sunday, also known as Garland Sunday, is celebrated annually on the last Sunday of July. The pilgrimage sees thousands scale Mayo's Croagh Patrick – some barefoot – to celebrate St Patrick. Masses are held at the summit and the Eucharist and confessions are ministered by priests each hour from morning until late afternoon. However, an ageing clergy has created difficulty in sourcing enough priests able to climb the mountain to attend to the thousands that turn out for the pilgrimage. Administrator of Westport parish, Father John Kenny, has invited priests who have the capacity to make the journey to join him among other clergymen on Croagh Patrick on 27 June. The number of priests who have attended Reek Sunday has ranged between eight and up to 15 or 20 in recent years, Fr Kenny told The Journal . Masses on the mountain used to be held every half hour as pilgrims reached the summit at their own pace, but a shortage of priests has forced the masses to be halved, and they are now held hourly from 8am to 2pm on the day. Advertisement Fr Kenny said that it is doubtful there will be enough priests available for Reek Sunday again to return to the original schedule. The weekends are priests' busiest times and it is difficult to find the numbers. 'What happens sometimes is some of the priests that aren't able to climb the mountain anymore would cover for somebody who would be able to climb,' Fr Kenny said, 'and we're always happy that happens. So a retired priest might volunteer to cover for another priest, and by that we've given him the freedom to be to be able to go up the mountain.' Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo Each year, between 5,000 and 10,000 people will turn out for the day. The crowds depend on the weather and whether there's a clash with an All-Ireland final, he said. Fr Kenny is hoping for a few priests to get in touch with his parish of Westport in the Archdiocese of Tuam if they are available for the day. However, there is a large amount of support for the religious affairs on Croagh Patrick with laypeople and Eucharistic Ministers supporting the clergy. Of the falling number of priests, Fr Kenny said that it is certainly a 'dramatic' change but there is simultaneously a surge in lay activity and involvement – something he says appears to be the imminent future of the Catholic Church in Ireland. The role of a priest seems to be slightly less appealing to younger people, he thinks, as 'we're living in a society for a good few years now where a long term commitment is something hard to give'. 'I suppose a lifelong vocation is maybe not going to be a feature of the future to the extent it was now, or has been in the past.' Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
Irish Examiner
16-06-2025
- Science
- Irish Examiner
Podcast Corner: Celtic Studies show delves into Ireland's fascinating history
There are various rabbit holes you could dive into on listening to the opening episode of the second season of Ní Hansae, the School of Celtic Studies Research podcast. While the episode title itself, What is the School of Celtic Studies?, isn't the most exciting, the hour-long chat with Professor Ruairí Ó hUiginn is fascinating and might leave you scrambling for your old college notebook to take down titbits. Halfway through, he tells host Dr Nina Cnockaert-Guillou about some of the school's colourful history, having been set up in the 1940s. 'TF O'Rahilly published the famous lecture on the two St Patricks, and for people who had been brought up on the legend of St Patrick and all that went with it were somewhat put out a bit by the fact there might have been two St Patrick's. It did attract public attention.' Cnockaert-Guillou is the researcher behind Ní Hansae. From Brittany, France, she arrived in University College Cork in 2017 and decided to study Old Irish having never done Irish before! She eventually completed a master's degree in UCC and a doctorate in Cambridge. She is now doing post-doc work in the Dublin Institute of Advanced Studies (DIAS), under which the School of Celtic Studies falls, focused on a 13-century text about Fionn Mac Cumhail. Ó hUiginn is working on something similar, and has been for a long time, he explains, working off a very old edition of an Irish text on the training of Cú Chulainn and the death of his son, Conlaoth. There have been a number of different versions and the story travelled widely. He says he's hoping to publish his work in the not too distant future. In more recent history, they talk of how DIAS was founded in 1940 by the then taoiseach Éamon de Valera, based on the Princeton School of Advanced Study. 'Initially it embodied two schools, the School of Theoretical Physics and the School of Celtic Studies, and it's said that this was established by de Valera to satisfy two of his own interests; he was a mathematician and had an interest in physics, and of course he had an interest in Irish and Celtic studies as well.' Every day is a school day! The first season of Ní Hansae ran in 2020-21, with multilingualism, 'Samhain and science', and bardic poetry among the topics discussed across the eight episodes. Coming up in the second season, episodes focus on Medieval Irish kings and the English invasion, early Medieval Irish philosophy, and storytelling and Irish manuscripts. There are so many great history - and Irish history - podcasts around. Ní Hansae, with its conversational aspect, is one you can put on and just sink into - without the pressure of cramming for an exam at the end.
Irish Daily Mirror
10-06-2025
- Business
- Irish Daily Mirror
Campaign grows for Ireland to get another public holiday, honouring St Colmcille
Ireland could get another public holiday if proposals to have our third patron saint granted a day in his memory go through. Following the addition of St Brigid's Day in 2023, we now enjoy 10 public holidays. Our third national saint after St Patrick and St Brigid is St Colmcille – and a campaign to have a public holiday named after him is growing. Donegal County Cllr Jimmy Kavanagh proposed a motion for the local authority to ask the Government to establish a new public holiday in honour of St Colmcille, who is also known as St Columba. On the saint's feast day yesterday, he said: "Ireland is two days behind the European average of 12 public. "St Colmcille is Ireland's third patron saint but isn't recognised with a public holiday. We're looking to even that up." St Colmcille was born near Lifford, in Donegal in 521AD and established over 50 Christian sites throughout Ireland. Despite the addition of St Brigid's Day, the Irish tally remains lower than the EU average of 12. For example, France has 12 this year, while Spain and Portugal both have 13. Public holidays, which are sometimes called a bank holiday, commemorate a special day or other event. Most businesses and schools close, while services like public transport operate with reduced schedules. In Ireland, the 10 days are New Year's Day, St Brigid's Day, St Patrick's Day, Easter Monday, May Day, the June Bank Holiday, the August Bank Holiday, the October Bank Holiday, Christmas Day, and St Stephen's Day. Good Friday is not a public holiday, but it is a bank holiday, meaning some businesses do close, although workers are not legally entitled to a day off. There have been several proposals for extra public holidays in Ireland, with a Government taskforce for the Tourism Recovery Plan 2020-23 having considered an off-peak public holiday date. It said this would "create additional domestic high spending short break demand and would extend the tourism season." In 2021 Senator Fiona O'Loughlin called for one to coincide with the Late Late Toy Show. The then-Tanaiste Leo Varadkar said at the time that there were discussions about having a public holiday in February, March or November. Last year, the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) called for two more public holidays in Ireland and said: "The minimum number of public holidays should be the EU average of 12." In January, People Before Profit proposed two extra holidays for the last Mondays of September and November. A spokesman said: "Workers in Ireland are still lagging behind their European counterparts. "Ireland has 10 public holidays. In contrast, Germany and Sweden have 13 paid public holidays, Italy has 14 and Austria has 15." Dublin City University's Dr Brenda Daly, who is an Associate Professor of Law, last month called for more public holidays. She said: "I certainly would advocate that there is a benefit to it." A Department of Enterprise spokesperson said. "Any proposal for the provision of another public holiday would require very careful consideration, including on the additional costs this would impose on employers." The idea of a day off in Ireland was introduced in 1871, when the country was still under British rule. After independence, the Bank Holidays Act was replaced by the Public Holidays Act 1924. The Government has the authority under Article 28 of the 1922 Constitution to proclaim a new holiday. In a letter to the Government, Mr Kavanagh wrote: "The June Bank Holiday could be renamed in honour of St Colmcille, but that wouldn't solve Ireland having less public holidays than the rest of Europe. "We could go for a new public holiday on the first Monday in July. We don't have a public holiday in July. "St Colmcille's story is a great story. "I think it would be an excellent bank holiday. "We hope the Government will look at the proposal."
