So, What’s the Craic?

The Craic is back on a Friday evening, delivering news and views of the Irish wherever they may abide. The Craic is the weekly newsletter from Shift, our platform for the Irish and Irish-ish globally. If you haven’t got Shift yet, what are you waiting for? Download it here. And if you would like a friend, or even an enemy, to have The Craic every Friday, stick their email in here.

IRELAND LOST A MUSIC LEGEND THIS WEEK

News from Home

Falling Slowly. Ireland is in deep shock over the past few days after the loss of Oscar-winning musician Glen Hansard, who died in a motorcycling accident after performing at a south Dublin pub. The outpouring of grief has been overwhelming, with fans, politicians (including Barack Obama), friends and fellow musicians paying tribute to the 56-year-old. Hansard was indelibly Irish, but he was also global, leaving his mark on the Chicago music scene when living there in the late 90s and 2000s. Like the best Irish musicians, he was also a storyteller, weaving it into his songs. You’ll no doubt have seen lots of clips of Glen this past few days, but we were touched by this tribute from buskers on the streets of Dublin. It’s rather joyous and celebratory – an ode to Ireland’s most famous busker. And even in grief, it seems fitting.

Buskers tribute to Oscar-winning musician Glen Hansard in Dublin.

The Wait Is Over. Can you believe it? The curse has been lifted. Mayo – 11 times the bridesmaid since 1951 – are finally All-Ireland football champions again. It was a stunning upset against mighty Kerry, but the Mayo men fully deserved it on the day. We find it difficult to recall a more electric atmosphere at Croker, and the scenes after were something else. We hear the celebrations are still going on almost a week later. 💚❤️ And if we can paraphrase a risqué little joke that was doing the rounds after Sunday’s final: The only Mayo man heading to work on Monday morning was Enoch Burke.

Twitter tweet

Fleadh Me to the Moon. Sunday is the big one in Belfast, the Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann 2026. The week-long celebration of Irish music, arts and culture will bring around 800,000 people to the city (that’s over twice Belfast’s population, so we’ve no idea where everyone is going to lay their heads at night). They’re stuffing music and festivities into every corner of the city, and we just know that Belfast will be a brilliant host. Did you know that a host city gets two consecutive turns with the Fleadh Cheoil?  So, if you haven’t made it this year, have a wee think about coming next summer.

Ma, Check the Altimeter. Lovely little story this: Two Aer Lingus pilots entered the history books this week, becoming the first commercial pilots to fly together for a major airline. Sonya Bissett – that’s Captain Sonya Bissett to you – and her daughter, First Officer Lara Danaher, piloted the flight from Dublin to Frankfurt. Class stuff. We don’t know about you, but we’d probably be a bit nervous landing a plane with the mother looking over the shoulder.

The Craic Recommends… Looking at Pictures of Wee Dogs. You’ve heard of the Rose of Tralee, but what about the Nose of Tralee? We will be covering the former when it gets underway in a couple of weeks, but we stumbled upon this cute competition designed to find Ireland’s most lovable pets. It’s been whittled down to 32 finalists – one pet from each country – and voting is now open. Doggos dominate the list, but we have a fondness for County Clare’s entry, aptly named Baaaarney McKenna 🐑. Also, Meath’s entry 🤣🐈 go on, lad! Check out the 32 finalists of the Nose of Tralee 2026 here. It’s like cheap therapy.

The Irish Influence

Chris Gallagher is probably better known under his social media alias, the Irish Baker Abroad. As the name suggests, Chris is Irish, a baker, and abroad (living in Denmark). He’s also a social media phenomenon, showcasing his baking skills to hundreds and thousands of followers. Baking isn’t always easy (believe us), but Chris has this knack of simplifying everything in his brilliant little tutorials – vids are about ten mins long on average. It’s really great stuff. He is probably most visible on Facebook, but we think his YouTube channel is the best for tutorials and Irish baking recipes. So, give him a wee follow, and then you’ll be able to impress your mammy with a scone, soda or something scrummy the next time she calls round for a cuppa.

Cúpla Focal

Meitheal {Meh-Hal} – Community Spirit, Neighborly Help, Reciprocity. We actually came across a reference to meitheal in a lovely wee Chicago Sun-Times story, covering Glen Hansard’s performance there in spring. It’s all about coming together, doing it for the community, a collective effort to help each other.

Blast from the Past

We are kind of going back to the future while staying in the present this week. Back in 1992, the Saw Doctors released The Green and Red of Mayo on the album All The Way from Tuam. The song, despite being performed by a Galway band, was soon adopted as the unofficial anthem of the Mayo football team. And guess what? Yep, it is back in the charts this week, hitting number one no less. It’s a lovely little song, though the Saw Doctors’ version is a little more reserved and in-tune than hearing it from a choir of hundreds of elated Mayo fans outside your Dublin hotel at one o’clock in the morning.

And One Last Thing….

Music is in the air this week with the Fleadh and, of course, the sad passing of Glen Hansard. It’s also in the air in Chicago with Lollapalooza 2026. Irish acts are turning heads at this year’s festival, with performances from Kingfishr, CMAT, Chalk, Kettama, Amble, and more. If you’re not at Lolla, don’t worry – we have got you covered and then some with this little Shift-curated playlist: https://gettheshift.app/spotify featuring the top Irish acts of the festival. Stick her on, relax, and enjoy the weekend. And we’ll see you next week for more craic!

So, What’s the Craic?

The Craic is back to deliver news and views on all things Ireland on a fine Friday evening. The Craic is the weekly newsletter from Shift, our platform to connect the Irish and people interested in Ireland around the world. You can get Shift here if you haven’t already. And if you would like someone else to get this email every week, ask them to enter their particulars here, please.

A MEMORABLE HALF-TIME SHOW AT THE WORLD CUP FINAL
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News from Home

All-Ireland Finals. Limerick are All-Ireland Hurling champions after a fairly routine win over rivals Galway. It is their 5th title in 7 years, and a reminder that Limerick, not Kilkenny, Cork or Tipperary, are the dominant force in hurling today. It’s over to the football, then, at Croker on Sunday for Mayo vs. Kerry. We’d say 99% of the news coverage is centered on people saying that Mayo should not focus on past failures, which, of course, only serves to remind everyone of Mayo’s past failures… This year though, right? 🙏 

Building Ireland. You know we proudly bang the bodhrán for every aspect of Ireland, but, well, even we must admit that some of our infrastructure, particularly public transport, is crap, at least on some parts of the island. The government seems to know it, too, as it has just announced emergency laws to fast-track major infrastructure projects. The rail network should be one of the biggest beneficiaries 🚝. Could be a big win this, especially if we want to attract more tourists…

Concerning. Where are you all? Annual international tourist arrivals to Ireland have been steady-ish at about 6-point-something million per annum since 2023, but it’s still way down from the pre-pandemic numbers – about 30% down on 2019. It might be the cost of accommodation (we’re not pointing fingers, Airbnb) or something else, but it feels like something the government needs to get a handle on.

Shortages. You probably picture Ireland as a fair green land, but it’s kind of got a brownish hue at the moment because it hasn’t rained in a few weeks, leading to that quintessential nightmare of middle-class existence – the dreaded hose-pipe ban. A wee bitta drizzle is due tomorrow, so we hear.

The Craic Recommends….Romance, Love, Shifting, Dalliances, Marriage. We are happy to report that Shift’s Blind Date Night on Saturday was a huge success, with well over a hundred people attending the Auld Shebeen for the show. This is the first live event Shift has organized, and for those who attended, thank you! Sure, it was a blast, and your feedback has been incredible. So yes, we’ll be back! Our next live event will be at Mór Fest in NYC next month, where we’ll be joining the incredible line-up organized by the team at Tara Mór. Stay tuned for more details and the official announcement!

The Irish Influence

Irish politics has changed a lot over the years, but there was always some familiarity in the delivery of political news and analysis – RTÉ’s Áine Lawlor. The broadcaster is stepping away from RTÉ after over 40 years, hosting her final Week in Politics show last Sunday. Lawlor was basically the face of political journalism in Ireland in the 21st century, and she wound up her career with that rarest of accolades – respect from all sides of the political spectrum. In her own words, she was “tough but fair” on Ireland’s politicians, and that’s basically what we all want from our journalists, right?

Cúpla Focal

Quare – {Kwair) – Queer, Strange, Very, Impressive. In light of our Blast from the Past (below), we wanted to take a look at one of those multifunctional Irish slang words – Quare. It is a play on the word queer (in a non-sexual sense; strange), but it has come to have a variety of uses (like craic, grand) depending on context. For example, if you remarked that a singer has “a quare set of lungs on him”, quare would mean impressive. It can also mean very – “that’s quare soft” – or unique/interesting – “he's a quare boyo”. 

Blast from the Past

On July 24th, 1956, Brendan Behan’s The Quare Fellow made its debut in London. The play had an earlier, low-key run in Dublin, but it was the London shows that catapulted Behan into literary stardom, perhaps acting as a catalyst, too, for his eventual demise as the great man found fame difficult to take and found (even more) solace in the drink. The Quare Fellow is a brilliant starting point to explore Behan’s genius, and even if you haven’t seen the play, you may be familiar with its signature song, The Auld Triangle, which is a staple of Irish folk rock and just about every pub lock-in on the island. It has been covered by the Dubliners and Pogues, among others. The song’s composition is often wrongly attributed to Behan, but it was actually written by Dick Shannon. 

And One Last Thing….

The (relatively) successful Northern Ireland Peace Process came about in no small part thanks to the effort and money put in by other countries, not least the US. It’s the view of many (including us) that the best way to repay that debt is by teaching other troubled nations and regions that peaceful coexistence is possible. There was a small example of that at the Interface Games in Belfast this week. The games, which bring children from different political backgrounds together to promote reconciliation and understanding, have been a huge success. This year, we even had unified teams made up of Palestinian and Israeli children taking part. This is the way. But as if to punctuate how fragile peace can be, a viable New IRA bomb was discovered and intercepted on the Northern Irish border this afternoon, destination unknown. This is very much not the way. 

So, What’s the Craic?

The Craic is back on a fine Friday evening, bringing you news of the Irish and Semi-Irish at home and abroad. What’s The Craic? We are the weekly newsletter from Shift, our app for connecting Irish people and those interested in Ireland globally. You can get Shift here. And if you want someone else to have The Craic each week, send ‘em this way here.

WE’VE THE PERFECT RECOMMENDATION FOR THE HOT WEATHER

News from Home

Powerhouse. Sometimes we shake our heads in disbelief that two lads from Limerick founded the biggest private financial tech company in the world. We are, of course, talking about Stripe – the backbone of payment processing on the aul internet – and John and Patrick Collison. Well, their ambitions have just got even bigger, as it emerged they want to buy PayPal for $53 billion. Look, we are well aware that the Collisons made their fortune in America, so it’s a bit misleading to call Stripe an Irish company, but, jeez, haven’t the two lads done well?

Passings. The great Brenda Fricker has died, aged 81. It’s a bit of a shame that some will only know her as the ‘pigeon lady’ in Home Alone 2, yet her work on films like My Left Foot, A Time to Kill, The Field, and many other productions was special. In 1990, she became the first-ever Irish actress to win an Oscar. Oh, and there were lots of lovely tributes to the late actor Sam Neill. The Jurassic Park star was a proud Kiwi 🇳🇿, but he was born and spent his early life in Omagh, Co Tyrone. We lost two good’uns this week. RIP.

Insightful. “I wish Lionel Messi had retired after the last World Cup. What he did four years ago, carrying that team to a World Cup win, was exceptional. I think that Lionel Messi exists in the past.”  Former Ireland player and TV pundit Kenny Cunningham’s comments last weekend on Lionel Messi – seven goals, four assists, favorite for the Golden Ball (best player) award, England heart-breaker, and single-handed dragger of Argentina into the World Cup Final. Good one, Kenny lad.

GAA Round-Up. Sunday is the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Final, with Limerick taking on Galway. Limerick are the favorites, but Galway were mightily impressive in dispatching Cork in the Semi-Final. The stage is now also set for the Football Final, too, with Mayo setting up a Final with Kerry. We’d say most neutrals – anyone with a beating heart, really – would like to see Mayo lift the curse and beat the 39-time champions. They (Mayo) will be wearing a special white jersey inspired by the 1951 team, the last Mayo side to win it. The game will be at Croke Park next Sunday.

The Craic Recommends…..Rock Shandy. Look, wherever you are in the world right now, it’s probably hot (we refuse to believe that Australians have a winter), and we’d be a little irresponsible if we advised drinking beer to cool down. But we can recommend another Irish icon – Rock Shandy. It’s a mix of orange and lemon soda. For the best results, you need to use Club Orange and Lemon, but Fanta will just about do the job.

The Irish Influence

If younger folk might struggle to recognize Brenda Fricker, then it’s yer da who will probably be left all at sea if you ask him about Mara Higgins. She is, almost certainly, Ireland’s biggest influencer. Yes, we can all snicker at the “get a real job” elements of being an influencer, but Higgins is a powerhouse, a brand and a business in herself, and she’s going increasingly global too, appearing in loads of US reality telly shows over the past couple of years. She’s also just been named in TIME’s list of the world’s100 top digital creators for 2026. Not bad for a lass from, of all places, County Longford.

Cúpla Focal

Misneach (Mish-nock) – Courage. The Craic was possibly in the minority at not laughing at England’s heartbreak the other night, but the Argentines certainly had misneach in abundance.

Blast from the Past

132 years ago today, Irishman Joshua Pim won the men’s title at Wimbledon. Of course, technically back then he was representing the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland (fancy that), but a man born in Wicklow and dying in Dublin is Irish enough for us. It was actually Pim’s second successive title at the then-amateur championships. All in all, he appeared in four finals, and he won the doubles twice. Pim also found the time to become a successful doctor. We don’t have video footage from Wimbledon 1894 for obvious reasons, so you’ll have to make do with this snazzy little graphic instead. That lad at No.7, Manliffe Goodbody, looks like some operator.

And One Last Thing….

We know that we’ve been a bit sport-heavy these past few weeks, but t’is the season for it and all that. Anyway, we wanted to finish this week by mentioning that the GAA World Games have been taking place in Waterford over recent days, featuring over 100 teams from 30 countries. It reminded us of the fact that Gaelic Sports are global – niche, yes, but still global. The thing is, GAA clubs are also social community hubs, so you don’t need to be an athlete to get involved. The GAA’s official website has loads of links for ways to get involved, including a snazzy interactive map that can hook you up with a nearby club, regardless of whether you are in LA, London, Lyon or Lagos. Of course, you can also check in on GAA events on Shift. Whatever way you do it, it’s worth it to join a global family.

So, What’s the Craic?

The Craic returns like a lumbering ox to deliver news of the Irish at home and abroad into your inbox. We are the friendly weekly newsletter from Shift, our platform connecting Irish people and culturally Irish people globally. Not got Shift yet? Oh my, you’re missing out: Get it here. And if you’d like friends and family to get the free Craic every week, well, they can get it here.

WE’RE HITTING PAUSE ON THE WORLD CUP FOR GAA THIS WEEKEND

News from Home

Box-Office. It’s All-Ireland Football Championship Semi-Final weekend, and boy, oh boy, oh boy do these games look tasty. On Saturday, there’s the brilliant underdogs of the season, Louth, coming up against could-this-be-the-year-they-finally-break-the-curse Mayo. On Sunday, it’s pure heavyweight stuff with 39-time winners Kerry against 31-time winners Dublin. There’s also New York vs. London, and the USGAA vs. Warwickshire in the Junior All-Ireland tonight, plus Down vs. Wicklow in the Tailteann Cup. Who needs the World Cup, eh?

Effigy Watch. Up North, it’s hold-your-breath time to see what’s going to happen with the old 11th and 12th July celebrations. For those not aware, “The Twelfth” is when the unionist community of Northern Ireland celebrates the victory of the British forces over the Irish in 1690, so as you might imagine, it gets a bit hairy at times across the holiday. Thankfully, there doesn’t seem to be much sign of tensions so far this year, though there has been condemnation of the placing of effigies, including one of a mosque, on some of the traditional 11th Night bonfires.

Hare Ye. We don’t know how we feel about this one: Most of the major Irish political parties have voted against a bill to ban hare coursing, which is similar to fox hunting but with hares and greyhounds. The dogs are muzzled, so it’s not quite as barbaric, but the hares – an underrated icon of Irish wildlife in The Craic’s book – can get injured or killed. Ireland is one of only three EU countries to allow hare coursing.

The Craic Recommends…Jailbreak. 2026 is both the 40th anniversary of the passing of the legendary Phil Lynott and the 50th anniversary of Thin Lizzy’s masterpiece, Jailbreak. It’s surely Lynott’s finest work? But, you know, we did give it a whirl there while sitting in the sun earlier, and the thought hit us: Jailbreak is an album, not a collection of tracks. So, if you ever take any of our recommendations seriously, disable the aul shuffle button on Spotify and give one of Ireland’s greatest records a listen in its entirety as it was meant to be heard. You won’t regret it.

The Irish Influence

Have we mentioned Saoirse Ronan as our Irish Influence before? Perhaps, but while the Oscar-winning actress needs little introduction, we wanted to highlight her today because of the news that she is getting behind the camera. Her directorial debut, Paper Plane, has been selected for the 83rd Venice Film Festival. You know, we don’t really know what it will be like, but since it’s also written by the almost-annoyingly-talented Saoirse, we bet it’s brilliant. If you’ve been missing Saoirse on screen of late (she had her first child last year), know that she’ll also be starring in the upcoming Bad Apples. 

Cúpla Focal

Fonn {Fown} – Melody, Desire, Air, Enthusiasm, Urge. Fonn is one of those Irish words with multiple meanings that don’t really translate directly. Tá fonn damhsa orm – I’m in the mood for dancing. It can also mean tune or melody. 

Blast from the Past

A bitta bite-sized history for ya here. So, today, July 10th, that is, is Dublin’s birthday. The city was officially founded in 980 AD on this day by none other than Jimmy-Joe Dublin. Just kidding, it was founded by a Norse King, Sigtrygg Silkikegg, AKA Sitric Silkenbeard (absolute 13 out of 10 name there). Now, before any of you historians start getting your knickers in a twist and start telling us off for flubbing our history, we know that Dublin was founded long before that as a trading post, and we are sure old Silkenbeard didn’t stick a flag in the ground and say “I proclaim this fair land Dublin” on that specific date, but it’s the officially recognized date for the founding of our capital, and that merits a wee nod in our history section, right?

And One Last Thing….

Uncle Patrick Needs a Wee Favor, Lads.

Here, we are going to finish off this week with our old beggin’ cap out. Don’t worry, we don’t want any money. It’s just, well, we are starting to see a good bit of momentum for Shift in terms of the aul downloads, but we don’t want to let that momentum slip. We’re probably not going to splurge on a World Cup stadium billboard or Super Bowl TV ad slot anytime soon, so we do rely on you guys to help get the word out. So, if you’re not following us already or you know someone who’d be interested in engaging with us, you can find our channels here: Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, LinkedIn. A wee like or share, and a comment (we’re as friendly as can be) really goes a long way, folks. Go raibh míle maith agat.

So, What’s the Craic?

The Craic returns, slightly disappointed that it isn’t a national holiday here tomorrow. Anyway, here we are, bringing news of the Irish and Irish abroad to your inbox. The Craic is the weekly newsletter from Shift, our platform connecting the global Irish. You can download Shift here. And if you want to share The Craic, ask friends and fam to sign up here.

WE’RE READY TO RAISE A GLASS ON YER BIRTHDAY, AMERICA

News from Home

Time to Shine. Ireland officially took over the EU Presidency on July 1st. It’s not as cool as it sounds, nor does it come with mad powers, so we are not going to suddenly declare that murder is legal in Greece or anything like that, but it does mean the Irish will influence the agenda – the direction of travel, if you will – for the Bloc. It’s also seen as an opportunity for the government to reconnect Irish citizens with the EU. So there’ll be a bit of a Reagan-esque “are you better off than you were 53 years ago” vibe about the place.

Howzat! “Ireland beat India in the cricket.” That specific sentence was never written before. That changed five days ago when Ireland did, indeed, beat India in the cricket. They – and by “they” we mean people who know about cricket – are saying it is the biggest upset in the sport’s history. It was really dramatic stuff, and while it does not mean we will be world champions anytime soon, it does show that Irish cricket has come on leaps and bounds in recent years.

Spotted. Ireland, as we know, has no part in the World Cup, but this crowd shot of the Norway vs. Ivory Coast game came onto our radar, and there’s something out of place among the sea of Vikings in the crowd. Can you spot it? Let us know on Shift socials.

You can take the man out of Kerry, but you can’t…..

The Craic Recommends…The Galway Film Fleadh. You could go and see Supergirl or Toy Story 5 this weekend, but, well, meh. A much, much better idea is to check out the Galway Film Fleadh, which is running from July 7 to 13 in, err, Galway. If you can’t get to Galway, then check out the films being played at the festival – many are already available online – because there’s some incredible stuff in there. A brilliant showcase of Irish and international cinema. Get the lowdown here. 

The Irish Influence

We wrote last week about how Veronica Guerin left a huge legacy, particularly when it came to fearless journalists holding power to account. Lyra McKee left a similarly powerful legacy, though in her own unique fashion. Lyra was one of the voices of the post-Troubles generation in Northern Ireland, writing extensively on its impact on the people and the lingering effects of paramilitarism. She documented the darker side of Northern Ireland while simultaneously showing the courage and humanity of those caught up in conflict. She was fatally shot on April 18, 2019, aged just 29, while observing social unrest in Derry. The New IRA claimed responsibility for the killing. The outcry and outpouring of emotion were just as powerful and poignant as Guerin’s death. Yet, the reason we highlight Lyra as our influence today is that, mere hours ago, three men were found not guilty in court for her murder. Hopefully, justice will prevail soon.

Cúpla Focal

Breithlá Mheiriceá {BREH-law VER-ih-kaw} – America’s Birthday. Yep, tomorrow is the big TWO-FIVE-O for a large chunk of The Craic’s readership. We hope you enjoy the holiday🇺🇸🎇!

Blast from the Past

So, here we are: America 250. There’s so much to cover about Irish influence on the Revolutionary War and the lead-up to the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Three of the signees – Matthew Thornton, James Smith and George Taylor – were born in Ireland, and it was a Strabane man, John Dunlap, who was largely responsible for the first prints of the DoI (are we allowed to acronymize that?), getting the word out that a new country was going to be strutting about the place. From Strabane to the other end of the island, it was Cork man Stephen Moylan who was credited with coming up with the name “The United States of America”. And of course, thousands of soldiers, many of whom died in battle, were Irish. We also did our part over here with a bit of the aul shite-stirring troublemaking, stretching British forces and flexibility as it had to deal with its fractious neighbor. Anyway, the last 250 years have (mostly) been a hoot, and you’ve done pretty well for yourselves, and been pretty sound, despite a few hiccups along the way. Just don’t feck it up now, lads.

And One Last Thing….

Are you interested in dating an Irish person, or maybe you are Irish and looking for someone who loves/likes/tolerates Irish people? Or maybe you just want a night’s craic? Well, we are pleased to announce that Shift is bringing its world-famous (prob a bit of an exaggeration) Blind Date Game to The Auld Shebeen, Fairfax, Virginia, on July 18th. You can apply to be a contestant through this link – don’t worry, it’s free! And if you just want to come for the night’s craic, that’s free too, so just nab your tickets through the same link before we run out of them. It’s strictly over 21s, folks, so we might stick Patrick on the door to check for fake IDs. 

So, What’s the Craic?

The Craic is back this Friday. What’s the Craic? We are. The weekly newsletter from Shift, with the mission to bring you a bit of Irish news and views into your inbox every week. If you haven’t got Shift, our snazzy app to connect the Irish globally, get it here. And if you want anyone else to have The Craic every week, send ‘em this way here.

RECORD-BREAKING TEMPERATURES KICKSTART THE IRISH SUMMER

News from Home

Oven-baked. We’ve officially hit heatwave status over here, and while we aren’t suffering quite as much as the rest of Europe, the crazy weather is wreaking havoc, with sort-of-tropical-by-our-standards thunderstorms knocking out power in many homes. Still, the craic’s been ninety, and all the wee towns and villages with even a wee tiny bit of beach and seaside-ness are buzzing. It’s summertime (for now) in Ireland.

Pico Top. Yes, yes we aren’t in the World Cup, but we are trying to live vicariously through Irish-born Pico Lopes and his Cape Verde team. Here’s the skinny: Things have been going great for the Blue Sharks, and Pico himself has been winning admirers as part of the staunch defense. But this is it, lads, a win tonight over Saudi Arabia (plausible) will be enough to send Cape Verde through to the knockout rounds. We also got the abacus out, and we think a draw will likely be enough, but let’s not tempt fate. We’re with you, Pico! Go n-éirí leat! 🇨🇻

Sell-Out. Anyone still saying that women’s sports can’t draw big crowds would do well to read how quickly tickets sold out for Katie Taylor’s Croke Park boxing match. 80,000 tickets gone in a matter of minutes. A reminder that the big farewell fight is on September 5th.

A Wee Aside. Not really big news this, but we thought it was super cool and lovely. Metallica was in town (and by town, we mean the big smoke of Dublin) for a couple of shows this week, and the band took time out to pay respects to the late, great Phil Lynott, visiting his grave and posing for some pics at his statue on Harry Street. Lovely stuff from James Hetfield and the lads.

Photo via Facebook.

The Craic Recommends…Gulliver’s Travels. If you are searching for a beach book this summer, why not pick Jonathan Swift’s masterpiece of satire, which is celebrating its 300th anniversary? One of the tragedies of Swift’s most famous work is that there have been so many movies and loose adaptations that it almost gets perceived as a children’s book. It certainly isn’t, but it’s also a page-turner, much more accessible than other Enlightenment-era literature. At around 300 pages, you could probably finish it in a day, and that means you’ll never, ever have to sit through the Jack Black movie. Fairs?

The Irish Influence

This week’s Irish Influence is the mighty Irish wolfhound. Nah, it has been a bit of a slow news week because the 7 million people on this island have been getting slowly barbecued and remarking upon that fact, but one of the interesting stories that we did come across is the redesign of the Irish Passport – one of the most powerful in the world, you’ll recall 🛂💪. Now, there has been a lot of debate on which emblems to use, and they seem to have settled on the Irish wolfhound. Amazing pick in our view. It’s such a big, beautiful bastard of a dog; gorgeous, but we think a bit underrated as a symbol of Ireland?. Around 15,000 people were consulted on the new passport design, but don’t worry, the iconic harp will still take center stage on the front.

Cúpla Focal

Tá beiriú sa lá inniu {Taw-ber-oo Suh law in-yoo) – It’s a sweltering hot day. It’s all we’ve been talking about. Nobody can sleep. The children are all sticky. Nobody’s drinking Guinness. Send us some air-conditioning units post-haste. 

Blast from the Past

It’s 30 years to the day that Veronica Guerin was murdered in broad daylight while stopped at traffic lights in south-west Dublin. Guerin was a fierce journalist who had made her name by writing hard-hitting stories aimed at exposing Ireland’s criminal underworld. Those criminals decided to silence her with six bullets, killing her instantly. Guerin’s story is now fairly famous globally, mostly due to the Cate Blanchett movie, but it’s difficult to convey the outpouring of anger that swept the country on that fateful afternoon in 1996. From it came a lot of good, not least 150 criminal convictions and a massive overhaul of the state’s powers to seize criminal assets. RTÉ has a brilliant breakdown of how her legacy still matters in Ireland 30 years on here.

And One Last Thing….

It’s the mission of all charities to do a little good in their own way, so it doesn’t really seem fair to talk about a ‘best’ one. However, we cannot think of a charity with a more emotional connection to the Irish way of life than the Kevin Bell Repatriation Trust. The charity was set up by Colin and Eithne Bell after their son, Kevin, died in New York City in 2013. The Bell Family, despite dealing with their own grief, recognized the difficulties that so many Irish families face in bringing the remains of their loved ones home, setting up a fund so other bereaved families don’t get into financial distress while dealing with the ultimate tragedy. Colin has recently been awarded an honorary doctorate from Queen’s University for his tireless work (so, so deserved). To date, the Trust has helped bring home around 2,500 bodies back to their loved ones on Irish soil. If you are interested in finding out more about the incredible work of the KBRT or if you’re in a position to donate a few punts, you can do so here. 

So, What’s the Craic?

The Craic returns this rainy Friday, bringing you news and views of the Irish all over the globe. The Craic is the weekly newsletter from Shift, our app for connecting Irish people and people who tolerate Irish people around the world. Want Shift? Find it here, ma dear. And if you want to recommend The Craic to someone else, stick their wee email in here.

DELOREANS HIT BELFAST AS SHIFT GOES GLOBAL

News from Home

A Lidl Embarrassing. Super-cheap supermarket Lidl opened its first-ever pub – the Middle Ale – in Northern Ireland this week. However, some of the patrons decided the best way to celebrate was with a scrap. Video of the fight went viral on social media. Not a great look on your opening night, and one that probably stretches the saying “there’s no such thing as bad publicity” to the limit.

A Special School. India has the Taj Mahal, the US has the Empire State Building, and Ireland? Well, Ireland’s favorite building has just been chosen, and it’s a wee school in Letterkenny, Donegal. It might sound like a strange choice, but Little Angels School is a gorgeous complex interwoven with gardens and sensory spaces, which can help some of the students with special needs. The public-voted choice feels more in line with our national character than a big, boisterous skyscraper.

Phoenix Falls. The Phoenix is – or was – the Irish equivalent of Britain’s excellent Private Eye magazine, known for its biting satire and commitment to holding politicians and corporations to account. Alas, it has ended its run after 43 years in print. While we haven’t agreed with all the political stances from the magazine down the years, it’s sad to see yet another nail in the coffin of quality political journalism, leaving us further at the behest of whatever Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg decide to fart out on their algorithms.

The Craic Recommends…..Fleadh Uladh. If you’re visiting Ireland in July and upset to miss the Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann in August, you might still be in luck. The Fleadh Uladh (Ulster Fleadh) takes place in Warrenpoint, Co Down, from July 19th to 26th. Consider it like a wee warm-up for the main event, and you’ll get the chance to visit brilliant villages like Carlingford (hit PJs for a pint) and lovely, lovely Rostrevor. Oh, and Warrenpoint isn’t too shabby either. Check it out on Shift and make sure to share your stories and pics!

The Irish Influence

If you think Irish tech entrepreneurship starts and ends with the Collison Brothers, you’re way off the mark. As an example, global software giant Salesforce has just snapped up Irish startup Fin (formerly Intercom) for a cool $3.1B (2.7 billion euros). We’ve been intrigued by CEO and founder Eoghan McCabe’s story, especially the fact that the 42-year-old Dubliner basically knocked down and rebuilt the company from scratch to anticipate the age of AI. It was a gutsy move, and a big gamble that paid off. As an aside, Eoghan also has the cutest personal website, which looks absolutely nothing like you would expect from a tech founder and boss of a newly-minted multi-billion-dollar company. 

Cúpla Focal

Grianstad an tSamhraidh {GREE-un-stad un TOW-ree} – Summer Solstice. Hey! Sunday is the longest day of the year (yay!), after which days will get shorter again (boo!). Anyway, Grianstad – literally sun stop – is a lovely little word, and you’ll find some lovely writing – and a bit of poetry to boot – on the meaning of it all from Eileen Ní Shuilleabháin right here.

Blast from the Past

It's the 45th anniversary of the coolest-car-but-worst-business in history. Around 150 DeLorean owners rocked up to the Stormont Estate (outside Belfast) in their DMC-12s this week, some of whom had come all the way from Australia. Production of the car began in Dunmurry in 1981, and, well, the story of the company’s struggles in Belfast is nearly as compelling as the rise and fall of Big John DeLorean himself. Thanks to Daryl Armitage for sharing the video of the Stormont event below. Have you ever seen so many DeLoreans in one place? 

And One Last Thing….

Postcards from Japan. One of the best things about Shift’s growth of late is hearing all the anecdotes of how – and where – people are using the app. Indeed, we were told this week of a US traveler using the app to locate the perfect pint while in Japan. That’s just one of the things you can do on the platform, of course, but we love the thought of people choosing Shift over options like Google Maps and TripAdvisor when on their holibobs. And the best thing is, as we continue to grow and get more and more crowd-sourced recommendations from all you lovely folk, it’ll only get better.

So, What’s the Craic?

The Craic is back this week, feeling a little envious of 48 other nations having the time of their lives across the Atlantic. Anyway, we are The Craic, the weekly newsletter from Shift, which is our app to connect the Irish and Irish-ish and Irish-ish-ish globally. Want Shift? Get it here, ye boy ye. And if you want someone else to have the Craic each week, input their email here, where you can also read previous newsletters, because why wouldn’t ye?

THE CRAIC HAS BEEN DIAGNOSED WITH A SEVERE CASE OF WORLDCUPITIS

News from Home

Shame. You’ve probably seen Belfast on the news for all the wrong reasons this week. With three of the Shift team having lived in Belfast at one point or another, and with family still there, we’re devastated by the week’s happenings. Thankfully things were a bit calmer last night, and we truly hope it stays that way. Everyone, regardless of religion, race, or place of origin should live freely and without fear in the beautiful city of Belfast.

PM Trip. Big Mark Carney, you’ll know him as the Prime Minister of Canada, is literally on his way over here for a visit. He’ll be coming to the village of Aughagower in Mayo on Sunday, which was the home of his grandparents before they emigrated in 1925. As “big as JFK coming,” remarked one villager. We’re sure it’ll be lovely. Will he arrive on time to see Canada vs. Bosnia down the pub this evening?

Alternative viewing. Soccer overkill? We hear ya, pal. So, just a reminder that while the world’s attention is on the Big Cup in North America, there are some cracking GAA fixtures taking place this weekend. They include Donegal vs. Cork tomorrow, and Tyrone vs. Mayo (spicy that one) on Sunday, and we’ve also got Westmeath vs. Galway on Sunday too. Great stuff.

The Craic Recommends….getting out for a pint and the football. If you don’t have a gazillion dollars in your bank to get a ticket for a game, then Irish pubs are the place to be for the craic and fitba. At home, there are brilliant spots like The Camden in Dublin, or a Belfast fave, The Garrick Bar. The best place to look worldwide, of course, is on Shift. Just navigate to the Pubs tab and we’ll match you up with the perfect barstool for the 100 or so remaining World Cup games.

The Irish Influence

Do you know who is considered the Founding Father of American “soccer”? It was Thomas “Bullets” Cahill (what a nickname), and yes, he was Irish, or at least born to Irish parents in New York. RTÉ did a lovely wee profile on him this week in time for the World Cup, explaining how he started building the profile of the game in the US in the late 19th century. Oh, and another little nugget for you. Our very own Mark Evans, who leads mobile development at 3Advance (our dev partner) is the great-grandson of Eugene “Gene” Ringsdorf, who was President of the United States Soccer Football Association in the 1960s. Mark’s grand-pappy is in the National Soccer Hall of Fame, too. 

Cúpla Focal

Corn an Domhain {corn an DOW-in} World Cup. We are all in on the Big Tournament this week, so we’ll keep the theme with Corn an Domhain, which literally means Cup of the World. 

Blast from the Past

Our Blast from the Past this week could only be one thing – the World Cup. We all have fond childhood memories of 1990 and 1994, or if you haven’t got grey hairs yet, 2002. But we were wondering, what is the absolute standout moment of Ireland at the World Cup? The consensus from us is that it was Ray Houghton’s winning goal against the mighty Italians in 1994, but we can appreciate that some would prefer Packie Bonner’s heroics against Romania in ’90, or even Robbie Keane’s equalizer against Germany in 2002. A shout, too, for Gerry Armstrong’s wonder goal against Spain in ‘82 for Northern Ireland. If you have any yourself, please let us know on Shift Socials, even if they are bad memories, like Roy Keane breaking our hearts in Saipan, or that rascal Toto Schillachi sending us home from the Stadio Olimpico.

And One Last Thing….

So, we’ve all been having a chat around Shift Towers, wondering who you, as a Hibernophile, should be supporting at the World Cup? If you are reading this from America or England, sure, we understand that you’ll have to be draped in the old red, white and blues, but who else should get your support? Let’s have a look with the Craic’s guide on who to support at the big tournament:

Who you Shouldn’t Support:

🇫🇷 France – we still haven’t forgiven Le Tricheur, Thierry Henry 👋⚽️.
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 England – we’ll allow it if you’re English. Grudgingly.
🇪🇸 Spain – pass, pass, pass, pass – too boring, too successful.
🇮🇹 Italy - Mu-haa-haa-haa

On the Fence

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Scotland – they are basically our cousins, but we are kind of jealous of the Scots out there.
🇺🇸 USA – see England. If it’s called “soccer,” why do 13 MLS clubs have “FC” in their names?
🇳🇿 New Zealand – great bunch of lads. Rugby rivalry could be an issue.
🇨🇦 Canada – sure we suppose so, yeah why not, ok, dead on, grand so.

Raise the Flag

🇨🇻 Cabo Verde – the smallest country by area with Dublin-born Pico Lopes in the team – yes!
🇨🇮 Côte d'Ivoire – just reverse the Irish flag 🇮🇪 and you’re all set to go!
🇨🇼 Curacao – the biggest underdogs of the tournament?
🇬🇭 Ghana – Home of the mighty Guinness Foreign Extra Stout! G’wan the Black Stars.

So, What’s the Craic?

The Craic returns this Fri-Yay, bringing news and views of the Irish at home and abroad. The Irish is the cheeky-but-charming(ish) voice of Shift, our app for connecting the Irish and lovers of Ireland around the world. Want Shift in your life? Get it here, friend. And if you know someone else who’d like to join the 1000s of others getting The Craic each week, they can stick their wee email in here. Takes 2 seconds, so it does.

SHE’S NOT THAT BIG IN REAL LIFE: BUT SHE’S COMING TO CROKE PARK

News from Home

Yes, Katie! Something we have been banging on about for at least a year has been confirmed – Katie Taylor’s farewell fight will, indeed, take place at the iconic Croke Park. It’ll take place in September. Her opponent has just been confirmed on the newswire as The Craic belts this copy out on a rusty old typewriter: It’s going to be French boxer Flora Pili. We can’t wait for this one.

Magic This Gathering. Talk about a family reunion. Members of the O’Sullivan ‘clan’ met in West Cork this week – more than 1,800 of ‘em. It entered the Guinness World Records as the largest gathering of people with the same name. Now, we have done our research and found that O’Sullivan is the 8th most common Irish name in the world. So, any Murphys, Kellys, Byrnes, Walshs, O’Briens, Ryans, and O’Connors out there  - you have the ammunition to beat the O’Sullivans. Do it.

What’s the collective noun for O’Sullivans? Photo via Cork Beo

Death of a Lion. The Irish rugby community is in mourning after the passing of former Ireland captain Fergus Slattery. Considered one of the all-time greats to pull on the green jersey, Slattery won 61 caps across 14 years, and he was part of two Lions’ Tours. We love these poignant words from Blackrock College RFC on his passing: “{Slattery played} with ferocity and grace, but without ego or theatre…Modest in demeanour, yet monumental in achievement, Fergus never sought admiration, but earned it universally from team-mates, opponents, supporters and generations of young rugby players, who dreamed of following in his footsteps.”

The Craic Recommends – The Rua Spritz. We are massive fans of Muff Liquor (see our Irish Influence below), and we are hooked (in a responsible way, don’t worry) on one of the company’s signature cocktail recipes, The Rua Spritz: 1.5 oz Muff Irish Gin, 3 oz grapefruit soda, topped with Prosecco, and we’ve just died and gone to a tangy-fizzy heaven. You can check out more of their cocktail recipes here.

The Irish Influence

This week we want to highlight the influence of entrepreneur Laura Bonner, founder and CEO of The Muff Liquor Company. The simple backdrop to Laura’s story is that she founded the company after being inspired by her grandfather, a potato farmer in Muff, Donegal, who crafted his own poitín using recipes that would later influence Muff’s award-winning gin and vodka. Yet, as this intriguing profile piece by Forbes elaborates, her story is so much more than just resurrecting old family recipes and sticking them in a bottle. She’s learned her trade in Asia, fought near bankruptcy, the pandemic and newer shenanigans like tariffs to come out the other side stronger, now with celebrity backers that include a certain Mr. Russell Crowe. Muff Liquor’s wares are now on sale in most US states, and they have a snazzy website where you can shop your own Muff direct. Imagine that. A brilliant Irish success story with an inspiring founder, someone who Paul and Patrick will hope to emulate as they try to build their own global Irish brand. 

Cúpla Focal

Ros na Rún {Ross NA Rune} – Headland of the Secrets. Ros na Rún is an Irish-language soap opera, but while it’s an interesting term due to being ambiguous in meaning, we wanted to highlight it today because we were reminded that Conon O’Brien once made an Irish-speaking cameo on the show. You know, it’s not perfect Gaeilge, but fair play to him for having a crack at it.

Blast from the Past

You know, a lot of people recall with great fondness the visits of Presidents Kennedy, Clinton, Obama, and Biden to Ireland, but one that gets overlooked is Ronald Reagan’s trip here. The 40th POTUS was a busy bee as he arrived on June 4, 1984: He picked up a wee honorary degree from the University of Galway, visited Ashford Castle, addressed the Oireachtas, and even planted a tree at Áras an Uachtaráin. His personal highlight – yes, we will presume to speak for the late President – was visiting his ancestral home in Ballyporeen, County Tipperary. He was visibly moved when seeing the village of his great-grandfather, Michael Reagan. For balance, we should say there were a good few protests across the country at the time, as people voiced concerns about the United States’ (mis)adventures in Central America. Rewatching the speeches and the address at Shannon below, we have to hand it to Reagan; he was a great orator. Would have made a fine actor 😉.

And One Last Thing….

We wanted to finish this week with a little reading recommendation – Ulysses. Nah, nah, nobody ‘wants’ to read Ulysses; they want to ‘say’ that they have read Ulysses, right? All jokes aside, it is a fecking tough read; the kind of book you look at, not read, The Craic’s grandfather used to say. But what if it were made more manageable? That’s the aim of the Ulysses 80 Project, which aims to guide readers through the tome in short bursts, 10-15 pages at a time, across 80 days. It’s a brilliant idea, which you can find out more about here. What better way to celebrate the upcoming Bloomsday in a couple of weeks than finally starting and, hopefully, finishing Joyce’s masterpiece? 

So, What’s the Craic?

The Craic returns, lacking air-conditioning, but ready to deliver news and views of the Irish into your inbox before drying off with a towel. The Craic is the weekly newsletter from Shift, our app for connecting the Irish around the world. Not got Shift yet? What are ya like? Get it here. And if you want someone else to have The Craic each week, ask them to sign up here.

IRELAND SWELTERED IN RECORD-BREAKING HEAT THIS WEEK

News from Home

Record-Breaking. Ireland sweltered and sweated this week as we broke the all-time May temperature record – thrice, we believe. Now, if you’re from Texas or some other state that doubles up as a pizza oven in summer, you’ll think, “no big deal,” but remember, we aren’t built for this, nor are our homes. Thankfully, it’s cooled down a bit now, but June looks foreboding. Without any exaggeration whatsoever: Some of us could literally melt.

Par Rankings. Golf Digest has published its annual list of the world’s top 100 golf courses. How many do you think are on this island? A record fourteen, no less, including what GD considers to be the crème de la crème de la crème, Royal County Down, Newcastle, taking the no.1 spot. It is, indeed, lovely, all nestled between the Mournes and the Irish Sea. Also, Newcastle does the best ice cream in Europe (we’ll fight you and your gelatos, Italy), so come for the golf ⛳️, stay for a poke🍦.

Game On. Turns out the most-anticipated video game of the year is not Grand Theft Auto VI, well, at least not among GAA-heads. After about two decades without one, a major Gaelic sports video game has hit the shelves. Gaelic Football Laochra, by the brilliantly named Belfast studio Buck Eejit Games, has been released for PC, Xbox, and PlayStation this week. GAA games have had a long history of being crap, like, really crap, but the signs are good for this one.

Champions. Social media was ablaze this week when the Irish Army beat the US Army. No, we aren’t at war: It was the Sullivan Cup, where the Irish Army’s Cavalry Corps beat the US teams in the operation of M2 Bradley armored vehicles. Basically, we won the ‘tank games’ and, as social media braggards were keen to point out, our army doesn’t even have any tanks, nor ‘tracked vehicles,’ if you want to be pedantic about it. Indeed, none of the Irish crew had even seen an M2 Bradley before. So, there you have it.

The Craic Recommends…Thirst Trap. The Kerry Irish Novel of the Year Awards, as well as the accompanying literary festival, are a brilliant way to keep your pulse on contemporary Irish writing, featuring both up-and-coming and established authors. The brilliant Gráinne O’Hare is part of the former, but the newcomer to the Irish literary scene scooped the top prize for Thirst Trap, winning Irish Novel of the Year. It’s a big deal, and it means Gráinne follows in the footsteps of luminaries like Sebastian Barry, Anne Enright, Colm Tóibín, and many others. Check it out here.

The Irish Influence

Sean Fitzgerald is going somewhere where no GAA man has gone before – Love Island. The Galway defender, and primary school teacher, is heading to the island of Mallorca to take part in the hit UK reality show, where (we are told) groups of good-looking young people isolate in a villa in a bid to find love. Sean certainly fits that bill, but we wonder whether he will regret leaving the football behind to pursue a career in whatever it is that reality stars do. Anyway, good luck, Sean! And remember, if things go well, you’re representing Ireland. If you make a complete arse of yourself, you’re representing County Galway.

Cúpla Focal

Laochra {LAY-ukh-ruh} – Heroes/Warriors. We mentioned the new GAA game above, so we thought we’d better tell you what the aul “Laochra” bit was about. It means heroes or warriors. Thus, you might see on memorials an inscription like “Laochra ar lár,” meaning “fallen heroes.”

Blast from the Past

On May 27th, 1936, Aer Lingus made its maiden flight to Bristol, England, in what would be the first of many for the airline that would become our national carrier. It has had ups and downs aplenty, notably its privatization (it’s now owned by a Spanish-British conglomerate), and we have to say it lost some of its prestige in response to Ryanair's ultra-cheap fares. Yet it still occupies a special place in the hearts of the Irish, perhaps due to the romanticism we still place on traveling to foreign lands, while never, ever forgetting home. Anyway, we digress. Happy Birthday, Aer Lingus. Here’s to 90 more.

And One Last Thing….

We know we do a lot of ‘an Irish X was voted world’s best Y’ in this email. You can call it a mix of chest-thumping Irish pride and genuine enthusiasm. Anyway, we wanted to finish with another one of those this week, but we’ve given it a special place at the end of this email (because you all read to the end, right?) because it’s so uniquely Irish. Bar 1661, Dublin, has been nominated for a second year running for Cocktail Menu of the Year in the globally renowned Spirited Awards. And the reason it’s on our radar? The menu celebrates that most Irish of drinks. No, not Guinness, nor whiskey, but poitín. The folks at Bar 1661 have made a real art of this, so stick it on your to-do list the next time you visit Dublin.

So, What’s the Craic?

The Craic returns this week with more news and views on the Irish at home and away. The Craic is the gobby newsletter sent out on behalf of Shift, our app to connect the Irish. and people who tolerate the Irish, globally. Want Shift? By gum, get it here. And if you want to share The Craic with a deserving someone else, send them this way, mucker.

WESTMEATH TOPPLED MIGHTY DUBLIN IN THE LEINSTER FINAL

News from Home

Bestmeath. Everyone loves a David and Goliath story in sport. Last week, it was Westmeath (the David of this fable) and Dublin (need we say it?), with the former toppling the latter in the Leinster Senior Football Final. It was an incredible, pulsating match, going into extra time before the Lake County men took the victory and only a second Leinster title in the county’s history. Westmeath have never made an All-Ireland Final before. Could this be their year? You’ve won over a fair few neutral fans, lads.

Worth It. We are big fans of the “worth it” travel surveys. The idea is that travelers are surveyed on sights and attractions that are ‘worth’ seeing, i.e., not those that are pretty crap but you feel you are supposed to see them; we’re looking at you, Eiffel Tower. Anyway, Skellig Michael Monastery in Co. Kerry ranked second on a global list of “worth it” attractions, and we heartily agree: The photos don’t do it justice. You have to be there to appreciate why this is a jewel in Ireland’s crown.

Good Grub. Ireland’s best restaurants, chefs, cocktail bars, and everything in-between were crowned at the annual Irish Restaurant Awards. The fancy-dancy-smancy Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud, Dublin, won the coveted Best Restaurant award. But, you know, there was a massive list of winners (all price ranges, styles, eco-food, food trucks, etc.), and it occurred to us, you’d be better off keeping this list of winners handy if you’re coming for a trip this summer. It’s WAAAY more reliable than the aul TripAdvisor.

The Craic Recommends…..Padel. Padel tennis is considered the fastest-growing sport in Ireland – in the world, actually – and if you’re home this summer (or visiting for the first time), the great bunch of lads at PadelCourts.ie have mapped courts across the island. They also have information on social tournaments and events, and a bit of craic in their weekly newsletter, which is almost as marvelous as this one. Check it out here.

We’re on the Radio!

Well, Shift is gaining more attention, so we weren’t surprised to see Patrick invited onto iRadio’s Groupchat Podcast to talk all things Shift with host Valerie McHugh. If you wanna give it a wee listen and find out what’s happening with Shift and where Patrick is taking us – the interview lasts as long as drinking a good cuppa tae, and you can find it here. Oh, and if you’re in the area - that area being East Durham, New York - don’t forget to come and see us at the East Durham Irish Festival at the MJQ Irish Cultural and Sports Center this Memorial Weekend. We have a lovely shiny booth all set up - come and say hello!

The Irish Influence

We thought we’d not highlight an influential person this week, but an incredibly influential event. The Galway International Arts Festival is one of the country’s biggest and most popular, and it’s been running for almost 50 years. It’s also been growing in stature, and it really does deserve the “I” in the GIAF acronym. This year has a whole host of goodies, including performances from the legendary Patti Smith🐴  and The Flaming Lips 🔥💋, as well as the world premiere of an opera based on Colm Tóibín’s The Testament of Mary. There’s always a bit of ceol agus craic and stuff going on in Galway’s pubs across the fortnight, so it’s a great place to be. The GIAF 2026 takes place from July 13th to 26th. Visit the official website for ticket info and all that jazz.

Cúpla Focal

Leadránach – {LED-dran-awk} – boring, slow, dull. We’ve been spending some time on Irish Reddit (why? Don’t know), and we came across a wonderful thread that’s discussing Irish words that convey more sense as descriptors – where the sounds feel more closely tied to the meanings than their English counterparts. As someone called “bigpadQ” said about Leadránach, you can feel the frustration in every syllable. 

Blast from the Past

Eleven years ago today, the Irish people voted on the 34th amendment to the Irish Constitution, legalizing same-sex marriage in the country. The “yes” vote won by a large majority on a very high turnout, so there was no “ifs, buts or maybes” – Ireland spoke loudly and said yes to equality. Over a decade later, there’s still work to be done, especially in the fight against homophobia. Yet, as the first nation in the world to legalize same-sex marriage and have it framed in the Constitution, that day in May should be viewed as one of the proudest moments of our nation’s history. 🏳️‍🌈

And One Last Thing….

World Cup fever is starting to grip everyone, and you’ll know, of course, that neither the Republic of Ireland nor Northern Ireland is going. Yet, we still love the craic, and we were absolutely fascinated by the street party thrown by the natives of Crumlin, Dublin, for Roberto “Pico” Lopes, who will be heading to MEX-CAN-US to represent Cabo Verde. Pico was born and raised in Crumlin, but he represents his father's country of birth, so the town came out to give the Shamrock Rovers captain a big send-off before he headed across the Atlantic. Class stuff, and a reminder that despite all the guff you see on social media, community spirit in modern, diverse Ireland is alive and well.

So, What’s the Craic?

The Craic is back and ready to deliver more news of the Irish at home and away. The Craic is the weekly newsletter from Shift, our app to connect the Irish worldwide. Want Shift? Join 1000s of others by downloading it here. And if you’d like someone else to have The Craic each week, send ‘em this way.

A SUPER SAVE FROM MARK SHEEDY SENT JUNIOR HURLING VIRAL

News from Home

Going Viral. We’d say a fair few American sports fans were left scratching their heads when an U20s hurling clip was selected as ESPN’s Play of the Day, but Mark Sheedy’s penalty save for Clare was something to behold, with clips of it going viral across the net. We estimated the sliotar going at a speed of 186,000 miles-per-second (give or take a few miles), so how he saved it we’ll never know. We’ve added the penalty shootout video below. If you don’t want to watch the whole thing (you should), the iconic save comes in at about 7mins 40. Great stuff. What a global advert for hurling.

Nul Points. The big talking point this week at home is what’s NOT on the telly this weekend – Eurovision. Ireland, as you may know, is historically one of the most successful nations in the contest (though we’ve been crap in the modern era), but it chose to boycott this year, along with Spain, the Netherlands, and a couple of others. The stated reason for the boycott is the participation of Israel after its actions in the Gaza War. The national broadcaster, RTÉ, has chosen not to broadcast the competition on Saturday. Instead, it will be showing the classic Father Ted episode – and glorious Eurovision pastiche – A Song for Europe.

Goodbye, Old Friend. The Botanic “The Bot” Inn has been a stalwart of Belfast’s student nightlife for decades. The Craic can recall watching Robbie Keane’s iconic World Cup goal against Germany there, and we also remember when you could get a steak and a pint for a fiver. Alas, the pub will be demolished to make way for a new hotel and student accommodation. We know things change, but any time a historic Irish pub closes its doors, it’s worthy of regret.

The Craic Recommends. Wanna know Jessie Buckley’s favorite track? She recently picked The Gloaming’s Samhradh Samhradh as her top ”Desert Island Disc,” and, wow, the Oscar winner has classy taste. The Craic is a big fan of The Gloaming and the master musicians’ ability to fuse Irish-language poetry into their tracks. Beautiful, beautiful stuff. Check out their albums here.

The Irish Influence

In this golden age of Irish cinema, there’s a healthy contingent of les Irlandais at the Cannes Film Festival this week, including the superlative Ruth Negga, who’s been selected for grand jury duty. But one who’s caught our eye is Franco-Irish director Alexander Murphy, whose Tin Castle documentary will have its world premiere at the festival. Murphy is known for docs on marginalized and overlooked communities. Tin Castle follows an Irish Traveller family facing eviction. If you can’t make it to Cannes this weekend, then perhaps check out Murphy’s wonderful directorial debut, Goodbye Sisters, before Tin Castle becomes available to the rest of us non-Cannes-going plebs.

Cúpla Focal

Baghcat {BY-kot} – Boycott. Since we’re looking at the aul Eurovision boycott this week: The word “boycott” famously originates from Irish protests of English landowner Charles Boycott, so baghcat offers a nice linguistic loop, as it is, for all intents and purposes, the Irish translation of the name Boycott. So we have an Irish translation of an English word born out of Irish protests of the English, if you can get your head around that. 

Blast from the Past

Ireland has become a tolerant, open-minded country, aside from a few pockets of smelly bigots here and there, but it’s always worth remembering that such an outlook took time and a lot of bravery. The George is celebrating 40 years in business, and it’s become the flagship home of Dublin’s LGBTQ community. Originally seen as a safe space for the gay community, the pub opened its doors a full eight years before homosexuality was legalized in Ireland. Its history has been punctuated by reminders that there’s work to do – the pub was vandalized with swastikas and homophobic graffiti in 2017 – but this icon of Dublin’s nightlife also reminds us of how far we’ve come. 

And One Last Thing (or two)….

We are celebrating another milestone at Shift, passing 5,000 app users this week. While that’s a nice marker, it is evident that we are only just getting started. As we celebrate this wee milestone, let’s say some thanks to those making it happen — Jack and Kate for making this newsletter happen, the entire dev team at 3Advance for spinning up the app, constantly improving it and responding with all kinds fixes. Big love to Vivienne for boosting Shift’s social media presence. And congrats to Patrick, Paul and Darren for reaching the milestone and keeping the Good Ship Shift on a steady course! And I suppose we need to thank the most important people. YOU! The community that drives us. 💚

Finally, if you’re anywhere in the great state of New York, check out the famous East Durham Irish Festival next weekend. We’re partnering with the good folks in East Durham to celebrate the 49th festival, with incredible acts from Derek Warfield and the Young Wolftones to the marvelous Meadhbh Walsh, and everything in between… Just make sure to check-in with the Shift app to win free drinks and t-shirts!

So, What’s the Craic?

The Craic is back this week with more news and a wee bit of nonsense concerning the Irish at home and abroad. The Craic is the weekly newsletter from Shift, the app for the global Irish and culturally Irish. Not got Shift yet? Lad, it is right here. And if you want someone else to have The Craic each week, send ‘em this way.

IRISH DESIGNS WERE EVERYWHERE AT THE 2026 MET GALA

News from Home

Uimhir a Haon. You know, the more we think about it, the more astonishing the following sentence is: For the first time in history, an Irish-language album could become No.1 in the UK music charts this weekend. We refer, of course, to Kneecap’s new album, Fenian. The rap-as-Gaeilge trio is predicted to be confirmed as No.1 on Sunday when the weekly tallies are counted. It’s not certain yet, the album is up against former Spice Girl Mel C and, er, former member of the Jackson 5, Michael Jackson, but the three lads are in pole position. What a remarkable thing.

Early Sup. One of the biggest talking points at home this week was the rules around drinking at airports pre-flight. Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary wants drink limits, as well as an end to the rules that allow airport bars to be open 24 hours – who needs a drink at 5am, he says. Anyway, it’s caused a bit of introspection, with many calling for an end to the rowdy flight.

Inventor. We love to highlight clever Irish kids on this little newsletter, so it’s great to see young Cathal Sweeny (16), who recently won the top prize at the Student Enterprise National Finals. Cathal invented a glow-in-the-dark Sliotar (hurling ball), called Glo Ball. It’s designed to help hurlers who want to keep training on those dark winter nights.

The Craic Recommends….Soda Bread. Yeah, yeah, you’ve had soda bread. But have you had soda bread? The Irish take the real stuff very seriously, so much so that there is an official Society for the Preservation of Irish Soda Bread. Yep, really. You don’t need to get militant about it, but you can check out their blog here to get recipes and find out how to do your soda farl the right way.

The Irish Influence

The Met Gala. Bit weird, isn’t it? Like a self-indulgent celebrity safari. Yet we wouldn’t be doing our jobs if we didn’t cite the Irish influence at the event, and there was plenty of it. One eye-catcher was the Irish designer Jonathan Anderson, who was behind the designs for Sabrina Carpenter and Jisoo Kim’s gowns. Both stunned, if we are placed to judge such things (we aren’t), and managed to pull off interesting while not falling into that “look at me” trap that a lot of celebs do at the ball. And then, there was Madonna. Her sublime/ridiculous headgear – it’s a ghost ship (right?) – was provided by Galway man and, arguably, the world’s greatest hatter, Philip Treacy. When Madonna asks you to design a ship to wear on her head, you know you’ve made it. ⛴️

Cúpla Focal

An Mhaighdean Mhuire – {un VY-djin VWIR-eh} – The Virgin Mary/Madonna. Since she’s on our mind this week, we thought we’d go for a bit of the Irish for Madonna. Of course, that translation is not literal, as an Mhaighdean Mhuire translates as “The Virgin Mary”, and she’s very different from that Madonna, even if they do both Like a Prayer. As a wee aside, maighdean mhara means mermaid, literally maiden of the sea. And if someone is An Mhaighdean, that means they are a Virgo in the aul Zodiac.

Blast from the Past

May 8th, 1935, saw the birth of the most honorary-Irish Englishman since records began. Jack Charlton – World Cup winner, legendary football hardman, fisherman, and as North of England as they come, but very much an adopted son of Ireland. There’s not much we can say about Big Jack that isn’t already known, but aside from being a major figure in our childhood memories of those World Cups in 1990 and 1994, we’d say he is also one of those unique human beings who make people smile whenever he is recalled. It’s hard to believe it’s been almost six years since the great man passed away. He would have been 91 today. Happy Birthday, Big Jack. Hope you’re enjoying the fishing up in the Sky. ⚽️🎣

And One Last Thing….

Shift socials have been absolutely buzzing of late, with large numbers of new followers and record views on our content. One clip from Patrick has hit almost 350,000 views and counting! But, c’mere. Why not come and join us? Part of our mission to build a global Irish network on Shift is going to spill over onto socials – that’s the way it works – so if you want to see what we are up to, discuss any of the topics discussed here, or give Patrick a bit of (friendly) abuse under his videos (kind of annoying how good he is at them), then give us a wee follow on these platforms: Instagram, TikTok, Threads, Facebook.

Instagram post

So, What’s the Craic?

The Craic is back with a little bit of the month of May in its pocket, bringing you news and views from the Irish from near and afar. The Craic is the weekly newsletter from Shift, the global digital hub for the Irish and Irish-ish and Irish-ish-ish everywhere. Want Shift? Everyone’s welcome, so get it here. And if you want other folks to have The Craic each week, well, just ask them to add their email in the wee box you’ll find here.

WE HAVE SUGGESTIONS FOR THE PROPOSED GIANT STATUE IN DUBLIN

News from Home

Giant Questions.  Size matters this week at home. First, construction is beginning on the tallest building on the island of Ireland, with the ground broken on the Parkgate Street building this week. It will be 30 stories tall once completed. Hardly, the Burj Khalifa, we know, but we are not really skyscraper folk over here. It will replace the Obel Tower, Belfast, as the tallest building on the island.

Secondly….Talking of big things, there’s a serious proposal to put a Giant – or at least, the projection of one – as a kind of tourist attraction in George’s Dock, Dublin. The idea has been proposed by businessman Paddy Dunning, suggesting it could “do stuff” with lights, maybe a bit like Sphere, Las Vegas. The cost? Approximately 29 million euros ($30m or thereabouts), coming from private investors. Paddy (reportedly) does have a plan to get that money back, though, charging tourists 25 euros a pop to see it. It had better do more than just stand there for that type of dough.

Homecoming. A new study suggests that up to one-third of the Irish living abroad want to come home, but many are put off by how expensive it is here. Once again, the issue boils down to the dreaded “H’ word, housing. There are calls for a task force to be set up to help those thinking of moving back, but, you know, they need somewhere to live when they get here. Housing has bamboozled a generation of governments, so it might take more than a task force to sort this out.

Civil Service. More evidence of a changing Ireland this week, when it was announced that civil ceremonies have now overtaken Catholic church services for the first time. It feels normal now, right? But for generations past, weddings were synonymous with church. Still, as long as the I-dos get over the line and the best man behaves himself during the speech, we say it’s each to their own when tying the knot. 💍

The Craic Recommends. Not everyone loves Kneecap, we get it. But the rappers-as-Gaeilge and provokers-in-chief of the British media are nevertheless capable of delivering some of the most powerful messaging on issues that rarely get aired in pop culture. That’s why this week we are recommending you watch this short 12-minute film. The film is based on the death of Aoife Ní Riain, mother of Kneecap member, Móglaí Bap (real name Naoise Ó Cairealláin). The short video is personal to Ó Cairealláin, obviously, but tells harrowing universal truths about dealing with suicide, loss and grief, but ultimately, how to start healing, too.

The Irish Influence

Just over seven years ago, LeBron James broke Michael Jordan’s record of being the all-time NBA top scorer. Why are we telling you this? Well, it’s probably the best way to provide an American context to frame what we are going to tell you about the next pair of fellas: TJ Reid is now the all-time top scorer in All-Ireland hurling history, amassing 41 goals and 657 points in a storied career. He’s had plenty of other success, too. Reid is a 7-time All-Star (not NBA-speak; the GAA has those too ⭐️) and 7 All-Ireland titles with Kilkenny. But a shout out, too, to the man he supplanted as King of the Points, Corkman Shane Horgan. Reid and Horgan went tit-for-tat down the years for the record before the latter retired from inter-county duty last September. So, we’ll have two Irish Influences to celebrate this week; two of the modern greats with hurl and sliotar.

Cúpla Focal

Cúige {Koo-i-geh} – Province. A little bit of trivia for ya today, as the word cúige means “fifth part” and is clearly related to the Irish word for five, cúig. Ah, but Ireland only has four provinces, right? It does – Ulster, Munster, Leinster and Connacht – but Meath, the Royal County, was once considered a fifth province 👑. So, to paraphrase the great Bob Ross, cúige is a “happy little linguistic accident”.

Blast from the Past

Two Important anniversaries will be taking place this week. On May 5th, 1981, Bobby Sands died in the Maze Prison on the 66th day of his hunger strike. In one of the great ironies of history, Sands was actually elected as a British MP while imprisoned in the early days of his hunger strike. Sands is obviously a polarizing figure in the island’s history, and the hunger strikes had the dual effect of galvanizing support for the IRA and heightening the violence of the Troubles while (arguably) raising empathy for the Republican cause abroad, especially in the US. 19 years and a day later, though, the IRA started the process of decommissioning its weapons. Decommissioning was really just a symbolic act, with the hard work done in the secret meetings that led to the Good Friday Agreement, but as with the symbolism associated with Sands’ death, it’s one of the key milestones in Northern Ireland’s history. 

And One Last Thing….

Patrick, our high-chieftain, currently resides in West Virginia, but, as you are well aware, he’s immensely proud of where he comes from. Ireland, yes, but specifically, Tallaght, a suburb of Dublin. So, he was all biz this week, telling us about fellow Tallwegian, Anna Haugh, getting one of the biggest gigs on cookery television, as presenter of the BBC’s MasterChef. But you know, while it was fun to hear Patrick reminisce about his misspent youth, it did occur to us that this was part of Shift’s raison d'être, connecting the dots, so to speak, as information about both of Anna’s restaurants is already available on the app. It's just a small thing, one of the many thousands and thousands of listings, but it reminded us of our mission to build the ultimate digital directory of Irish culture globally. 

So, What’s the Craic?

The Craic is back with a soupçon of summer in the air, bringing news of the Irish and sort-of-Irish to your email inbox. The Craic is the weekly newsletter from Shift, our digital home for the Irish worldwide. You can download Shift here. And if you want someone else to have The Craic each week, they can do so here.

THE SUN’S BACK IN BUSINESS (FOR NOW) ON THE ISLAND OF IRELAND

News from Home

Marathon Men. There are a few 26.2-mile-related stories we want to point out this week. The first is the beautiful image of Northern Irishman Aaron Beggs and Brazilian runner Robson de Oliveira helping a fallen runner, Ajay Haridasse, over the finish line in the Boston Marathon. The photo of the three went viral and surely speaks to the power of sport and camaraderie. The second is the inspiring tale of British man Jordan Adams, who has been diagnosed with early-onset dementia and will run 32 marathons in the 32 Irish counties in 32 days. Jordan intends to raise awareness of the condition, which has affected his family and, of course, raise a bit of dough. His donation page is here, if you are of a mind.

Spoof or Not? Here, help us out, will ya? There’s a viral story going around the internet that claims RTÉ commissioned a 2001 pilot for an Irish version of The Sopranos, called The O’Callaghans. The claim says that the pilot was scrapped after HBO threatened legal action. We tried to research the story, but found that the “sources” seemed to mostly be feedback loops from social media. Does anyone have contacts with RTÉ who can find out? Let us know on Shift or Shift socials. As for the image provided as “proof”, you can’t tell us that’s not Edie Falco on the right? Right?

For Sale. If you’ve dreamed of moving to Ireland, you’ve probably pictured your cozy Donegal cottage or swanky pad in Galway City, but what about owning a whole mountain? Yep, that’s what’s going up for auction, over 1500 acres and a view of Lake Guinness (like the drink), otherwise known as Lough Tay (like the drink 🫖). Anyway, it’ll cost you about 2 mil.

Muscling In. Ahhh, you didn’t think it was only the Steelers eyeing up the fledgling Irish (American) football fandom? The Green Bay Packers also have a finger in the pie, broadcasting their Day 3 Draft Pick (tomorrow, we believe) from Dublin, with the help of a show from Irish singer Gavin James. A new nation of Cheese-heads is born, eh?

The Craic Recommends – Irish Wedding Clobber. The summer brings wedding season, and if you have an invite or two, or maybe you're tying the knot yourself, you’ll be starting to think about what to wear. Why not outfit yourself in some designer Irish clothing for the big event? Helpfully, RTÉ has curated a list of ten Irish designers/retailers who specialize in wedding fashion. There’s some really unique Irish haute couture from local independent designers and fashion houses. Check them out here.

The Irish Influence

It's Aiden Gillen’s birthday today, and most media outlets will prefix it with “Game of Thrones’ actor,” which is fair enough, because he’s brilliant as the fabulously sneeeeaaaaky Peter “Littlefinger” Baelish. Others might say he’s even better as Tommy Carcetti in The Wire, but The Craic thinks his best work is found in the brilliant Love/Hate (iykyk), and waaay further back in the ground-breaking drama, Queer As Folk. Anyway, he doesn’t get the level of attention as the Cillians, Colins, and the Jessies and Saoirses, but he’s brilliant, isn’t he?

Cúpla Focal

Bealtaine {Byowl-tin-eh} – May. Ireland looks really gorgeous at the moment. The sun’s been shining for a week, so we are celebrating Bealtaine (The month of May, the start of the Celtic summer) six days early. It’s really class out there. Please, please let it last. 

Blast from the Past

With the “Michael” biopic out in theaters, and getting some heavy criticism, both for what it is in the movie – and particularly what has been left out – we thought we’d drop back to 1988 and the double header of the Bad Tour, which stopped off for two shows in Cork’s Páirc Uí Chaoimh. The story of how the gigs came about is well worth reading, covered here in the Cork-based Irish Examiner, but we had to laugh when doing our own research for the story: The Irish reporter here in the clip below; you can tell he wasn’t a fan of Jackson or the gigs, referring to the star as “Wacko Jacko” throughout. Jackson would return to Ireland for gigs in Dublin through the 1990s, but this 1988 double-header has gone down in legend as the definitive “you had to be there” moment that your uncle tells you about every time he’s had a few. 

And One Last Thing….

We Irish really do get around, don’t we? A fascinating piece of history made its way to our attention this week, via The Irish Times, covering the story of the UCD Soccer team that traveled to China in 1976, becoming the first Western football team to play in Mao’s China. Mao’s death would actually occur the same month as the Irish team’s visit (we presume it’s unrelated). Anyhow, the UCD Soccer team is back, fifty years later, to play in a new China. Here’s a question for you, though: Which of the two countries do you think has changed the most in that half-century? Most would say China, but our own transformation has been just as extraordinary.

So, What’s the Craic?

The Craic is back, all sunshine, lollipops, and rainbows, bringing you news and views of the Irish at home and abroad. The Craic is the weekly newsletter from Shift, our app that provides a digital home for the Irish and Irish-lite worldwide. Want Shift? Get it here, comrade. And if you want friends to get The Craic every week, they can sign up here.

RORY’S STORY CONTINUES WITH HIS 6TH MAJOR WIN

First, a Special Thanks.

This week, Shift Founder Patrick Blood made a shout out on TikTok and Instagram to download the app and add any Irish Pub we’ve not yet listed. As it stood, we already had 6,200 pubs from California to Canberra (via Castlebar of course) but sure who wouldn’t love a few more? We wanted to take a minute to highlight our top contributors for the week, so far...

🏆 Nicole P added five pubs & 46 musicians from Enya to Emma Horan!

🏅 Déaghán M added McCloskey’s Tavern & a bucketload of pubs.

🏅 Aishling W added For the Love of Ireland, & a whole bunch of bands.

Shout outs to all the others who submitted Irish pubs in the past two days: Abbie B, Chris K, Clair M, Clay W, Conor L, Dominic M, Fern B, Finbar C, Gerry H, James M, Josh R, Kieran G, Lightingman1 B, Marie K, Meredith C, Mike F, Niamh R, Orla O, Paul H, Philip M, Rob W, Robert M, Ronan G, Stephen Q, Terry M. 🙏 Thank you! You are what makes Shift what it is - the global Irish community.

News from Home

He Did It. You’ll all know by now that Rory McIlroy did, indeed, retain the Masters Green Jacket, so we won’t go over old ground. Yet, we did note that it set off a huge round of “we want to claim him” between Ireland and Britain. It’s getting political, too, with politicians calling for him to be knighted by King Charles. The thing is, Rory has always been staunchly apolitical, well aware that any statement could cause unintended offense. And you know what, fair play to him. Irish, Northern Irish, British, American (he lives in Florida) – whatever – we should just enjoy him while we have him.

We Want It. Remember when we said a few weeks ago that Croke Park should be reserved for special events? Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn is apparently in talks to secure the venue for Katie Taylor’s final fight in the summer. As a boxing promoter, Hearn is a professional bullshitter (not a criticism; it’s his job to hype), so we will reserve judgment until we see it in writing, but the prospect excites us even more than the Toblerone that’s currently eyeing us from across the room.

RIP, Legend. We were saddened to hear of the death of Moya Brennan, also known as Máire Philomena Ní Bhraonáin, member of Clannad and sister of Enya. She had a wonderful, storied career, and a voice every bit as beautiful as – but distinct from – her sister’s. She even secured EDM immortality when partnering with Chicane on the global smash hit, Saltwater. Ireland lost a legend this week.

The Craic Recommends. We were looking at the line-up for Electric Picnic (Ireland’s biggest pop music festival), and we saw a quare few excellent up-and-coming Irish acts on the roster. But one, in particular, caught our eye, the brilliant Florence Road. They were nominated for the BBC Sound of 2026 (a big deal for new artists), and we can’t get enough of their mixtape, Fall Back. Keep an eye on this quartet from Wicklow; we smell big things coming. Oh aye, did you know that you can also keep up with this sort of craic on Shift?

The Irish Influence

We’ve spent a lot of time over the last year or two talking about this golden age of Irish acting, but you know what, we’ve probably forgotten to mention the big ride that is Holywood’s (the Northern Irish one, like Rory) Jamie Dornan. He has just been cast in one of Hollywood’s (yep, that one) most sought-after roles, as Aragorn in the upcoming Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum. You know, there are maybe arguments that this movie should not be made at all, but we delved into the aul movie internet forums to get a gauge on the reaction about Jamie’s casting, and it has been overwhelmingly positive. He’s a class act, and we think if anyone can out-dreamboat Viggo Mortensen in the role, it’s Jamie. 50 shades of Gandalf the Grey, eh? 🧙🏻‍♂️ 

Cúpla Focal

I will, yeah – No. We’ve been inspired by a brilliant Irish Times article to switch up from Gaeilge to the aul Béarla (English) this week. The article on visitors and immigrants experiencing confusion about how we talk centered on the brilliant Irish slang phrase, “I will, yeah,” which basically means “there is not a chance I will do this thing.”

Blast from the Past

It’s Ireland’s birthday! Well, sort of. At the stroke of midnight on April 17th, 1949, Ireland officially became a republic. Of course, you’ll note that the 26 counties had already gained independence from Britain before that date, but Ireland remained part of the Commonwealth, which technically – very technically – meant that the King at the time (George VI) still had a formal role in Irish foreign policy. Though largely symbolic – life certainly didn’t change overnight – it did have other repercussions, not least the (perceived) hardening of positions on partition, meaning Northern Ireland’s position as part of the UK would be framed in British law. As an aside, we love these old Pathé videos. People just don’t talk like that anymore.

And One Last Thing….

Migration Reversal. It’s incredible to think of this term today, given our history of heading across the Atlantic. Yet the stats say it: More Americans are moving to Ireland than are going the other way. It’s a fascinating exchange, one that further strengthens ties between the two nations, even in an era when relationships between ‘friendly’ governments are frayed. It also put us in mind of another intriguing stat we heard this week: that nearly a quarter of a million people in Ireland work remotely for American firms, which presents challenges due to the time difference. So, if you are reading this, dear American CEOs with Irish employees, go easy on us on a Friday afternoon, as it is suppertime here; time for tea and bread and butter, not emails. And, yes, we include Shift boss, Patrick Blood, in that plea. He’s a tyrant. Just kidding. He’s mostly grand 😉.

So, What’s the Craic?

The Craic is back after eating FAR too many Easter Eggs, bringing you news of the Irish at home and on foreign shores. The Craic is the gobby half-brother of Shift, our digital home of the Irish and Irish-ish online. Not got Shift yet? Get it here, friend. Want someone else to have The Craic each week? This way here, please.

IT’S TIME FOR THE ALL-IRELAND CHAMPIONSHIPS

News from Home

GAA Go. This weekend sees the start of the All-Ireland Football Championship, featuring 31 counties (Kilkenny don’t enter cos football’s illegal in the hurling-mad county) plus Ireland’s overseas territories of County London and County New York. Nah, we are big fans of what the GAA is doing to promote the championships (hurling gets underway next weekend) at home and abroad. Oh, and wherever you’re following your county from, the GAA has this nifty digital calendar that won’t let you miss a moment. Check it out here.

No.2. A new study has put Dublin’s Temple Bar as the world’s second-biggest tourist trap, behind the undisputed leader, San Francisco’s Fisherman’s Wharf. Fair enough, but sure look it, we are going to do something highly unfashionable: Stick up for Temple Bar. It’s not that bad – pricey, yes – but the extra few euros per round of drinks are in return for a guaranteed atmosphere and plenty of craic with other tourists. We love authentic Dublin “old-man” pubs as much as the next person, but we know where we’d be if we were young (and a bit better-looking).

Fuel Fury. We joked last week about fuel prices in Ireland, but farmers, taxi drivers, and haulers have not seen the funny side. Fuel protests are taking place across the island, blocking major roads. The M50 – possibly the country’s busiest motorway – has been described as Ireland’s biggest car park. The army has also been called in. Serious stuff; it’s all feeling a bit French.

Middle Ale. We genuinely checked the date when we read this story because it felt April-Foolsy: Lidl – you’re familiar with the famously cheap grocery store, yes? – has announced it’s opening its first pub in Northern Ireland. All a bit strange, yet it seems to be a workaround on NI’s absolutely awful & archaic (and alliterative) alcohol licensing laws. 

The Craic Recommends. One of Irish literature’s superpowers is the ability to find light and humor in the bleakest of subjects; it’s been a trait of everyone from Joyce to Doyle to McCourt to Tóibín. Thus, when we say you should read the new book from John McKenna, The Lock-Keeper’s Wife, and tell you that it’s about a woman, bereaved of her two children, who finds herself recently released from an institution and living remotely with an unloving husband, don’t be surprised when you discover something unaccountably hopeful and, at times, joyous. Buy it directly from the publisher, The Lilliput Press, here.

The Irish Influence

We were saddened to hear the news of the death of actor Michael Patrick. The trailblazing Northern Irish thespian, who sometimes went under the name Michael Campbell, lost his battle with motor neuron disease. Most of the media tagged him as “Game of Thrones actor” in their reporting (Michael had a small role in the HBO series), yet his real legacy was on the stage, particularly his work in Belfast’s Lyric Theatre. In 2024, while wheelchair-bound and in full knowledge that he was terminally ill, Michael created and starred in an adaptation of Shakespeare’s Richard III, turning in one of the most powerful performances you’ll ever see. It won the prestigious Judges’ Award at the 2025 Stage Awards.

Cúpla Focal

Agóidí Breosla {uh-GO-dee BROSS-luh} Fuel Protests – The current agóid (protest) is absolutely on everyone’s minds this week, or at least those trying to drive on the nation’s motorways. Hopefully, there is a resolution soon. 

Blast from the Past

We don’t want to jinx it, but as we slowly tap out this newsletter with two pointy fingers on our typewriter, Rory McIlroy shares the lead in The Masters. We hope he’s still in the mix as you read this. Actually, Rory got into a bit of bother because of his comments about not serving Irish food for the pre-tournament dinner (hosted by the champion). It all got a bit weird and pearl-clutching, with internet peeps going all Genghis Khan over colcannon and cabbage. It was a joke, folks. Anyway, all the pro-Rory and anti-Rory shenanigans reminded us of this wee video, with the 8yo Holywood (not that one) lad giving us a glimpse of the man who’d one day conquer the world of golf.

And One Last Thing….

This week, socials have inexplicably been plastered with indexes showing Ireland’s place in the world and the makeup of the island, naturally causing plenty of arguments. We loved Ireland’s ranking as the most educated country in Europe, not so much how we’ve fallen down the Good Country Index, but the most interesting bit by far was the digital release of the 1926 Irish Census, which showed that we were much more diverse and cosmopolitan than some would have you believe. It’s a fascinating snapshot of Ireland a century ago, and quite the riposte to those voices claiming today that Irish history is homogeneously white. It wasn’t, and we are all the richer for it.

So, What’s the Craic?

The Craic is back on this Good Friday, providing a little Easter Craic before we roll into the weekend like the good eggs we are. The Craic is the cheeky mouthpiece of Shift, our app for connecting the Irish around the world. Want Shift? It’s right here. Want friends to have The Craic each week. Sign up here, le do thoil.

WE’LL ALL BE WALKING TO WORK NEXT WEEK

News from Home

Fuel Me Once. The price at the pump is the talk of the country this week, and no, we are not talking about draught stout this time around. Petrol and diesel prices have soared due to you-know-what over in you-know-where, so all eyes are on the government to help out. It acted quickly with fuel tax cuts, much to the chagrin of our British friends, but the hope is that the government can pull a rabbit out of the hat in time for Easter. Some have called for all public transport to be free during the crisis, which gets our vote.  Of course, it’s not just running cars; it’s heating homes and growing food on Irish farms. Something drastic is needed.

Croker Row. Croke Park occupies a special place in the Irish psyche. Most agree that it is a hallowed venue that should mostly be reserved for Gaelic sports. If ‘foreign’ sports are to be played there, it must be something momentous, like the first-ever NFL game or Katie Taylor’s last fight (hint-hint), so there has been a bit of a row over the announcement of a ‘meaningless’ friendly between English Premier League clubs Manchester United and Leeds United in the summer. What do yis think? Are the naysayers stuck in the past? Or should Croker be a special case?

New 2. The lads are at it again. U2 has released a second EP in a matter of months, announcing the aptly titled six-track Easter Lilly this morning. The Craic put on its Deerstalker hat and has surmised that all of this means Bono and the boys will be announcing a massive world tour soon. Apropos of absolutely something, the U2 chat has reminded us of this 10/10 meme, espousing the theory that the Reservoir Dogs crew today-ish looks like Bono at different stages of his life. Spot on, with Tim Roth, in particular, giving the vibe that he still hasn’t found what he’s looking for.

The Craic Recommends – Irish chocolate. There’s been a lot of chat about the declining quality of chocolate in Easter Eggs this week, with soaring global cocoa prices meaning that Big Chocolate companies are using, among other ‘new’ ingredients, palm oil (yum) to pad out their products. Going local is best, and by local, we mean independent Irish choco-makers. RTÉ has compiled this great list of Irish chocolatiers for your perusal. Probably too late to order for the Big One on Sunday, but, g’wan and treat yourself for another occasion.

The Irish Influence

On Sunday, ceremonies in Dublin will mark the 110th anniversary of the Easter Rising, i.e., the rebellion against British occupation that would eventually lead to Ireland’s independence. The main architect of that rebellion was Patrick “Pádraig” Pearse. It was Pearse who read the famous Proclamation of the Republic outside Dublin’s General Post Office, and it was he who was effectively commander-in-chief of the Irish forces. He was sort-of-kind-of the first president of Ireland for a few days, though we wouldn’t be a proper country until a few years later. Pearse was executed, along with fourteen other leaders, by the British Government nine days after the Easter Rising. He was 36.

Cúpla Focal

It's Easter, which means a few days off work (yay!). But it also means we are going to quickfire some Easter-y words as Gaeilge. Ready, steady go: Aoine an Chéasta ⛪️ (Good Friday), Ubh Chásca 🐣 (Easter Egg), Seacláid 🍫 (Chocolate ), Domhnach Cásca 🛐 (Easter Sunday), Coinín na Cásca 🐰 (Easter Bunny). 

Blast from the Past

You know, they often talk about the Titanic sinking on her maiden voyage as it set off from Southampton on April 10th. However, the ship had to get to Southampton from Belfast, and we certainly didn’t pick her up and carry her there. The ship left Belfast on April 2nd – just a smidge over 114 years ago – and we are going to lawyer up and call that one her maiden voyage. Last night, the city marked that occasion with a spectacular drone show to let the ship set sail for a second time. It was something to behold, and fair play to the BBC, which put out a special broadcast to mark the exact time of departure yesterday evening. 

And One Last Thing….

It’s Good Friday here in Ireland (as if you didn’t know already), but it’s always interesting to watch the annual clash between modernity and Ireland’s Catholic traditions. For years, pubs were not allowed to open, which gave rise to some inventive speakeasys, until the law changed in 2018. Today, the dispute is over gambling. Should, for example, The Curragh be allowed to run horse races, as it did today? It’s an interesting debate on whether it should be a day without vice, and let us tell you, the divide is not always on religious grounds. Anyway, if you are celebrating Easter or not, or perhaps it’s Pesach in your home this week, we hope you have a grand aul time with friends and family in the coming days.

So, What’s the Craic?

The Craic returns a little downbeat but still ready to shoot the breeze by delivering news and views of the Irish to your inbox. The Craic is the weekly newsletter from Shift, our platform for connecting Irish people and lovers of Irish people globally. Want Shift? Get it here, friend. Want someone else to have The Craic each week? This way here, please.

WE DIDN’T WANNA GO ANYWAY. REALLY.
IMAGE CREDIT TO PADHRAIC DUFFY VIA FACEBOOK

News from Home

Prague’s Packed. Ireland’s World Cup dreams were cruelly shattered in Prague, as the Boys in Green let slip a 2-0 lead to eventually bow out on penalties to Czechia. Over in Bergamo, Northern Ireland were outclassed by Italy. There is a mix of anger and disappointment, but dare we say it, a tinge of optimism, too (we were really good for like 60 minutes). We’ve noted, though, that there are a few calls for a united island football team to give us a better chance of competing on the bigger stage, just like they do with the rugby. Time for a grown-up conversation about that?

And a Wee Bit More Football. First, a little shoutout to RTÉ, which has facilitated Irish-language commentary feeds – provided by  Garry Mac Donncha – for these games and is looking to expand this further. Secondly, we wanted to echo the sentiments of many Republic of Ireland fans living in Northern Ireland, who were geo-blocked from accessing free-to-air RTÉ during the game, meaning they had to access it on PPV via Amazon. Surely, something can be done, as this is a special case?

Out of this World. Imagine how proud your mam and dad would be if you discovered not one but two planets. That’s the case of Galway student Chloe Lawlor, who has followed up her sighting of WISPIT2b last August with the discovery of WISPIT2c this week. We’re sure they’ll come up with some snappier names eventually.

Right Direction. The crime figures for 2025 have been published, and nearly all metrics for major crimes point downwards, including a 25% drop in murders. There were 35 murders in the country in 2025. Kidnapping down 11%; robbery and burglary down 11% and 13% respectively. We aren’t perfect, and we can strive to do better, but it breaks our hearts to see Irish ‘patriots’ on socials constantly talk down one of the safest countries on earth.

The Craic Recommends. Father Ted is on our minds this week for two reasons. First, there was the sad passing of Ben Keaton, who gave us some of the show’s funniest moments as Father Austin Purcell. Second, we stumbled upon the wonderful Facebook group, Father Ted Feckposting. It’s where we discovered the hilarious meme at the top of this newsletter, and many more like it. You can join the group here.

The Irish Influence

While the dreams of a first World Cup since 2002 may have ended, it is clear Ireland has gained a new national hero over the qualifying campaign – Troy Parrott. His goals against Portugal and Hungary were the reasons we dared to dream in the first place, and it was no surprise when he was the man to step up to give us the lead against Czechia. Whatever happens with the rebuild and refocus for Euro 2028 and World Cup 2030, it’s going to be built around the AZ Alkmaar striker. And you know what? He was selected to face the glare of the media after the disappointment in Prague and said all the right things. He’s going to be our future captain. 

Cúpla Focal

Beidh lá eile ag an bPaorach – Power Will Have Another Day. This is basically the Irish equivalent of “live to fight another day,” which feels apt after last night. We just hope we aren’t still saying it in another 24 years. 

Blast from the Past

Ah right. Time for a breather from all the football. We saw a little social media poll recently asking about the Irish playwright we most identify with – George Bernard Shaw, Oscar Wilde, Samuel Beckett or Seán O’Casey. The majority went for the latter, which might sound surprising as O’Casey is arguably the least well-known of the venerable quartet. Yet, it also feels right. 100 years ago, the final play in O’Casey’s “Dublin Trilogy”, The Plough and the Stars, debuted at the Abbey Theatre. It, alongside The Shadow of a Gunman and Juno and the Peacock, is a play that represents Ireland – or at least a slice of Ireland in a certain place and time – like no other, perhaps apart from Brian Friel’s Translations. If you’re in the parish, know that the Plough and the Stars is playing at the Abbey Theatre until April 30th to mark the 100th anniversary of the masterpiece. 

And One Last Thing….

You can’t really be a capital city without having a waxworks museum, can you? It’s the rules, so to speak. Anyway, we’ll finish this week by reporting that a new wax model will be revealed at the National Wax Museum in Dublin next week – Taylor Swift. That’s not very Irish, we hear you say, but wait: Taylor does have Irish roots, and genealogists have traced her great-something grandparents back to 1830s Dublin. And because we all need a laugh after the disappointment last night, we’ll let one of our favs, Garron Noone, explain in the video below why Taylor should be welcomed into the fold.