Brian Boru

The three boys experience that landmark moment: their first rugby international

The Soloheadbeg ambush of 1919 was as much a strike at Sinn Féin as at Britain

Figures augur well for a repeat of 2009 when popular event attracted a record entry

More people are staying at pubs where the hospitality extends beyond the bar

While we’re all familiar with high-profile places like Glendalough and Newgrange, there are 750 less well-known heritage sites around Ireland, all worth a visit. Here’s a taster of just a few of them

History exaggerated the Battle of Clontarf – one of many misconceptions about Vikings

Carrolls Irish Gifts shops are as apt a symbol for contemporary Ireland as anything else

It’s easier than ever to trace your ancestry, using online church records to DNA kits

Centuries-old debate continues as social media analysis used to explore Viking-Irish strife

New self-guided tours take in lives of our chieftains, kings and pirate queens

Malachy Clerkin, Amy Huberman, Una Mullally and more on their fathers as young men

Visit Druid sites, kayak past Viking settlements or see a lamb being born

A cure for leprosy? The Connemarathon? The home of Botox, or Viagra? Birthplace of the MGM lion? Whatever its claim to fame, know your county’s bragging rights

From ‘Dress suitably, and buy a revolver’ and 'A terrible beauty' to 'We all partied'