Ireland Wide is an independent guide to Ireland, founded and edited by Dan. We explain Irish names and surnames, the dates that matter, the places worth visiting and the stories behind the symbols, properly and with the catch included.
It’s written for anyone with a connection to Ireland. That might be someone in Cork checking when the next bank holiday falls, someone in Boston looking up their grandmother’s surname, or someone in Toronto trying to work out whether a week is enough for Kerry. (It usually isn’t, but we’ll help you make the most of it.)
What we cover
- Irish names and surnames. Meanings, origins, the Irish form with its fadas, and how to say it. Start with our Irish names A to Z.
- Dates and holidays. Bank holidays, public holidays and school breaks, with the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland kept separate. See Ireland bank holidays and Northern Ireland bank holidays.
- Visiting Ireland. Castles, heritage sites, day trips and itineraries: what it costs, how long to allow and when to give it a miss. Plan a trip to Ireland is the place to start.
- Celtic mythology and symbols. The gods, the knots and the old calendar, with the genuinely old kept apart from the modern inventions. Try Celtic symbols and knots.
- Ireland news. Transport changes, new data and local stories that affect daily life or a trip. Read the latest Ireland news.
Who writes Ireland Wide
Dan founded Ireland Wide and edits everything on it. He plans the guides, decides what gets covered and checks the visitor details before a page goes live. Matt Hook, a Canadian writer with Scottish and Irish roots, also writes for the site.
How we research and update our guides
Opening times, prices, dates and rules are checked against the official source, such as the Office of Public Works, gov.ie, Citizens Information, nidirect or the CSO, and we name that source in the guide. When something changes, we update the page and show the new date at the top.
The full detail is in how Ireland Wide researches and writes its guides. If you spot something out of date, tell us and we’ll fix it.
How Ireland Wide makes money
Ireland Wide is free to read. Some pages carry affiliate links, which earn us a small commission if you book or buy through them, at no extra cost to you. We also publish occasional sponsored articles, and those are labelled at the top. Neither changes what we recommend. Our affiliate disclosure has the details.
Get in touch
Corrections, story tips, partnership ideas and press questions all go through our contact page.