IRISH literature has a long tradition of producing writers who capture the mood of the times that we live in. Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels is a classic searing satire of Georgian Britain’s greed and moral bankruptcy. In every era writers have emerged from Erin’s shores as voices who have been able to chronicle the experiences of a generation and articulate their concerns.

WHEN you think of Belfast, there’s always a sense of grandiosity attached to it—be that in its famous sons and daughters, its buildings and even in the famed ship built there, The Titanic.

DUBLIN is truly a city of two names, Dubh Linn and Áth Cliath, each reflecting a distinct part of its ancient past. The English name ‘Dublin’ derives from the Gaelic ‘Dubh Linn,’ meaning ‘Black Pool,’ itself adapted from the Viking Dyflin. The name refers to the dark tidal pool where the River Poddle met the River Liffey, a spot that now forms part of the gardens of Dublin Castle.

I HAVE a great pal, Mick Doc, who regularly makes reference to his Catholic pals—including myself—as ‘Good Romans,’obviously coming from the fuller term ‘Roman Catholics.’ But I’m not sure Mick knows, because I didn’t, that this term originated in the 16th century and was initially used by Protestants to differentiate the Church they had separated from.

A KEEN eye for relationship dynamics is central to a good plot. It drives the story and hooks the reader. Blend family dynamics with a hint of intrigue and you have the makings of a page-turner. For the past two decades Derry-born Maggie O’Farrell (above) has mastered the art of writing about family relationships whilst spinning a good yarn.

DUBLIN is home to two medieval cathedrals, namely Christ Church and St Patrick’s. They stand less than one kilometre apart, but in 18th-century Dublin they stood worlds apart. Just beside and underneath Christ Church lay a district with a name as foreboding as its reputation, ‘Hell.’

IRELAND'S Hidden Heartlands stretch across nine unmissable counties, each with its own history, heroes—and, of course, heart. We’ve chosen five great towns and villages you simply can’t miss. The only question is: which one will you visit first?

“WHAT a lot of people might not know is that I’ve climbed 180 out of 283 Munros,” Fr Dominic Quinn said. “It’s a wee badge of pride, because I love the mountains and the outdoors. I’m no Chris Bonington, but I’ve done my best!”

WHEN someone says: “I’m going home,” or “I’m heading over by,” I think there’s a universal understanding of what that means. It means going to a place where open arms and open fires await; with a heat that never fails to send you into a soft slumber. Where you head out on a beach walk and are warned: “The wind’ll blow the head aff ye.” A place where even a stroll across the fields, 40 shades of green, cut or wild, welcome you back with familiarity and knowing.

I AWAITED the publication of this book with great anticipation as my mother’s people hail from the mountainous region of Sliabh Beagh, near where the three counties of Monaghan, Fermanagh and Tyrone meet.

AT THE heart of any great book is the ability to tell as good story with characters who are believable and that we identify with. Critics often sight male writers such as Frank O’Connor and Sean O’Faolain as being literary giants in this Irish tradition. Yet in terms of book sales and global recognition, Maeve Binchy has been at the forefront this tradition.

BROGANS Bar at 75 Dame Street, in the heart of Dublin, is today famed for housing the largest collection of Guinness memorabilia outside the brewery. However, in the 1880s, when it was known as Swanns, the pub was infamous as a meeting place of the Irish Republican Brotherhood (IRB).

THE rumble of two stomachs demand that lunch be taken and where better than our scheduled stop at Mullaghmore Harbour? On the everlasting entry road, we pass three identical cobs leaning over the stone wall at the perimeter of their field, there are rabbits ahead and we park by seagulls at the water’s edge.

I’M writing these words in the last days of August. Here in rural Ireland, it’s a time to get busy with those summer jobs that get the home place prepared for the dark winter months.

I'VE ALWAYS loved Dublin city. The songs and stories; the people, the history, both the distinction and the raggedness of the place. It has so much to offer the every day tourist, from Kilmainham Gaol, the Writers Museum, the Guinness, and of course the Guinness factory. The literary tours, Temple Bar and Croke Park. What’s not to love?

I TOOK a dander through to the Edinburgh Fringe to see a couple of plays.

ON MARCH 12, 1925, the newly formed State police force, An Garda Síochána, launched a large-scale raid on Dublin’s notorious red-light district, the Monto, an operation ordered by Garda Commissioner William Murphy.

IN 1991 the sensation that was The Commitments arrived in our cinemas and on our bookshelves. The soundtrack of the movie was a number one album and sold in its millions internationally.

TO COMMEMORATE the founding of the club on August 6, 1875, Hibernian FC has prepared an exhibition in the very place and on the very same day that the club was founded 150 years ago.

ON THE road from Derry to Belfast you’ll see a sign for ‘Seamus Heaney’s Homeplace.’ It’s in Bellaghy, County Derry, which is about five miles north of Magherafelt.