Rhtyhm of the Dance in action [Czech version below ] Don't miss the show that has conquered the world and is always breathtaking.Ireland will once again make local fans dance. Rhythm of the Dance - one of the most successful Irish dance and music shows will be presented in three Czech cities this time with a completely new program that combines virtuoso tap dancers, live music, rich set and impressive scenography, complemented by large-screen projections. Not only fans in Pr

A rather glamourised view of Irish ladies on January 6 There are many Irish folk rituals associated with January 6 , the last day of Christmas and the day known in Ireland as Nollaig na mBan ,  Women’s Christmas or Little Christmas. As a reward for their hard work over the Christmas season, it was a day off from all housework for women, and traditional roles were supposed to be reversed in the home: men did the women’s work in the house while women rested and gathered togethe

Wild Geese enjoying a well-deserved break. From the earliest times (well at least for over five thousand years!) the Irish have marked the passing of the seasons with eight major fire festivals, Imbolc , Bealtaine , Lughnasadh   and Samhain , together with the solstices and equinoxes. The Wild Geese Historical Society of Czechia looks forward to celebrating those festivals again this year with our friends in the Czech Irish Business and Cultural Association (CIBCA), togethe

John McCollum's Garlic Spread - if you love garlic, this is the spread for you! Mashed Garlic Spread This month we have a very simple recipe. A lot of us have eaten a lot of rich food and those who cook have done enough work in the kitchen to see us through to the end of the month, so no need for anything too involved. Roast a load of garlic cloves in their skins, I usually use at least three bulbs. I find about 30 mins at 180 C in a fan oven is a good time to work around

Ask me anything! Darragh in front of a frothy pint in a Prague 6 pub Tell us a bit about yourself, Darragh I'm from Portmarnock, North County Dublin. If you're familiar with Malahide, or Howth, it's in between. I grew up there and stayed there until 2020, and that's when I came to the Czech Republic. I was following closely the COVID pandemic and watching various borders across Europe close. My wife Martina and I and our son (who was not even two at the time) were living in

Musicians Emil Ryumkin and Elizabeth Verner on stage at Café Pointa for CIBCA's Christmas Dinner CIBCA's 2025 Christmas Dinner was held on December 12th at the cosy Café Pointa , and featured a delightful menu of traditional dishes and desserts, prepared with care to capture the essence of an Irish Christmas. Guests, including the Ambassador of Ireland to the Czech Republic, His Excellency Alan Gibbons came together to celebrate the season, reconnect with friends, and suppor

Chip sits in his creative loft at home in Tuchoměřice William F. Doehring III (a.k.a. “Chip”), tell us a little bit about yourself. I’m a baby-boomer born in 1964, and raised in Baltimore, Maryland, and except for some holidays and U.S. Army camps and schools, I remained a resident Baltimorian until I was 22 years old. In classic American fashion, my ancestry on my mother’s side is Irish, my father’s side being German. While attending the Maryland Institute College of Art (

John McCollum's Sausage Rolls with redcurrants pictured - a delicious Christmassy treat! Sausage Rolls Sausage rolls are great finger food - so perfect for the Christmas period.  Usually they are made with sausage meat which you buy direct from your local butcher.  As that’s a bit harder here (though you could just buy the sausages and remove the filling from the casings) an easy alternative is to make your own sausage meat. Ingredients Pastry (homemade as per link or store b

The triskelion on a standing stone at Newgrange George Russell , an Irish poet and artist who went by the pseudonym Æ (often written AE or A.E.) wrote, in 1897 – The Dream of Angus Oge . It included this passage - ‘ As he spoke he paused before a great mound grown over with trees, and around it silver clear in the moonlight were immense stones piled, the remains of an original circle, and there was a dark, low, narrow entrance leading within -  He took Con by the hand and in

Dancers at the CIBCA 30th Birthday Party provided an amazing show. On November 5, CIBCA held its 30th Birthday Party in McCarthys Bar . More than sixty guests gathered to enjoy freshly poured pints, tasty snacks and to listen to fond memories. As they approached McCarthy's, they were greeted (from far-off) by the sound of piper Chip Doehring playing a welcome on the pipes. The evening was officiated by the Ambassador of Ireland to the Czech Republic - His Excellency Alan Gibb

John McCollum pictured in his kitchen in the process of making Potato Farls - a delicious savoury treat! An essential part of any Irish or Ulster fry , this is a simple versatile recipe traditionally made from left over mashed potatoes, requiring just potatoes, flour, butter and salt. Fun fact - the word farl comes from the Gaelic fardel meaning quarter. Ingredients. All amounts are estimates and can be adjusted to taste – so for example if you are using left over mashed po

Off duty - Marie Gavláková relaxes with a Guinness outside The Three Fiddles Marie, can you tell us something about yourself? I'm a twenty-three-year-old medical student from Prague, currently in my fifth year at the Second Faculty of Medicine, and in less than two years I hope to become a qualified doctor. But at the same time, a big part of me is an Irish dancer and manager of the Irish dance group Rinceoirí , which is by the way the oldest Irish Dance group in the Czech R

Halloween - or Samhain. Where did the traditional celebration originate? Oíche Shamhna, 31 October 2025 The Wild Geese Historical Society has been asked to investigate the origins of the feast of Halloween, which will be celebrated around the world on 31 October. Americans, of course(!) think they invented it but the real origins are surprisingly much older than when Irish emigrants brought the celebration with them during the 18th and 19th centuries. But how far back do you

The six-nation Inter-Celtic Flag - certainly more legible than its cousin, the eight-nation one. Regular readers of the newsletter will remember last month’s article, ‘ The Inter-Celtic Flag ’ based on the eight nations version of the flag.  The six nations of Ireland, Scotland, the Isle of Man, Wales, Brittany, Cornwall as well as Galicia and Asturias - two regions in North West Spain. However, ‘no language, no nation!’  is a short but pithy saying in each of the six Celti

Starting from October 23 , 2025 Aer Lingus will fly direct to Cork from Prague, twice a week . This route has been reinstated after a break of 17 years, and will operate on Thursdays and Sundays using an Airbus A320 (174 seats). In addition to the new route, the existing Dublin service will also remain in the winter flight schedule. Click to book your flight now! About Cork Airport Cork Airport is the Gateway to the South of Ireland, and as the second largest and best-con

The International Festival of Celtic Culture Lughnasad is held annually on the last weekend of July . The International Celtic Culture Festival Lughnasad is held annually under the patronage of the Ambassador of Ireland to the Czech Republic in the open-air museum Země Celtů in Nasavrky near Chrudim in the middle of the Železné Mountains. The festival is a celebration of the Celtic festival of harvest , and has a program for the whole family. It consists of musical shows by

Halloween - that spooky time of the year that kids love... Halloween Trick-or-Treat for Charity is an event for children with a...

Enough to make your head spin? Or your heart burst with pride? The Inter-Celtic Flag - in all its glory. Following on from the article...

St. Gall - and a bear. Some accounts suggest that in this image from 1555, the Saint does not have a halo, but is in fact carrying a...

Man in charge - Alan Gibbons in his office at the Embassy of Ireland. Tell us a little bit about yourself.   Thanks, and it's a pleasure...