Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the greenest of them all? No not the person who drank the most… St. Patrick of course! Once a year people in Ireland unite to celebrate one of the greatest man in their history – Saint Patrick. For those of you who’ve been living under a rock, Saint Patrick was a priest (formerly known … Read More
Gǒu nián jíxiáng (狗年吉祥)!
a.k.a dumpling overload Some of you may know, some of you don’t, but the Year of the Dog is about to start. Curious about the meaning of it? So were we. Luckily, our students Lin and Tian Min helped me discover Chinese cultural heritage. Just keep reading. Tradition of the Chinese New Year has been here for more than (get … Read More
Valentine’s Day
International views of Valentine’s Day We asked our beloved students, how is Valentine’s Day usually celebrated in their country and here’s what they had to say. Stephanos (45) from Greece: “The Valentine’s Day in Greece is nowadays a commercial holiday. I don’t think we do anything special, apart from other European countries. We give presents to our partners, especially chocolate, … Read More
12 things you didn’t know about pancakes.
It’s Pancake Tuesday today and we are celebrating by… you guessed it…. eating lots of pancakes. On Pancake Tuesday 52 million eggs, 26.000 litres of Clark’s Maple Syrup, approx. 13 million kilos of plain flour and more than 232 million litres of milk. Greedy much? Before the rise of baking soda, cooks used to use the so-called “secret ingredient” – … Read More
7 keys to the secret doors to Irish literature tradition you must visit in Dublin
Dublin, one of the cultural capitals of Europe, is home of some of the most enduring writers of the English language. It can boast 4 nobel literature prizes (William Butler Yeats, George Bernard Shaw, Samuel Beckett and Seamus Heaney), who only represent a tiny fraction of the great writers Ireland has produced. It is then worth to explore the literary … Read More
Gallery of Photography and Hot Press Cover exhibition
One of the features that make Dublin one of the most interesting cities in Europe is its cultural vitality. If you are a culture buff, or even if you’re just a curious person, this city has an incredible lot to offer. You can enjoy some of the beautiful works of art humanity has realised or you can learn the science … Read More
Hugh Lane Gallery
Other than music and sports, Ireland has also a strong visual art tradition. For this reason, one of the guided tours we offer to our students is to one of the most important art galleries in Dublin, as well as the first known public gallery of modern art in the world. Coincidentally, this gallery is located at a few minute … Read More
Visit at the whiskey museum
There aren’t many things that scream “Ireland” more than whiskey. Whiskey is, in fact, not only a delicious liquor, but is also strictly connected with Irish history. Just think that the word whiskey is so old that it comes from the old Irish language, gaelic, Uisce beatha, “the water of life”, which was then mispronounced into whiskey by the Vikings … Read More
Traditional Irish Music
It is incredible how, despite its dimension, Ireland managed to preserve such a strong tradition and impose its culture on the rest of the world, considering it has a small population of 4 million people. One of the most recognisable features of Irish culture is surely its traditional music. Even to those who don’t know anything about Ireland, a beat … Read More
Six whys of the Irish culture
I find Irish culture to be extremely fascinating. Probably it’s because, being Ireland an insular Country, it managed to preserve many of its peculiarities, probably it’s just because I’m foreign and everything seems weird to me. Whatever the case, I often find myself, with a mixed feeling of curiosity and confusion, wondering “But why?”. I thought it would be interesting … Read More
Glendalough – The valley of the two lakes!
Glendalough – The valley of the two lakes! In Italian we have a saying: “A Pasquetta piove sempre “ (“It always rains on Easter Monday”). This Murphy’s law-esque maxim refers to the fact that the traditional excursions and picnics Italians organise the day after Easter, the last day of Spring Holidays, is often ruined by the bad weather. But still, … Read More
6 reasons choosing an Alpha host family is definitely the best option
The 6 reasons choosing an Alpha host family is definitely the best option Dublin really is an economically vibrant city and, as such, it attracts a great number of people from the rest of the world, both for studying and working. One of the most fascinating things about this city is, in fact, its cultural diversity and liveliness. Of course, … Read More
Event of the Week – Irish Food Market
Something to do (eat) this Sunday. Mandy’s event of the week has something in common with Alpha College, it is the Green Door Market. Some people say Irish food is boring but this market will prove that Irish food is just as good as Italian, French, Spanish and even my favourite Mexican! It is also a great way to practise … Read More
If a woman asks a man to marry her today – he cannot refuse!
Once every four years, an extra day is added to the calendar at the end of February. The Irish version… In Ireland, if a woman asks a man to marry her on February 29th, he cannot refuse! According to the legend, St Brigid struck a deal with St Patrick to allow this to tradition as sometimes it would take too long for … Read More
Google tour of the 1916 Rising
This year (2016), Ireland will be celebrating the centenary of the 1916 Easter Rising which is a pivotal point in the history of Ireland and our move towards independence. There will be many events throughout the year to celebrate the anniversary, obviously with a particular focus on events around Easter time and the Spring. If you go to dublinrising.withgoogle.com you will be … Read More
Eurovision
Firstly, let me explain the term ‘guilty pleasure’ A guilty pleasure is something that you enjoy when you know you shouldn’t. The Eurovision is mine. The Eurovision Song Contest (to use the full title) started in 1955. This year is its 60th year. The most famous winners are ABBA, who won in 1973 for Sweden, with ‘Waterloo’ and Celine … Read More
The hour…
So, the hour went forward last weekend. I use the phrase ‘Springs forward, Falls back’ to help me remember. Spring, as in the season it happens in and the forward motion a ‘spring in your step’ implies. Fall, for the way Americans say Autumn, and back, for its collocation with back. Right now I’m trying to get used to the new … Read More
10 Facts about St. Patrick’s Day
We love St. Patrick’s Day here in Alpha! Everyone celebrates being Irish on this day, no matter where you are on the planet. With St. Patrick’s Day celebrated across the world, did you ever wonder how much you actually … Read More
What’s on this week…
The Vintage Night Market. I love visiting markets in cities I visit. Dublin’s choice of markets is getting better and better. The last Thursday of every month (Thursday 26th February) from 18.00 – 22.30 there is a night market in the MARTcade in Rathmines. You will find a variety of shops selling clothes, furniture, food etc… Definitely worth a look. … Read More
Anyone but Bono… (Part Three)
Alternatives to U2… The is the third part of my series about Irish music. I hope you enjoyed the previous blog posts on alternatives to U2. So we have talked about modern legends, current superstars and now let’s go back for some greats from the past. Thin Lizzy Thin Lizzy was formed in 1969 in Dublin. The band was led … Read More
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