Max and I had the opportunity to attend a performance last night by one such storyteller, an Irish writer and documentarian named Manchán Magan. Manchán is currently on a tour of the US and Canada performing “Arán & Im” (Irish for Bread & Butter), a theatrical performance in which he bakes sourdough bread while exploring the wonders of the Irish language.

Claire Davey is the founder of America Village Apothecary, an herbologist and distiller, and co-host of our Lughnasa tour. We sat down to chat about what the Celtic harvest time means to her, about the newly opened Galway City Distillery, and more!

I was delighted to find a small package in my mailbox this week that we’ve been anticipating for a while now–and on my birthday, no less! Tacos, by Lily Ramirez-Foran, is the first installment of a new cookbook series from the Irish publisher Blasta Books. “Blasta” is the Irish for delicious, and while I was expecting great things from both the featured chefs and publisher Kristin Jensen, I had no idea how beautiful this little book would be!

Belfast is such a unique and exciting place, and one which we’ve been happy to have traveled to countless times over the last 20 years. It’s also where my maternal great-grandparents, Annie Erskine and James Sloan, are from. While the recent political conflict may have caused some travelers to stay in the south when visiting Ireland, the north is not to be missed. There are all sorts of opportunities to learn more about Belfast’s history, from walking tours to graveyard lectures to small community museums.

The first of February in Ireland signals the start of better weather and longer days, and marks the beginning of the growing season. Imbolc is the name of the ancient Celtic festival celebrating the beginning of spring, a word which I’ve seen translated as “in the belly” and “lactation.” The snow is falling outside as I write this–we’re expecting eleven to fifteen inches of snow over the next two days–and while Punxsutawney Phil may have predicted six more weeks of winter, I find solace in the Celtic calendar and am more than happy to orient myself towards the rebirth of spring.

Looking forward to 2022, we’ve been asking ourselves how we might be able to make your journey with us as special as possible, as well as doing a lot of thinking about what people are most looking for in a bespoke travel experience. What we’ve come up with goes beyond gorgeous castle hotels, Michelin-starred restaurants, and the most delicious, deeply local food and drink Ireland has to offer.

Years ago, I traveled to Ireland with my father to see where he grew up, in a town called Tullamore, in County Offaly, about forty-five minutes west of Dublin. The McCabe family lived in the town, on Barrack Street (the Garda station just a stone’s throw away). My grandfather, Aloysius, for whom our son is named, was a tailor; my grandmother, Louisa, baked cakes. Some time after the McCabes left, their street was renamed Kilbride, and the small, attached cottage in which the family of five lived had become a Chinese takeaway restaurant called The Wok Inn.

Last week, we were thrilled to announce that Bog & Thunder joined the Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action in Tourism, a collective statement from ecotourism providers and destinations that both recognizes the urgency for action in our industry and outlines a commitment to change. The Declaration was formally launched at COP26; you can learn more about our commitments on the Mission page of our website.

We started doing the pop-ups out of Roos Roast around February of last year, and continued them weekly apart from a brief hiatus at the end of the summer. For Max, it was a departure from his private cheffing gig, an opportunity to experiment and cook for fun; for me, it was a chance to get out of the house, and sometimes the nearest thing to a social engagement, as I got to hand people their pizzas and say a brief hello and thank you. In a year where we couldn’t spend time with friends or family, it made a big difference.

Heartwork is perhaps the perfect way to describe how Charlie and his wife Dearbhaill Standún, a traditional musician, have nurtured Cnoc Suain--whose name means restful hill--into the transformative center for connection, creativity, and culture that it is today. We look forward to celebrating the Celtic festival of Lughnasa with feast, fire, and ceremony at Cnoc Suain at the close of our Lughnasa tour in 2022.