HEADLINES

December 2004 / January 2005 : TRAVEL

Little Rock Welcomes "Elvis" Home

At first glance, Little Rock, Arkansas - population 200,000, home to the Razorbacks, Paula Jones, Wal-Mart and the heavenly Clintons - seems little changed since a...more

My 800-Kilometre Pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostelo

VANCOUVER - I remember when I first heard about the ancient pilgrimage walk to Santiago de Compostelo in Northern Spain and instantly put it on my wish list of travel plans...more

The Sacred Isle of Iona: A Beacon of Light to Pilgrims

The Sacred Isle of Iona in the outer Hebrides of Scotland is a beacon of light to pilgrims throughout the world. Each year thousands make the journey to visit the remote...more

Celtic Cross Offers Focus of Contemplation

MISSION, BC - Nestled between the small Chilqua Creek and the Cascade Mountains on the Hawkins-Pickle Road in the village of Dewdney, there is a sacred place which...more

Queen's University Belfast Offers a Different Perspective

Queen's University Belfast, the first university in the north of Ireland, was founded in 1845 by Queen Victoria, opened in 1849 and has a record of academic achievement which...more

Friar's Bush Graveyard:
A Mass Burial Ground in Belfast With Over 5,000 Famine Victims

By SHARON GREER

Early one Sunday morning this past August, as I was walking down the road from my aunt's home on Ulsterville Avenue in South Belfast headed towards Stranmillis Road...more

SLÁINTE-To Your Good Health with Maureen B. Keane, MS CN

Are You Cursed With Hemochromatosis?

In the past few months a number of people in the Vancouver Irish community have been diagnosed with hereditary hemochromatosis (HHC), often referred to as the Celtic...more

An Old-Fashioned Sweet Shop Offers a Trip Down Memory Lane

NEW WESTMINISTER - Lani Schultz, owner, manager and everything else in between, has been at Ye Olde Sweet Shoppe seven days a week, for the past 20 months...more

A Smooth Transition in Belfast from Sectarianism to Racism

Within one week of arriving in Belfast on July 17, two racial incidents occurred in the South Belfast area. The first one happened on Fane Street only one block away from...more

Two Doors Down: The British Butcher Expands to Larger Premises

VANCOUVER - Robert Goodrick owner of the British Butcher Shoppe in North Vancouver couldn't be happier these days. He has finally moved into larger premises...more

From 3,000 Miles Away It Doesn't Look Like Progress

Recently I travelled to Ottawa to visit my 97-year old mother who is in a nursing home and along the way I made several side trips...more

Franciscan Friars of the Atonement Welcome Profession of Vows by Friar John O'Hara

NEW YORK - Congratulations and very best wishes to Friar John O'Hara, SA, who will take the perpetual profession of his vows with the Franciscan Friars of Atonement...more

Looking for the Ideal Gift for Your Clan?

VICTORIA - Calling all Campbells and Macdonalds! If you are looking for a unique gift for a Clan member then ClanDestine Décor has presentation cushions that are sure to delight...more

Charles A. Lindbergh and the Irish: New Light on the Irish Side of the Celebrated Hero Pilot

NEW YORK - The legendary American pilot, Charles A. Lindbergh (1902-1974), has long been celebrated as the first person to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean. The daring....more

DUNDAS CASTLE: One of Scotland's Most beautiful Castles With a Fairytale Tower and Winding Staircase

Is it because there is something very sexy and handsome about men in kilts? Or is it the cachet of tying the knot in an ancient castle? Whatever the reason, castles seem....more

A Spiritual Book for All Ages and Walks of Life

VANCOUVER - Father Vincent Travers, the highly popular Dominican priest and prolific author, recently returned to Vancouver to promote his fifth and newest book, In Touch....more

Donegal's Timeless Beauty Reflected in Magnificent Tapestries

Donegal's proud tradition of weaving and spinning is today uniquely expressed in the magnificent tapestry art of a small group of weavers in south-west Donegal....more

SLÁINTE-To Your Good Health with Maureen B. Keane, MS CN

Secrets of Great Soda Bread

This month Sláinte continues last month's column on Irish soda bread. In the past, most people learned how to make soda bread by watching their mothers. Mom or....more

An Interview with John Furlong:

VANCOUVER - For the next six years, Irish-born John Furlong is locked into working and preparing Vancouver, Whistler and all of Canada for the Olympics in 2010. "It's an....more

Modern Wedding Traditions Evolved from Ancient Times

Many of the modern wedding rituals from the time of engagement until a return from the honeymoon have been part of the wedding celebration for centuries....more

SLÁINTE-To Your Good Health with Maureen B. Keane, MS CN

In Praise of Soda Bread

This month Sláinte celebrates Irish soda bread. Real soda bread, the traditional type our Irish ancestors have baked and eaten for well over 100 years. It is tender and dense....more

Something About Fish and Chips...Pure, Comforting and Old World

VANCOUVER - There's something about fish and chips that's pure, comforting and old world. We eat fish and chips in the winter for warmth and in the summer for lightness....more

Who Really Benefits from New CMHC Ruling?

VANCOUVER - Who actually benefits from the new Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) zero down payment plan for first time buyers? The Celtic Connection recently asked this question of several Celtic real estate agents and a mortgage specialist ....more

"Scottish Voices from the West" Recorded in New Oral History Project

VANCOUVER - The Centre for Scottish Studies at Simon Fraser University has just embarked on an oral history project entitled, "Scottish Voices from the West - the Story of Scots ....more

A Mysterious American Makes a Big Impression

It was the mid-Forties and the Second World War in Europe has just ended. My sister and I were on our first read holiday. Travel between Scotland and Ireland for....more

Deep Historical Connections Between City of Waterford and the Grand Banks, Newfoundland

WATERFORD - The city of Waterford or Portlairge (name in Irish) is over a thousand years old and is one of the ancient walled cities. Founded by the Vikings between 856....more

SLÁINTE-To Your Good Health with Maureen B. Keane, MS CN

Celebrate March by Eating Cabbage

This is the time of year that cabbage (green), potatoes (white), and carrots (gold) grace the tables of many Irish Americans and Canadians. They are usually ....more

Is It Really a Good Time for You to Buy a New Home?

By CATHOLINE BUTLER

VANCOUVER - The Real Estate market is sizzling and it just got turned up several notches since Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) announced zero....more

Feeding Hungry People Through Charity and Mercy

VANCOUVER - The above poem was recently given to one of the volunteers of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul Outreach Ministry in downtown Vancouver by a poet named....more