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The Craic returns feeling frisky on a Fri-yay, delivering news of the Irish at home and abroad. If you know someone who could give this newsletter a warm welcome in their email inbox, ask them to sign up right here.

News from Home

Less Booze. The cliché of Ireland as a nation of drinkers may be dissolving, as a new European-wide study of teenagers has found significant drops in “vices” in Ireland. Alcohol use among 15/16 year-olds has dropped from 66% to 35% over the last 30 years and there were significant drops in smoking and drug-taking too. It seems like Irish kids are saying no to drugs with more firmness than their parents, and teen vaping is lower in Ireland than anywhere else in Europe. We’ll take the wins when we get them.

GrubAdvisor. Anytime you visit another country, it can be a bit of a lottery to find good food and drink, and Ireland is no different. TripAdvisor exists, yeah, but you’d be wise to be skeptical of it. Anyway, if you’re coming to Ireland on your travels, you could do worse than choose from this list. It’s the annual list of winners in the Irish Restaurant Awards, covering every angle of hospitality, from where to find a good ‘poke’ 🍦 to the fanciest-smanciest gastronomical experiences. It covers the entire island, including the best winners by region. A mini-atlas of good food and drink options.

More Trouble. Kneecap has had another brush with the law. Band member Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh has been charged with terrorism offenses in the UK after allegedly holding up a Hezbollah-related flag at a recent London gig. The Irish-language rap group put out a statement denying the charge, calling it “political policing,” adding, “14,000 babies are about to die of starvation in Gaza….and once again the British establishment is focused on us.” The group’s vehement support of Palestine has caused a furor, with gigs being canceled and threats of revoking visas, but, if anything, it seems to have made them more popular.

Tome Time. A new medieval manuscript goes on display in Dublin this week after a meticulous two-year project to restore it (funded by Bank of America – cheers, lads).  The Book of Leinster was written in the 1100s, is written in Old and Middle Irish, and contains stories and histories from the Irish people at the time. Experts said it acted like a Wikipedia of the Middle Ages.

Magical Island. Ireland’s best-kept secret? Just off the North Dublin coast lies the stunning Lambay Island, home to breathtaking views, herds of sheep, wild deer & wallabies (you read that right 🇮🇪🤝🇦🇺🦘), and just a handful of humans. It’s now also home to one of the world’s most unique whiskey distilleries, putting the sustainability of this postcard-perfect island at the heart of its business model.

The Irish Influence

Cheating a bit this week because we are picking someone who seems as American as apple pie. George Wendt, the actor famed for the role of Norm in Cheers, had, despite his German surname, mostly Irish ancestry, and often spoke of his love of all things Irish. In 2014, he went ‘home’ to explore his roots, charting a root down the Wild Atlantic Way with his beloved wife Bernadette. The trip caught the attention of Bord Fáilte (Ireland’s tourism department), who effectively turned the pair’s vacation into an advertisement for Ireland’s rugged-but-beautiful west coast. George seemed to be on a mission to advertise Guinness, too. As most are aware, George Wendt passed away this week. There’s surely a barstool reserved for him in the big pub in the sky. Suaimhneas síoraí, Norm. 🍻

Cúpla Focal

Comhionannas {Co-On-Innis} – Equality. We are all about celebrating important referenda this week, each of which had comhionannas at their heart, as well as dóchas (hope) and leighis (healing).

Blast from the Past

“The people have spoken. The country has taken its first steps into the future.” On May 22nd, 1998, voters in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland went out to vote. Only one question was on the ballot – the implementation of the peace process through the Good Friday Agreement – and ‘Peace’ won by a resounding majority. Now, we could share dry old newsreels of the vote and aftermath, but we thought we’d give you a fictitious account of how things were at that moment through Derry Girls. The series finale of the beloved comedy absolutely nailed it by showing how the vote both inspired and scared people and how it felt like we were facing a new dawn with all the excitement and trepidation that comes with it. And don’t worry, the video below has subtitles enabled for those not fluent in Derry accents.

And One Last Thing….

There’s another referendum anniversary this week, one that, like the Good Friday Agreement, saw Ireland try to close a door to the past and embrace an equitable future. On May 22nd, 2015, Ireland voted to allow same-sex marriage. It was a significant step – the right one – for a country that had taken moral cues from the Catholic Church for centuries. While same-sex marriage has overwhelming support among the Irish people today, it’s worth remembering that here, like everywhere else, there are people – including politicians – who would like nothing better than to reverse that progress.

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