West Is Best 🏐🏆

So, What’s the Craic?

The Craic returns this week with more news and views on the Irish at home and away. The Craic is the gobby newsletter sent out on behalf of Shift, our app to connect the Irish. and people who tolerate the Irish, globally. Want Shift? By gum, get it here. And if you want to share The Craic with a deserving someone else, send them this way, mucker.

News from Home

Bestmeath. Everyone loves a David and Goliath story in sport. Last week, it was Westmeath (the David of this fable) and Dublin (need we say it?), with the former toppling the latter in the Leinster Senior Football Final. It was an incredible, pulsating match, going into extra time before the Lake County men took the victory and only a second Leinster title in the county’s history. Westmeath have never made an All-Ireland Final before. Could this be their year? You’ve won over a fair few neutral fans, lads.

Worth It. We are big fans of the “worth it” travel surveys. The idea is that travelers are surveyed on sights and attractions that are ‘worth’ seeing, i.e., not those that are pretty crap but you feel you are supposed to see them; we’re looking at you, Eiffel Tower. Anyway, Skellig Michael Monastery in Co. Kerry ranked second on a global list of “worth it” attractions, and we heartily agree: The photos don’t do it justice. You have to be there to appreciate why this is a jewel in Ireland’s crown.

Good Grub. Ireland’s best restaurants, chefs, cocktail bars, and everything in-between were crowned at the annual Irish Restaurant Awards. The fancy-dancy-smancy Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud, Dublin, won the coveted Best Restaurant award. But, you know, there was a massive list of winners (all price ranges, styles, eco-food, food trucks, etc.), and it occurred to us, you’d be better off keeping this list of winners handy if you’re coming for a trip this summer. It’s WAAAY more reliable than the aul TripAdvisor.

The Craic Recommends…..Padel. Padel tennis is considered the fastest-growing sport in Ireland – in the world, actually – and if you’re home this summer (or visiting for the first time), the great bunch of lads at PadelCourts.ie have mapped courts across the island. They also have information on social tournaments and events, and a bit of craic in their weekly newsletter, which is almost as marvelous as this one. Check it out here.

We’re on the Radio!

Well, Shift is gaining more attention, so we weren’t surprised to see Patrick invited onto iRadio’s Groupchat Podcast to talk all things Shift with host Valerie McHugh. If you wanna give it a wee listen and find out what’s happening with Shift and where Patrick is taking us – the interview lasts as long as drinking a good cuppa tae, and you can find it here. Oh, and if you’re in the area - that area being East Durham, New York - don’t forget to come and see us at the East Durham Irish Festival at the MJQ Irish Cultural and Sports Center this Memorial Weekend. We have a lovely shiny booth all set up - come and say hello!

The Irish Influence

We thought we’d not highlight an influential person this week, but an incredibly influential event. The Galway International Arts Festival is one of the country’s biggest and most popular, and it’s been running for almost 50 years. It’s also been growing in stature, and it really does deserve the “I” in the GIAF acronym. This year has a whole host of goodies, including performances from the legendary Patti Smith🐴  and The Flaming Lips 🔥💋, as well as the world premiere of an opera based on Colm Tóibín’s The Testament of Mary. There’s always a bit of ceol agus craic and stuff going on in Galway’s pubs across the fortnight, so it’s a great place to be. The GIAF 2026 takes place from July 13th to 26th. Visit the official website for ticket info and all that jazz.

Cúpla Focal

Leadránach – {LED-dran-awk} – boring, slow, dull. We’ve been spending some time on Irish Reddit (why? Don’t know), and we came across a wonderful thread that’s discussing Irish words that convey more sense as descriptors – where the sounds feel more closely tied to the meanings than their English counterparts. As someone called “bigpadQ” said about Leadránach, you can feel the frustration in every syllable. 

Blast from the Past

Eleven years ago today, the Irish people voted on the 34th amendment to the Irish Constitution, legalizing same-sex marriage in the country. The “yes” vote won by a large majority on a very high turnout, so there was no “ifs, buts or maybes” – Ireland spoke loudly and said yes to equality. Over a decade later, there’s still work to be done, especially in the fight against homophobia. Yet, as the first nation in the world to legalize same-sex marriage and have it framed in the Constitution, that day in May should be viewed as one of the proudest moments of our nation’s history. 🏳️‍🌈

And One Last Thing….

World Cup fever is starting to grip everyone, and you’ll know, of course, that neither the Republic of Ireland nor Northern Ireland is going. Yet, we still love the craic, and we were absolutely fascinated by the street party thrown by the natives of Crumlin, Dublin, for Roberto “Pico” Lopes, who will be heading to MEX-CAN-US to represent Cabo Verde. Pico was born and raised in Crumlin, but he represents his father's country of birth, so the town came out to give the Shamrock Rovers captain a big send-off before he headed across the Atlantic. Class stuff, and a reminder that despite all the guff you see on social media, community spirit in modern, diverse Ireland is alive and well.