Said the Irish diplomat Shane Leslie: “Every St. Patrick’s Day every Irishman goes out to find another Irishman to make a speech to.” It might be true. It is a well-celebrated holiday full of parades and drinking, but the history, landscape and culture of Ireland are deeply rooted. It is still among the world’s great travel destinations and also a vibrant and troubled land. Go beyond the parades and legends, and you will find a world of new content about Ireland on Zinio. Here are five magazines and articles to wet your whistle:
Auberge
Some of the best high-end lifestyle and travel publications are actually published by resorts and hotels.Auberge is among the best. Auberge resorts and hotels are located in captivating destinations, from the vineyards of Napa Valley wine country to the beaches of Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. Its article on “The Spirit Of Dublin” truly captures some of the mysticism and old world class of the capital city.
Gulfshore Life
Hiking in Ireland is one of the most popular ways to see the countryside and experience its characters.Although the magazine is based in Naples, FL, Gulfshore Life does an excellent job covering international travel and “Something Is Afoot In Ireland” captures the hiking journey. As it says: “Oscar Wilde was right. The western coast of Ireland is a savage beauty. Its blankets of summertime flowers make up for lost time during the long chilly winters. Sheep and cows graze free on green hillsides and even greener pasturelands, the way it’s been for centuries.”
Whisky Advocate
Ireland is one of only four countries that have produced whisky for more than a decade. This magazine is a Wine Advocate for whiskey drinkers. The great thing about this magazine is discovering exactly how much there is to know and how many details are involved in finding, tasting and enjoying different kinds of whiskey. This piece (“Whisky 101”) for example, tells us that “Irish whiskeys, like Jameson, contain “pure pot still” whiskey. Pure pot still whiskey is unique to Ireland. Unlike single malt scotch that is made from malted barley, pure pot still whiskey comes from malted and unmalted barley that gives many Irish whiskeys their distinctive flavor.” And Jameson’s, by the way, scores a 91 in the overall reviews.
The Economist
You can’t talk about Ireland without talking about politics. The tensions between north and south are still palpable. The tensions between loyalists and republicans in Northern Ireland still boil over into occasional violence, driven lately by a dispute over flying the British flag on government buildings. The Economist is a great source for tracking the edge of global politics and this piece on the Irish abortion law dispute is notable for its objectivity and command of the issue.
ESPN: The Magazine
That’s right. ESPN. This article chronicles a hapless writer working a kitchen in a sports bar in Boston on the busiest day of the year: St. Patrick’s Day. It’s funny, well detailed and unpredictable. Excerpt: “Okay, guys, big day today,” the bar owner says. “We’ve got corned beef dinner all day, until it runs out. Celtic Ale is the special beer. And remember, it’s Saint Paddy’s, so if anybody’s overserved, liability is still liability. If you have a question about how old they are, card’em again.”
