The hill of Uisneach lies almost exactly at the geographical center of Ireland. Remarkably, a fraction at least of the ancient Irish population was aware of that fact. There is no doubt that the place of Uisneach in Irish mythology, and more broadly speaking the Celtic world, was of utmost importance: Uisneach was – and probably still is – best defined as a sacred hill at the center of Ireland, possibly the sacred hill of the center of Ireland. Uisneach or the Center of Ireland explores the medieval documents connected with the hill and compares them with both archeological data and modern Irish folklore. In the early 21st century, a Fire Festival started being held on Uisneach in connection with the festival of Bealtaine, in early May, arguably in an attempt to echo more ancient traditions: the celebration was attended by Michael D. Higgins, the current president of Ireland, who lit the fire of Uisneach on 6 May 2017. This book argues that the symbolic significance of the hill has echoed the evolution of Irish society through time, be it in political, spiritual and religious terms or, perhaps more accurately, in terms of identity and Irishness. It is relevant for scholars and advanced students in the fields of cultural history, Irish history and cultural studies.

Presents an illustrated A to Z reference containing over 1,000 entries providing information on Celtic myths, fables and legends from Ireland, Scotland, Celtic Britain, Wales, Brittany, central France, and Galicia.

When Patricia Monaghan traveled to Ireland seeking her roots, what she found was much more than her physical ancestors. This is the story of her journey and the legends, landmarks, and mystical lore she encountered. Her poetic stories elucidate the ways that myth reveals the truth of human experience as well as the contradictions that are embodied in women's lives. This book is an extensive exploration of goddess mythology in Ireland, from Brigit, the Celtic goddess of water, fire, and transformation, to the historical figure of Granueille, a pirate queen.

Sharma Krauskopf began her career after graduation from Purdue University working with disadvantaged populations. She worked her way from direct services to administration of multi-million dollar nonprofit organizations serving people with special needs. She began sharing those experiences through her own company, Innovative Consulting Services (ICS, Inc.) all over the world. The consulting meant endless travel so she gave it up so she could be home closer to her family and began her writing career. One of the advantages of the consulting was it resulted in her falling in love with Scotland where her ancestors were members of the Clan Morrison. She began an e-zine called Scottish Radiance to share Scotland with the world. That e-zine was the number one e-zine for many years in the early days of the Internet and stories from it are still available on the internet. Writing and editing Scottish Radiance brought a publisher to her in 1999 wanting her to write a book entitled Scotland: Complete Guide and Road Atlas. Since that book she has had 28 book printed by publishers in the UK, Ireland and USA. The books include non-fiction, fiction and books for children. Her love for Scotland grew to the point that she and her husband decided to buy a vacation home in Scotland. The first piece of property they looked at was Neist Pointe lighthouse on the Isle of Skye. Even though they were outbid on that property it convinced them lighthouse living was for them. They spent the next nine years looking for a Scottish lighthouse home. They finally bought Eshaness Lighthouse on Scotland's Shetland Island archipelago in the North Sea across from Norway. David A Stevenson a member of the family of the world's best lighthouse builders designed and built it. The search for and living at Eshaness are responsible for her very popular books about lighthouses and her experiences at Eshaness. In 2014 she wrote a screenplay and produces a feature length motion picture with the goal to honor lighthouse keepers entitled Lighthouse Unmanned. That motion picture was filmed in 2015 and will be released in 2016. She began in 2016 she writing screenplays and producing animated motion pictures for children based on her popular children books.

This book provides a comprehensive overview of Celtic mythology and religion, encompassing numerous aspects of ritual and belief. Topics include the presence of the Celtic Otherworld and its inhabitants, cosmology and sacred cycles, wisdom texts, mythological symbolism, folklore and legends, and an appreciation of the natural world. Evidence is drawn from the archaeology of sacred sites, ethnographic accounts of the ancient Celts and their beliefs, medieval manuscripts, poetic and visionary literature, and early modern accounts of folk healers and seers. New translations of poems, prayers, inscriptions and songs from the early period (Gaulish, Old Irish and Middle Welsh) as well as the folklore tradition (Modern Irish, Scottish Gaelic, Welsh, Cornish, Breton and Manx) complement the text. Information of this kind has never before been collected as a compendium of the indigenous wisdom of the Celtic-speaking peoples, whose traditions have endured in various forms for almost three thousand years.

Secret Note to the Reader This book is the TRUE Carthy Family Secret; it is Book 2 of 4 and it is the second collection of stories in my pursuit to reconnect my family’s delegated posts of the world known within as the Whole of the Green Isles. In reading this, you will know the true Carthy family secret.

In his third book, Strauss delves into the mysterious process whereby an idea is born in the mind and materialized through the hand in the expression of an artwork. How exactly does this happen? It's a question so basic, an act so fundamental to art-making, that it has rarely received attention. It makes an ideal topic for Strauss, a writer with an exceptional ability to animate art's philosophical dimensions in a clear, persuasive manner. During this time when craft and the direct manipulation of materials by the artist appear to be in eclipse, Strauss comes to their defense in a spirited cri de coeur.Featuring over 35 illustrations, the book examines a wide variety of media and individual examples. It explores the works of sculptors Martin Puryear, Ursula von Rydingsvard, and Donald Lipski; painters Leon Golub and Ron Gorchov; and writers Robert Duncan, Robert Kelly, Guy Davenport, John Berger, and Leo Steinberg. In addition, there are essays on Joseph Beuys's 7000 Oaks in Ireland, contemporary Haida carvers Reg Davidson and Jim Hart, Cecilia Vicuna's "memory of the fingers," and the influence of curators Harald Szeemann and Walter Hopps on the staging of contemporary art exhibitions.Known primarily for his writings on photography and politics, Strauss here focuses on the least mediated arts--painting, sculpture, and writing. His claims are supported by a series of close readings which succeed in recovering the immediacy of the hand and revitalizing contemporary art's connection to the past.