Myths, legends, music,
dancing, and of course, whisky are just a few of the traditions
associated with Ireland. Home to the cunning Leprechaun,
Banshees and Fionn MacCurnhaill, Ireland is rich with lores and
mythological characters. Today, traditional music and dance
are a living, thriving tradition kept alive by local musicians
playing the fiddle, piano and acoustic guitar as well as home-grown
instruments such as the Irish bouzoukis, Uilleann pipes and Celtic
harp. Irish step dancing rose in popularity in the 1990s,
following the success of Riverdance, but Irish dance comes in many
other forms including jigs, reels and ceili dances. Make time
to tour a local whisky distillery- or maybe just stop in for an
Irish whisky (or two) - then head out to a show to witness the
complex rhythms and intricate coordination of Irish step
dancing.