Theme Week Leinster – Dundalk

27 May 2023 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  7 minutes

Town Hall © DSexton/cc-by-sa-4.0

Town Hall © DSexton/cc-by-sa-4.0

Dundalk (Irish: Dún Dealgan), meaning “the fort of Dealgan”, is the county town (the administrative centre) of County Louth, Ireland. The town is on the Castletown River, which flows into Dundalk Bay on the east coast of Ireland. It is halfway between Dublin and Belfast, close to the border with Northern Ireland. It is the eighth largest urban area in Ireland, with a population of 39,004 as of the 2016 census.   read more…

Theme Week Leinster – Bray

26 May 2023 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  9 minutes

Esplanade Hotel © Photogoddle/cc-by-sa-4.0

Esplanade Hotel © Photogoddle/cc-by-sa-4.0

Bray (Irish: Bré) is a coastal town in north County Wicklow, Ireland. It is situated about twenty km (12 mi) south of Dublin city centre on the east coast. It has a population of 32,600 making it the ninth largest urban area within Ireland (at the 2016 census). Bray is home to Ardmore Studios, and some light industry is located in the town, with some business and retail parks on its southern periphery. Commuter links between Bray and Dublin are provided by rail, Dublin Bus and the M11 and M50 motorways. Small parts of the town’s northern outskirts are in County Dublin.   read more…

Theme Week Leinster – Carlow

25 May 2023 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  6 minutes

The Liberty Tree © NicolaODonoghue/cc-by-sa-4.0

The Liberty Tree © NicolaODonoghue/cc-by-sa-4.0

Carlow (Irish: Ceatharlach) is the county town of County Carlow, in the south-east of Ireland, 84 km (52 mi) from Dublin. At the 2016 census, it had a combined urban and rural population of 24,272.   read more…

Theme Week Leinster – Navan

24 May 2023 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  8 minutes

Trimgate Street © geograph.org.uk - James Allan/cc-by-sa-2.0

Trimgate Street © geograph.org.uk – James Allan/cc-by-sa-2.0

Navan (Irish: An Uaimh, meaning “the Cave”) is the county town of County Meath, Ireland. In 2016, it had a population of 30,173, making it the tenth largest settlement in Ireland. It is at the confluence of the River Boyne and Blackwater, around 50 km northwest of Dublin.   read more…

Theme Week Leinster – Drogheda

23 May 2023 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, UNESCO World Heritage Reading Time:  8 minutes

© flickr.com - William Murphy/cc-by-sa-2.0

© flickr.com – William Murphy/cc-by-sa-2.0

Drogheda (Irish: Droichead Átha, meaning “bridge at the ford”) is an industrial and port town in County Louth on the east coast of Ireland, 56 km (35 mi) north of Dublin. It is located on the Dublin–Belfast corridor on the east coast of Ireland, mostly in County Louth but with the south fringes of the town in County Meath, 49 km (30 mi) north of Dublin. Drogheda has a population of approximately 41,000 inhabitants (2016), making it the eleventh largest settlement by population in all of Ireland, and the largest town in the Republic of Ireland by both population and area. It is the last bridging point on the River Boyne before it enters the Irish Sea. The UNESCO World Heritage Site of Newgrange is located 8 km (5.0 mi) west of the town.   read more…

Theme Week Leinster

22 May 2023 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, Theme Weeks Reading Time:  8 minutes

Johnstown Castle in Wexford © DeFacto/cc-by-sa-4.0

Johnstown Castle in Wexford © DeFacto/cc-by-sa-4.0

Leinster (Irish: Laighin or Cúige Laighean) is one of the four provinces of Ireland, situated in the southeast and east of Ireland. The province comprises the ancient Kingdoms of Meath, Leinster and Osraige. Following the 12th-century Norman invasion of Ireland, the historic “fifths” of Leinster and Meath gradually merged, mainly due to the impact of the Pale, which straddled both, thereby forming the present-day province of Leinster. The ancient kingdoms were shired into a number of counties for administrative and judicial purposes. In later centuries, local government legislation has prompted further sub-division of the historic counties.   read more…

Theme Week New Zealand – Christchurch

29 April 2023 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  11 minutes

New Regent Street © Bernard Spragg

New Regent Street © Bernard Spragg

Christchurch (Māori: Ōtautahi is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Canterbury Region. Christchurch lies on the South Island’s east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula on Pegasus Bay. The Avon River/Ōtākaro flows through the centre of the city, with an urban park along its banks. The city’s territorial authority population is 389,300 people, and includes a number of smaller urban areas as well as rural areas. The population of the urban area is 377,900 people. Christchurch is the second-largest city by urban area population in New Zealand, after Auckland. It is the major urban area of an emerging sub-region known as Greater Christchurch. Notable smaller urban areas within this sub-region include Rangiora and Kaiapoi in Waimakariri District, north of the Waimakariri River, and Rolleston and Lincoln in Selwyn District to the south.   read more…

Theme Week New Zealand – Hamilton

28 April 2023 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  6 minutes

Hamilton centre from Hillcrest © Nzwj/cc-by-sa-3.0

Hamilton centre from Hillcrest © Nzwj/cc-by-sa-3.0

Hamilton (Māori: Kirikiriroa) is an inland city in the North Island of New Zealand. Located on the banks of the Waikato River, it is the seat and most populous city of the Waikato region. With a territorial population of 179,900, it is the country’s fourth most-populous city. Encompassing a land area of about 110 km² (42 sq mi), Hamilton is part of the wider Hamilton Urban Area, which also encompasses the nearby towns of Ngāruawāhia, Te Awamutu and Cambridge. In 2020, Hamilton was awarded the title of most beautiful large city in New Zealand.   read more…

Theme Week New Zealand – Dunedin

27 April 2023 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, UNESCO World Heritage Reading Time:  12 minutes

Dunedin Railway Station © Antilived/cc-by-sa-3.0

Dunedin Railway Station © Antilived/cc-by-sa-3.0

Dunedin (Māori: Ōtepoti) is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand (after Christchurch), and the principal city of the Otago region. Its name comes from Dùn Èideann, the Scottish Gaelic name for Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. The city has a rich Scottish, Chinese and Māori heritage.   read more…

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