#galway-cathedral

#galway-cathedral

Pilgrimage is one of the oldest and most persistent cultural practices, a spatial expression of humanity's search for meaning that has taken form across geographies and religions.

The flagpole at the front of a house, just a three-minute drive from the handful of shops and restaurants, has become an advertisement for the exploits of Heimaey's most famous son.

A remote Donegal parish and its Gaeilgeoir priest became near household names last year when the nation awoke on Easter Monday to learn St Mary's Church in Derrybeg had burnt to the ground overnight.

The theme of this year's festival was 'Roots' in celebration of the centuries-long facets of Irish identity woven into modern Irish society. Stretching from Parnell Square in the city's north side to Kevin Street on the south, 12 large floats and 10 marching bands consisting of 3,000 people in total meandered through the parade route flanked by onlookers from home and abroad.

The Catholic Church of Saint Mary at 440 Grand St. on the Lower East Side was built in 1833 with a Romanesque Revival facade designed by prolific architect Patrick Charles Keeley in 1864. Keeley, the church's architect, designed nearly 600 churches during his career, but this would mark the first of his works to be landmarked in New York City.

Irish pubs have roots that go back to 10th-century Viking halls. And although we're talking about going so far back in time that precise dates and details can get a little sketchy, we do know there are a few pubs that opened not too long after that and are still in operation.

I think somebody painted it black in transit, and we may have got in a little trouble for that. I'll let you figure that out yourself. The structure has been removed, as was agreed following discussions between Dublin City Council's Planning Enforcement Section and the owner of the premises.

I just couldn't live in one of those bland houses, but I didn't have a plan for the interior design here. I simply love colour and I wanted to make the house feel warm and vibrant. The trend for grey and black, or beige and white interiors, has led to a plethora of samey-themed rooms that can look dreary, lack personality, and are unlikely to age well.

The Irish government will give 2,000 artists unrestricted weekly stipends in a program officials described as a "recognition, at government level, of the important role of the arts in Irish society." After a successful three-year pilot, the Irish government made its basic income program for artists permanent. Similar pilots have been launched here in the United States, but they're supported primarily by the nonprofit sector.

That is, if the church has a pipe organ. Most do, and pipe organs need periodic tuning as the seasons change. When organ tuners carry out that work, many will write down details of the ambient temperature and humidity at the time. Those observations are often recorded in small logbooks kept by the organ itself - and over time, they can build into a surprisingly detailed climate record.

McDonald's locations in the United States tend to be pretty staid and uniform in design, but head abroad and things start to change. While there are a few American McDonald's that don't feature the traditional golden arches aesthetic, in historic international cities, you'll frequently find the burger chain housed in beautiful old stone and masonry buildings - with only a small McDonald's sign offering any hint of what's inside.

The sweeping changes include extensive greening and seating, two major water features, and a large paved events space in front of Trinity College. Early sketches for the space were revealed in June last year, but Dublin City Council (DCC) have refined them on foot of two rounds of public consultation and more than 2,800 written submissions. Extensive seating and a play space are also part of the project, with the council promising "an environment that encourages people to stop, relax and connect with the city around them."

The slab, found in a York drain in the 19th century, has gone on display at a new exhibition marking the 800th anniversary of Saint William a forgotten, once adored martyr said to be responsible for that miracle and others. At the centre of the exhibition is a cutting-edge, digital recreation of an imposing shrine to William that once stood in York Minster's nave but was broken up and buried to protect it from the ravages of Henry VIII's reformation.