July 2018 MyIrelandBox review time!
MyIrelandBox is a subscription box that sends a bit of Ireland to your door every month. Each box will feature an exclusive collection of Irish-made items such as crafts, home goods, stationery, beauty products, jewelry, and more.
Disclosure: I received this box for review purposes. I was not compensated in any way. All opinions are my own. Post may contain affiliate and/or referral links.
Subscriptions are $45/month, plus $10.50 shipping to USA, Canada, UK, EU and Australia. Discounts are available on multi-month plans.
Let’s see what’s in the July 2018 MyIrelandBox!
Everything was shipped in a gray box with the MyIrelandBox logo in the center.
A peek inside!
Information about each of the items in the box, along with background info on each respective company/artist was included on the printed sheets above. July’s box featured items from or about the Blasket Islands, off the coast of the Dingle Peninsula.
Booklet – Na Blascaodaí/The Blaskets by Pádraig Ua Maoileoin
First up was an informative booklet on the Blasket Islands written in both English and Irish language. It’s loaded with interesting facts and photos on the way of life of the Islanders including their pastimes, livelihoods, diet, and more. A great introduction to the islands and those who inhabited them.
The Poet and the Piper – Seamus Heaney and Liam O’Flynn
This unique CD features a collaboration between Seamus Heaney (a Derry poet and holder of the Nobel Laureate for Literature) and Liam O ‘Flynn (an internationally acclaimed uilleann piper). The album consists of poetry and music, with Heaney reciting his own lines and O’Flynn playing the uilleann pipes. Composed on the Blaskets, it offers a mix of both traditional and contemporary music, lyrics and poetry including one of the oldest known Irish traditional songs, An Bonnán Buí.
Bog Buddies Real Irish Turf
How neat! — This is an actual piece of turf procured from a bog in the heart of Ireland. The people of the Blasket Islands used to bring home turf to use for heat, cooking, and light. Instructions on how to enjoy the aroma of a real Irish turf fire in your own home were also provided.
Twenty Years A-Growing by Maurice O’Sullivan
Originally published in 1953 (in Gaelic), this book tells the story of the Blasket Islands as written by Maurice O’Sullivan, an Islander himself. He includes details about the way of life on the Islands, sprinkled with Irish proverbs, folklore, traditions, wisdom, mythical stories, legends, and more. It has great reviews on Amazon and I’m looking forward to giving it a read.
Feadóg Tin Whistle
The tin whistle is one of the main instruments played by local marching bands on the Dingle Peninsula. Children are taught how to play it in school at a young age and MyIrelandBox included a link to a video on YouTube that teaches you how to give it a go yourself.
I had never heard of the Blasket Islands until receiving July’s MyIrelandBox, but it sounds like a beautiful place that’s rich in Irish history. All of the items in the box helped to paint an authentic picture of the area and almost made me feel as if I had visited there myself. 🙂
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