For this year's Northern Ireland Science Festival, we have produced a free, downloadable podcast, map & guide to the stories and histories of the North Coast of Ireland. Intended to accompany a stroll along beautiful Benone Beach, these materials have been made by the Northern Ireland Place-Name Project, Unlocking the Vikings and ourselves at eDIL's Spreading the Words. Available from mid-February!

https://nisciencefestival.com/e21444-from-the-foyle-places-peoples-and-the-past-

Ever thought about how names like Rathfarnham and Rathgar commemorate former ringforts (raths) now contained within modern cities?

More exciting new artwork from Joe McLaren for our upcoming resources for schools...

Thoughts about Christmas lights and the long, dark winters of Christmases past in a special seasonal episode for Radio MoLI.

Nollaig Shona Dhaoibh!

https://fb.watch/2BZjnp17s7/

GORM! The colour of blue eyes and also the colour of eyebrows... This week's episode for Radio MoLI is read by Deirdre Lewis and explores also how the use of 'gorm' to refer to a person of colour may go back to the eleventh century 💙

https://moli.ie/radio/series/spreading-the-words/gorm-blue/

https://fb.watch/2vjFm4Q_lx/

Another fantastic new image from Joe McLaren to accompany our forthcoming teaching resources based on "A History of Ireland in 100 Words'. This one illustrates the word BÓTHAR 'a road' and the medieval tradition that this must be made up of BÓ 'cow' and TAR 'past' because this type of road was only wide enough to let two cows pass!

We have a fantastic set of new illustrations from Joe McLaren to accompany forthcoming teaching resources based on the book 'A History of Ireland in 100 Words'. The beautiful image below illustrates the ingredients which went into a medieval Irish manuscript - a calf for the vellum and bees and oak for the ink:

This week’s episode for Radio MoLI celebrates the great variety of facial hair sported by the men of Ireland over the years… We’re very grateful to Jürgen Uhlich for reading this piece which ranges from Cú Chulainn to the Dubliners and from false beards to ‘beards above the mouth’!

https://moli.ie/radio/ulcha/

https://fb.watch/2cWaV2yOTx/

This week's episode for Radio MoLI is dedicated to the fabulous mountains, rivers, loughs, bays, mounds and woods of Ireland. The subject is Dinnsheanchas, that lovely, difficult-to-define word which is used refer to the stories and explanations of notable places. Listen to the full episode here:

https://moli.ie/radio/series/spreading-the-words/dinnsheanchas/

https://fb.watch/23JKNtLoi6/

We've been uploading podcasts from our 'Spreading the Words' series on Radio MoLI to our YouTube channel. Have a listen and, if you like what you hear, please subscribe while you're there! 🎧

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDhdmeKaPCKAVyd5oUUTV8g/videos

FUIL BOCÁIN 'billy-goat's blood', CÁISE PÚCA 'the puca's cheese' and other names for fungi in this week's episode for Radio MoLI. 🍄 Read, once again, by Aidan Sullivan. You can listen to the full episode via the link below:

https://moli.ie/.../spreading-the-words/fas-aon-oiche/

https://fb.watch/1Wiry7BwGh/

Do you know how the River Shannon got its name? You can find out in the latest episodes of our series for Radio MoLI, which looks also how the medieval Irish ate nuts as snacks and built their houses with cavity walls! 🌰🌿

https://moli.ie/radio/series/spreading-the-words/coll/

https://fb.watch/1LpWRL3JAM/

A quick reminder of our online talk and quiz called 'What the Medieval Doctor Ordered: Medicine in Ireland and Scandinavia'. It's completely free, hopefully fun and all you have to do is register via the link below.

This Friday, 7pm, by Zoom!

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/117558062329

A beautiful voice on a beautiful day..

For Radio MoLI, Meidhbhín Ní Úrdail reads an episode on DÚLRA 'the elements, nature' as part of our series on words from the poetry of Nuala Ní Dhomhnaill 🎋🌺

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1001783277010961

A spooky treat for Samhain... Prof. Máire Ní Mhaonaigh of the eDIL/Spreading the Words project reads an extract from the medieval tale of Echtra Nerai in the original language!

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=2694664440795900

On the eve of Hallowe'en, settle back and listen to the soothing tones of Aidan O'Sullivan as he tells you all about spiders... The latest in our series for Radio MoLI:

https://moli.ie/radio/damhan-alla-spider/

The 'Spreading the Words' series for Radio MoLI is building up nicely. Meander your way through on a Saturday afternoon and listen to your favourite twice! Subjects include bogs, mermaids, bulls, voyages, tricks and geese:

https://moli.ie/radio/series/spreading-the-words/

We are very grateful to Meon Eile who produced this attractive little video to celebrate the coming of our exhibition to the Linen Hall Library in Belfast. Images of the exhibition combined with a lovely interview with Greg Toner about the language, the history and the book which turned into a project. Less than 5 minutes and worth every second!

Over the moon to have won a National Hertitage Award for our project 'Horrible Histories of Lough Neagh'. Many thanks to our partners, The Northern Ireland Place-Name Project and Unlocking the Vikings, and to everyone who attended the live event. You can revisit the project by watching some of the videos on our YouTube Channel. Beware tales of blood-rain, people who shape-shift into eels, and a urinating horse!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uz7hxCazwrY&t=109s

In a new blog published today on the Royal Irish Academy website, Professor Máire Ní Mhaonaigh tells us about the treasure-trove of words in eDIL and about teaching resources on medieval Ireland, prepared last year, which aim to inspire pupils through stories of female warriors, the Otherworld, Vikings and more.

Read the blog! 👇

https://t.co/0l5r7fzyCx?amp=1

And watch the video! 👇

https://youtu.be/eaEFNoX5CFc