Keenaghan Cottage

23/05/2026

Thank you Tourism Ireland ❤️❤️❤️☘️

🎥 Travels With Ricky👏

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20/05/2026

HOW DID IRELAND BECOME KNOWN AS THE LAND OF A HUNDRED THOUSAND WELCOMES?

Hospitality was once a legal requirement in Ireland! It was one of the Brehon laws, an immensely complex legal system which existed in Ireland for at least a thousand years until the middle of the 17th century. Incredibly, the Brehon laws needed no court to enforce them because everyone respected them. The laws put individuals first and property second, women had equal rights to men and all citizens owed a duty of hospitality to strangers.

It's this last one that I'm going to tell you about today. Hospitality has become so ingrained in Irish culture that it's now as synonymous with Ireland as forty shades of green. Under Brehon Law, all households were obliged to provide oigidecht (hospitality) to travellers, strangers included. This included food, drink, a bed, and entertainment. No prying questions could be asked of the guest, and once hospitality was accepted, the visitor was obliged to refrain from any violence or quarrel in the house. Payment was never requested by the host, but exchanges of travelling tales, poetry and songs were welcome. Refusal to offer hospitality would not only earn you a bad reputation, it was illegal and a fine could be levied on the offending household.

Travellers to Ireland today will find an equally warm welcome, whether it be in a 5-star hotel or a country cottage like this (link below). It's not a legal requirement anymore, but hospitality to strangers remains an enduring and endearing element of Irish tradition. Céad Míle Fáilte! A Hundred Thousand Welcomes! 🥰

(M) ☘️

Pic. https://www.instagram.com/cnoc.suain
https://www.cnocsuain.com

15/05/2026

10/05/2026

Slow travel through County Fermanagh… where nature always takes centre stage.

📍 Keenaghan Lough, Belleek, Co. Fermanagh

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