One of my very favorite global sites on the web is Irish Fireside. Run by our Ireland Editor, Corey Taratuta and his partner Liam Hughes, Irish Fireside is a fascinating site - from podcasts to music to Spots in Ireland not to miss. Irish Fireside is the go-to place for anything Ireland. 

Athassel Priory - Located near Cashel near the village of Golden, County Tipperary, Ireland. 

Every time I peruse the site, I am impressed with the depth of their knowledge, and the wonderful ways in which they share Ireland. I was lucky enough to sit down and talk with Corey and Liam about Irish Fireside. Here's what they had to say...

Charleville Castle, near Tullamore, Co Offaly, Ireland

WE: Please tell us about your site, Irish Fireside...

IF: It's a space on the Web dedicated to Irish travel, Irish customs and, well, all things Irish. The site is pretty much split between our travel podcast, e-newsletter and travel blog.

A roadside holy well and grotto at Mamore Gap, Inishowen Peninsula, County Donegal, Ireland. 

WE: What was the genesis of Irish Fireside?

IF: Being regular travelers to Ireland, we were the natural go-to people for friends and family who were planning trips, so we were very comfortable chatting about Irish interests. In 2005, Corey was given an iPod as a gift and discovered podcasts...a very new medium at the time. Suddenly, the idea for recording the information we had been repeating over the years made sense.

Originally, the recordings were intended for our friends and family. In fact, before we were going to formally "launch," we were putting together a lot of how-to information, because we knew most of our friends didn't even know what a podcast was.

We completely underestimated the power of RSS feeds and iTunes. In the first week, before we even told anyone about the podcast, our subscribership was already at 100 people. Things took off from there.

After a session at Glenculoo

WE: You also have a travel blog - what sorts of information can readers find there?

IF: The blog changes throughout the year. While in Ireland, we keep a daily diary of our travels and post a lot of photos. This is a very popular time for the blog, because when we're there, we're immersed among the Irish people and this offers a different perspective than what the average tourist gets to see while touring.

During the rest of the year, we feature any news items or links we feel would be of interest to our readers. We also publish articles, stories and submissions from readers and special guests. During December, it becomes Giveaway Central where we announce the daily winners of our Holiday Giveaways and feature various Irish and Celtic products.

Glown Valley

Parkes Castle & Lough Gill, County Sligo, Ireland 

WE: Please tell us more about your podcasts...

IF: Think of them as our own little fireside chat about Ireland and Irish travel. They vary from episode to episode, but our most popular topics include travel tips, interviews, storytelling and music.

The chats can be played from our website for free or can be downloaded through sources like iTunes and the Zune Marketplace. We try to post detailed show notes with every episode so if someone hears us talking about a topic, they can check the show notes for more information.

Warrenpoint, County Down, Northern Ireland

WE: I've not seen such a comprehensive site about Ireland - where do you gather your resources and information?

IF: Our goal is for the Irish Fireside to reflect the way we travel and live...casual and off-the-beaten-path. So everything we include on the site comes from our own experiences or from our listeners and readers. We let guidebooks and other websites stick to what they do best -- we prefer to stick to firsthand accounts and give a bit of a story when we can.

Pat and the cows

WE: One of the best resources you provide are the Travel Tips for Ireland - how fun is it to research these travel resources?

IF: It's always a thrill to discover and share new things...especially unique finds, like a great cafe or unique museum. However, there have been many lessons learned the hard way...like dealing with damage to a rental car, handling a medical emergency and experiencing Dublin on a very tight budget.

Thatched Roof In the Portumna Castle Kitchen Garden, Ireland 

WE: What are your favorite places to go, in Ireland?

IF: We've got posts on our blog that address this very questions, but I can say that I like splitting my time between Ireland's coasts and inland areas. Most tourists commit most of their time to the coastline and never get the full flavor of the "real" Ireland. As much as I love the tourist-rich counties Dublin, Wicklow, Galway, Kerry and Clare, the counties of Tipperary, Kilkenny, Carlow, Roscommon and Donegal have many of my favorite "hidden" wonders.

Liam at Ballycarberry Castle, Cahersiveen, Co. Kerry, Ireland 

WE: What's next for the Irish Fireside?

IF: Well, next month we're doing something very different. We're heading out on a month-long Irish-American Roadtrip. We're driving from Milwaukee to Los Angeles and will be meeting up with some of our podcast listeners, blog readers and e-newsletter subscribers along the way. It should be quite an adventure for us and those who follow us on the blog. We're hoping to stop by some sites with some great Irish-American history, enjoy plenty of great Irish pubs and meet some wonderful people...if anyone has  some suggestions, send them my way.

St. Mary's Church, Kilkenny, Ireland

WE: Thanks so much, Corey and Liam! I just love your site - it is on my 'visit every day' list. I appreciate all the hard work you put into it!

AND, We featured Liam and his incredible jewelry in our December Artist of the Month. Bravo, Liam!

Tony took this photo of one of the wild goats on Step...the mountain near his home in County Tipperary, Ireland.