logo
Wicklow man first from Ireland to be invited on Choctaw's ‘Trail of Tears' – ‘It's tough...mosquitoes, the heat and stray dogs'

Wicklow man first from Ireland to be invited on Choctaw's ‘Trail of Tears' – ‘It's tough...mosquitoes, the heat and stray dogs'

Wicklow People
Today at 01:00
A Wicklow academic with a vested interest in the age-old bonds between Ireland and Native American nations will make history this month when he and an old friend from have the honour of being the first Irish citizens to join the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma on the 'Trail of Tears Cycle'.
On May 17, Rathdrum native Dr Padraig Kirwan and his former cycling clubmate Andrew Castles will join riders from across the USA on a seven-day journey that follows one of the historic routes walked by the Choctaw during their removal from tribal homelands by the US government in Mississippi during the 19th and early 20th centuries.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Meet Brendan, the new AI tour guide that promises ‘distinct Dublin wit'
Meet Brendan, the new AI tour guide that promises ‘distinct Dublin wit'

Irish Independent

time35 minutes ago

  • Irish Independent

Meet Brendan, the new AI tour guide that promises ‘distinct Dublin wit'

Brendan, an AI-generated snood-wearing young Dubliner with reddish hair, can be accessed by selecting Dublin in the CityMe AI travel guide app. Brendan will offer 'a new way' for visitors to explore Dublin, says Dublin City Council (DCC), by delivering AI-powered audio content about more than 500 cultural and historical sites across the city. Its creators promise to deliver the AI content in a 'warm, locally-inspired storytelling style', which is tailored for each location on the tour. 'This is a novel project for Dublin, where technology and culture intersect to create a unique experience for visitors,' said Nollaig Fahy, smart Tourism Manager at the Dublin City Culture Company. 'With Brendan, we are not only embracing the future of tourism, but also reaffirming our commitment to sustainability, innovation and making cultural access more inclusive than ever.' The AI city guide is currently in a pilot phase for Dublin, joining many other similar digital personalities created by CityMe, like Laia for Barcelona, Charlotte for Paris, and Liam in New York. Later this summer, Brendan will expand to include Spanish as a language option, with plans in motion for an Irish-speaking guide down the line too. Brendan was developed between Dublin City Council and Smart Dublin, in partnership with AI giant OpenAI. Launched in 2016, Smart Dublin is an initiative of the four Dublin local authorities which aims to use technological solutions to improve services and quality of life in the capital. 'We are excited to partner with Smart Dublin to bring this vision to life,' said Guido Schinocca, CityMe AI founder. 'Brendan represents the future of city exploration, blending the latest in AI technology with the rich history and culture of Dublin,' he said. The CityMe app divides Dublin into six tour locations: Stoneybatter/Smithfield, The Liberties, City Centre North/O'Connell Street, Old City/Temple Bar, St Stephen's Green/Portobello and Trinity College/Docklands. When a user clicks on an area, a brief AI-generated audio introduction is given, followed by a map of all the landmarks within that zone. Each landmark gives an audio description of the site and its history, delivered with a Dublin accent, along with a picture. Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme

Sligo based VOYA launches new treatment at Aqua Sana Forest Spa in Ireland and the UK
Sligo based VOYA launches new treatment at Aqua Sana Forest Spa in Ireland and the UK

Irish Independent

time2 hours ago

  • Irish Independent

Sligo based VOYA launches new treatment at Aqua Sana Forest Spa in Ireland and the UK

Available from June 20, the Aroma Touch Massage treatment is rooted in VOYA's heritage of hand-harvested organic seaweed and formulated to deliver targeted wellbeing results, whether guests are seeking relaxation, energy or muscle relief. Treatments will be available to book at all six Aqua Sana Forest Spa locations – including Longford Forest in Ireland and Sherwood, Elveden, Longleat, Woburn, and Whinfell Forest in the UK. Developed to be a bespoke guest journey, the new massage offering combines VOYA's signature certified-organic skincare with expert aromatherapy and deeply restorative techniques. Following nationwide therapist training, treatments went live online in recent days. 'We're proud to expand our partnership with Aqua Sana Forest Spa across the UK and Ireland with this new massage menu,' says Kira Walton, VOYA Co-Founder. 'Each oil has been carefully selected to deliver specific benefits, from calming the mind to reawakening tired muscles, using only the finest seaweed and essential oils from the Irish coast. It's about creating moments of connection, care and balance.' Laura Freeman, Group Spa Manager at Aqua Sana Forest Spa, said: 'VOYA's Aroma Touch Massage perfectly complements our current treatment offering at Aqua Sana Forest Spa, providing guests with an immersive, nature-inspired treatment. This experience allows each guest to personalise the massage to suit their individual needs, enhancing their relaxation and overall well-being.'

Major change for thousands of Irish bus passengers to begin next week – with fares set to be more ‘easy to understand'
Major change for thousands of Irish bus passengers to begin next week – with fares set to be more ‘easy to understand'

The Irish Sun

time3 hours ago

  • The Irish Sun

Major change for thousands of Irish bus passengers to begin next week – with fares set to be more ‘easy to understand'

A MAJOR change is on the way for thousands of Irish bus passengers next week – and fares are set to be more "easy to understand". The National 3 A major change is set to come into effect for Irish bus passengers Credit: Alamy 3 Fares will be adjusted in accordance with the distance from Dublin Credit: NTA The NTA has a new fare system that's set to simplify pricing by using the direct distance between start and end points of a passenger's journey. And they said it aims to make fares more 'equitable and easy to understand.' This replaces the older model where various transport providers such as Bus Éireann used separate fare zones that often didn't match up. The Leap Card travel area has now been divided into four pricing zones. READ MORE IN TRAVEL In Zone 1, the 90-minute fare will stay the same with €2 for adults, €1 for students and young adults and €0.65 for children. For Zone 2 includes places such as Greystones, Kilcock, Kilcoole, Gormanston, Skerries and Sallins & Naas - and a bus ride to Dublin will cost €3.70 for adults and €1.85 for students, young adults and children. Zone 3 includes Most read in News Travel Those using children, students and young adult Leap Cards in Zone 3 will now pay €2.65 to reach the city centre. Covering more distant areas like Rathdrum and Kildare Town, Zone 4 has fares of €6.30 for adults while students, 'It's very important' - Ryanair's 'baggage sizers' warning to Irish passengers ahead of busy Easter break amid €75 fine These fare adjustments are set to take effect on June 16 and apply to both Bus Éireann and Go-Ahead Ireland routes. Leap Card users will still have better value than cash payers for single journey fares and new options will offer daily, weekly and monthly passes that are valid across all of the zones. There will also be a €67.20 weekly cap for adults traveling across all four zones. These revisions follow similar changes made to train fares in April. TRAIN FARE PRICES Train journeys to and from Dublin Commuter Zones 3 and 4 have seen reduced fares - from places like Drogheda, Laytown, Enfield, Newbridge, Kildare, However, some fares between Dublin and towns like Balbriggan, Skerries, Kilcock and Sallins & Naas increased. Fares for all trips within Dublin City Zone 1 have remain unchanged. And the daily and weekly Leap Cap only applies within Dublin City Zone 1. The new ePurse maximum fares are €7.50 for adults, €3.75 for students and young adults, and €3.75 for The Intercity Luas Add-On for cross-city journeys has also been eliminated - which currently costs €1.40 for a single, €32 for a monthly, or €320 for an annual ticket. The minimum Leap Card ePurse balance required for adult fares is now €1 for journeys within Dublin City Zone and €2.50 for Dublin Commuter Zones 2, 3, and 4. For young adults and children, the minimum balance is only one cent. And since April some ticket types have been discontinued, including adult, student, and child weekly and monthly tickets. 3 The Leap Card travel area has now been divided into four pricing zones Credit: PA:Press Association

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store