We're back with another episode of The Craic, recorded live at the Four Courts in Arlington. We're at the Courts for the first Digital Irish event here in DC, that took place immediately after this recording. A nice chat followed by a great night.

Highlights:

• Irish names for the American Irish.
• St. Patrick's Day post-mortem.
• NYC parade rules and controversial slogans.
• Feedback on Shift from the people we meet.
• Narrowing in on our Shift messaging.
• Visit to Irish Network USA national conference.
• Cheap flights and one-way tickets.
• Texas culture shock.
• What's the deal with Hibernians and Knights of Columbus?
• The unavoidable pride of Riverdance.
• The Irish connection in the new "Sinners" film.
• About the Digital Irish, and helping expand in DC.

If you're Irish abroad or just love the culture, head to https://shift.irish and sign up for the weekly email that keeps you connected to the craic. Got a pub or person we should visit? Let us know at team@shift.irish.

Sure St Paddy's Day fever is rising here at the Auld Shebeen in Fairfax, as we record our latest episode. As the bartenders prepare for a hectic weekend, Patrick and Paul sit down to share the latest craic, and to celebrate the launch of the new Shift website at Shift.irish! We’ve been working like mad the past few months to get the first version of Shift launched: The Directory of all things Irish launches with all the St Paddy’s Day shenanigans and shindigs at over 80 locations across North America. Visit Shift.Irish for more on that.

Episode Highlights:

• A late night at the Ireland Funds Gala.
• The protestor family causing ruckus away from home.

• Walking in the NYC St Patrick's Day parade.
• Americans vs Irish on St Patrick's Day.
• Savannah's surprisingly legendary parade.
• Going all in on Shift, without being a Plastic Paddy.
• Patrick's parents partying for Spring Break.

• The unlikely future as an 'entrepreneur' for an Irish kid.
• Stories of fear and intimidation in Northern Ireland.
• Celebrating and learning from our first launch.
• The website is live, and the app coming this year.
• The Shift mission - connecting the Irish!
• "The Devil's at the bottom of the pint" ;)

Shout-outs:

• EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum in Dublin.
• Brainstormer - the original Pub Quiz Trivia.
• Killyhevlin Hotel, Enniskillen (Paul's early job - server)
• Joel's Restaurant, Clondalkin (Patrick's early job - bartender)
• Ireland's Four Courts (Uncle-in-law Dave Cahill).
• Solas Nua - Irish theater, film and cultural organization.
• Our very own Shift.irish - live for St. Paddy's Day!

We're at the front of the bar at The Auld Shebeen in Fairfax. The fire is roaring and we're loving our new spot with the bar in the background. Seems the staff are loving us too. Tim drops us off an extra pint while we're in session. Sure it'd be rude to refuse. Enjoy the craic as Paul & Patrick catch up, talk about the latest goings on, and what's happening with Shift, as the new website is prepped for launch later this month. Shoot over to Shift.Irish for more on that.

Highlights:

- A challenging work week for Patrick.

- Irish Pub interiors direct from Ireland.

- Prehistoric settlements preserved by boglands.

- The resurgence of Irish whiskeys .

- A lesson not to be stingy.

- The NFL is heading to Dublin.

- The latest with Shift: Launching this month!

- Come for the tool: The directory of all things Irish.

- Stay for the network: The IRL social network.

- Slow buses and short shorts.

Mentions this week:

-Irish Whiskey podcasts

-Trágmar Ale Works

-GGD Global

Our new site coming soon! Pre-Register at:

-Shift.irish

As usual, Patrick grabs the pints, while Paul hits record. We're back at the Auld Shebeen in Fairfax to kick-off the New Year. We cover a lot of ground, from modern Irish memes to long-standing Celtic traditions. We cover some of Ireland's greatest exports from Hosier to Christy Moore, Sinead O'Connor to Dolores O'Riordan, Blindboy to Tommy Tiernan, and of course U2, perhaps the most successful and divisive in Irish circles. And then there's a dive into history books, historical sites and much, much more. It's some craic alright. Highlights: - The secret to a quintessential Irish pub - geometry and democracy. - Scaring aul biddies with hard rock on afternoon radio. - Our 15 minutes of fame, both sides of the pond. - The Cherry Tomato Shrine, and how Irish madness cannot be explained. - The "sure why not" mentality of the Irish. - The genius of Blindboy (https://shows.acast.com/blindboy). - The legend of Brigid and the cross weaving traditions. - Ireland's most influential musicians, singers, and comics. - Without fail, the 'stretch in the evenings' comment. - Forget Star Wars. Sceilg Mhichíl was important long before. - Shift.irish - the ultimate guide to St Patrick's Day - launching in February. If you’re Irish abroad, head on over to “thecraic.us” (yes, that’s the site!) or search Google for “Subscribe to the Craic”. Then sign-up to receive the weekly email that keeps you up to date on all the craic from home. If you’d like us to visit your local pub to record a future episode, let us know. And, of course, stay tuned to the Craic, and you’ll be first to know about the new app arriving in 2025. Go, move, shift!

The Craic continues at Ireland's Four Courts in Arlington, where Patrick and Paul have their final pints before the holidays really take hold - and Patrick heads back to the old country to enjoy a proper Irish Christmas. The lads reminisce on fond memories of Christmas time in Ireland - family traditions, cozy pubs, and discovering Christy Moore - and somehow Patrick squeezes in a story about reeling in a monster pike. They cover festivals and fleadhs, and commit to a challenge in the not so near future - "a pint in every county” of Ireland. That's 32 in case you were wondering. ;) They also tease a little more on Shift, the app that's dropping in 2025, aimed at connecting Irish people worldwide - online and offline. So sit down with the lads, and enjoy the craic yourself.

If you're Irish abroad, head on over to ⁠⁠https://thecraic.us⁠⁠ (yes, that's the site!) or search Google for "Subscribe to the Craic". Then sign-up to receive the weekly email that keeps you up to date on all the craic from home. If you'd like us to visit your local pub to record a future episode, let us know. And, of course, stay tuned to the Craic, and you'll be first to know about the new app arriving in 2025. Go, move, shift!

The Craic continues at The Auld Shebeen in Fairfax, where Paul cradles a baby Guinness (zero), while Patrick enjoys a proper pint. We chat about how we do and don't live up to the Irish caricature, and why there's more to it than just the pints. Of course, on Halloween we cover the origin story from a cave in Roscommon, and we compare the current festivities to our humble beginnings on either side of the island. We even share a confession or two from our early days... Bless me father, for I have sinned. If you're Irish abroad, head on over to ⁠https://thecraic.us⁠ (yes, that's the site!) or search Google for "Subscribe to the Craic". Then sign-up to receive the weekly email that keeps you up to date on all the craic from home. If you'd like us to visit your local pub to record a future episode, let us know. And, of course, stay tuned to the Craic, and you'll be first to know about the new app arriving in 2025. Go, move, shift!

Patrick and Paul kick-off the The Craic podcast. We're at The Auld Shebeen in Fairfax, for 'just the one'. We get into what it's like growing up in Ireland, how we find each other abroad, and why Patrick dreamed up Shift - the app that will connect Irish people everywhere. We cover the gift and curse of being Irish, and tell a few stories of surviving Irish boyhood, a trip to America, and generally just get the chat started. If you're Irish abroad, head on over to https://thecraic.us (yes, that's the site!) or search Google for "Subscribe to the Craic". Then sign-up to receive the weekly email that keeps you up to date on all the craic from home. If you'd like us to visit your local pub to record a future episode, let us know. And, of course, stay tuned to the Craic, and you'll be first to know about the new app arriving in 2025. Go, move, shift!