A fresh look at the old country

Plan your dream getaway with Bridie’s Irish Faire in Newport

You don’t need to have Irish roots to appreciate the culture and admire the island. With its lush green hills, intricate Celtic knots and pints of Guinness, the traditional things that say “Ireland” are a draw for even those with no Irish ancestry.

Entering Bridie’s Irish Faire, a shop nestled on a hillside in Newport’s charming Nye Beach District, is a bit of an immersive experience, including the faux cottage, complete with a thatched roof and antique stained-glass window, that adorns the interior.

With inventory that features imported sterling silver jewelry and unique apparel made of lush merino wool, linen and silk, Bridie’s is a great place to shop for yourself or choose a gift and, while there, have a chat with owner Susan Spencer. Twice yearly, Spencer provides boutique tours to Ireland, Scotland, England and Wales, so the conversation with customers often leads to shared travel experiences and ancestral homelands.

“What makes Bridie’s tours different from those of the larger tour companies is that I escort small groups of 24, and we take our time and enjoy the journey,” she said. “Each hotel stay is two or three nights, so the pace is more leisurely. I also try to include some historically relevant visits in places like Blarney Castle and its famous stone or places like Midleton Distillery that are purely for fun. Hospitality is as natural as breathing to the Irish people, as you will experience with every encounter in a village shop or pub.”

Keeping her group size smaller than many tour companies also provides the ability to be spontaneous and take advantage of special, unplanned opportunities that might appear.

“On our last Irish tour, our guide mentioned he knew a Celtic healer, Patrick Noone, in Ballinasloe, County Galway,” Spencer said. “We were going to be within a reasonable proximity of his farm, so the guide scheduled a time for our group to visit. Patrick walked the group through his sacred land — pastures with Black Thorn trees filled with Connemara ponies and cattle, a fertility stone, a passage tomb and a Fairy Ring. We were given permission to enter the Fairy Ring and tie a reed infused with a wish to a Witch Hazel tree. That was one of the most magical experiences in all of my travels to Ireland.”

Spencer first opened Bridie’s Irish Faire in 2006, in Salem, where she also started the Ceili of the Valley Society, a nonprofit group that facilitates Irish music and dance education. In 2008, the business relocated to Newport.

“Bridie is a nickname for Bridget,” Spencer said. “Every house in Ireland has a Bridget and a Mary, so there are many nicknames for each. My father traveled to Ireland in the early 1960s and met his teenaged cousins, Bridie and Kathleen Cox for the first time. He took them touring and, since they had never been further than about five miles from home, it was quite exciting for them. Before my dad passed away in 1992, he gave me letters Bridie had written to him. I wrote a letter to Bridie, at an address that was 30 years old, and she wrote back. We corresponded until her death in 2004, so when it came time to name my new Irish shop, Bridie’s seemed like the obvious choice.”

The first tour through Bridie’s Irish Faire was in 2009, and the May 2025 tour will be number 24. These custom experiences offer a blend of city vibrance and country charm, and include visits to ancient sacred sites, natural beauty locales, castles, cathedrals, distilleries, breweries, afternoon tea, and unique transportation opportunities such as steam trains, boat cruises, pony and trap or jaunting car rides. Because Bridie’s twice-annual tours regularly sell out a year in advance, those interested in the 2026 tours should plan and reserve early.

“My belief is that because nearly every person who emigrated from Ireland, whether it was due to the hardships of the Famine of the 1840s or other later economic hardship, they left because they had to, and this has created a strong yearning to return for generations,” Spencer said. “I have an abiding love for Ireland, not to mention the wit and charm of the people. I am always happy to introduce another group that is ‘returning’ to this beautiful island.”

Bridie’s Irish Faire is located at 715 NW 3rd Street in Newport and is open Tuesday through Sunday from 11 am to 5-ish. For more information, go to bridiesirishfaire.com or call 541-574-9366.