Culture and Customs

• Irish Blessings - May your joys be as deep as the oceans, your troubles as light as its foam. And may you find sweet peace of mind, wherever you may roam.

• Calendar-Related Articles

  • St. Brigit - The Giveaway
    by Bridget Haggerty

    • Known variously throughout Ireland as St. Brigid, Brighid, Brigit, Bridget or Bride, it was believed that she traveled around the country side on the eve of her festival, blessing both the people and their livestock.

  • Celebrating Candlemas in Old Ireland
    by Bridget Haggerty

    • Candlemas - February 2nd - celebrates the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple and the Purification of the Virgin Mary. As with many festivals in the liturgical calendar, this one has its origins in ancient Rome.

  • Shrovetide - The Marrying Season
    by Bridget Haggerty

    • Well into the 20th century, the busiest time for match-making in Ireland began right after Little Christmas on Epiphany - December 6th. This was because the Irish had misinterpreted a Church ruling set forth in November, 1563 which prohibited weddings during Lent. The popular reasoning that evolved from this decree was that if you could not marry during Lent, then you had to marry before. Thus, it was taken for granted that Shrovetide was the proper time to marry and Shrove Tuesday - the day before Ash Wednesday - became the most favored day of all.

  • Beltane Bonfires and Nettle Soup
    by Bridget Haggerty

    • Oh, to have been in Ireland a few hundred years ago at this time. The most dramatic part of the Beltane celebration was the community bonfire. People would gather around it, often bringing chairs or stools in order to "sit out the wake of winter." The best singers and musicians in the crowd would perform and there was always joyous dancing, often until the wee hours.

  • Protect your property and yourself - make a Parshell!
    by Bridget Haggerty

    • The Parshell is a Hallowe'en cross which is customarily woven on October 31st. It is placed over the front door, on the inside of the house, and is believed to help protect against ill-luck, sickness and evil spirits until the following All Hollow's Eve...

  • The Dullahan - Ireland’s Headless Horseman
    by Bridget Haggerty

    • It is said that after sunset, on certain festivals and feast days, one of the most terrifying creatures in the spirit world, the Dullahan, can be seen riding a magnificent black stallion across the country side. Wherever he stops, a mortal dies.

  • How the Irish invented Hallowe'en
    by Brendan Sharkie

    • The Celts celebrated Hallowe'en as Samhain, the Feast of the Dead, when the deceased revisited the mortal world. This Oiche na Sprideanna (Spirit
      Night) marked the end of summer.

  • Samhain - The Irish New Year.
    by Bridget Haggerty

    • Following the revels of Hallowe’en, the ancient Irish celebrated the festival of the dead - Samhain, which is pronounced sow-en, and is usually translated as “summer’s end.”

  • An Irish Christmas - Then and Now
    by Bridget Haggerty

    • If it snowed on Christmas Eve, Irish children were told that geese were being plucked in heaven. A new moon was a lucky omen. And cold, frosty weather was welcome, because this meant a mild spring and an absence of illness. On the other hand, mild weather on Christmas Eve was cause for concern because, according to the old Irish proverb, "A green Christmas makes a fat churchyard."

• Folklore & Myths

  • The Tale of Tam Lin, the Elf Knight
    by Bridget Haggerty

    • The Celts are famous for their tales of the supernatural, and with Hallowe'en and Samhain just a few days away, what better time than now to 'draw down the past' and retell a few of them here. This first one is actually of Scottish origin and, as with many of the great old Irish tales, it has Faery mischief, romance and enchantment all rolled into one; so, dim the lights, gather around the hearth and imagine that you can hear the tinkling bells of Faery bridles; it's Hallowe'en and they're on the move...

• Kids' Ireland This is a monthly column that we hope parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles or older siblings will share with children of all ages. Our guest columnist, Grainne Rowland, is a master spinner of stories who re-tells the tale so well that it is once again fresh and new.

• Symbols and Emblems of Ireland

  • Aran Isle Sweaters - how a dropped stitch gave rise to a popular myth.
    by Bridget Haggerty

    • From Clifden to Cork, it was the same response - no-one seemed to know anything about an Aran sweater in the O'Flaherty pattern. We even asked a professional knitter who was giving demonstrations at Blarney Woolen Mills in Cork. I can still see her, atop a dais, where she expertly turned out the classic stitches of the isles. And, just as expertly, thwarted my efforts to locate the elusive sweater.

  • Emblems of Ireland: The Book of Kells
    by Michael Carroll

    • Almost as synonymous with the Emerald Isle as St. Patrick and the Shamrock, The Book of Kells is probably the most famous example of medieval illumination and calligraphy still in existence. Guest author, Michael Carroll, has uncovered some fascinating facts about this national treasure. For example, did you know that the book was written and decorated not by one hand, but several?

  • The Legend of the Claddagh Ring
    by Bridget Haggerty

    • According to 16th-century Irish folk lore, a fishing boat from the village of Claddagh was captured by Algerian pirates and the crew was sold into slavery. One of the crew was a young man by the name of Richard Joyce, who was to be married the same week he was captured. Instead, Richard found himself far away from his love and his homeland.

  • A Brief History of Irish Crystal
    by Bridget Haggerty

    • Glass first came to Ireland with the Celts who used it in beads and jewellery. It wasn't until the 17th century that a technical innovation in glass-making ultimately gave birth to an industry that would make Ireland famous for her superb mouth-blown, cut crystal.

  • Emblems of Ireland: The Harp
    by Bridget Haggerty

    • It once graced the flag of the Republic, it still appears on official government documents as well as the Presidential flag, and it is displayed on Irish coins. For centuries, the harp has been a beloved emblem of Ireland. In fact, it is said that the Irish concentrated so much of their musical ability into playing the harp, that for many years, the development of music in Ireland was brought to a relative standstill.

  • Emblems of Ireland: The Shamrock
    by Bridget Haggerty

    • According to the Concise Columbia Encyclopedia, the identity of the true shamrock has long been debated, but the plants most often designated as the emblem of Ireland are the white clover, the small hop clover, and the wood sorrel, or oxalis.

  • Is Your Shillelagh a Sham?
    by Bridget Haggerty

    • In his very informative book, Things Irish, Anthony Bluett writes that according to a leading folklore authority, the short, stubby blackthorn cudgel sold to tourists as the "ancient Irish shillelagh" has no tradition in Ireland at all.