Tír Eoghain meets Ard Mhacha as Niall talks to the folklorist and holy well aficionado Conchúr Mag Eacháin about Lúnasa, the ancient Irish festival that marked the end of summer and the beginning of the harvest season.
Conchúr is the author of the excellent Ó Cheann Ceann na Bliana, an overview of Irish traditions and customs relating to calendar dates.
In this conversation they talk about:
- “the cure” – a traditional healing practice
- the National Folklore Collection, especially the Schools’ Collection
- holy wells
- the origins of Lúnasa
- how stories of St Patrick and Crom Dubh connect to Lúnasa
- how people celebrated Lúnasa in recent times
Further reading
- Ó Cheann Ceann an Bliana, Conchúr Mag Eacháin
- The Year in Ireland, Kevin Danaher
- The Festival of Lughnasa, Máire MacNeill
- duchas.ie
- Dancing at Lughnasa, Brian Friel
- Foclóir Stairiúil na Gaeilge, Royal Irish Academy
Don’t forget to check the rest of our free material relating to Lúnasa and other festivals.
Whether a cultural enthusiast or dedicated language learner, you can find out lots more about the Irish language by becoming a member of Bitesize Irish.
Rinne mé erráid le mo chuid Gaeilge, agus ba mhaith liom ceartú a dhéanamh:
Rugadh agus tógadh i Chontae Shligigh mé blianta ó shin.(1948) agus chaill mé an chuid is mó do mo Ghaeilge leis na blianta thar lear.
What dialect is the man who voice-translate the word tobar beannaithe. He does not pronounce the b with the beann. I understood him saying just anithe? It is not a critic, just a simple observation. Rugadh agus tógadh mé I Chontae Shligigh mé san am fadó, agus be é m’athair Gaelgeoir. Cainúint Gaillimh nó Dhún na nGall??? Níl is agam!😉
Very interesting and I look forward to reading more about the subject. I have my grandfather’s diaries from 1893 and he mentions Garland Sunday at home in county Sligo.
How amazing to have your grandfather’s diaries!
Comhrá an-suimiúil a bhí ann! Go raibh maith agaibh! My mother, raised in Enniskillen in the 1930s in a protestant family, mentioned once or twice about being taken to see a wise woman for a cure of warts. She was told that if she remembered and told anyone what was said and done, then it wouldn’t work! So she didn’t…and, well, the warts went away.
The traditional cures were very common! Lots of references to them over on duchas.ie.
This is very interesting and enjoyable! I really enjoy learning about the traditions surrounding the seasons, something I knew nothing about before joining Bitesize. Thank you Niall and Conchúr!
Go ndéana a mhaith duit, a chara!
Pronunciation of Olympic games phonetic
Hi Ruari, have a look at https://www.bitesize.irish/blog/the-olympics/
I have a question, I received this from Temple Crom which kinda puts the dates at different times working in the lunar calendar. So which is correct or does it not matter as long as the day is celebrated with ceremony and ritual.
In earlier times these festivals were certainly based on lunar or solar events rather than calendar dates – these days, however, we take 1 February, 1 May, 1 August and 1 November as the dates of the old Irish festivals and the public holiday for each is on the first Monday of the month (or last Monday of October in the case of Samhain).