Séan Ó Súilleabhain, in his book ‘Caitheam Aimsire ar Thóraimh’ (translated as ‘Irish Wake Amusements’) describes the customs attached to waking the dead in Ireland. The title is startling in that we don’t associate a wake with pastimes or call it merry. Ó Súilleabhain noted that wakes were “far merrier […]
Columnists
And just like that summer is over. It feels like it happened overnight, but really, it’s been fading for a few weeks now. The Celtic calendar got it right. Lughnasa on the first day of August is when the season changes. It always seems to me too early to call […]
Meán Fómhair, the Irish for September, translates as the middle of autumn and is a time when Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) begins to affect many people. SAD is a kind of depression that occurs primarily during the autumn and winter months, when sunshine hours are reduced. While the specific origin […]
The traditional time for marrying in rural Ireland used to be Shrovetide, that is the period between the Epiphany (January 6) and Shrove Tuesday. In the 19th, and well into the 20th century, it was taken for granted that those who wished to marry did so at that time. When […]
I hate wishing time away but after 14 months of hoping next week’s weather will be better, it seems that’s just what I’ve done. I’ve written this year off as a grazing season and I’ll just manage it out for the rest of the year. When it comes to stymied grass […]
When Ronald Reagan began his 1984 election campaign it was to the backdrop of Bruce Springsteen’s ‘Born in the USA’. He wanted the song to reflect his patriotism and in a ‘Trumpian’ manner, conjure up the theme of American greatness. Just like in his days as a Hollywood actor, Reagan […]