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Wren boys

A group of wren boys visiting local houses on St. Stevens day in Sandymount Green, Dublin.

Copyright of The Irish Times

Ruins of St. Mullins, founded by St. Moling

Sepia photograph of St. Mullins ruins and its graveyard taken from the Moat by W.O'Leary and included in a booklet entitled St. Mullins by local historian Patrick O'Leary.

Carlow County Library

Image is present on following page(s): The Story of Mad Sweeney

Christmas dinner

Place settings for a Christmas dinner

Well of Newnagh (Neamhrach), Tara

Well of Newnagh (Neamhrach), Tara

Courtesy of Meath County Library

Image is present on following page(s): The Holy Wells of Meath: Folklore & History

Round Tower Base at St Mullins

A view of the base of the Round Tower at St Mullins. Remains of Round Tower at St. Mullins Co. Carlow consisting of a circular base. The ruin consists of four rows of granite ashlar.

Carlow County Library

Image is present on following page(s): Carlow Folklore, St Mullins in writings of Patrick O'Leary

Feature: The Folklore of Ireland

With the foundation of The Folklore of Ireland Society (An Cumann le Béaloideas Éireann) in 1927, the idea of the scientific collection, preservation, indexing and publication of the folklore of Ireland , in all its richness, variety and imaginative intensity, gained momentum.

Sign to St Laserian's Holy Well

Directional finger post sign to St. Laserians Holy Well Old Leighlin. This Holy Well is a popular place of pilgrimage from ancient times.

Carlow County Library

Image is present on following page(s): Carlow Folklore

Lady Well, Slane

Lady Well, Slane

Courtesy of Meath County Library

Image is present on following page(s): Navan & Slane

Peter McGuire

Peter McGuire is the author of the Folklore of Ireland article. He is a lecturer in Irish Folklore at the UCD Delargy Centre for Irish Folklore.

Image is present on following page(s): Feature: Folklore of Ireland

Image of St. John, St. John's Well, Warrenstown

Image of St. John, St. John's Well, Warrenstown

Courtesy of Meath County Libraries

Image is present on following page(s): St. John's Well, Warrenstown

St. Ciaran's Well, Castlekeeran, Kells

St. Ciaran's Well, Kells, celebrated for its sacred trout. This drawing is from 'Traces of the Elder Faiths of Ireland, a folklore sketch, a handbook of Irish Pre-Christian Traditions with numerous illustrations in two volumes' by W. G. Wood-Martin , M.R.I.A., 1902. "The little stream, shown in the illustration, comes from the well, which is always bright and sparkling, and, remarks Mr. W.F. Wakeman, "Certainly, at times, contains lusty trout, whether 'enchanted' or otherwise I cannot say. Some of these fish I have seen myself, and Sir William Wilde saw them also."

Courtesy of Meath County Library

Image is present on following page(s): The Holy Wells of Meath: Folklore & History

Picnic area at St. Mullins

View of Picnic area situated beside the River Barrow at St. Mullins in South County Carlow. This is a popular scenic area developed in conjunction with the important ancient site associated with St. Moling.

Carlow County Library

Image is present on following page(s): Themes in Mad Sweeney

Lady Well, Killyon

Lady Well, Killyon

Courtesy of Meath County Library

Image is present on following page(s): Lady Well, Killyon

Children playing games in Moate Co. Westmeath

A group of children playing games in Moate Co. Westmeath

Copyright Irish Times

Image is present on following page(s): Feature: Folklore of Ireland

Holy well, Tullaghanogue

Holy well, Tullaghanogue

Courtesy of Meath County Library

Image is present on following page(s): Longwood & Trim

An old graveyard which was used for the unbaptised and the poor

An old graveyard which in the past was used for the unbaptised and the poor in Cill na mBochtain

Courtesy of National Folklore Collection

Image is present on following page(s): The Life Cycle

St. Columcille's Well, Kells

St. Columcille's Well, Kells

Courtesy of Meath County Library

Image is present on following page(s): Tara & Skryne

St. John's Well, Warrenstown

St. John's Well, Warrenstown

Courtesy of Meath County Libraries

Image is present on following page(s): St. John's Well, Warrenstown

St. Ciaran's Well, Castlekeeran, Kells

"The great ash tree to which Sir William Wilde refers, and which is shown in early sketches, decayed and fell in the present century. Wilde refers to a curious story that about ten years earlier, that is about 1839, a report spread in the locality that the ash tree was bleeding and that thousands of people flocked to the place expecting to witness the phenomenon!...In the 1880s some restorations and improvements were carried out by the Farrell family of Castle Kieran; a protective railing was erected around the well; seats were provided and an entrance foot-bridge constructed over the little stream which flows by the roadside." Ríocht na Midhe, 1957, p.31 Castle Kieran, O'Connell, Philip, M.Sc., Ph.D.

Courtesy of Meath County Library

Image is present on following page(s): Keenahene & Loughan

St. Ultan's and St. Brigid's wells, Ardbraccan

Excerpt from the 1938 Schools Folklore Commission notebook for Tullanghstown National School on St. Ultan's and St. Brigid's holy wells, Ardbraccan. "There are two holy wells in my parish, namely Saint Ultan's Well and Saint Brigid's Well. St. Ultan's Well is on Mr. Law's estate which is in the townland of Ardbraccan amd Saint Brigid's well is in Mr. Luke Gibney's field. St. Ultan's Well is noted for curing headaches and Saint Brigid's well is very good for toothaches. There is a pilgrimage to Saint Ultan's Well every year on the first Sunday in September and the Rosary is recited in Irish at the well." Source: Mr. Pat Coyle, Bohermeen, Navan, aged 63 years. Pupil: Agnes McCabe.

Courtesy of Meath County Libraries

Image is present on following page(s): Saint Finian & Bridewells

St. Patrick's Well, Trim

St. Patrick's Well, Trim

Courtesy of Meath County Library

Image is present on following page(s): Longwood & Trim

St. Columcille's Well, Calliaghstown

Holy well named after St. Columcille at Calliaghstown, Co. Meath.

Courtesy of Meath County Libraries

Image is present on following page(s): Calliaghstown

St. John's Well, Warrenstown

St. John's Well, Warrenstown

Courtesy of Meath County Libraries

Image is present on following page(s): St. John's Well, Warrenstown

St. Ciaran's Well, Castlekeeran, Kells

St. Ciaran's Well, Castlekeeran, Kells

Courtesy of Meath County Library

Image is present on following page(s): Keenahene & Loughan

Wilde's 'The Beauties of the Boyne'

'The Beauties of the Boyne and its tributary the Blackwater' by Sir William Wilde,

Courtesy of Meath County Library

Image is present on following page(s): The Hill of Carrick & North Meath

A folk cure from the National Folklore Collection

A folk cure written in a copy book

Courtesy of the National Folklore Collection

Image is present on following page(s): Healers and Healing, Healers and Healing

Well of Newnagh (Neamhrach), Tara

Well of Newnagh (Neamhrach), Tara

Courtesy of Meath County Library

Image is present on following page(s): Tara & Skryne

Tubberorum, Navan

Tubberorum, Navan, holy well

Courtesy of Meath County Library

Image is present on following page(s): Navan & Slane

Christmas decorations

Christmas decorations. Ballyfermot, Dublin, 2008

Copyright of The Irish Times

Image is present on following page(s): Christmas, Calendar Customs

Old Irish farmhouse

This farm in Donegal uses traditional means of transportation by a basket used as a pania on the back of a donkey. Front left shows a spade for cutting turf, and further to the right is a churn for butter.

Image is present on following page(s): Vernacular Architecture

Place settings for a Christmas dinner

Christmas dinner is still considered to be one of the most important family meals of the year.

Image is present on following page(s): Irish Foodways

Christmas Day at the Forty Foot in Dublin

Christmas Day at the Forty Foot in Sandycove, Dublin. Two girls in santa hats dive into the sea.

Copyright of The Irish Times

Image is present on following page(s): Christmas, Christmas