Irish traditions - those under threat or already extinct?

whisky_galore

The Bridget's Cross thread got me thinking as to what traditions/practices are dying out or have already vanished with changing times.

The desire for modern buildings means that the picture postcard thatched cottage is all but gone, mechanisation of farming with many farmers being self-sufficient means that the 'meitheal' is all but extinct and the creamery is no longer the meeting place it once was. Modern materials have reduced the need for tinsmithing/basket making.

Are there others?

Jurgen Klopp

I strongly believe a thing that's been lost since a lot of older folk died off pre 2000 and Celtic Tiger is the social aspect of going on "cuaird"

Basically in rural areas anyway people used to call to a neighbour's even miles away most nights for a chat and tea, play cards, etc

I strongly believe this was a great thing for mental health as we know bring socially active is.

I remember this craic even 10 years ago that meeting friends socially in their house just to talk wasn't "cool" so it was meet at the match or the pub

One thing I noticed that the recession helped was it brought this back and it's going strong for a lot of younger lads who have transportation.

My friends and I are late 20s and spend more social time at each others houses couple times week just talking and relaxing and you don't need money, compared to the pub

I certainly hope it's happening in other places too I really believe it would help with people who feel isolated and depressed. The thought of going to a match or pub and meeting s crowd is tough compared to calling to see a close friend for a couple hours in comfort

It doesn't even need to be your own age group, I do teh same with elderly people both relations and elderly friends

As teh saying goes if you spend all your time around people your own age you'll never learn anything

_Brian

About 25 years ago I was working maintenance at a small farm for a guy who was in his 70’s at the time.

He said when they were kids they were poor, everyone was poor - in monitory terms, but he went on to say that they had time for everything and everyone.

Modern life he said that nobody was really poor any more - In monitory terms, but now people are time poor, people have no time to speak to each other, rushing about in an ever greater hurry to do something else but very little is spent talking and taking time to know the people around them.
I think now of how much more time poor we are now, his predictions were spot on, people take very little time to meet and chat.

Most of my family do it once a week, most of us decend on my mums house Sunday evenings, we have tea, talk about the week, it’s nice and I hate missing it.

Ipso

What about mummers? Anyone see them around, when I was young we used to do it but it was singing Christmas carols. There were also the occasional groups that done the old way (put on mini plays).

whisky_galore

Jurgen Klopp wrote: »

I strongly believe a thing that's been lost since a lot of older folk died off pre 2000 and Celtic Tiger is the social aspect of going on "cuaird"

Basically in rural areas anyway people used to call to a neighbour's even miles away most nights for a chat and tea, play cards, etc

I think the 'men's sheds' concept is a sort of modern day equivalent of that, albeit more organised.
Somewhere for men to meet, chat and do things that don't involve the pub.


Are people still 'doing rounds' at holy wells and taking water away for curing animals these days?

robp

Other examples of lost or rare traditions are salted fish on Christmas Eve.
Killing the goose or chicken on Saint Martin's Day.
The many Mayday traditions and so on.

pedroeibar1

whisky_galore wrote: »

I think the 'men's sheds' concept is a sort of modern day equivalent of that, albeit more organised.
Somewhere for men to meet, chat and do things that don't involve the pub.

Are people still 'doing rounds' at holy wells and taking water away for curing animals these days?

In my locality there is a holy well and also a small lake. The well is visited regularly and water taken, but the patterns at the lake have not happened in at least the last 40-odd years. ‘Stations’ i.e. mass in a private house for the neighbouring community have not taken place since the early 1980’s.

whisky_galore

pedroeibar1 wrote: »

‘Stations’ i.e. mass in a private house for the neighbouring community have not taken place since the early 1980’s.

A local priest in my area was attempting to revive those with little take-up.

I guess most younger people don't feel like letting in a bunch of strangers into the house and older people wouldn't be able for all the preparations of cleaning/painting/baking anymore. Also priests are declining in numbers now and under pressure with their normal duties let alone doing stations as well.

Pixel Eater

It is indeed sad to see the passing of so much of our folk traditions. A previous poster mentioned about coming around to someone's house to play cards, even here the Irish game of 25, quite popular even in the recent past seem all be extinct.

And even were our traditions are still popular like Halloween (and even St Patrick's Day) it's the bastardised American version we seem to adopt.

However I'll try to inject some positivity into the thread: the St. Stephen's Day Wren Boys seems to have had a slight resurgence plus the wake is still hanging in there.

whisky_galore

Pixel Eater wrote: »

However I'll try to inject some positivity into the thread: the St. Stephen's Day Wren Boys seems to have had a slight resurgence plus the wake is still hanging in there.

That group in Dingle have been doing the Wren for quite some time, they get on the news every year.

Poitin making. I recall vaguely comical Garda raids on poitin stills on RTE in the 80's.
Any illegal hooch these days is probably made in vats in a farm shed or industrial unit rather than out on the bog. Mass produced, packaged and labelled to resemble a real brand.

Jurgen Klopp

The Wren is still going strong my way without any decline

Maybe the only difference is how many people/kids can play an instrument affects it?

It's always the fiddle and likes playing kids doing it obviously

Going learning the fiddle myself but anyone reading my posts I'm into the whole Irish and Celtic at large heritage

whisky_galore

Jurgen Klopp wrote: »

The Wren is still going strong my way without any decline

Maybe the only difference is how many people/kids can play an instrument affects it?

It's always the fiddle and likes playing kids doing it obviously

Going learning the fiddle myself but anyone reading my posts I'm into the whole Irish and Celtic at large heritage

When the neighbours' kids (well, they're adults now) used do it, all they did was dress up and sing, no instruments iirc. No-one at it now locally.

Probably needs adults to organise and push the thing along now, what with the whole 'stay safe' thing.

Jurgen Klopp

whisky_galore wrote: »

When the neighbours' kids (well, they're adults now) used do it, all they did was dress up and sing, no instruments iirc. No-one at it now locally.

Probably needs adults to organise and push the thing along now, what with the whole 'stay safe' thing.

Interesting its always been accompanied by fiddle, tin whistle, accordion and everything else my way

Pixel Eater

Approximately 100 years ago there was the Gaelic Revival, a sense of cultural awakening against a tide of Anglicisation. Does modern Ireland need a similar movement to kick-start a renewal of our national identity?

Jurgen Klopp

Pixel Eater wrote: »

Approximately 100 years ago there was the Gaelic Revival, a sense of cultural awakening against a tide of Anglicisation. Does modern Ireland need a similar movement to kick-start a renewal of our national identity?

Funny enough language wise the Welsh have had theirs recently. 19% of Welsh people can speak it fluently, up form whatever it was in the 90s

Take out non British from Wales and it's 21% of ethnic Welsh

Sadly doesn't seem to be anything like it for Irish here only people whinging. The slave mentality as Sean McBride coined about the Irish

Jurgen Klopp

In fact do Irish myths and legends get taught in schools anymore? I know it's not history but you'd expect cultural heritage would come under it

I recently bought a few books on Irish myths and legends from a second hand shop

I'd love to buy Lady Gregory's Irish myths and legends book with artist illustrations it looks feckin brilliant and she has practically ever bit and piece of Fionn MacChuamill, The Red Branch Knights etc

It's feckin €80 on eBay tho

Pixel Eater

Jurgen Klopp wrote: »

Funny enough language wise the Welsh have had theirs recently. 19% of Welsh people can speak it fluently, up form whatever it was in the 90s

Take out non British from Wales and it's 21% of ethnic Welsh

Sadly doesn't seem to be anything like it for Irish here only people whinging. The slave mentality as Sean McBride coined about the Irish

Always found Wales interesting in this regards: they seem to be the most culturally aware, in terms of their native language at least, yet the least politically free of all the countries of Ireland and Britain.

Jurgen Klopp wrote: »

In fact do Irish myths and legends get taught in schools anymore? I know it's not history but you'd expect cultural heritage would come under it

I recently bought a few books on Irish myths and legends from a second hand shop

I'd love to buy Lady Gregory's Irish myths and legends book with artist illustrations it looks feckin brilliant and she has practically ever bit and piece of Fionn MacChuamill, The Red Branch Knights etc

It's feckin €80 on eBay tho

I've wondered this myself. Any teachers out there or parents that could confirm? I have seen a lot of children's books, recently published, about Irish myths, legends and folklore.

whisky_galore

Pixel Eater wrote: »

I've wondered this myself. Any teachers out there or parents that could confirm? I have seen a lot of children's books, recently published, about Irish myths, legends and folklore.

Why just children?

I would have thought a lot of these legends would make great material for graphic novels for adults, if that's not being done already. You can leave the racy bits in, omitted from material intended for children.

Pixel Eater

whisky_galore wrote: »

Why just children?

I would have thought a lot of these legends would make great material for graphic novels for adults, if that's not being done already. You can leave the racy bits in, omitted from material intended for children.

2000AD had a comic years ago called Sláine based on Cú Chulainn. I'm sure there is modern versions. Also there's a rumour of a Cú Chulainn film with Fassbender (not sure how true they are).

Anyhow I asked about children as that's what the original poster inquired about. Plus schools were the usual place people would be taught about such things.

riffmongous

I would also be curious if there was a deliberate change due to the department of education or if it was more natural. In my old primary school when the old (fashioned) headmaster retired and was replaced by a new, young, 'blow-in', there was a huge change in the ethos of the school but whether that was due to deliberate policy or simply due to the new personality was never clear to me.

NIMAN

riffmongous wrote: »

I would also be curious if there was a deliberate change due to the department of education or if it was more natural. In my old primary school when the old (fashioned) headmaster retired and was replaced by a new, young, 'blow-in', there was a huge change in the ethos of the school but whether that was due to deliberate policy or simply due to the new personality was never clear to me.

Maybe its a general push to modernise Ireland?
There are still a lot of elements of old Ireland about, Church influence etc, and perhaps its not a bad thing if we leave some of them in the past?

Pixel Eater

NIMAN wrote: »

Maybe its a general push to modernise Ireland?
There are still a lot of elements of old Ireland about, Church influence etc, and perhaps its not a bad thing if we leave some of them in the past?

That's the classic throwing the baby out with the bathwater approach. We need - rather have in many cases - modernised Ireland but we don't have to rid ourselves of all our own tradition; old and new can work together harmoniously in most regards. Besides an oppressive church is hardly the same as some local folk art or custom.

Jurgen Klopp

NIMAN wrote: »

Maybe its a general push to modernise Ireland?
There are still a lot of elements of old Ireland about, Church influence etc, and perhaps its not a bad thing if we leave some of them in the past?

Modernising Ireland such as religious freedom is grand throwing out and ignoring your historical myths and legends is a downright fcuking disgrace

I'd love to see what's teh story with the same in Japan, China , etc and see

I'd swear the UK is as bad as here too in regards to King Arthur and Merkin, etc

Ya know what wouldn't you be nearly tempted to buy Lady Gregory's book and offer to do readings for groups young and old at local library's and community centres

I remember when I was in primary school we even had plays for several primary schools in the parish center. Where a group did the Salmon of knowledge and that as well as certain Fionn and Oisin bits

Jurgen Klopp

Any teachers here?

https://www.scoilnet.ie/primary/theme-pages/history/ireland-long-ago/

Salmon of knowledge is listed, is that official or a by choice resource?

I also noticed UCC do a Irish myths and legends course I don't know if it's a good thing to have it or bad that you need a third level optional course to teach it

gozunda

I believe an increase in people defining themselves via a certain type of 'lifestyle' eg defining themselves not by who they are - but by what they eat etc "I am a vegan" . Traditions get thrown into the ditch in the interest of slavishly following whatever the latest fad is ...

Ipso

Pixel Eater wrote: »

2000AD had a comic years ago called Sláine based on Cú Chulainn. I'm sure there is modern versions. Also there's a rumour of a Cú Chulainn film with Fassbender (not sure how true they are).

Anyhow I asked about children as that's what the original poster inquired about. Plus schools were the usual place people would be taught about such things.

Jim Fitzpatrick’s Book of Conquest is a retelling of the Book of Invasions. Some great art in it
Something like Michael Fassbender’s propised Cuchullain film would be a good boost.
Some elements of Game of Thrones seem to reference the tuatha de Danann, and Martin has said he see the others as almost sidhe like. The book and shows popularity could be piggy backed on to show how epic Irish mythology is.

Jurgen Klopp

Fassbender has been trying to get that film off the ground for years so don't know if it will happen

Historical wise Di Caprio was trying to get a Brain Ború biopic in his driving the Vikings out on film but don't know what the story is now

Ipso

Jurgen Klopp wrote: »

Fassbender has been trying to get that film off the ground for years so don't know if it will happen

Historical wise Di Caprio was trying to get a Brain Ború biopic in his driving the Vikings out on film but don't know what the story is now

Thank god that didn't happen, the Boru story is a bit more complicated than him saving Ireland from Vikings.

robp

Jurgen Klopp wrote: »

NIMAN wrote: »

Maybe its a general push to modernise Ireland?
There are still a lot of elements of old Ireland about, Church influence etc, and perhaps its not a bad thing if we leave some of them in the past?

Modernising Ireland such as religious freedom is grand throwing out and ignoring your historical myths and legends is a downright fcuking disgrace

I'd love to see what's teh story with the same in Japan, China , etc and see

I'd swear the UK is as bad as here too in regards to King Arthur and Merkin, etc

Ya know what wouldn't you be nearly tempted to buy Lady Gregory's book and offer to do readings for groups young and old at local library's and community centres

I remember when I was in primary school we even had plays for several primary schools in the parish center. Where a group did the Salmon of knowledge and that as well as certain Fionn and Oisin bits

Jurgen Klopp wrote: »

Any teachers here?

https://www.scoilnet.ie/primary/theme-pages/history/ireland-long-ago/

Salmon of knowledge is listed, is that official or a by choice resource?

I also noticed UCC do a Irish myths and legends course I don't know if it's a good thing to have it or bad that you need a third level optional course to teach it

Irish mythology at University level is just teaching people tales, it is a much deeper analysis of Irish ancient literature.

Maybe its a general push to modernise Ireland?
There are still a lot of elements of old Ireland about, Church influence etc, and perhaps its not a bad thing if we leave some of them in the past?

That would leave us all considerably poorer and I mean both.

Jurgen Klopp

robp wrote: »

Irish mythology at University level is just teaching people tales, it is a much deeper analysis of Irish ancient literature.



That would leave us all considerably poorer and I mean both.

What I mean is you'd think they'd have some of the tales and story's as a compulsory part of a primary school history subject. I mean ok it's not fact but I remember it as part of our history books and that was only 15 years ago. The salmon of knowledge, Cú Chulainn and things such as the "Cattle Raid of Cooley" as well as Tír na Nog etc

They used only be a couple pages each in an otherwise big book ya know it was a great thing like

Spanish Eyes

Can anyone list out the traditions that are waning/gone in your area.

I'm a Dub but fondly remember the neighbours (mammies) all meeting up in the morning to go to Mass together and then get the "messages". Kids would go ape after school playing rounders or making a swing on a lampost (so dangerous now!) Playing beds. RelieveIO, knocking on doors and running away, and so on. I know they sound mad but that was my childhood.

No kid is allowed out of sight now ever so that may be a factor also as to why these street games are no longer.

The recent widow wore all black for six months after the husband died. Don't know if the man had to as they all died before the women anyway. But if a close relative died the men wore a black diamond patch on the clothes of the upper arm. Mirrors were covered when someone died, and a white card with black surround was placed on the front door where someone died. Obviously not a good idea to advertise it now though!

Newly christened babies were taken in their prams around the neighbours and money was placed in the pram. We always snitched a few bob before bringing the spoils home!

There are lots more. But traditions will be memories more or less now, as life has moved on.

yermanoffthetv

Donkey Derbies

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8XtVm8z28e4

Jurgen Klopp

That still happens as well as under 8s on goats and sheep

Mountainsandh

My kids are in a small rural school, they've read a selection of myths and legends in class. Couldn't tell you which exactly, the usual ones I guess, Salmon of Knowledge, Tir Na Nog, ...

I think folk art is being lost. It's not popular anymore to do your own thing, and decorate your house/garden with recycled shells, stones, miscellaneous items, paint them in bright colours, etc...

In my area you can still see a few of these quartz rocks people came across that they might have thought were beautiful or precious, and they are usually arranged in a rockery, or simply displayed on entrance piers.
My MIL has a rockery with such "beautiful" stones, with discarded lumps of Waterford crystal too, as her husband worked at Waterford Crystal all his life.
But I think you can only see the existing ones, and younger people don't do that.

There was this old man near me who decked out his house and gardens in a humongous collection of objects, all were presents people brought to his house,or the odd thing he'd found and liked for himself. He died a little while ago, and his relation who inherited the house cleaned it up mostly.

The shell cottages, the old farm machinery painted bright red or green and displayed in the garden, they're not very popular these days with younger families.

Everything displayed seems to be bought off a shop, except for the odd artist's studio where you might see a hand painted sign or something a little different.

I love folk art so I think it's a pity.

edit : I just remembered too, my husband's granny planted every available container : tupperware, old teapots, belfast sinks, buckets even, anything she could lay her hands on. She'd just pick a leaf and twig off a shrub, fire it in with some compost, and it just seemed to work every time for her. Loved her garden !

whisky_galore

Jurgen Klopp wrote: »

That still happens as well as under 8s on goats and sheep

Think the ISPCA would frown on that now!

Insurance costs and changing tastes have spelt the end of the many carnivals and field days up and down the country.

whisky_galore

Revival of the old 'fit-up' theatre concept.

https://www.irishexaminer.com/lifestyle/artsfilmtv/artsvibe/taking-to-the-road-201068.html

Pixel Eater

Jurgen Klopp wrote: »

Any teachers here?

https://www.scoilnet.ie/primary/theme-pages/history/ireland-long-ago/

Salmon of knowledge is listed, is that official or a by choice resource?

I also noticed UCC do a Irish myths and legends course I don't know if it's a good thing to have it or bad that you need a third level optional course to teach it

Is that site the official curriculum? So are ancient Irish myths taught then?

Jurgen Klopp wrote: »

Modernising Ireland such as religious freedom is grand throwing out and ignoring your historical myths and legends is a downright fcuking disgrace

I'd love to see what's teh story with the same in Japan, China , etc and see

Japan is a good example of where tradition and ultra modern can co-exist quite well.

Mountainsandh wrote: »

My kids are in a small rural school, they've read a selection of myths and legends in class. Couldn't tell you which exactly, the usual ones I guess, Salmon of Knowledge, Tir Na Nog, ...

I think folk art is being lost. It's not popular anymore to do your own thing, and decorate your house/garden with recycled shells, stones, miscellaneous items, paint them in bright colours, etc...

In my area you can still see a few of these quartz rocks people came across that they might have thought were beautiful or precious, and they are usually arranged in a rockery, or simply displayed on entrance piers.
My MIL has a rockery with such "beautiful" stones, with discarded lumps of Waterford crystal too, as her husband worked at Waterford Crystal all his life.
But I think you can only see the existing ones, and younger people don't do that.

There was this old man near me who decked out his house and gardens in a humongous collection of objects, all were presents people brought to his house,or the odd thing he'd found and liked for himself. He died a little while ago, and his relation who inherited the house cleaned it up mostly.

The shell cottages, the old farm machinery painted bright red or green and displayed in the garden, they're not very popular these days with younger families.

Everything displayed seems to be bought off a shop, except for the odd artist's studio where you might see a hand painted sign or something a little different.

I love folk art so I think it's a pity.

edit : I just remembered too, my husband's granny planted every available container : tupperware, old teapots, belfast sinks, buckets even, anything she could lay her hands on. She'd just pick a leaf and twig off a shrub, fire it in with some compost, and it just seemed to work every time for her. Loved her garden !

Agreed. There is all this 'vintage' 19th Century style decorations you see a lot of today but to me it just looks like generic tack. Plus you can guarantee that thousands of other people have the same crap all over the world.

tabbey

Ipso wrote: »

Thank god that didn't happen, the Boru story is a bit more complicated than him saving Ireland from Vikings.

Absolutely!

Before Brian Boru, Ireland was a country of small kingdoms in which each king respected the others.
King of Cashel was king of Munster, that in Tara was High King of Ireland.

Boru spent his life fighting to get up the ladder, killing any who got in his way, mostly unfotunate peasants who had no control.
The Battle of Clontarf was a war between Boru and Dublin, not between Ireland and Norsemen. Brian had to defeat Dublin to get absolute control of the country.

It is only the nationalistic agenda of the modern era that has created the myth of Brian Boru as a national hero, defeating the Danes.

At the 2014 re-enactment of the battle, I cheered when Brian was slain, the death of a bloodthirsty tyrant.

The guy on the microphone declared that someone did not know what side he (I) was on. Unfortunately the majority were unaware of the true story.

miamee

whisky_galore wrote: »

That group in Dingle have been doing the Wren for quite some time, they get on the news every year.

Poitin making. I recall vaguely comical Garda raids on poitin stills on RTE in the 80's.
Any illegal hooch these days is probably made in vats in a farm shed or industrial unit rather than out on the bog. Mass produced, packaged and labelled to resemble a real brand.

The bit in bold reminded me of this video which someone shared with me not too long ago

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KtJMXqvNcxA

Pixel Eater wrote: »

Approximately 100 years ago there was the Gaelic Revival, a sense of cultural awakening against a tide of Anglicisation. Does modern Ireland need a similar movement to kick-start a renewal of our national identity?

With the age of the internet the lines of national identities have blurred imo and you now have access to the same news, tv shows, sports, etc. as a many other countries. It's getting harder to pinpoint what makes an Irish person different to any other nationality. There again, among my friends children lots of them still play GAA or do Irish dancing so all is not lost.

Jurgen Klopp wrote: »

Any teachers here?

https://www.scoilnet.ie/primary/theme-pages/history/ireland-long-ago/

Salmon of knowledge is listed, is that official or a by choice resource?

I also noticed UCC do a Irish myths and legends course I don't know if it's a good thing to have it or bad that you need a third level optional course to teach it

UCD used to also offer a Celtic Mythology course which I studied for one year of my BA, however there was insufficient interest to continue it for the full degree. A pity, I could have had a very different career! It was fascinating and as mentioned above about the UCC course, it focused on a multitude of things (languages, peoples, myths, realities). I must look up the few bits I kept from the course and have a read, it was fascinating stuff at the time.

Personally I think that everything is cyclical and eventually a lot of these traditions will be come commonplace again or will be revived in another form. Social media has killed off a lot of social occasions that don't involve the pub, however I think when we've moved on from peak 'social media' people will return to face to face socialising. And they'll herald it as a gret 'new' idea while they're at it

Say my name

The "Mountain Sunday" or "Fraughan Sunday" up on the Blackstairs mountains in July. My folks brought myself and the sister up in the 80's but by then it was a shadow of it's former glory.
At that stage there were just a few families going and a few people would sing songs or someone might have an accordion.
The children would pick fraughans while the folks would make an attempt at a shin dig.

For anyone that doesn't know it was a gathering on the mountain on a foot pass over the mountain on a plateau right on the Carlow Wexford border. It was a great opportunity for the communities separated by the Blackstairs mountain chain to come together for a social get together that otherwise they may never have seen one another all year. Matches were made and various other shenanigans occurred.

There's a more in dept look at it here in this blog.
Scroll down to the part "Mountain Sunday".

https://archaeouplands.wordpress.com/

The author claims that the last one was in the 70's but the photo he has are neighbours of mine with some of the children born in the 80's. I'd estimate it was 1987 instead of 1977.

pedroeibar1

Good manners, simple courtesy. Fast disappearing in Ireland and extinct in many quarters.

LoughNeagh2017

There have have been about 8 houses built on my road within 18 years, that's 8 fields gone, eventually it will get to the stage where a townland becomes a village.
There used to be many traditions involving the fairies which have died out like putting flowers next to doors and windows and closing windows when someone dies.

I think the GAA has too much power in communities, it is all centred around sport and music, that has become the new culture and everything else has been forgotten about, I think the GAA actually divides Irish people more than it brings them together, my county used to have teammates fighting one another at training sessions because of club rivalries.

whisky_galore

If it wasn't GAA it would be something else tbh, and music has degenerated into tourist-pleasing diddly-i or crowd-pleasing bastardised Country n Western but hey that's what people seem to want.

DamoRed

Not sure how many remember these, but they're all wedding related http://oldmooresalmanac.com/lost-irish-wedding-rituals/

tabbey

DamoRed wrote: »

Not sure how many remember these, but they're all wedding related http://oldmooresalmanac.com/lost-irish-wedding-rituals/

Some dates seem a bit out, for example bicycles were not common in 1830, for weddings or anything else.
Marriages in the home were common in the mid 1800s, but not in 1900.

Most of the claims have a lot of truth, but silly errors make such articles less credible.

Pixel Eater

LoughNeagh2017 wrote: »

There have have been about 8 houses built on my road within 18 years, that's 8 fields gone, eventually it will get to the stage where a townland becomes a village.
There used to be many traditions involving the fairies which have died out like putting flowers next to doors and windows and closing windows when someone dies.

I think the GAA has too much power in communities, it is all centred around sport and music, that has become the new culture and everything else has been forgotten about, I think the GAA actually divides Irish people more than it brings them together, my county used to have teammates fighting one another at training sessions because of club rivalries.

It's a bit of stretch to say GAA divides more than unites; maybe that's just a few gob****es in your county team (every county and sport has those). Whatever anyone things of the GAA itself, it is a major cultural aspect of Ireland. Without it, I dare say, the dominance of Premier League soccer would be even more pronounced.

Snickers Man

Hitch hiking.

In my youth (70s-80s) hitch hiking was how the young and impecunious got around the country. Even the great youth-oriented international guide books (like Let's Go--the bible of the budget traveller at the time but largely now superseded by Lonely Planet and/or TripAdvisor.com) recommended that you save your money by avoiding the irregular, uncomfortable, unreliable and expensive public transport options of the time and hitch hike instead.

I can't remember the last time I saw a hitch hiker on a main road. Of course the appearance of motorways may have helped bring about the practice's demise. As well as the greater "awareness" or let's call it like it is, downright fear of one's fellow man, that the new easily outraged generation likes to puff up to a level of importance it hardly deserves.

And another thing.....
live impromptu traditional music in Dublin pubs. Where can you see that now? People from England always ask me for recommendations and I just can't think of any because I don't know any. Do they even exist any more?

DamoRed

Does anyone remember the days of your youth, when you'd go out for a bit of food, and it'd be served on plates?

tabbey

Snickers Man wrote: »

Hitch hiking.

In my youth (70s-80s) hitch hiking was how the young and impecunious got around the country

When I read this first, I thought it was a bit too recent to be considered a tradition.

Then I remembered that about 1856 or 57, one of my great great grandmothers was in the paper in relating to her giving a lift (on a horse drawn vehicle) to a man who due to alcohol forgot his position, and insulted her.
The man had to put an apology in the paper as well as paying my ancestors legal costs.

I was just explaining to my three year old as we sat here looking out at the rain that that these are the Laethanta na Bó Riabhaí. I never heard of them until recent years when I was sitting at the table with my parents, both of whom were born in the 1930s, and one said to the other looking out the window about the "reevagh days". The two of them, one from Connacht and the other from Leinster, then had a big discussion about the tradition, with which they were both very familiar.

Laethanta na Bó Riabhaí

Laethanta na Bó Riabhaí

Laethanta na Bó Riabhaí

Borrowed Days of the Speckled/Brindled Cow

Some lovely accounts from school children all across Ireland about the tradition on the superb Dúchas website:

Dúchas: Laethanta na Bó Riabhaí

riffmongous

Snickers Man wrote: »

Hitch hiking.

In my youth (70s-80s) hitch hiking was how the young and impecunious got around the country. Even the great youth-oriented international guide books (like Let's Go--the bible of the budget traveller at the time but largely now superseded by Lonely Planet and/or TripAdvisor.com) recommended that you save your money by avoiding the irregular, uncomfortable, unreliable and expensive public transport options of the time and hitch hike instead.

I can't remember the last time I saw a hitch hiker on a main road. Of course the appearance of motorways may have helped bring about the practice's demise. As well as the greater "awareness" or let's call it like it is, downright fear of one's fellow man, that the new easily outraged generation likes to puff up to a level of importance it hardly deserves.

I wasn't that old at the time but I still remember well the fear the Jo Jo Dollard case caused in my parents generation regarding hitch hiking, that was well before a lot of the 'easily outraged' were born