Fellafelloffalorry
21s Jul 19, 2014
21s
Hames
19s Jul 19, 2014
19s
Northwest Hiawatha
3m Jul 19, 2014
3m
Multering
12s Jul 19, 2014
12s
Shed a tear for Parnell PG
The colourful phraseology of Ireland salutes one of its great political heroes several times a day.
12s Jul 19, 2014
12s
Trek
1m Jul 19, 2014
1m
Imbolc
Imbolc is strongly associated with Saint Brigid (Old Irish: Brigit, modern Irish: Bríd, modern Scottish Gaelic: Brìghde or Brìd, anglicised Bridget). Saint Brigid is thought to have been based on Brigid, a Gaelic goddess. The festival, which celebrates the onset of spring, is thought to be linked with Brigid in her role as a fertility goddess. On Imbolc Eve, Brigid was said to visit virtuous h...
18s Jul 19, 2014
18s
Rambling House
1m Jul 19, 2014
1m
Piseog
Piseogs were charms or spells that when executed could lead to devastating results on their victims. Examples include the planting of eggs or meat on a neighbour's boundary that subsequently rotted or the stealing and burying of the treasured last sheaf of a neighbour's harvest. They were said to be at their most potent around May Day, particularly between May Eve dusk and dawn on May Day. Cust...
1m Jul 19, 2014
1m
Mass Rock
Sean McMahon tells us a bit more about these objects that can still be found scattered around the country, usually in remote locations for good reason.
1m Jul 19, 2014
1m
Immram
An immram (/ˈɪmrəm/; plural immrama; Irish: iomramh, IPA: [ˈʊmˠɾˠəw], voyage) is a class of Old Irish tales concerning a hero's sea journey to the Otherworld (see Tír na nÓg and Mag Mell). Written in the Christian era and essentially Christian in aspect, they preserve elements of Irish mythology. The immrama are identifiable by their focus on the exploits of the heroes during their search for ...
1m Jul 19, 2014
1m
Hy Brasil
Speaker: Sean McMahon RIP Brasil, also known as Hy-Brasil or several other variants, is a phantom island which was said to lie in the Atlantic Ocean west of Ireland. In Irish myths it was said to be cloaked in mist, except for one day every seven years, when it became visible but still could not be reached. It probably has similar roots to other mythical islands said to exist in the Atlantic, ...
1m Jul 19, 2014
1m
Fairy folk
2m Jul 19, 2014
2m
Come all ye
1m Jul 19, 2014
1m
Filidh
1m Jul 19, 2014
1m
Sliabh Gullion's foot
1m Jul 19, 2014
1m
Shrovetide
The word shrove is the past participle of the English verb to shrive, which means to obtain absolution for one's sins by way of confession and doing penance. During the week before Lent, sometimes called Shrovetide in English, Christians were expected to go to confession in preparation for the penitential season of turning to God. Shrove Tuesday was the last day before the beginning of Lent on ...
24s Jul 19, 2014
24s
Seanchaí
We're hoping with our Rambling House Lockdown Edition, we'll foster and encourage some budding young seanchaís along the way in the tradition of Eamon Kelly. Hear a bit more about what exactly a seanchaí is from our audio archive. Voice: Seán McMahon
1m Jul 19, 2014
1m
Scoraiocht
11s Jul 19, 2014
11s
Sam Henry
Sam Henry (1870–1952) was an Irish folk-song collector, photographer and folklorist, best known for his collection of ballads and songs in Songs of the People. His collection is the largest and most comprehensive collection of folk-songs from Northern Ireland between the wars. Songs of the People was a series which ran from 17 November 1923 to 1939 in the Coleraine newspaper The Northern Const...
1m Jul 19, 2014
1m
Salt Monday
Mary Murphy tells us about a forgotten about custom in the West of Ireland that takes place on the first Monday of Lent. © 2021-2022 Racontour Productions. This clip forms part of the Celtic Calendar (https://www.racontour.com/celtic-calendar/) audio archive from Racontour Productions. Feel free to share if enjoyed, but with a credit or a social media tag to Racontour Productions please. SPOTI...
17s Jul 19, 2014
17s
Ring forts
2m Jul 19, 2014
2m
Irish proverbs
1m Jul 19, 2014
1m
Puss Sunday
Speaker: Sean McMahon RIP Puss is surely one of the better examples of onomatopoeia used by the Irish. Sean McMahon tells us of the various uses including the little heard Puss Sunday, the last Sunday before Lent. #customs #Ireland © 2021-2022 Racontour Productions. This clip forms part of the Celtic Calendar (https://www.racontour.com/celtic-calendar/) audio archive from Racontour Productio...
1m Jul 19, 2014
1m
Pooka
1m Jul 19, 2014
1m
Otherworld
Mary Murphy gives us an excellent overview of the Otherworld. In Gaelic (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaels) and Brittonic (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celtic_Britons) mythology it is usually described as a supernatural realm of everlasting youth, beauty, health, abundance and joy The Otherworld is similar to the parallel universe (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multiverse) , usually elusive,...
2m Jul 19, 2014
2m
Marriage customs
Mary Murphy voices the last of our audio clips from Donegal's Hallowed Sites on the epic Spotify playlist (https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1hYbbzzKDDB8CUFWndggkW?si=4d34ec8239e74cfb) before honorary Donegal man, John Prine and his Ardara wife, Fiona, sing us out with a flourish of happiness and romance. In the audio clip, we really like the sign-off motif of the two Harvest lovers forever gat...
1m Jul 19, 2014
1m
Lughnasa
Speaker: Mary Murphy Mary gives a simple overview of the harvest festival of Lughnasa to start us off on our final cross-quarter day.  © 2021-2022 Racontour Productions. This clip forms part of the Celtic Calendar (https://www.racontour.com/celtic-calendar/) audio archive from Racontour Productions. Feel free to share if enjoyed, but with a credit or a social media tag to Racontour Production...
1m Jul 19, 2014
1m
Loughrymen
30s Jul 19, 2014
30s
Leprachaun
2m Jul 19, 2014
2m
Keen
2m Jul 19, 2014
2m
Immram
1m Jul 19, 2014
1m
Hungry grass
Speaker: Mary Murphy Mary tells us of the once widely-held belief that certain parcels of Irish land could strike a walker down with death from hunger simply by walking over it. Here she explains the reason for such a superstition. © 2021-2022 Racontour Productions. This clip forms part of the Celtic Calendar (https://www.racontour.com/celtic-calendar/) audio archive from Racontour Production...
1m Jul 19, 2014
1m
Holy wells
There is no superstition stronger in Ireland than a belief in the curative power of the sacred wells that are festooned across the country; fountains of health and healing some saint had blessed, or by which some saint had dwelt in ancient times. But it is noted that well-worship is even older than Christianity being essentially an early ritual of humanity, brought from the Eastern lands by ear...
2m Jul 19, 2014
2m
Grey man's path
1m Jul 19, 2014
1m
Funeral customs
2m Jul 19, 2014
2m
Fraughan Sunday
Speaker: Mary Murphy Bilberry Sunday is a charming old feast day that deserves to be brought back to life. Celebrated on the last Sunday in July, it was a day when people went to hillsides and peat lands in groups to collect bilberries, and sometimes find a spouse. These tiny, intensely dark blue berries, are related to the blueberry though they’re only about half as large. They thrive in acid...
1m Jul 19, 2014
1m
Divination
As we approach Hallowe'en, hear Mary Murphy tell us about the ancient practice of divination, when Irish women used unorthodox methods to help them find a suitor. From our Samhain Lore (https://www.racontour.com/samhain/) playlist. Find plenty more lore on Halloween at our Halloween Archive (https://www.racontour.com/halloween/) . #Samhain #Halloween #Otherworld #Supernatural #Divination © 2...
1m Jul 19, 2014
1m
Fetch
Speaker: Mary Murphy Mary tells us about the preternatural phenomenon that was a fetch or phantasm that was seen by a close relative of the would-be deceased. © 2021-2022 Racontour Productions. This clip forms part of the Celtic Calendar (https://www.racontour.com/celtic-calendar/) audio archive from Racontour Productions. Feel free to share if enjoyed, but with a credit or a social media tag...
1m Jul 19, 2014
1m
Divination
1m Jul 19, 2014
1m
Ceilidhing
1m Jul 19, 2014
1m
Banshee
Speaker: Mary Murphy The banshee (or banchee) (/ˈbænʃiː/ ban-shee), from Irish: bean sí bʲæn ˈʃiː is a female spirit in Irish mythology, usually seen as an omen of death and a messenger from the underworld. In legend, a banshee is a fairy woman who begins to wail if someone is about to die. In Scottish Gaelic mythology, she is known as the bean sìth or bean nighe and is seen washing the blood...
1m Jul 19, 2014
1m
1. BF Bealtaine
Speaker: Sean McMahon RIP Bealtaine is the Gaelic May Day festival. Most commonly it is held on the 1st May, or about halfway between the spring equinox and the summer solstice and while technically that means 05.36 on Wed morn in 2021 when the Bealtaine section was recorded, we stuck with the 1st of May for that show! Historically, it was widely observed throughout Ireland, one of the four G...
2m Jul 19, 2014
2m
Airneal
2m Jul 19, 2014
2m
American wake
1m Jul 19, 2014
1m
All Souls Day
Speaker: Mary Murphy All Souls' Day is a day of prayer for the dead, particularly but not exclusively one's relatives. In Western Christianity the annual celebration is now held on 2 November and is associated with All Saints' Day (1 November) and its vigil, Halloween (31 October). In the liturgical books of the western Catholic Church (the Latin Church) it is called The Commemoration of All t...
1m Jul 19, 2014
1m
Éist liom go fóill
2m Jul 19, 2014
2m
Gáe Bulg
The Gáe Bulg (also Gáe Bulga, Gáe Bolg, Gáe Bolga), meaning "spear of mortal pain/death spear", "gapped/notched spear", or "belly spear", was the name of the spear of Cúchulainn in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. It was given to him by his martial arts teacher, the warrior woman Scáthach, and its technique was taught only to him. It was made from the bone of a sea monster, the Coinchenn, ...
27s Jul 19, 2014
27s
The cattle raid of Cooley
Táin Bó Cúailnge, "the driving-off of cows of Cooley", commonly known as The Cattle Raid of Cooley or The Táin is a legendary tale from early Irish literature, often considered an epic, although it is written primarily in prose rather than verse. It tells of a war against Ulster by the Connacht queen Medb and her husband Ailill, who intend to steal the stud bull Donn Cuailnge, opposed only by t...
2m Jul 19, 2014
2m
Eamhain Mhacha
Navan Fort, in Modern Irish Eamhain Mhacha is an ancient monument in County Armagh, Northern Ireland. According to Irish mythology, it was one of the great royal sites of pre-Christian Gaelic Ireland and the capital of the Ulaidh. It is a large circular enclosure—marked by a bank and ditch—with a circular mound and the remains of a ring barrow in the middle. Archeological investigations show th...
2m Jul 19, 2014
2m