Rebuilding Lives in Northern Ireland
Posted in Irish Folklore on Nov 16th, 2014
One legend of the Blarney Stone is that an old woman cast a spell on the stone to reward the king who had saved her from drowning. Kissing the stone while under the spell gave the king the ability to speak sweetly and convincingly.
Posted in Irish Folklore on Nov 14th, 2014
Celtic tales of voyages in which the hero is lured by a beautiful woman to an island in the Western Sea were called ‘echtra’. The hero could never return from this island and those who tried were turned to dust when they touched the land of Ireland since hundreds of years had passed since they […]
Posted in Irish Folklore on Nov 11th, 2014
There is a legend that says that anyone swimming in Sleive Gullion, Co Armagh, will have his hair turn grey overnight.
Posted in Irish Folklore on Oct 31st, 2014
Soul cakes are small sweet cakes given as treats on Halloween. They are thought to be the first ‘treat’ ever given. When given a soul cake, the recipient must pray for the soul of a departed member of the family giving the treat.
Posted in Irish Folklore on Oct 30th, 2014
A person born on Halloween has the ability to predict the future.
Posted in Irish Folklore on Oct 29th, 2014
Masks and costumes are worn on Halloween to fool the evil spirits.
Posted in Irish Folklore on Oct 28th, 2014
The colors of Halloween are black for the dead and orange for the harvest. On Halloween Eve, a piece of Barmbrack bread and a drink are put outside the door to appease the fairies.
Posted in Irish Folklore on Oct 25th, 2014
It is the law in Ireland that no one can harm a swan. The law was made by Milesians 4,000 yrs. ago after hearing the story of the “Children of Lir.”
Posted in Irish Folklore on Oct 20th, 2014
If you hear the cry of the banshee it means someone close to you is going to die.
Posted in Irish Folklore on Oct 19th, 2014
If you wish to see a witch on Halloween you must put your clothes on inside out and walk backwards.
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