May Day customs around Ballinrobe and the hinterland

Do you remember May Day in your area or school?

By Averil Staunton

There is a wonderful article on May day customs by Clodagh Doyle, Curator Irish Folklife Division, (National Museum of Ireland) on our network partner site http://www.ouririshheritage.org/index.aspx

In the article titled "Traditional May Day Customs in Ireland" Clodagh says:

"May Day, the first day of the month of May, is one of the quarterly days in the traditional Irish calendar. Each of these quarterly days indicates the start of a new season. Spring is marked by 1 February (St Brigid’s Day), autumn by 1 August (Lúnasa) and winter by 1 November (Samhain). There were also folk customs associated with the eves of these festivals marking the seasonal transition."

She goes on to give a wealth of information with some wonderful photos in her article which can be read in full by clicking here.

Do you remember any May Day customs in your area either at home or at school? 

You can contact us here at myhistoricalballinrobe@gmail.com or contact the Museum directly by clicking here.