The Year in Ireland

<p>This volume describes how the round of the year with its cycle of festivals and seasonal work was observed in the Ireland of yesterday. We follow the rhythm of the year from New Year to Easter May Day to Harvest and Christmas along the chain of highdays and feastdays St Brighid's Day The Borrowed Days Midsummer St Swithin's Day Lunasa The Pattern Day Samhain Martinmas and Christmas. fishing boat - belief and usage - feasting and merrymaking. Picturesque customs are revealed - some forgotten some forbidden some still familiar such as 'the making of St Brighid's cross - marriage divinations - watching the dancing of the sun on a hilltop on Easter morning - going to the Skelligs - cock-throwing - bullbaiting - herring processions - the swimming of the horses on Lunasa - and many others. A multi-coloured tapestry. <span style=color: rgba(15 17 17 1)>Kevin Danaher has drawn on a wide variety of sources and on more than thirty years experience of research into Irish folk tradition. He is the author of </span><em style=color: rgba(15 17 17 1)>In Ireland Long Ago</em><span style=color: rgba(15 17 17 1)> </span><em style=color: rgba(15 17 17 1)>Gentle Places and Simple Things</em><span style=color: rgba(15 17 17 1)> </span><em style=color: rgba(15 17 17 1)>Irish Country People</em><span style=color: rgba(15 17 17 1)> </span><em style=color: rgba(15 17 17 1)>Folktales of the Irish Countryside</em><span style=color: rgba(15 17 17 1)> and </span><em style=color: rgba(15 17 17 1)>The Pleasant Land of Ireland</em><span style=color: rgba(15 17 17 1)>.</span></p>