Irish Folklore and Beliefs

By: Glenda Jao

The Irish has a rich cultural history, ranging from stories or faeries and leprechauns to the illustrious Saint Patrick who rid the famous Emerald Isle of snakes. From the religious to the ancient pagan, the legends and lore of Ireland are a fantastic way to learn more about the culture of this tiny island nation.

The shamrock, the plant with three leaves, is considered a symbol of Ireland. Saint Patrick equated the three leaves with the symbolism of the holy Christian trinity—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. This symbol was said to have mystic powers of healing and protection. No wonder, it is often carved into graves.

The color green represents Emerald Isle, the famous nickname of Ireland, because of its lush green plants, thanks to the wet weather. It also stands for the color of life and spring, and is used to display the national pride of the Irish people.

The most famous folklore associated with Ireland is of leprechaun. These small and charming leprechuan's are related to rainbows and pots of gold, zealously protecting the wealth from those who are fortunate enough to find the end of the rainbow. Normally, leprechuans are pranksters and rascals who do not harm anybody but commit mischiefs to entertain both children and the old alike. Be a part of this prank and catch leprechauns the next time you see a rainbow!

The Blarney stone in the famous Blarney Castle has a legend attached to it. It is said to have bestowed the gift of eloquence to Lord of Blarney when the reagent of England's’sQueen Elizabeth I tried to influence him to English rule. The poor Lord did not know what to say to the ruler. A wise woman told him to kiss the Blarney stone and he succeeded in making his plea before the Queen.

Ancient Irish celebrated the holiday known as Samhain on the 31st of October—All Hallow’s Eve. On this date, a great feast was thrown, along with a ceremonial extinguishing and lighting of bonfires. Since the Celts believed in spirits, every man, woman, and child dressed in a disguise to fool evil spirits on their way home.

Finn McCool is famous as the friendly Goliath who guarded the Emerald Isle against any attack. Folklore are full of accounts of Finn's battle against a monstrous Scottish giant in which he took out a big chunk of earth and threw it at the Scottish giant. This created a big hole which was soon filled with water and is now known as Lough Neagh, Ireland's biggest water body.

Saint Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland has the most popular legend attached to his name. Saint Patrick worked with the Roman Catholic Church to convert pagans to Christianity in the fifth century. He was always on the run since he had upset the Droids and was often imprisoned. He is said to have rid Ireland of snakes, as he set a curse upon the serpents, making them drown in the sea.

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Glenda Jao is the owner and operator of F ireland, the #1 source on the internet for information about ireland, For more articles on ireland visit: www.folkireland.com/articles
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