Blog - Irish Heritage & Traditions

From whitewashing the house to visiting holy wells, we look at some of the ancient Easter traditions in Ireland.

From Dublin’s four day Saint Patrick’s Festival extravaganza to family fun in Cork, we look at the Saint Patrick’s Day Highlights around Ireland for 2015.

Did you know that the Celts believed that many trees held sacred properties? Which trees, dotted around Ireland today, are said to have special powers?

February 1st is known as La Fheile Bride in Ireland or Saint Brigid’s Day. We look at the traditions associated with Saint Brigid in Ireland and the importance of her Feast Day on February 1st and the iconic Saint Brigid’s Cross.

From beginning the New Year with a spotlessly clean house, to placing sprigs of mistletoe, holly and ivy under pillows, we examine Irish New Year traditions across the centuries.

The candle in the window; the Wren Boys; the laden table... many of the Christmas traditions in Ireland have their roots back to the Gaelic culture. We take a look at them here...

November 1st is traditionally known as Samhain, or ‘End of Summer’. This time of year has huge resonance in Ireland, marking the end of the Celtic year and the start of winter and a time of reflection.

The Irish Tradition of Samhain is a special time in Ireland. Here we look at the top four Halloween traditions in Ireland.

Are you engaged or planning a wedding? Irish toasts and blessings have a particular resonance for those with even the most distant Irish connections. The Irish are simply the best when it comes to the right line for the right occasion. Here’s why...

August is an action-packed month in Ireland. We look at some of the biggest and best festivals this month, from matchmaking to equestrianism to music.

Half way between the Summer Solstice and the Autumn Equinox comes the Gaelic festival of Lughnasa. Here comes the Harvest...

The month of July in Ireland has a famous connection with the 9th century legend of English Saint Swithin. As the verse describes, if it rains on his Feast Day, July 15th, according to the folklore, it will continue to rain for 40 days and 40 nights!

Ireland is famous for its wedding traditions and there are so many that entire books have been dedicated to the subject. Here we look at some of the most interesting traditions ranging from horseshoes to geese to cuckoos!

Midsummer, or Saint John's Eve (Oiche Fheile Eoin) is a magical night in the traditions and folklore of Ireland and takes place on June 23rd.

May Day. May Day. Here comes summer! The Celtic Festival of Bealtaine (the Irish word for May) marks the official start of the Summer season and is rich in folklore.

Saint Valentine's Day has its origins in ancient Rome, where a priest named Valentine defied a marriage ban imposed by emperor Claudius. Read on to discover a fascinating link between Saint Valentine and Ireland!

Did you know that the "12 Days of Christmas" carol is an Irish creation? The tradition of placing the Christmas holly on the doorway originates from Ireland too. From old Irish Christmas traditions such as white washing the cottage to horse racing on St. Stephen's Day, find out how we celebrated Christmas before and now.

There are many different Irish wedding traditions that take place on the day of, or around the official wedding date. They are practiced for many different reasons, including; luck, magic, superstition, wealth and fertility. These are commonly practiced and their origins have stemmed from ancient Celtic or Irish traditions, and have been practiced for many ages.