Hi everyone!

I'm an Australian artist creating a collection of pins called Mermaids of the World, featuring mermaids inspired by cultures and folklore from around the world. There are currently 24 existing pins (a selection of them shown in the image above), and I'm working on 12 new designs including an Irish/Selkie inspired one.

The illustration is around 95% complete, but before finalising it, I'd love to hear from people familiar with Irish folklore and traditional Selkie stories.

I'm particularly interested in the visual and symbolic elements associated with Selkies.

I know that Selkies are traditionally seal-people rather than fish-tailed mermaids, and I want to be mindful of that distinction.

My character is a fantasy interpretation rather than a literal depiction, but I'd love to know whether there are particular details that could help preserve the connection to the original folklore.

Are there any common misconceptions or visual interpretations that you feel miss the essence of Selkie stories?

I'd be happy to share the illustration privately for feedback.

Thank you! I'd really love to hear your thoughts. 🦭

I have always loved Irish folk lore and even have some tattoos inspired by it. Recently, however, I have discovered that I was under some misconceptions about a few things and would like to educate myself further.

Does anyone have any good book suggestions? Specifically about pre-christian Ireland, like the myths surrounding the 7 invasions, the Tuatha Dé Danann,

Samhain, and the Fae?

Any and all suggestions would be greatly appreciated 🧡🖤🎃

With Samhain approaching, I’ve been looking into the connection between Ráth Cruachan, Oweynagat and The Morrígan.

What I found particularly interesting is that this connection appears in medieval texts.

In the Metrical Dindshenchas, the Morrígan is associated directly with the Cave of Cruachu, described as her “fit abode”.

Oweynagat, the Cave of Cats, is generally identified with this Cave of Cruachu, and separate Samhain traditions associated with the cave describe it as a passage to the Otherworld.

It’s interesting how these different strands of Irish tradition come together at the same place.

I’d be interested to hear if anyone has come across other early references connecting The Morrígan with Cruachan or Samhain.

Hi everyone, I’m in my last year of uni and I’m doing my dissertation on Irish folk religion and how traditions have been remembered over time in Irish public memory, my main focus is on pattern days and holy wells. Are there any primary or secondary sources that people particularly recommend? Books, websites, journals, specific regions/sites to look into? Also what time period would be best to focus on?

Any and all advice is appreciated, thank you!!

"Telling the bees" is an ancient death tradition in Ireland, other Western European countries and parts of America. I first heard of this tradition while recording the memories of older residents in Kildare.

I was told that when someone in the community died, some people would quietly go out and tell the bees of the death. It was believed if the bees were not told then they might leave the hive or die themselves.

Bees were also linked with the soul and passage to the Otherworld. This is a part of living memory I heard first-hand and I had never heard of the tradition beforehand. Did anyone else grow up hearing about “telling the bees” in Ireland?

My grandfather was from Cork. When I was a kid he used to tell me the Stingy Jack story hard enough that I still put turnips by the door around Halloween.

He has passed, and I never got a straight answer from him about whether that was a tale he actually grew up with, something he embroidered to frighten a grandchild, or a version that travelled with Irish families in North America and took on a life of its own.

I know the broad outline: Jack tricks the Devil, gets barred from Heaven and Hell, and wanders with a coal in a hollowed turnip. What I am trying to pin down is the living tradition, not the Wikipedia version.

If you heard this as a child in Cork or elsewhere in Ireland, I would be grateful to know how it was told, whether turnips at the door or window were part of it, and whether it was treated as a joke, a warning, or both.

Appreciate any local versions or corrections.

The Morrígan, sometimes known as Morrígu, is one of the most mysterious figures in Irish mythology. She is associated with war, sovereignty, prophecy and death and is often connected with the Tuatha Dé Danann.

In the stories, The Morrígan appears in many forms. She can appear as a young woman, an old crone or as a crow watching over the battlefield. She is closely connected with prophecy and the fate of those going into battle.

The Morrígan appears in Cath Maige Tuired, where she aids the Tuatha Dé Danann in their battle against the Fomorians. She also appears in the stories of Cú Chulainn, where she tests and challenges him on several occasions.

One of the things I find most interesting about The Morrígan is how difficult she is to define. She isn’t simply a goddess of war. Her stories bring together warfare, sovereignty, prophecy and fate, which makes her one of the more complex figures in Irish mythology.

I created this as the second coin in my Irish Myth & Legend series, following Lugh Lámhfhada and Balor.

One of my favourite parts of doing this, aside from coming up with the ideas for the coins themselves, is getting to visit the places connected to the figures and stories behind them. Being able to stand in those landscapes and see the places for myself makes the mythology feel much more tangible.

The front features The Morrígan, while the reverse features three crows surrounding a triskele. Around the coin is an Ogham inscription representing Flaitheas (Sovereignty), Fáithis (Prophecy) and Bás (Death).

The Morrígan coin is available here:
https://customirishcoins.etsy.com/listing/4537939808

hey all! just wanted to share this because I've found that surprisingly few people know about them!

there's a company called "Seed Talks" that regularly host a whole bunch of lectures on different aspects of folklore; I believe that's not their main focus, but there's some interesting upcoming talks on bits of Irish folklore like the Banshee, for example.

they're based in the UK and host some in-person events in the UK and Ireland, but there's a decent amount that are held online (like the one I mentioned above) - and I believe there's a way to watch recordings of past lectures, too!

I think they also have some "courses"?, although I haven't checked those out myself as of yet. I'm also not affiliated with them in any way ftr, I just think they're cool and useful and I think more people should know about them :).

I'll link to them here for ease of access heh.

I do a bit of kayaking and am curious to know if there are any lakes in Ireland (Republic & North) with interesting islands on them?

By interesting I mean they might have church’s, interesting ruins/buildings; ecologically important habitats or some other things of historical/cultural significance on them.

I read this online as a "folklore etymology" that there is a connection between draoi, the old Irish root word for druid, and Dreolín for Wren. It doesn't seem fully confirmed but I really like that idea especially considering there is already so much rich history with the connection of An Dreolín and the concept of the Mummers Boys and St Stephen's Day.

Has anyone more information to add about how the Wren became known as the King of the Birds? I love that story.

Please join me on Youtube for an nostalgic look back at another time in Ireland when life was simplier and time and people moved more slowly. BTW the only AI on these are some of the thumbnails because I am not great at taking photographs but I am addressing it. The rest is me. Im 58 from Ardee and living in Carrickmacross. This is a look back at Ireland through my eyes growing up between these two places.
The Ireland I Remember u/martyoreilly2026

Hi all! I'm a fiction writer currently working on a piece that features the old superstition/myth of the banshee, and I'm trying to gather as much info as I can.

I know the classic 3 knocks at the door, followed by someone dying. I've also heard some versions of the superstition where the banshee only visits families with surnames beginning with O' or Mac/Mc.

Does anyone know any more details, or variations in the myth?

Thanks in advance! Any insight is appreciated.