Customs and Traditions

The old Irish courting custom where young men called on families by the fire. Discover how love worked in rural Ireland — and why the family was always in the room.

Discover Nollaig na Mban, the Irish Women’s Christmas on January 6th — a beloved tradition from Cork and Kerry with a fascinating social history.

Before a rural Irish wedding, a formal letter went to every house in the parish. It was not an invitation — it was a notice. Discover the Irish bidding wedding tradition and the community debt it created.

In old Ireland, one Sunday each year meant a chalk mark on every unmarried villager’s back. Discover the forgotten tradition of Chalk Sunday.

On May Eve, Irish farmers believed a neighbour could steal their cows’ butter through magic. Discover the ancient superstition that shaped rural Irish life for centuries.

Discover the meitheal — the ancient Irish custom of communal farm labour, where whole townlands worked together and no money ever changed hands.

Discover the old Irish school custom that required every child to carry a sod of turf to class each morning — and what it reveals about the soul of rural Ireland.

The Lisdoonvarna matchmaking festival draws thousands every September. Discover why Ireland’s oldest matchmaking tradition still works in County Clare.

Discover the story of Killarney’s jaunting car tradition — the horse-drawn carriages and the jarveys who have guided visitors through Kerry’s stunning national park for over 200 years.

Discover Ireland’s ancient holy wells — sacred springs with healing water, rag trees, and Pattern Day rituals that still happen in rural Ireland today.