Many thanks to Sean Mac an tSithigh for his magnificent presentation “Celestial Echoes: The Night Sky in Irish Folklore” on 11th November. The event drew a packed house of over 80, and seldom has a talk generated so much excitement. The good news is the event was recorded and will be available in the near future on our YouTube channel. Thanks also to John Walshe for a very entertaining talk on the night sky for November/December.
Drawing from old manuscripts and star lore notes collected by the Irish Folklore Commission, 1939, RTÉ journalist Seán Mac an tSíthigh explored aspects of the night sky in Irish folklore. While Greek and Roman traditions may dominate our perception of the constellations today, the Irish once had their own native understanding of the stars. Sean revealed old star-names, origin legends and folk-beliefs about the stars, offering an imaginative rendering of the wonders of the night sky.
Main picture – Sean waxes enthusiastic during his talk. Small photo: Seán is a native of the west Kerry Gaeltacht and works as a video journalist with RTÉ News and Nuacht. He has a long standing interest in folklore, landscape studies and aspects of his county’s history. Seán has published numerous articles and books on these subjects. His MPhil thesis (UCC) focused on the relationship between placenames and place-lore.
