Lughnasa

The Celtic festival marking the beginning of the harvest season and is the Gaelic name for August.

It comes from ‘Lugh’ an Irish God and possibly ‘nasad’ said to mean gathering.

Story goes Lugh created the festival and Táilteann Games as a funeral feast and celebration in honour of his mother ‘Tailtiu’ who died of exhaustion after clearing the grounds of Ireland in preparation for Irelands farming and agriculture.

She is buried in her namesake townland Tailtin/Telltown Co Meath (pictured) where some of the first celebrations were said to have been held. The Táilteann Games were brought back to life in 1924 and held in Croke Parkin front of 20,000 spectators, where ‘Queen Tailté ‘entered the stadium accompanied by 11th century Gaelic warriors, carrying spears and accompanied by Irish Wolfhounds. The games drew competitors from all over the world but were deemed not feasible by 1932.

Many of the ancient pagan Lughnasa practices are discontinued but some rituals of the past were co -opted into Christian ones.

Lammas Day, Reek Sunday, Garland Sunday, Bilberry or Blaeberry Sunday, The Puck Fair… these were all days and ways of celebrating the Lughnasa tradition.

Pilgrimages were made e.g on Croagh Patrick, and other holy hills. Holy wells were visited, neighbours gathered and picked fruit and flowers and it was a time of celebration and looking forwards to the harvest season.

By the 1st of August it would appear the Ancient Celts were “done” with the Irish Summer……who knew just how much we have in common with our ancestors

Happy Lughnasa!