What Is Bealtaine In Ireland?

Welcome back to the Candlelit Tales podcast. As this episode is released on the first of May, also called Bealtaine, we decided to take a break from our current series on Cormac Mac Airt, and talk you through some of what we’ve learned over the years of telling stories about this fire festival. We recorded a video to go along with this talk, and you can find that over on our YouTube channel. We’d love if you could check it out and let us know what you think! Sorcha mentions the book “The Year in Ireland” by Kevin Danaher, and we’d highly recommend you try and get your hands on it if you’re interested in this topic, though it is currently out of print. Eithne Massey’s “The Turning of the Year” is also a lovely volume, combining information about the seasonal celebrations with folktales and myths linked to particular times of year. Please note the content of these stories may be triggering for some listeners, please take care of yourself as you listen. This podcast includes Sorcha’s idea of what jokes are, which may be painfully cringe for some listeners. This podcast is proudly sponsored by the people who donate to us each month via https://www.patreon.com/candlelittales and anyone who sends us a once-off donation through the Paypal button on our website http://candlelittales.ie/ Find details of our upcoming shows here: https://candlelittales.ie/performances/