Blúiríní Béaloidis 41 - Food in Irish Tradition (with Máirtín Mac Con Iomaire)

Blúiríní Béaloidis 41 - Food in Irish Tradition (with Máirtín Mac Con Iomaire)

Author: Blúiríní Béaloidis / Folklore Fragments April 2, 2025 Duration: 55:40
Regarding food in Irish tradition, Kevin Danaher, writing in 1964, noted that "Sometimes we get the impression that Ireland, in ancient times, was a land of plenty, and again we get quite the opposite impression - that our forebears lived out their lives on the very edge of starvation. In reality both these impressions are wrong." As an expression of culture that permeates every aspect of life, food holds a central place in Irish folk tradition, and for episode 41 of Blúiríní Béaloidis, I am delighted to be joined by Máirtín Mac Con Iomaire, Senior Lecturer in the School of Culinary Arts and Food Technology at Technological University Dublin to discuss food in Irish folk tradition. Máirtín, along with Dorothy Cashman, was co-editor of the recent "Irish Food History: A Companion", published by the Royal Irish Academy in hardcopy in 2024, and available freely online via EUT+ at the following link: https://arrow.tudublin.ie/irishfoodhist/1/ For this episode of the podcast we discuss Máirtín's background, exploring the way in which he came to take such an interest in Ireland's food history, as well as examining the themes of continuity and change in the context of the Irish diet. Join us as we explore Irish food traditions in the context of calendar observances, the life cycle and ritual observances, as well as considering regional foodways, the importance of hospitality and the impact of the Irish language on our understanding of both food and place in Irish tradition. From milk, butter and the Brehon Laws, to spice bags and purple Snack bars, join us as we explore changing attitudes to food in Ireland. This is also the first episode of the podcast which we have been able to record on video, and I would like to extend my sincere thanks to Andrew Fogarty, Veronica Aguilar Olmos and Dominic Martella for their support for the series to date, and for organising the shoot. I hope listeners and viewers will please forgive my excessive humming-and-hawing in this episode - I felt quite nervous in front of the new setup! Video for this episode is available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3x4PdbSXrSk&ab_channel=UCD-UniversityCollegeDublin

Delve into the living tapestry of stories, customs, and beliefs carried through generations with Blúiríní Béaloidis Folklore Podcast. Emerging from the archives of The National Folklore Collection at University College Dublin, each episode is a carefully crafted fragment, a blúirín, of cultural memory. Host Jonny Dillon guides listeners along a fascinating furrow, unearthing everything from local Irish legends and seasonal rituals to broader European traditions that echo through time. This isn't merely a history lesson; it's an engagement with the voices, practices, and worldviews that shaped communities. You'll hear specific tales collected from the countryside, examine the logic behind old superstitions, and discover how everyday life was interwoven with the supernatural and the symbolic. The podcast serves as a bridge, connecting a deep, often overlooked past with contemporary curiosity, suggesting that these fragments of folklore hold a mirror to our shared human experience. Listening feels like having a thoughtful conversation with a knowledgeable guide, one who understands that these traditions are not static relics but vibrant threads in a larger cultural fabric. For anyone drawn to the roots of identity, storytelling, and the subtle wisdom embedded in custom, this series offers a rich and rewarding exploration, proving that the old ways still have much to say.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 45

Blúiríní Béaloidis Folklore Podcast
Podcast Episodes
Blúiríní Béaloidis 23 - Holy Wells In Folk Tradition [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 55:24
Lying in overgrown fields, by churches and next to roadsides all over Ireland, are hidden holy wells and sacred springs which have for countless generations been visited as sites of pilgrimage and devotion. These wells a…
Blúiríní Béaloidis - 22 Invisible Worlds (With Eddie Lenihan) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:06:54
Our lives are built on the stories we tell. At both an individual and a communal level, they orient and mould us, shaping our perspectives and outlining our reality. In an age where life can seem increasingly fettered by…
Blúiríní Béaloidis 19 - Sacred Trees In Folk Tradition [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:02:59
While rooted in the earth, trees ascend towards the firmament of the Heavens. They likewise renew themselves through the eternal rhythms that govern all living things (those cycles of growth, maturation, decay and rebirt…
Blúiríní Béaloidis 18 - Brigid In Folk Tradition [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:23:10
St. Brigid’s Day falls on the first of February, and is traditionally understood as marking the beginning of spring in Irish custom. Dedicated to the saint nicknamed Muire na nGael or the ‘Mary of the Irish’ (a designati…
Blúiríní Béaloidis 17 - Rumours Of War [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:48:07
From Jul 28, 1914 until Nov 11, 1918 the iron dice of war rolled across the fields of Europe with a ferocity and magnitude the likes of which the world had never seen. In the smoke filled trenches of Guillement, and on t…
Blúiríní Béaloidis 16 - Otherworld Islands In Folk Tradition [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:12:59
Native European and Irish Tradition posits the existence of an Otherworld realm lying beyond the furthest reaches of the horizon; an island of plenty and abundance, where happiness lasts forever, and where one hundred ye…
Blúiríní Béaloidis 15 - The Salmon In Folk Tradition [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:36
Irish communities have been sustained for centuries by the fruits of our seas, rivers and lakes, from which both physical and economic subsistence was drawn. In this regard, this month’s Blúiríní Béaloidis episode sees J…
Blúiríní Béaloidis 14 - The Changeling In Folk Tradition [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:00:23
The birth of a child is among the most important moments in the life of the individual, and of the community of which they are a broader part. Small wonder then, that there should exist so large a body of folk belief and…