The Legends and Lore of Ireland

The legends and lore of Ireland form its rich cultural history. They are full of stories and faeries, leprechauns and historical tales including that of Saint Patrick ridding the famous Emerald Isle of snakes. These tales about the religious and the ancient pagan reflect the culture of this tiny island nation.

People often relate the symbol of shamrock with Ireland. It is believed that Saint Patrick used this commonly found plant to espouse on the theory of the Christian trinity of father, son and the holy ghost. Shamrock plant is made of three leaves and is believed to have supernatural power of healing and protection. This is why it is commonly found engraved on graves.

Green is the colour of Ireland. Its nickname Emerlald Isle is also a reflection of this.The colour green is believed to be the color of life and spring and the Irish use it to express their patriotic fervor. Ireland is full of greenery because of its wet waether, hence the name Emerald Isle.

The leprechauns are the tiny enchanted people who are a source of many a famous legends of Ireland. They are often associated with rainbows and pots of gold, because they guard the treasures from the lucky people who find the end of the rainbow. These leprechauns are little pranksters who amuse kids and grown ups alike, though some think they are troublemakers and rogues. Anyway, when you see a rainbow next time, see if you can catch the leprechaun!

The renowned Blarney Castle houses the famous Blarney stone. Queen Elizabeth I's reagent tried to persuade the Lord of Blarney to accept her rule. The lord was not very articulate and was aprehensive to meet the ruler. He was advised by an astute lady to kiss the Blarney stone and attain eloquence. The lord did just that and made a succesful appeal before the queen.

Ancient Irish celebrated the holiday known as Samhain on the 31st of October—All Hallow’s Eve. On this date, a great feast was thrown, along with a ceremonial extinguishing and lighting of bonfires. Since the Celts believed in spirits, every man, woman, and child dressed in a disguise to fool evil spirits on their way home.

Finn McCool is famous as the friendly Goliath who guarded the Emerald Isle against any attack. Folklore are full of accounts of Finn's battle against a monstrous Scottish giant in which he took out a big chunk of earth and threw it at the Scottish giant. This created a big hole which was soon filled with water and is now known as Lough Neagh, Ireland's biggest water body.

The most popular legend hailing from Ireland is that of Saint Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. Born in the 5th Century, Saint Patrick worked with the Roman Catholic Church to convert pagans to Christianity. Upsetting the Droids, Saint Patrick was often on the run and escaping from various prisons and jails. The saint is credited with ridding Ireland of snakes, as he set a curse upon the serpents, causing them to flee into the sea and drown.

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