UCD LIBRARY CULTURAL HERITAGE COLLECTIONS
Welcome to the UCD Library Cultural Heritage Collections blog. Discover and explore the historical treasures housed within our Archives, Special Collections, National Folklore Collection and Digital Library
With the submission of a copybook of completed material for the Schools’ Collection of the Irish Folklore Commission in 1938, the Principal of St Leonard’s National School, Ballycullane wrote an accompanying letter which read: A chara, My folklore collection herewith. I got it completed just now because my teaching career finishes here directly. Any job …
Continue reading "Mary B. Dunphy, part-time collector from South Wexford"
In the Sound Archive of the National Folklore Collection, we have a wide range of audio material and carriers, from wax cylinders, acetate discs, open reels, to more recent carriers such as MP3s, DATs. Today we'll speak about the wax cylinders we have at the NFC. While most of the collection was recorded by staff …
Continue reading "The start of the Audio Archive at the National Folklore Collection"
Donagh MacDonagh (1912-1968) was the son of Tipperaryman Thomas MacDonagh (1878-1916), Irish poet and playwright, who lectured in English here at UCD. The proud Thomas, according to the poet Anthony Cronin in a review of Donagh’s poetry collection Dublin made me and no little town “could often be seen, kilted and smiling, wheeling baby Don …
Continue reading "The Donagh MacDonagh ‘Ireland is Singing’ Ballad Collection"
As the month of January draws to a close, we are fast approaching Saint Bridget’s Day on 1st February, which in Irish tradition marks the first day of spring. It is around this time of year that the calving season begins, and Saint Bridget herself is considered the patron saint of cattle in Irish tradition. …
Continue reading "Traditions of The Glas Gaibhneach in The National Folklore Collection "
The beginning of October signals that we are now in the middle of the autumn season and that the long winter nights are drawing in. This is the season to pursue indoor activities and, as Hallowe’en approaches at the end of the month, the season to appreciate the spookier material within the National Folklore Collection, …
Continue reading "Cards and Card-Playing in the National Folklore Collection"
On 15 June 2023, a portion of the Audio Collection held in the National Folklore Collection was launched on dúchas.ie. The recordings now featured on the website were collected throughout Ireland, featuring songs, music and stories in English and Irish. Most of the recordings were made with the help of sound technician Leo Corduff, and …
Chuir Leo le cartlann fuaime Roinn Bhéaloideas Éireann ar go leor slite – mar bhailitheoir agus mar chartlannaí, áit a ndearna sé clárú ar an ábhar agus a raibh sé ábalta a mhéar a leagan láithreach ar pé ábhar a bheadh ag teastáil. Chuir sé go han-mhór leis an gcartlann grianghraf chomh maith, mar a …
From the time it was founded in in 1935, the Irish Folklore Commission (IFC) expressed an interest in gathering information about the clothing and dress. The section on clothing included in A Handbook of Irish Folklore (1942) is detailed and asks for information on many different aspects of the clothing worn by previous generations. It …
I am happy to inform you, dear reader, that if you are viewing this blog post, you have survived one of the most ill-fortuned days in Irish folk tradition, occurring Sunday last. Whitsunday - Domhnach Cincíse in Irish - was a day regarded with suspicion and trepidation, and Whitsuntide or Whit week, the period from …
Users of the 1937-1939 Schools’ Collection often comment on the beautiful handwriting of the contributing students. Indeed, it was often the student with the neatest handwriting who copied the chosen material from the smaller copybooks to the larger, final manuscripts now bound into the Schools’ Collection and available online on dúchas.ie. The careful handwriting is …
Continue reading "Illustrating Tradition: Maps from the Schools’ Collection"