
Wexford school revive old May Bush tradition at special community event
An old village tradition was revived at the school on the afternoon of May 2, as the school held a May Bush ceremony to mark the start of the summer.
In accordance with the tradition, the first decorations were put up on May 1 (May Day), but the school held the ceremony the following day to coincide with Kilanerin National School's garden club and the mid-term break.
More than 50 people turned up to celebrate including schoolchildren, the school band, local residents and people from across Wexford, Wicklow, Dublin and overseas.
Niamh Clarke of Kilanerin Tidy Towns was one of the leaders of the event alongside the school's garden club volunteers and Principal Mary Byrne.
Kilanerin Tidy Towns thanked the students for their involvement and for helping decorate and playing music. They also gave a special mention to their 'May King' and 'May Queen' as well as Maureen Bushe, who remembers a May Bush Féile from her youth in Ballyfuff around 90 years ago.

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Irish Independent
20-05-2025
- Irish Independent
May Bush Féile celebrations take root in Wexford with plenty of traditional music, song and poetry
Local performers Anne Mulhall, Helena Dunbar, Pat Fitzpatrick, Mick Doyle and CCÉ Craobh Chaoimhin Naofa took to the stage at Christ Church in Gorey recently. Special guests on the night included; Mark Redmond, Éire Ní Fhaoláin and Chulainn Ó Faoláin. Speaking after the community concert, organiser Rachel Uí Fhaoláin said: 'It was brilliant, an absolutely fantastic community event. It was lovely because the residents from Oakfield Nursing Home came out and joined us. They were so delighted to be involved. We collaborated with them last year on the Gorey May Bush Féile as well, so they came to the concert and really enjoyed it'. The celebrations didn't end there as the entire community was also invited to be involved in the tradition of decorating eggshells for their May Bush. 1st, 2nd and 3rd place prizes were awarded for the best decorated eggshells, which people hung on their own May Bush at home, at school, or on the communal Gorey May Bush on May Eve. Others joined the group at Gorey Library for the May Bush Decorating & Traditional Song Workshop for families where singer and folklore collector Rachel Uí Fhaoláin led the workshop.


Irish Independent
11-05-2025
- Irish Independent
Wexford school revive old May Bush tradition at special community event
An old village tradition was revived at the school on the afternoon of May 2, as the school held a May Bush ceremony to mark the start of the summer. In accordance with the tradition, the first decorations were put up on May 1 (May Day), but the school held the ceremony the following day to coincide with Kilanerin National School's garden club and the mid-term break. More than 50 people turned up to celebrate including schoolchildren, the school band, local residents and people from across Wexford, Wicklow, Dublin and overseas. Niamh Clarke of Kilanerin Tidy Towns was one of the leaders of the event alongside the school's garden club volunteers and Principal Mary Byrne. Kilanerin Tidy Towns thanked the students for their involvement and for helping decorate and playing music. They also gave a special mention to their 'May King' and 'May Queen' as well as Maureen Bushe, who remembers a May Bush Féile from her youth in Ballyfuff around 90 years ago.


RTÉ News
01-05-2025
- RTÉ News
Poetry Day Ireland 2025: May Day by Gabriel Rosenstock
As part of Poetry Day Ireland 2025, twelve poems have been selected following a national call out to respond to this year's theme, May Day - read May Day by Gabriel Rosenstock below. May Day A 'found poem' from the Carmina Gadelica On the first day of May the people of the crofter townland are up betimes and busy as bees about to swarm. This is the day of migrating, 'bho baile gu beinn,' from townland to moorland, from the winter homestead to the summer sheiling. The summer of their joy is come, the summer of the sheiling, the song, the pipe, and the dance, when the people ascend the hill to the clustered bothies, overlooking the distant sea from among the fronded ferns and fragrant heather, where neighbour meets neighbour, and lover meets lover.