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RTÉ News
07-08-2025
- Entertainment
- RTÉ News
Lúnasa: From myth to modern festival
Na Féilte Tine, The Fire Festivals, concludes this August Bank Holiday Monday with the fourth and final episode of the acclaimed RTÉ series exploring Ireland's ancient seasonal festivals: Samhain, Imbolg, Bealtaine and now, Lúnasa. Tiocfaidh deireadh leis an tsraith, Na Féilte Tine le clár a dhíríonn ar fhéile Lúnasa, Dé Luain beag seo ag 6.30 ar RTÉ ONE. Seo clábhsúr nádúrtha don tsraith a lean na bhféilte uilig tríd an mbliain. You can watch Samhain, Imbolg and Bealtaine on the RTÉ Player here. Is féidir leat breathnú siar ar na cláracha a léiríonn na bhféilte eile, anseo. Each episode marks a turning in the Celtic year, and this final programme welcomes the festival of Lúnasa – the celebration of the harvest and the beginning of the final arc in the Gaelic calendar. With its focus on ritual, abundance and realignment with nature and self, Lúnasa leads us into the closing quarter of the year, which culminates with Samhain in late October – the beginning of the Celtic New Year. Clúdaíonn gach clár féilire na gCeilteach agus baineann clár Lúnasa le fómhar, tús le deireadh na bliana, dár leis an talmhaíocht. Ag díriú ar dheasghnátha, saibhreas agus ar fhilleadh ar an dlúthcheangail idir an dúlra agus an duine, tógann Lúnasa muid chuig an cheathrú deireanach sa bhliain, rud a thiocfaidh chun críche in Samhain ag deireadh mhí Dheireadh Fómhair, tús na bliana Ceiltigh. "This series is more than a look back at ancient custom," says series producer Ciarán Ó Cofaigh. "It's a deep dive into Irish tradition, reconnecting us with the rhythm of the natural world and the deep cyclical time that shaped our ancestors' lives." Lúnasa is the welcome to the harvest and a celebration of the ancient sun god, Lú. It is said that Lú defeated the dark god Balor and thus saved the harvest from destruction. Fáiltíonn Lúnasa muid go aimsir an Fhómhair agus is ceiliúradh é freisin ar an Dia Gréine, Lú. Deirtear go bhfuair Lú an ceann is fearr ar Bhalor agus dá réir gur sabháladh an fómhar dúinn uilig. This final episode traces the spirit of Lúnasa from myth to modern festival. The great gatherings and fairs of Lúnasa can be said to have manifested in the summer musical festivals of the modern day, with the Night & Day festival in Roscommon featured as an example of the modern equivalent. The episode includes a visit to Eamhain Mhacha, the sacred hill of Ulster and ancient ceremonial center of the North. It introduces the Armagh Rhymers and attends the vibrant contemporary Lúnasa Festival, where old customs find renewed meaning through performance, gathering, and ritual. Féachann an clár deireanach sa tsraith ar an aistear atá déanta ag Lúnasa ó mhiotas go féile chomhaimseartha. Má fhéachann muid ar shéasúr na bhféile ceoil in Éirinn agus sna tíortha maguaird, aithníonn muid tionchar Lúnasa iontu. Beidh cuairt ar Eamhain Mhacha mar chuid den chlár seo agus cuirfidh muid aithne ar na Armagh Rhymers atá ag tabhairt fuinneamh nua don fhéile ársa seo. We journey to Carrick on Shannon to attend Edwina Guckian's Irish Culture Retreat, as Edwina guides us through the traditions of Lúnasa still celebrated in Leitrim today. The episode also explores the enduring tradition of the Puck Fair – Ireland's oldest market festival – as expressions of the Lúnasa spirit still thriving today. Many of the Lúnasa celebrations are connected to harvest and agricultural festivals like Puck Fair, where everyone gathered to celebrate the harvest and present their livestock and produce. Ag caint ar an spéis mhór atá léirithe ag daoine sa Ghaeilge chomh maith le béaloideas agus san fhéilire Cheilteach, deir Ciarán nach féidir an dá rud a dheighilt óna chéile agus go luíonn sé le réasún go mbeadh na hÉireannaigh ag fiosrú a gcuid fréamhacha anois. Cúis bhróid agus dóchais do Chiarán go bhfuil an tsraith seo anois ar fáil agus in úsáid in scoileanna na tíre agus go bhfuil scéal na bhFéilte Tine ar fáil don chéad ghlúin eile. This concluding episode completes the full circle of Na Féilte Tine, a series rooted in the ancient "cross-quarter days" that divide the seasons. From Samhain's dark beginning to the promise of spring at Imbolg, the fire of summer at Bealtaine, and now the fruitful turning of Lúnasa – this journey through the Irish year reaches its final, celebratory phase.
Irish Independent
10-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Independent
Wexford May Bush traditions feature on new RTÉ series
Wexford faces and voices featured in the third episode of the RTÉ series Na Féilte Tine over the May bank holiday weekend. The four-part series Na Féilte Tine (The Fire Festivals) and it explores the four indigenous Irish festivals of Samhain, Imbolg, Bealtaine and Lúnasa in Ireland. One of Ireland's leading folklorists, Wexford's Michael Fortune, features in the series and he brought the RTÉ cameras to his native county in a bid to get our particular traditions and customs recognised. Michael was recorded in the TG4 studios in Connemara in early 2023 and a few months later, on May Eve (April 30), he brought the film crew to Wexford to record Marie Coleman from Curragraigue, Ballindaggin and Willie Phayers of Ballyigeen, Boolavogue and also record the decoration of the village May Bush in Ballindaggin. Marie Coleman, a neighbour of Michael's, kept the tradition of the May Bush going in her family farm over her lifetime and the crew spent hours recording herself and her grandchildren and neighbours dressing up the May Bush in her yard. Sadly Marie passed in August, just a few months after this was filmed and the programme producer, Ciaran O'Cofaigh, dedicated this episode to her in the credits. Also featured in the episode was a man called Willie Phayers from Ballyigeen from outside Ferns. Michael introduced the producers to Willie where he spoke about the practice of blessing cattle on May Eve with Easter water. The highlight of the piece was seeing the village May Bush in Ballindaggin being decorated and dressed by the local community. Michael and his wife, Aileen Lambert, re-established the May Bush tradition back into the village in 2017 and every year it has grown in popularity with the community. The film crew did the event justice as it captured gorgeous footage of the May procession featuring St Colman's Pipe Band and St Kevin's Marching Band, the May Queens and King from Ballindaggin National School, and people coming together, decorating the May Bush and marking the coming of Summer. The programme also featured a May song written by Aileen called Good Morrow Fair Yarrow which was the perfect backdrop to the faces and voices of Wexford in the episode.
