Chomh deas buaileadh le Carrie Crowley is í i mbun scannánú i gCorca Dhuibhne ar maidin! Duine uasail

The excitement is building 💚💛

Most read on #RTEBrainstorm: @aoifeg.bsky.social @ucc.ie on why 'Willie Week' in Miltown Malbay is the highlight of the trad music calendar thanks to Scoil Samhraidh Willie Clancy www.rte.ie/brainstorm/2...

And they all dives in #theleeswim

Got to write about my favourite week of the year for @rtebrainstorm.bsky.social - Scoil Samhraidh Willie Clancy!

Thanks Yvonne & Andrew for a lovely evening back in the Phoenix again!

A privilege to be at Dublin Castle for the #SharedIsland Forum with ITMA performing & chatting about fifing & fluting traditions with some of my favourite people & musicians. Deas labhairt leis an Taoiseach Ina dhiaidh! Ócáid speisialta

Most read on #RTEBrainstorm: Why St Patrick's Day early morning parades rule the roost in Achill and Dingle. By @aoifeg.bsky.social @ucc.ie www.rte.ie/brainstorm/2...

#VoiceActors: We want to hear your auditions! Love seeing the variety still coming in. All shares are appreciated and welcome! #CastingCall #VA #Ireland

In 1970 a group of art students visited Dingle & painted portraits of local fishermen; this is my grandad Paddy Brosnan, by R. O’Connell. Anyone any idea where the artist might be now? #speirgorm @aoifeg.bsky.social @dinglelit.bsky.social @ciaraioch.bsky.social

A great opportunity to work with Traditional Arts at the Arts Council. Please apply!!

Dithered about this and looked into Patreon etc. but prefer to keep things un-paywalled, so there's a no-obligation, totally voluntary tip jar on my site if you like my doodles or newsletter, solely to allow the people who asked for it tide me over until I kidnap a Medici www.ciaraioch.com/tip-jar

Happy Imbolc 🌱

The Biddy is an Irish folk tradition linked to Brigid’s Day and Imbolc, where groups wear white and handmade straw headpieces to travel around playing music while carrying a Brídeóg (a model Brigid in child form), warding off evil and bringing luck. It's still strong in parts of Kerry.

"February-isn't-Spring" people, remove the coloniser from your mind

For those interested in Brigid, an article i wrote for the Conversation last year! Lá (weekend!) Fhéile Bríde Shona! theconversation.com/brigids-day-...

First of many!! #lálebríde

Essay marking finished & settling into the snooker! Ó Murchú Abú ❤️ #masterssnooker

Annual reminder that I need my head examined 🤣 Collecting rushes today for our students to make Brigid’s Crosses!

It wouldn’t be a Folklore lecture about St. Brigid without the lecturer including a work from (and very honourable mention) to that of @ciaraioch.bsky.social!

In the last half hour of the day that’s in it, watch Oonagh Kearney’s glorious Oíche Nollaig na mBan x www.tyrellapictures.com/oiche-nollai...

Such an important programme with @katiehannon.bsky.social highlighting the epidemic of domestic abuse, coercive control & the horrific murders of women in Ireland. On #NollaignamBan particularly poignant. How do we change this problem? Education/policy? @upfrontrte.bsky.social

Harry Clarke, who was once described as ‘Ireland’s strangest genius’, died on this day in 1931, the Feast of the Epiphany. Twenty years previously and at the start of his career, Clarke had created this remarkable stained-glass panel as a competition piece for a national competition.

Nollaig na mBan / Women's Christmas / an excuse to share some books by Irish women writers we love.

It’s Nollaig na mBan tomorrow or Little Christmas (not Women’s Little Christmas!!) It has been celebrated in West Kerry in living memory & I think it’s great to see it being celebrated more widely now! An article I wrote last year on #nollaignamban theconversation.com/how-irelands...

Over & out from Sráid Eoin Wran. Great ball night last night hosted by Johnny & Adam’s bar (Johnnys grandad was a Captain of Sráid Eoin which made us venture up Main St!) €2000 was donated to Kerry Cancer Bus & great tunes were played. Go mbeirimid beo ar an am seo arís 💙🤍

In keeping with tradition….Sráid Eoin & Goat Street Abú. Go mbeirimid beo ar an am seo arís

Sure, fireworks are cool, but have you ever tried ringing in the New Year the Kerry way, marching through the village of Annascaul at midnight with flaming sods of turf on pikes

Daingean Uí Chúis Abú! We never died a winter yet!

A piece I wrote for the conversation uk on the Wren tradition. Managed to mention other places besides Dingle too 🤣 theconversation.com/wrens-day-an...

It's Wran's Day (yes it can be called Wran instead of Wren) and it still is widely celebrated in my home county of Kerry! More on its significance by @aoifeg.bsky.social: www.rte.ie/brainstorm/2... and below meself, mam and the late Mícheál Ó Muircheartaigh at the Wran in Dingle a few years ago!

The church of Damo! Another amazing night at Vicar Street!

'Solstice' by Michael Longley

Straws done! Roll on the Wran’s Day! Sráid Eoin Abú 💙🤍

www.irishexaminer.com/food-columni... “Book of the year for my money is Irish Food History — a companion by Máirtín Mac Con Iomaire, and Ballymaloe Cookery School alumni Dorothy Cashman, with contributions from multiple scholars. A meticulously researched tome….” ☺️☺️☺️

Gorgeous idea from the wonderful @kennysbookshop.bsky.social

Delighted to announce our flute tutors for Cruinniú na bhFliúit 2025 in Baile Mhúirne:Sarah-Jane, John, Mike, Sylvain & Ciarán. I’ll only be teaching melancholic airs & rebellious marches. No in-between 🤣 Details on flutemeet.org

We’re making straws with Sráid Eoin Wran on Saturday night in Chocs from 8! Fáilte roimh cách 💙🤍

Leading figures from film, sport and activism were awarded with honorary degrees by @ucc.bsky.social last night. Jeremy Irons, Adi Roche, Lord David Puttnam and Dominic Casey were all recognised for their achievements at a special ceremony in UCC’s Aula Maxima www.ucc.ie/en/news/2024...

The best colleagues at UCC Folklore!

Comhgháirdeachas le @kneecapceol.bsky.social

The best Irish-language books of 2024, another bumper year for all ages. A taster of the finest books as Gaeilge for adults and children published over the past year, selected by Áine Ní Ghlinn, the former Laureate na nÓg www.irishtimes.com/culture/book...

How Harry Clarke became one of Ireland's best loved artists. Siobhán Doyle profiles the much celebrated and admired artist ahead of new exhibition of his work at the National Museum www.rte.ie/brainstorm/2...

That's right, the hugely successful #DingleLit Short Story Competition is back! An bhfuil gearrscéal ionat? Tá sé in am é a scaoileadh! Treoirlínte iontrála | Entry guidelines ansa www.dinglelit.ie 💻 #ShortStoryCompetition #ComórtasGearrscéalaíochta #Comórtas #Gearrscéal #ShortStory #DingleLit2025

Thanks @byjimcarroll.bsky.social for having Liam Óg and myself in to chat about the Phoenix for Banter yesterday. Tráthnona deas I Foxys.

Liam Óg & myself will be chatting all about the Phoenix with the brilliant Jim Carroll this afternoon as part of Banter @othervoiceslive.bsky.social Foxys at 5!

Less than a week left to order pre-Christmas prints from www.ciaraioch.com going to the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand if you want to send them there as gifts for loved ones. If you want them as gifts for disliked ones, order them after this so they'll arrive too late, that'll annoy them.