Superstitions of the Irish Country People - Padraic O Farrell

Do you know why it is considered unlucky to:

• Meet a barefooted man?
• Start a journey on the tenth of November?
• Get married on a Saturday?

Irish country people believed that fairies were always present among them and that around the next corner or in the very next clump of rushes there might well be somebody lurking who would lead them to the crock of gold at the end of the rainbow. Fairies were good to mortals who observed the superstitions, e.g. those which called for leaving them food, not throwing out water without first shouting a warning on them, and so on.

Living in its fullest sense is still dear to the Irish country folk and is reflected in their customs. Going to work, to sea, to weddings, wakes - at all of these there are fascinating customs to be observed.