Storytellers, musicians and craftspeople bring ancient traditions to life at Uisneach
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Manchán Magan’s wife Aisling lighting a sacred fire at Uisneach in his memory.Image 2 of 13
Polly Gormley getting ready to head up the hill.Image 3 of 13
Val Murphy ready to celebrate the Samhain Festival.Image 4 of 13
Tour guide Treasa Kerrigan with David Clarke, farmer, and The Keeper of the Hill.Image 5 of 13
Louise Keane celebrating Samhain.Image 6 of 13
Tom King An Gobha (The Blacksmith) with Francez Tuite.Image 7 of 13
Seán Clancy, Hill of Uisneach guide, with Olwyn Hendred.Image 8 of 13
Eimear Burke. The Chosen Chief of the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids.Image 9 of 13
Anastasia Snytka and Stephen O’Brennan from Mullingar.Image 10 of 13
Harpist Jennifer Leahy from Meath performing on the sound stage at the festival.Image 11 of 13
The Order of Malta Ambulance Corps, Mullingar Unit at the ready if they were needed.Image 12 of 13
Fire jugglers and fire dancers leading the procession on the way to light the sacred fire on the hill.Image 13 of 13
Catherine Alexander, Keeper of the Sacred Fire of Uisneach.The hill was alive – with the sound of music, storytelling, commerce and craic. That was ‘Samhain in the Heartlands’, a two-day hooley held over the weekend at the Hill of Uisneach.
“We were delighted with it,” says Graham Macken, the Navan man who, since March, has been general manager of Uisneach, which is becoming a major focal point for midlands tourism.
Around 2,500 people attended Samhain in the Heartlands, and they weren’t all local: “We had people from the USA, Australia, Italy; all the Nordic countries,” says Graham.
Events kicked off at around 2pm on Saturday, and among those participating were storytellers, musicians, craftspeople, and an eight-strong band of Irish Wolfhounds.
Among those who attracted a lot of attention were Eoin Reardon, wood worker; and blacksmith Tom King, known as ‘An Gobha’.
“We had horses; we had Vikings; birds of prey; the ancient art of ‘elbow and collar wrestling; we had vendors, we had craft stalls; the Fuinneog game; there was live music, storytelling…,” says Graham. A further highlight was the major procession held in which there were fire performers, spinners and puppeteers, as well as music, and the aforementioned Irish Wolfhounds.
A ceremonial fire was lit on the hill by Aisling, the wife of the late Manchán Magan, writer, broadcaster and Gaeilgeoir, whose ashes had been spread on the hill the previous weekend.
While many events have been held on the hill over the years, this was the first Samhain celebration, and it was part of the series of events held across Longford and Westmeath’s ‘Home of Samhain’ celebrations, marking the fact that the tradition of Samhain is rooted in the midlands of Ireland.
On Sunday morning, activities started early with a sunrise tour of the hill, followed by a communal breakfast, then yoga and meditation.
The next major event at Uisneach is the winter solstice, which takes place in December, and, says Graham, planning is already under way for next year’s Bealtaine festival, scheduled to take place in May.