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Sparks from the Flagstones
€23.00
Hardback
Sparks from the Flagstones
– a treasury of Irish Folk Traditions & Calendar Customs
by Edwina Guckian
illustrated by Andrea Rossi
Launched on Brigid’s Day – 1st February 2024
Published by Dreoilín Productions with support from Arts Council Ireland & Leitrim County Council Arts Office
“Have you ever danced around the flames on Bonefire Night or set a place at your kitchen table for the dead at Halloween?Have you ever gotten a cure from a 7th son or asked the fairies for permission to build your house? And did you know that animals are the greatest predictor of the weather, or that the crows start to build their nest on the 1st of March?”Read about these traditions and more in Sparks from the Flagstones
SUPPORT FROM PRESIDENT MICHAEL D. HIGGINS
“In Sparks from the Flagstones, your profound exploration of calendar customs and Irish folk traditions, rooted in the legacy passed down from your parents and grandparents, as well as enriched by research and interviews across your home county of Leitrim, is proof of your deep commitment to preserving our national, historical and cultural traditions.
In reflecting on these traditions of yesteryear and seeking to breathe new life into them, making them relevant in today’s world, your ability to bring people together in celebration of our land, nature, communities and culture, echoes the timeless spirit of our Irish ancestors.
Sending best wishes for the success of Sparks from the Flagstones and the enduring impact it will undoubtedly have. May your book find its way into the hearts and minds of many, enlightening readers about the richness of Irish folklore, sparking a renewed appreciation for our rich cultural legacy.”
Dancer Edwina Guckian celebrates the folk traditions and calendar customs of the Ireland in which she grew up in rural County Leitrim.
As a child Edwina’s Grandfather brought her to House Dances where he played the fiddle and she watched dancers in hobnail boots ‘knock sparks from the flagstones’ on traditional cottage stone floors. Half-doors were taken down from their hinges to dance on when the floors were rough or uneven.
Edwina too became ‘a great one for knocking sparks’ from the flagstones with her own dancing. Here she brings to life for readers of all ages the lovely colourful customs, fun and enchantments of her childhood. Dressing up for Halloween and for Wren Day and Brigid’s Day, going to communal ‘Bonefires’ at the crossroads, remembering the harvest ‘meitheal’ and hilltop berry picking on Bilberry Sunday.
Edwina vividly brings to life a world of Strawboys, Mummers and Biddy Boys, Crossroads Dances, Cake Dances, Nollaig na mBan feasts, Easter treats and many more year round Irish folk traditions.
Join Edwina as she dances through the Celtic Calendar Year and the importance of ancient Quarter Day customs and old-world Fire Festival traditions at Samhain, Imbolc, Bealtaine and Lughnasa. Every page of Sparks from the Flagstones fabulously and joyfully illustrated by Andrea Rossi
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