Edwina Guckian

Moment of possible self combustion with the excitement! My book is now in Hodges Figgis, Dawson St, Dublin. ✨ Sparks from the Flagstones - a treasury of Irish Folk Traditions & Calendar Customs. edwinaguckian.com

Don’t forget to sprinkle the May flowers across your doorstep tonight. Oíche Bealtaine! 🌼 For it is on this night, between sunset and sunrise on May Day, that na daoine maithe, the good people, are out and about with notions of their own. If you’re wandering the roads late, it’s no harm at all to carry a small piece of iron in your pocket, just to keep your feet firmly in your world and not theirs. Because should you find yourself suddenly turned around, hedges where there were none before, roads multiplying at crossroads, and home nowhere to be found… well, you’ve likely had the misfortune of stepping on the stray sod. And sure if that happens, don’t be making a show of yourself roaring and cursing the darkness. That’s exactly the kind of entertainment they’d be hoping for. Keep your wits, take off your jacket and turn it inside out. And mind yourself with those little flickering lights dancing before your eyes. Harmless looking, but they’re the very light of the fairies. Sclimpíní! You’re never to follow them. Many a man has been led clean astray, chasing a glow that keeps just out of reach, until they’ve neither road nor sense of direction left to them. Now, if you hear music playing above in the hills, you’d want to be cautious. Don’t hop the hedge for a nose. They’re out celebrating the turning of the year. And they might call you in. “A tune?”, they’ll say. “Or throw a step for us?” Sure what harm? And isn’t it hard to refuse when the music is so good? If you do refuse outright, they might take offence. Never a wise move. You could end up with a hump on your back for good. But if you do join them… well… time has a habit of slipping away. A reel could last a minute, or a year and a day. Best advice? If you’re drawn in, keep one foot in your own world. Don’t eat, don’t drink, and don’t let them slap you on the back as if you belong there. Praise their music, their dancing. Give a polite step amongst them, then put your hand around that piece of iron in your pocket and edge your way out like you’ve remembered the spuds are boiling on the fire at home. Come May morning, wash your face in the dew for a touch of eternal youth, your hands to untie any knot, and your feet to keep the magic in them for dancing all the days ahead. And if you wake with sore legs and no memory of the night at all, the shoes still on you inside in the bed, the balls of your feet worn out through the soles of them… well now, maybe you kept better company than you thought.

The Conference of the Birds is taking place this week in Kilnagross, Co. Leitrim before they head up to the fairy tree on Sheemore to celebrate Bealtaine. At today’s AGM chaired by the barn owl, the Hedge Committee opened proceedings with grave concern over the “tidiness epidemic” sweeping the countryside. The blackbird gave a heartfelt address on the loss of winter berries, while the wren described certain hedgerows as “nothing short of ecological deserts, trimmed within an inch of their lives.” A delegation of robins presented findings on soil quality, noting that “worms are harder found by but the future is looking bright with so many farmers turning organic.” This was followed by a stirring contribution from the curlew (attending remotely from her nest on Shanley’s bog), who reminded all present that what happens in the hedges does not stay in the hedges. One of the week’s highlights was the selection of the Birds’ Farming for Nature Ambassador. Tommy Earley of Mount Allen Farm was awarded the prize. Many other Leitrim farmers were highly commended with the skylark praising “those farmers who farm with nature, who cut late if at all, and who understand that a hedge is not a boundary line, but a living world.” The Bird in Residence Bursary was given to the corncrake who will begin her 5 month residency on Mount Allen Farm next spring. A controversial presentation was delivered on the latest in hedge-mowing technology, referred to by several birds as “The Great Flattener.” A willow warbler demonstrated, with unsettling accuracy, the speed at which a hedge can be reduced from a rich habitat to a bare scaffold by the flail. Gasps were heard. One elderly blackcap fainted briefly. A motion was passed on Dawn Chorus Standards: “That no mechanical noise, leaf blower, chainsaw, or the over-enthusiastic strimmer shall commence before the conclusion of the morning chorus.” Proposed by the Song thrush. Seconded by the blackbird at 4:47 a.m. Proceedings were temporarily disrupted when a large group of meadow pipits arrived with placards “Not My Egg, Not My Job!” A spokesperson for the group said: “Year after year we are selected without consultation to be the cuckoos nurse. We are told this is tradition. This is nature. But where is the support? Where is the union? We want to resign from this role immediately.” The magpie tabled a motion for the next meeting: That the cuckoo be formally requested to clarify its housing policy, including but not limited to nest ownership, tenancy rights, and the ethical implications of outsourcing parental responsibilities. Other exciting events coming up this week at the conference include a Dawn Chorus Competition and a workshop on Advanced Nest Camouflage in Increasingly Sparse Hedges (fully booked). The gathering concludes with the highlight of the week. A trip up Sheemore to the fairy hawthorn tree to celebrate Bealtaine. The children of Kilnagross National School will make their way by bicycle to the hill, travelling through the living hedgerows that have been at the heart of the week’s discussions. Along the route, the birds will accompany them with all swallows leading the way. The celebration itself promises music, song and dancing on the hillside, as children and birds alike mark the arrival of summer together. It is hoped that the gathering will not only honour the turning of the year, but also renew a shared understanding of the land, of hedges left to grow, and of the small but very important lives that depend on them. A project by Mairead Hurley and Trinity College Dublin with artist Edwina Guckian and Kilnagross N.S Co. Leitrim.

What kind of a country have we become when such one sided commercially produced propaganda tripe is being paid for by taxpayers and endorsed by @MHealyRae to indocterinate our children.

An ecovillage in Co Tipperary has introduced a new lighting system designed to reduce light pollution and protect nocturnal wildlife such as bats and moths rte.ie/news/munster/2…

Today is Jimmy Gralton’s 140th birthday! 🎉 We can’t think of a better present for him than rebuilding his hall. If you’d like to help us raise the roof of Gralton’s Hall visit GraltonsHall.com Jimmy Gralton (1886–1945) was a community activist from Effrinagh, Drumsna, near Carrick-on-Shannon in County Leitrim, and the only Irish citizen ever deported by the Irish Free State. In 1921, on his own land in Effrinagh, and with the voluntary labour and belief of the local people, they built a hall for the community. It belonged to everyone. Inside, there were music and dance classes, boxing an a gym, Irish language lessons, political meetings and renowned dances that drew people from across the county. The hall became a place where young people felt seen, where bodies moved freely, and where community life flourished. From the outset, the hall was watched. The Church and local priests condemned Gralton’s politics, the music, the dancing, and socialising of the people. Those who attended dances were named from pulpits, scrutinised and shamed. Supporters of the hall were branded dangerous, immoral, subversive. They said the Devil was in that dance hall. Condemnation soon turned to intimidation and in 1922 Gralton closed the hall and once again left for the United States. Ten years later, believing Ireland had changed, Jimmy came home again and reopened the hall. It thrived. Huge dance nights filled the space, with people travelling from neighbouring counties to attend. The jazz rhythms of the roaring twenties crossed the Atlantic and folded themselves into Irish music, and once more the hall pulsed with life. But the opposition returned almost immediately. Shots were fired into the hall while people danced. Landmines were placed beneath the floor and on Christmas Eve 1932, Gralton’s Hall was attacked and burned to the ground. Soon after, Gralton was accused of communist agitation and public disorder. He was labelled “an undesirable alien”. In 1933, despite being born in Ireland, he was served with a deportation order, arrested and forcibly removed from his own country. The only Irishman ever deported by the Irish Free State.

We finished off our 10th year of Leitrim Dance Festival with a dance around the ring in Drumshanbo Mart. We’ve 5 marts in Leitrim and they’re a thriving and vital part of our rural communities. Thanks to Eoiny Keane for welcoming us all in the gate today. It was magic! Up Leitrim! 💚💛 @artscouncil_ie @LeitrimDance @leitrimcoco

I’d say if the Gralton Big Band kept playing until the sun rose this morning, the crowd would still be there dancing! Such was the magic last night in the Mayflower Ballroom at The Devil’s in the Dance Hall. Thanks to all that travelled back in time to Drumshanbo from near and far. We had so much fun! ⭐️

Tune into Céilí House on @RTERadio1 this Saturday night coming from my kitchen with The Gralton Big Band, Aidan Vaughan, Vincent Woods and a great crowd of neighbours and friends 💛

Have a listen to my interview with Miriam O’ Callaghan to hear all about our show in the National Concert Hall, Dublin, this St. Patrick’s Day with The Gralton Big Band and the cast of The Devil’s in the Dance Hall 💃🏼 rte.ie/radio/radio1/c… @NCH_Music

Walking through Drumcondra yesterday and don’t I only go and meet myself on a bus! 😂 All part of a mega celebration of Irish culture at the @NCH_Music 15th March - Drawing from the Well with the Irish Traditional Music Archive - I’ll be hosting a cake dance with many wonderful dancers in celebration Breandan Breathnach 16th March - @thekilfenora Céilí Band take to the main stage on Monday 17th St. Patrick’s Day - a a big night with myself and The Gralton Big Band with a huge crew of actors and dancers - so excited for this!! It’s the music, dance and story of dance from the 1930s. Tickets at NCH.ie ☘️

Go rambling these dark evenings! Call to your neighbour or invite your neighbours in. For anyone new to it, rambling is the practice of wandering from house to house in your community, especially during the darker winter months. Years ago, people would drop into a neighbour’s kitchen without warning or invitation, be handed a cup of tea, sit by the fire and fall into songs, cards, stories, and long conversations. It was how we bonded, how we supported each other, and how we passed winter nights without feeling alone. Somewhere along the way, we lost that ease. Locked doors, automatic gates, busy schedules and a culture of “text first” have made spontaneous visiting feel rare or even intrusive. And with that our social health declines. Let’s reset that! Rebuild our connection to community again. Fionnuala Maxwell, Brian Mostyn, myself and lots of local musicians will be hosting rambling houses here in Leitrim where homeowners invite their neighbour/s to gather for music, stories, a bit of food and great company. We’ll also make sure lifts are available for anyone who needs help getting there. But this project isn’t limited to Leitrim. It belongs everywhere. We’d love to see people across the country: • Call to a neighbour once a week. • Invite someone into your home for a chat, a cup of tea, a card game, a bit of music, share stories of the townland. • Place a Ramblers Welcome Tonight sign at your door or gate • Offer a lift to someone who might not get out otherwise. • And if nothing else, take a ramble yourself. Walk the fields, the village streets, the back roads. Notice who you meet, and stop for a conversation. Thanks to @CreativeIreland @leitrimcoco @luaildance for making the Just Rambling project possible.

Mummers Ball @MarinoInstitute Great fun being had and great costumes!! @EdwinaGuckian

The music of sinners 💃 The Devils in the Dancehall comes to @NCH_Music on March 17th! Inspired by the story of Jimmy Gralton & the rural dancehalls of the early 20th century @EdwinaGuckian & The Gralton Big Band bring us a whirlwind of big band energy. 🎫nch.ie/all-events-lis…

The magic above the Iron Mountain in Leitrim tonight! ✨ The old stories of this area say that the Tuatha De Danann arrived in a cloud of mist on this mountain when they first came to Ireland. And many years later when their rein ended, it was to this mountain they were banished. We watched as the mist crept from Lough Allen tonight, it slowly swallowed Arigna and then it took the mountain. Maybe on nights as special as this, those spirits come out to walk the land again. #Leitrim #Roscommon #northernlights

Uilleann piper, collector, writer, publisher — Breandán Breathnach is one of the seminal figures of Irish music. Join ITMA and the National Concert Hall this March as Noel Hill, Doireann Ní Ghlacáin, Charlie Harris and more draw on Breathnach's legacy. 🎟️ tickets.nch.ie/Online/mapSele…

4 weeks today since we launched our project to rebuild Gralton’s Hall. The donations, support, offers of help and expressions of excitement have been heart warming and so reassuring. We’ll share more plans on the project soon. Míle buíochas arís! ⭐️ Let’s raise the roof for Gralton! gofundme.com/f/rebuild-gral…

“That hall is going to stand, and that’s it.” Today was a great day! Front page of the @IrishTimes to kick off our 2026 campaign to rebuild Jimmy Gralton’s Hall on the site that it once stood. The team are so appreciative of all your support, donations and words of kindness and excitement. It means a lot to us! We’re going to raise the roof for Gralton with our community thanks to your help. You can support us here: gofundme.com/f/rebuild-gral… Míle míle buíochas! ⭐️

Gralton’s Hall: The rebirth of an important ‘den of iniquity’ in Co Leitrim irishtimes.com/opinion/2026/0…

This Saturday, 3rd January, the Mummers Parade comes alive in Drumkeeran, Co. Leitrim, as mummers make their way not only from across the county, but from all over Ireland. Come dressed in disguise and join us for a night of music, song and dance celebrating the mummers. 🎉