The Irish Folklore Centre

Providing a focus for the whole Irish folk tradition

The Coming of the Gael

How and why one saga became three with All roads leading to Kerry.  A great read by Tighe O’Donoghue/Ross, first published in The Kerry Magazine 2015     THE COMING OF THE GAEL HOW AND WHY ONE SAGA OF INVASION BECAME THREE All Roads Lead to Kerry Tighe O’Donoghue/Ross First published in The Kerry Magazine […]

The Battle of the White Strand

This story possibly dates from the twelfth century, but is only available in a fifteenth century version.  It is Ireland versus the rest and contains some extraordinary imagery.  The themes are all battle related: single combat, cutting off heads, one conquering many, giant champions, magic weapons and boy warriors The King of the World, Dáire […]

Bill Doody and the rentman

This story would have probably been created in the eighteenth or nineteenth century.  A very typical local hero story In one of those entertaining legends so plentiful in the South and South West of Ireland, we have an amusing illustration of the firm belief of the people in O’Donoghue’s powers.  It is a treasure legend, […]

The Legend of O’Donoghue

The Legend of O’Donoghue Background There are a great many tales about Dónall Ó Donnchú or Daniel O’Donoghue, who, some say, was a twelfth century chieftain and the grandson of the Donogh from whom the O’Donoghue name was taken.