Guide to Irish Traditions

The Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA)

Sport is a central part of Irish life, with Gaelic games taking the top spot in popularity across the country. The Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) governs sports like hurling, handball, rounders and Gaelic football on a local and national level. These games attract large crowds and instil a strong sense of community pride.

Fans around the country embrace hurling and Gaelic football, but clubs and teams play these beloved sports far beyond Ireland’s shores. The GAA also fosters international connections; for example, a team travels annually to play a blend of Irish hurling and the Scottish sport of shinty. In the USA, a version of hurling with adapted rules is played periodically – most frequently in Fenway Park, Boston.

Since Michael Cusack founded the GAA in 1884, hurling and Gaelic football have become much more formalised, with codes and rules recognised on a national level. The Michael Cusack Centre in the Burren offers plenty of information for those interested in learning more about the GAA and the local area.

Playing for your county in either sport is a source of immense pride and requires a professional athlete’s dedication and skill. However, these players are technically amateurs. GAA sporting events, whether in a local village or at the famous Croke Park in Dublin, unite communities in a way few other traditions can.

Hurling

Hurling is considered one of the world’s fastest and oldest field sports. References to hurling date back to 1272 BC, and Irish mythology and legends describe its various forms. The most well-known tale is that of Cú Chullainn, a mythical warrior who killed a fierce guard dog by hitting a hurling ball down its throat. Hurling holds such significance in Irish heritage that UNESCO includes it on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Gaelic Football

Gaelic football, soccer and rugby evolved from a rough form of a sport common during the Middle Ages. Gaelic football is younger than hurling, with the first reference to it being in the 1600s. Of course, as with many old Irish tales, folklore surrounds the story.

One popular legend claims that a curse was placed on the Mayo football team in 1951, the last time they won the All-Ireland final. On the team’s drive home, they didn’t show suitable respect to a funeral while passing through a town in Mayo. The local parish priest was furious and cursed the team so that Mayo would never win an All-Ireland final while members of the 1951 team were alive. Indeed, Mayo hasn’t won to this day. If you want to learn more about GAA-related curses, enjoy this article from RTE.

One of the most striking features of the Irish landscape is the intricate network of dry stone walls that crisscross the countryside. People have used these mortarless walls for centuries, with some dating back to the Neolithic period. Constructing them requires great skill, as each stone must be precisely cut to ensure stability. Some walls have stood for hundreds of years.

One of Ireland’s longest dry stone walls is the Mourne Wall in Co. Down, stretching 35 km across rugged terrain. It crosses 15 mountain peaks, including Slieve Donard, the highest mountain in Northern Ireland.

Read our travel guide here if you’d like to learn more about the Mourne Mountains. Don’t worry if your travel plans don’t include the Mournes – dry stone walling is prevalent across the island and you’re sure to see it almost anywhere you decide to visit.

Today, dry stone walling is recognised as a valuable heritage craft and is listed on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Conservation efforts ensure that this ancient tradition continues with people young and old carrying on the tradition.

What is the first thing on some visitors’ Irish bucket lists? Sipping on a creamy pint of Guinness in a bustling, music-filled local bar. So, of course, we must mention alcohol as a key part of Irish culture. Since 1759, Guinness has been brewed in Dublin and remains a symbol of Ireland worldwide, with around 1.8 billion pints of the black stuff enjoyed yearly.

Despite Guinness’s popularity, people also recognise Ireland for its whiskey. Irish whiskey, known for its smooth and triple-distilled character, has grown in popularity, with distilleries producing some of the finest spirits in the world. The legend says that Irish monks invented whiskey around the 12th century and, delighted with their concoction, called it ‘uisce beatha,’ meaning ‘water of life.

We can’t talk about Irish alcohol without mentioning traditional Irish pubs, where it‘s as much about socialising as it is about the beverages themselves. Pub culture has been a way for people to unite for centuries – meeting friends, neighbours or strangers while revelling in the friendly atmosphere. Today, there are Irish pubs all over the world. The Irish bar is more than just a place to drink—it is a hub of conversation, music and storytelling, where locals and visitors alike can experience the warmth of Irish hospitality.

Ireland has several unique celebrations and holidays on the calendar that reflect its deep-rooted traditions. Often the historic holidays have elements of folklore, Christianity, Paganism and nature that are all rolled into one epic story. This dates back to a time when people were spreading Christianity around Ireland. Missionaries found ways to connect the story of Christian saints with pagan elements like plants and flowers to convert the pagans.

Imbolc & St. Brigid’s Day

For example, the Celts at the time knew all about the solstice, and their calendar followed it. This is why St. Brigid’s Day now falls on the Celtic ‘Imbolc’ festival, which marks the beginning of spring—February 1st. St. Brigid is associated with fertility, healing and protection and is one of Ireland’s patron saints. To celebrate her feast day, people make holy crosses from rushes—linking the tradition to ancient times. The story of Brigid goes that while she was converting a dying chieftain, she explained Christianity to him by making a cross from what was readily available to her at the time, which was rushes. Traditionally, people would weave these crosses and leave outside on January 31st for St. Brigid to bless them as she passes. Today, people still weave these crosses across the country, mainly in schools or to sell for charitable donations.

Another fascinating tradition that falls on St. Brigid’s Day is the ‘Biddy’. The honouring of the ‘Biddy’ is a mid-Kerry-specific occurrence, where groups of Biddys visit pubs and homes to guarantee good luck and prosperity for the year. To not receive a visit would be seen as bad luck! Ireland has listed the Mid-Kerry Biddy on its Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage, and you can read more about it on their website here.

St. Patrick’s Day

Perhaps the most famous of all Irish holidays is St. Patrick’s Day. People celebrate St. Patrick’s Day worldwide on March 17th with parades, festivals, events and music. In the 17th century, the Christian calendar officially adopted March 17th to mark the day that St. Patrick died. Ireland credits St. Patrick, one of its patron saints, with driving the snakes out of the country. He is also said to have used the shamrock to teach the mystery of the Holy Trinity and successfully converted thousands of Irish people to Christianity. Originally a religious feast day, it has become a global celebration of Irish heritage, with people of all backgrounds participating in the revelry.

Samhain

Another pagan holiday celebrated today is ‘Samhain’, commonly known as Halloween. The Samhain festival’s origins are at least a few thousand years old. It was thought that during this time when the seasons were changing, the boundaries between our world and otherworlds were at their weakest, which meant that spirits could easily cross into our world. To keep these spirits appeased, people left out offerings for them, and this has evolved into trick-or-treating today. The costumes we wear today also developed from the pagan festival as a means to hide from the spirits that are floating around. Although initially an Irish festival, the USA has modernised and adapted the holiday to fit in with the American culture – making it a worldwide tradition.

Read more about these festivals in each of their respective guides below.