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The 1st of August, or sometimes the 2nd, marks the celebration of Lúnasa in Ireland (also known as Lughnasadh, Lughnasa, Lammas, or Brón Trogain), our vibrant harvest festival. Rooted in ancient tradition, Lúnasa honours the Irish god Lugh and heralds the beginning of the harvest season, a time of community gathering, feasting, and ritual.
As thoughts begin to trun to the waning of summer (though we’re holding on hard just yet!), we come together to celebrate the first fruits of our labour with games and other outdoor activities, giving thanks for the abundance of the land and the bountiful blessings it provides.
✨ Lúnasa in Ireland Post by Lora O’Brien, MA in Irish History
With regard to the spelling, the different forms of Lúnasa provided through this article are all correct – they simply represent different stages in the evolving spelling of the Irish language, Gaeilge.
Personally, I stick mostly to Lúnasa – this is the actual word in our modern, living language, for the whole month of August. For more on the timing of the festival, see my Video Here.
In her excellent book, ‘The Festival of Lughnasa’, Máire MacNeill wrote:
“Garland Sunday and Domhnach Chrom Dubh are two of the many names of a festival celebrated by Irish country people at the end of July or the beginning of August. It marked the end of summer and the beginning of the harvest season, and on that day the first meal of the year’s new food crop was eaten. The chief custom was the resorting of the rural communities to certain heights or water-sides to spend the day in festivity, sports and bilberry-picking.”
Publisher: Folklore of Ireland Council; Reprint edition (January 1, 2008)
The book is out of print, unfortunately, but you can try for an (expensive!) second hand copy Here.
Lughnasadh in Irish Mythology
Lúnasa is mentioned in the old text, Tochmarc Emire, ‘The Wooing of Emer’ – which Kuno Meyer has dated to the 900s CE – along with a small piece on all the Fire Festivals:
“Bend Suain, son of Rose Melc, which she said, this is the same thing, viz., that I shall fight without harm to myself from Samuin. i.e., the end of summer. For two divisions were formerly on the year, viz., summer from Beltaine (the first of May), and winter from Samuin to Beltaine. Or samfuin, viz., suain (sounds), for it is then that gentle voices sound, viz., sám-son ‘ gentle sound.’
To Oimolc. i.e., the beginning of spring, viz., different (ime) is its wet (folc), viz., the wet of spring, and the wet of winter. Or, oi-melc, viz., oi, in the language of poetry, is a name for sheep, whence oibá (sheep’s death) is named, ut dicitur coinbá (dog’s death), echbá (horse’s death), duineba (men’s death), as bath is a name for ‘death.’ Oi-melc, then, is the time in which the sheep come out and are milked, whence oisc (a ewe), i.e., oi-sesc, viz., a barren sheep.
To Beldine, i.e. Beltine, viz., a favouring fire. For the druids used to make two fires with great incantations, and to drive the cattle between them against the plagues, every year. Or to Beldin, viz., Bel the name of an idol. At that time the young of every neat were placed in the possession of Bel. Beldine, then Beltine.
To Brón Trogain, i.e. Lammas-day, viz., the beginning of autumn ; for it is then the earth is afflicted, viz., the earth under fruit. Trogan is a name for ‘ earth.'”
Kuno Meyer, Archaeological Review Vol. I, 1888
The festival of Lúnasa in Ireland began as a commemoration feast and games, started by the Tuatha Dé Danann God Lugh in honour of his foster mother Tailtiu, a Firbolg Queen.
Yes, they were warring tribes. Yes, Tailtiu took in the child of an enemy, and raised him as her own. There’s a lesson there, people, for modern Ireland.
Lúnasa in Ireland’s Folklore
In a fascinating entry recorded in The Schools Collection, from County Clare, we hear the following:
“Domnach Lunasa, or Lammas Sunday, the first Sunday of the Month of August, was the first – fruits day, and a great day on Buaile na Greine. On Laammas Sunday, called Domnach Crom Dubh, and anglicised Garland Sunday every household was supposed to feast his family and household on the first fruits, and the farmer who failed to provide his people with new potatoes, new bacon, and white cabbage on that day, was called a Felemair Gaoithe, or wind farmer, and if a man dug new potatoes before Crom Dubh’s Day he was considered a needy man, and hence this Sunday was called first – fruits Sunday.
On this day all went to Buaile na Greine with their contribution and their lons (or food supplies) to hold the fair.
The ceremonies consisted of strewing summer flowers on the altar and festive mound, of which we have been speaking up to this, under the name of Altóir na Greine, or Altar of the Sun, but which is on this day used as the altar of Crom Dubh.
The assemblage of this day is called Comthineol Chruim Duibh, or the congregation or gathering of Crom Dubh. And the day is called from him Domnach Chrom Dubh, or Crom Dubh’s Sunday, now called Garland Sunday by the English speaking portion of the people of the surrounding districts.
The name is supposed to have been derived from the practice of strewing garlands of flowers on the festive mound on this day as homage to Crom Dubh: hence the name Garland Sunday.
Assuredly I saw blossoms and flowers deposited upon it on the first Sunday of August 1844, and put some upon it myself as I saw done by those who were with me. I was then a mere lad, but very inquisitive. The assembly was at this time a mere gathering of boys.”
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0612, Page 323
According to MacNeill, the main theme that emerges from the folklore and rituals of Lughnasadh is a struggle for the harvest between two gods. One god – usually called Crom Dubh – guards the grain as his treasure. The other god – Lugh – must seize it for mankind. (Tailtiu may have been an earth goddess who represented the dying vegetation that fed mankind.)
The Tailteann Games, Tailtin Fair, Áenach Tailteann, Aonach Tailteann, Assembly of Talti, Fair of Taltiu or Festival of Taltii were the funeral games which Lugh started in her honour.
There is still a complex of ancient earthworks dating to the Iron Age in the area of Teltown where the festival was historically known to be celebrated off and on from medieval times into the modern era.
My Experience of Lúnasa in Ireland
On a personal note, I’ve always connected very strongly with the Goddess Tailtiu. Indeed, I chose her as my avatar and screen name when I moderated a popular English Witchcraft forum, many years ago. The pronunciation was always fun (Tall-CHEW), and earned me the nickname of Chewy. So, nothing to do with Star Wars, if you remember me from those dim and misty times.
My first introduction to the Irish Pagan Community, back in… 1996, I think, was to represent the Goddess Tailtiu in a ritual re-enactment of a sacred procession, organised by Chris Thompson (of Story Archaeology fame).
This was in protest at the landowner attempting to dig up one/some of the mounds, and was filmed by the Nationwide programme, for our national broadcaster RTE.
So, no pressure then.
If anyone can source a copy of that segment, I’d be most grateful 😉
Resources for Celebrating Lúnasa
A good book to get that is available and in print at time of writing is Marion McGarry’s – Irish Customs and Rituals: How our Ancestors Celebrated Life and the Seasons. Get Your Copy Here.
Another excellent book that is back in print (Yay!) is Kevin Danaher’s – The Year in Ireland: Irish Calendar Customs. Get Your Copy Here.
📌 Blog Posts – Learn More about Lugh – Click Here, and Lúnasa – Click Here.
📌 Storytelling – Lugh Comes to Tara – Click Here.
We have three relevant classes at the Irish Pagan School you will get great value from:
- Seasons and Sacred Cycles [Lora O’Brien] – Learn about the mythology, folk traditions and magic around the turning of the year and Pagan Festivals in Ireland. Learn More Here.
- Lúnasa in Ireland [Lora O’Brien] – Part of our Online Class about how we celebrate the Lúnasa (Lughnasadh) Fire Festival in Irish Paganism. Learn More Here.
- Lúnasa Ritual & Practice [Orlagh Costello] – Part of our Online Class Series providing practical rituals for all seasons, as we work through the Fire Festivals Cycle in the Irish Tradition. Learn More Here.
🔥 FREE RESOURCE: DOWNLOAD OUR LÚNASA FIRE FESTIVAL CHEAT SHEET – CLICK HERE 🌻
As an Amazon Associate, the Irish Pagan School earns a few cents from qualifying purchases if you make them through a link we post. Please don’t feel you have to buy from Amazon however! You can take a look through the link, and source your copy independently in your local bookshop… if you do choose to support us this way however, it won’t cost you anything. Just so you know 😉
[…] This Pagan Holiday of Lúnasa was one of the most significant of the year, a time famous for assemblies and fairs, called oenacha in Old Irish. […]