A great festive event to honour the traditional May day folklore celebrations has been organised for Sunday afternoon May 1st. Bealtane or Bealtaine as we know it, is a truly remarkable time of year in the Irish calendar, no matter whatever religion you follow. Irish folklore still holds the legacy of these traditions and customs associated with this ancient festival, that is, the turning of winter darkness into summer light and of course Fairies were up to all sorts of mischief too! Folklore has it that on the eve of May Day, yellow flowers such as buttercups, marigolds and primroses were gathered and spread around the outside of each household to keep Cailleachs (old women or hags) from entering homes to steal butter or milk during the morning of May Day. Children would scatter the flowers outside their neighbour’s homes as a sign of goodwill. Similarly, another custom was visiting holy wells when people would leave personal possessions at the well, or tie items to nearby trees and pray for good health when walking clockwise around the well, for example Doon Well. The first water drawn from the Well during Bealtane was considered to have greater powers than at any other time of the year. Invitation : All children in the Rathmullan area accompanied by parents/guardians, were invited to assemble at the Ferry gate entry to Batts Walks before 4.30pm on Sunday afternoon 1 st May to create a unique Walk down this ‘Fairy Lane’ to the ‘Enchanted Well’ and have a creative celebration of this old tradition with a ‘modern twist’. Full details on local notices in outlets or from school news letters.

Event: A unique Fairy Walk took place on Sunday afternoon, 1 st May down Batts Walks as far as the enchanted Wishing Well which had been beautifully adorned with Fairy lights and flowers as was the custom in olden days. Over one hundred people, mostly children and family members assembled at the Ferry Gates and then made their way along the walks, searching out the numerous Fairy Doors (11) along the pathway and placed May flowers and Tea lights near the Well area. Tradition has it that the 1st May, La Bealtaine is a time for celebrating the coming of summer, honouring the ‘good people’ (fairy folk) and warding
away ill fortune and bad spirits. Eilis MGlynn, Tidy Towns Chairperson gave an outline of these age old traditions which surround La Bealtaine and invited the ‘Fairy Folk’ now to come and make good use of our their ‘residences’. Carol Wilson entertained and sang her beautiful new song (Bealtaine) which was written in honour of this traditional Festive Day. Thank you Carol, Moira and everyone who helped prepare for the ‘May Day Parade’ to keeping the old traditions alive, in preparation for a good summer.