Old Ways to New Days

Electronic book text

A Celebration of Everyday Irish Folklore

When we think of technological progress, folklore doesn't come to mind. One creates the future, the other is steeped in the ways of the past. In Old Ways to New Days, folklorist Shane Lehane weaves a story of how these two aspects combine to shape the everyday experience of a people and their culture.

It recalls a time when families drew water from the well, used candles to light the night, heated their homes with hand-cut turf, farmed much of their own food, and entertainment was by way of storytelling. Decisions were made and fates were sealed by fairy beliefs and age-old traditions. But then the candle was replaced by the lightbulb, the horse by the bicycle, and the cinema came to town, allowing a glimpse of the glamour of the world beyond the milking parlour. Ireland was forever changed.

In exploring the social customs and objects that defined a nation, Old Ways to New Days is a fascinating journey into folk life and the technologies that transformed Ireland. Including beautiful illustrations.