A Unique Welcoming Ritual

Birth notice, London Times 17th April 1883

Birth notice, London Times 17th April 1883

Birth notice, London Times 17th April 1883

Birth notice, London Times 17th April 1883

People sometimes reject or reinterpret tradition, underscoring the dynamic nature of folklore. Billy MagFhloinn and his wife Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh welcomed their daughter Sadhbh into the world in 2011.

“Neither of us wanted to have her baptised, but we were keen to mark her arrival in some way,” says Billy:

"The grandparents had been so good at helping out when Sadhbh was born, and we felt it was important to have some formal recognition. Just before Christmastime, we drove up to the Killarney National Park in Kerry. We met at the hotel, had lunch, and then drove up to the Black Valley, a beautiful wilderness area in the Gap of Dunloe.

I had made two copper braziers, one to represent each side of the family. We lit two fires, and lit two candles from each of the fires. From these two candles, we lit a single candle, placed it into a straw boat which I had made, and put the boat out onto the lake. Everything was done in an eco-friendly way, because we were conscious that we were in a national park; the boat was made of straw and tied by natural string, and the soy candles were biodegradable.

The idea was our own, but we were influenced by the wedding ceremony motif where two separate candles, representing the two individuals, are used to light one candle, which represents their union. My mother felt that the candle on the boat represented the flame of a new life beginning its journey. But different people can interpret it differently.

As we set the boat out on the lake, the sun was going down and it was getting cold. We heated up mulled wine in a Kelly kettle and had a drink. The last flicker of light we saw was the candle in the boat, disappearing into the distance on the lake.

I love ritual, and I think it is important. It’s the kind of thing that religion does very well, particularly Catholicism. I think it’s just as important that we have ritual in a secular world. People sometimes hang onto religious rituals because they don’t see any alternative, but there are other options.

Our day was great. For us, it was more fun than a Christening. It was a beautiful ceremony, in a beautiful place, and the simple use of fire, water, the straw of the earth, and the wind blowing the boat, was very simple and elemental."

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