Historic Legend

History is shallow without folklore. Oral history and historic legend give us a crucial insight into how people lived their day-to-day lives, how they perceived major international, national, and local events, and what was considered socially acceptable or not.

In oral history, we hear about the people – strong men, hermits, shrewd traders, wily politicians, mad geniuses, eccentrics – who populate our stories. Place traditions tell us about buildings and landmarks such as caves, cliffs, stream, haunted houses, and trees. Historic legend also records how major events such as the Irish War of Independence (1919-1921) or the political activities of Daniel O’Connell, who secured Catholic Emancipation in 1827, were perceived by individuals, but it also records significant local events, such as stories of floods, murders, storms, or drowning.