By Dan Walsh
The annual decoration of the Gorey May Bush takes place in Gorey Civic Square, beside the Circe Pavilion next Sunday at 6pm and it promises to be an extra special community evening of traditional music, song, poetry, stories and dance while sharing and exchanging traditions around welcoming in Summer.
The message is bring along a chair, your instrument, a song, story or poem and your dancing shoes and be part of this wonderful community celebration. Fáilte roimh chách. “Let’s Decorate the May Bush, tá Bealtaine anseo”. If you would like to perform on the night please get in touch by emailing: thegoreymaybush@gmail.com
Special guests on the night include Gorey Pipe Band, Uilleann Piper Mark Redmond, Ceoltóir Óg 2024: Cliodhna Ní Chuilinn, Rinceoir Óg 2024: Shifra Dunbar agus Amhránaí Óg 2024: Chulainn Ó Faoláin. There will be songs of the Wexford Coast Community Choir and the annual crowning ceremony for the May Queen and King.
The Gorey May Bush Féileis an annual intergenerational community led festival in Co. Wexford with an exciting programme of FREE events the festival promotes, documents and shares the May Bush tradition and the wider customs, traditions and cultural connections of welcoming in Bealtaine in Co. Wexford beyond.
There are events to suit all ages. Schools, nursing homes, community groups/organisations, businesses, music/singing/dancing/writing groups and community artists across Co. Wexford are the faces and voices behind this festival and everyone is invited to be part of it! You can keep up with us all and see the FREE Féile events through: https://www.facebook.com/thegoreymaybush
As has been done in previous years the community are invited to put up their own May Bush and get involved with the programme of FREE events centred around the communal Gorey May Bush at Gorey Civic Centre.
The May Bush Decorating & Traditional Song Workshop for Families with Rachel Uí Fhaoláin takes place in Gorey Library today (Saturday April 27th at 11am – 12.30pm.
“A Penny on the May Bush”: The Gorey May Bush, Gorey Civic Square, beside the Circe Pavilion on Tuesday, April 30th (May Eve) at 6pm. Also dress for ‘An Sceach Gheal’ and “shower pennies on the children” as was the tradition.
Bread and Cheese: Hawthorn History, May Folklore and Song with Lorraine O’Dwyer and Rachel Uí Fhaoláin: Gorey Library on Tuesday at 7pm. Lorraine O’Dwyer and Rachel Uí Fhaoláin are joining forces for this special community in-conversation event in Gorey Library. Lorraine O’Dwyer, Foraging and Folklore Guide will be sharing tales from local traditions and superstitions on the Hawthorn Tree, what makes one a fairy tree and not the other, why it’s known as Bread and Cheese Tree and why so many of our Rag Trees are hawthorns? Lorraine will also be bringing along her own homemade Hawthorn chutney to taste!
Traditional Singer and Folklore Collector Rachel Uí Fhaoláin will be exploring May Folklore and Song from Wexford and beyond. As part of the conversations, Rachel will be sharing her work on The Nursing Home Project, residents recalling their own beliefs and practices, along with some local voices and accounts from her wider research and collecting work.
Both Lorraine and Rachel look forward to developing important community conversations around welcoming in Summer, on May Eve in Gorey Library. Booking required through Gorey Library: https://wexfordcoco.libcal.com/event/4203929
The Gorey May Bush Féile 2024 is supported by County Wexford Arts Department as part of the Small Arts Festival Scheme in partnership with Arts Council Ireland.
WexfordLocal.com 