By Dan Walsh
The May Bush is traditionally erected on the eve of May Day (April 30) and decorated with ribbons, seasonal flowers, painted eggshells and sometimes lights. Michael Fortune and his wife Aileen Lambert resurrected the tradition around the May Bush in 2017 in Wexford with ‘The Wexford May Bush Festival’ and now have hundreds of individuals, communities and groups putting up the May Bushes all over the county.
The popular Decorate the May Bush and Procession kicks off this evening (May Eve) in Ballindaggin vullage and has become Wexford’s flagship event and has grown considerably every year. This is the biggest May Bush event in the county and the annual procession and decoration of the village May Bush in the Community Park in Ballindaggin takes place. The procession will be led by the 2024 May Queen and King from Ballindaggin National School with music provided by St. Colman’s Pipe Band. There will be traditional music at the event thanks to local musicians Deirdre Jordan, Anna Mai White, Paddy Joyce and friends, while there will be songs, music and dancing by pupils from Ballindaggin school. There will also be a rare guest appearance of the full set of the Camross ICA Mummers.
Another major event takes place on Saturday, May 4th at 8pm in Ballindaggin Hall – the May Bush Concert and Dance. A feast of traditional music, song and dance featuring some of the finest traditional musicians, young and old.
Michael and Aileen are avid supporters of traditional music and song and have curated a programme that is hard to beat with special guests husband and wife duo Paddy and Nicola Egan, plus local musicians Leah Sweeney, Deirdre and James Jordan, Aileen Lambert, Annette Roban plus young traditional musicians and singers from Ballindaggin National School. Paddy Egan is a renowned concertina player from the Egan family of Parkbridge in Co. Wicklow and will be joined by his equally talented wife Nicola on uilleann pipes. As for local musicians, Leah Sweeney is one of Wexford’s rising stars on concertina while the organisers are thrilled to get brother and sister Deirdre and James Jordan on stage together.
One of the success stories of The Wexford May Bush Festival is the reach it has had on the ground and Michael works on the principle that “you are the festival”. So by putting up your May Bush in Craanford or Campile or in Kilanne or Killenagh – you are the festival, and you are part of the ground-up success which has seen the tradition revived in every corner of Wexford.
This is the third year of The May Bush Schools competition and Michael Forune tells us “there was a great uptake all over the county and schools are such an important part of this story”. This year he is asking schools to put up their May Bushes and submit your May Bush photos to folklore.ie@gmail.com, naming your school, class teacher and class involved by Thursday, May 2nd, and be in with a chance to win a host of goodies for your school.
WexfordLocal.com 