Festival of Samhain 2023 - Letter from An Cathaoirleach
In this season, as we move from Autumn to Winter, our ancestors celebrated the festival of Samhain. With its many traditions marking the move from the plentiful harvest to the dark days of winter, this turning of the year, now more familiar to many as Halloween, become an important and symbolic marking of the death of the year and the long wait for the rebirth of sun at winter solstice and the return of spring.
In his letter the Cathaoirleach reflects on the importance of clan and the search for a genealogical connection with the past. How the knowledge we gain furthers our understanding of the cultural and social history of the Irish people and brings us new opportunities.
You can read the full text of the letter on the link below.