Uisneach Bealtaine fire crew hope 2022 will be public event
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The Uisneach guides who lit the fire were, from left, Simon Tuite, Helen Lynam, Ruth Illingworth, Marty Mulligan and Justin Moffatt. Danann the Irish Wolfhound to the fore is the Uisneach mascot! Pic: Verona McQuaid of VeronaPhoto.Image 2 of 2
The Bealtaine fire blazing on The Hill of Uisneach last week. Pic: Verona McQuaid of VeronaPhoto.Clear skies meant the Bealtaine fire lit on the Hill of Uisneach on Wednesday night last could be seen from a great distance – and the organisers hope that when Bealtaine 2022 rolls around, the fire ceremony can once again be a public one.
“It’s important to keep our ancient traditions alive,” said Francez Cody, manager of the site.
Explaining that despite Covid, fires were lit on Uisneach both last year and this year, she said great credit was due to the landowners, David and Angela Clarke.
“We normally start preparing around October, and last March, sitting at the side of the road, we had to make the decision to call off last year’s [festival],” says Francez.
This autumn, the plan is to proceed as normal again in the hope that there won’t be anything standing in the way of the 2022 event.
In advance of last week’s fire, three days were spent building a pyre large enough to be seen from a long way off.
“It’s lit using sacred wood, that is from the land at Uisneach,” says Francez.
What is deemed “sacred” are native Irish trees such as oak, hazel or apple. There isn’t normally a formal decision made on who should have the honour of lighting the fire, but this year there actually was.
“This year we asked the five visitor guides to light it, because they are normally working in the background and they never have the opportunity to light the fire,” says Francez.
The five guides are Justin Moffatt, Marty Mulligan, Ruth Illingworth, Helen Lynam and Simon Tuite.
Tours of the hill are back up and running, taking place in a manner that complies with Covid regulations.
“However tours have to be booked now,” says Francez, going on to add that a new website has been launched through which bookings can be made. Garnering a lot of attention since the events of last Wednesday is a super video of the event featuring the music of talented local band Alp Luachra performing ‘Cúnla’.
Shot and edited by video producer Mark Bennett of crosscut.ie, and featuring drone footage by Declan Murray of skyfab.ie, the film can be viewed on the Uisneach Facebook page. Find out more about Uisneach at uisneach.ie.