I had always intended to go to the Hill of Uisneach but somehow I never made it. We bought tickets in 2020 but then the lockdowns occurred. My friend Noirín went every year for the last three or four and even though we planned to go together something always got in the way.
This year, Noirín couldn’t make it and our mutual friend Róisín, who organises and makes the costumes for the event, asked me to stand in and embody the Cailleach. The Cailleach is an ancient, primordial sovereign goddess of Ireland - she created the landscape - and is also a goddess of winter, death and decay. She cleanses the land and ensures it rests and that it is restored in spring time.
It was fun dressing up and the beautiful surroundings of the hill gave me pause for thought. No human being wants to die but our ancestors had no fear of death because they knew that the soul goes on. We must remember that, when we face into all the existential horrors that plague us today - don’t fear!
The Hill of Uisneach is a magical place. This is where the High King declared his love for the land and underwent a ritual marriage to the goddess, to Éiru, to Ireland herself. Over time, Uisneach became the sacred and spiritual heart of Ireland and as our ancestors were agrarian, they celebrated the arrival of summer there. Back in those early days there were two halves to the year - winer and summer. The sun at Bealtaine is becoming high in the sky and shining down with love for all the beings, including the plants, the crops and the people. The huge bonfire emulates the sun and is a kind of compliment to the sun and is lit to celebrate the end of winter, to push out the darkness and welcome the beginning of summer.
At this gathering there were artisans and traders bringing their skills and their wares. There were stories, music and dancing, love-making and friends and relations meeting up for merriment. They had survived the winter and the sun had dispelled the darkness and cold. The bonfire lit here was seen as a sacred fire, bringing cleansing and freshness to the world.
I felt very moved and privileged to be in the procession, representing the Cailleach. It was such a moving experience hearing the crowd roaring and all of us celebrating in the way of our ancestors.
This is a short festival that brings people together in celebration of our heritage and culture, our ancestors and all of us today. This was a gathering of men, women and children; families, young couples; older people with wisdom to share and everyone was kind and pleasant. There were no fights or arguments but what really touched me was the lack of litter. People respected this sacred heart of Ireland and took care to keep the place beautiful. No one said to do it, no one was there policing the hill; it just happened.
Our summer is here now so on to growing the vegetables!
