July to September
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5th July - Tynwald Day, Isle of Man’s National Day
Slaynt as shee as eash dy vea, as maynrys son dy bra - Health and peace and length of life and happiness for ever.
15th July - St Swithin's Day
... there is a grain of truth in it, as weather often locks into a pattern in high summer...
16th July - Macdara’s Day - Féile Mhic Dara
‘a certain captain of the garrison at Galway, neglected to dip his sails and ended up being killed in a shipwreck.'
3rd week of July - Swan Upping
‘All up!’ is the cry as a family of swans and cygnets is spotted, and the Swan Uppers carefully position their boats around the swans, lift them from the water and check their health.
21st July - St. Mullin's Pilgrimage
Many say that for generations hundreds of “cures” have taken place at the Well
24th July - St. Declan of Ardmore
Pilgims crawl on face and hands through the narrow space between the boulder and the underlying rock on his patron day to receive healing and blessings.
25 July - St Christopher the Martyr
"You had on your shoulders not only the whole world but Him who made it. I am Christ your king, whom you are serving by this work."
26th July - Feast of Saints Anne and Joachim
Mother of Mary and grandmother of Jesus. There is no mention of Anne in the New Testament. The story comes chiefly from the Gospel of James.
28th July - Domhnach Crom Dubh
When Crom Dubh saw St Patrick climbing towards him he changed his shape into a fierce bull and charged...
Last Sunday in July - Reek Sunday / Domhnach na Cruaiche
Some people climb the mountain in their bare feet, as an act of penance.
Early August - Puck Fair
‘Queen of Puck’, crowns the goat King...
Mid August - Kettlewell Scarecrow Festival
Each year, for one week mid-August, hundreds of scarecrows holiday in the delightful Dales village of Kettlewell, Skipton, North Yorskhire.
10th August - Feast of St Lawrence
Catholics began calling the annual August Perseid meteors the “The Tears of St. Lawrence"
11th August - Lady Day, Slane
Pilgrims said the rosary at the Well in the Castle grounds, watched over by statues of Mary
15th August - Lady’s Island Pilgrimage, Wexford
The pilgrimage starts on the 15th of August and ends on the 8th of September
19th August - St Mochta
It is claimed that Mochta lived to be 300 years old - Scholars believe that he died at 90.
24th August - St. Bartholomew's Day
"Behold, an Israelite indeed in whom there is no guile!"
30th August - St Fiacre
Patron saint of vegetable growers and gardeners also ploughboys and taxi-drivers
31st August - St Aidan of Lindisfarne
Aidan is the Anglicised form of the original Old Irish Aedán, Modern Irish Aodhán - little fiery one.
August Bank Holiday - Llanwrtyd Wells Bog Snorkelling Championships
In spite of the difficulties (or perhaps because of the extreme nature of the challenge) there are usually well over 100 contestants.
September - Crying the Neck in Cornwall
"I 'ave 'un! I 'ave 'un! I 'ave 'un!" The rest would then shout, "What 'ave 'ee? What 'ave 'ee? What 'ave 'ee?"
4th September - St Cuthbert
“You must learn to have faith, my boy. Look there,” he added, pointing to an eagle flying above the river. “Even she might feed us, if God wished it.”
9th September - St Ciaran's Day
Ciarán know as Ciarán mac an tSaeir, was one of the Twelve Apostles of Ireland and the first abbot of Clonmacnoise.
18th September - St Joseph of Cupertino
Up, up, and away. The flying saint whose life was marked by ecstasies and levitations.
25th September - St Finbar
Ionad Bairre Sgoil na Mumhan. "Where Finbarr taught let Munster learn", is the motto of today's University College Cork
29th September - Michaelmas, Feast of St. Michael
He who eats goose on Michaelmas day shan’t money lack for debts to pay.
