I’m jumping over fires with excitement to announce I will be returning to speak at Uisneach Fire Festival this May 11th, 2024. This will be my third time attending the festival and my second speech there.
On the first occasion, a group of friends and I were spontaneously asked to be part of the procession. We were already giddy from the magic in the air, so the chance to walk in the procession to light the fire felt so natural and obvious.
Our faces were painted with spirals and we were handed long red poles with firey ribbons blowing in the wind. We waited for dusk when the ceremony would begin.
My friend, an extended kinsman from the Byrne branch of my family tree, decided to use the opportunity of waiting to snap some photos of us. It wasn’t until we looked at them later that we noticed something strange covering my face.
Now, I’m not one to look for signs and wonders in every camera flare, droplet, or shadow, but this is one image I find hard to look at without feeling some of that magical giddiness again. During my second visit, I attended as a speaker.
After a torrential rain pour forced the festivities to be postponed on the day, I eventually made it back to the Hill with another group of friends. Only this time, I was attending as a speaker on the Brehon Law.
For 2024, I am planning an extra special talk aimed at rekindling the fire in our hearts and calling for the modern clans to bring the flame of Uisneach back to their families, and their communities, and to do their part to make the fire of Irish culture burn brighter than ever.
Will you join me to light the sacred fire on the Hill of Uisneach this year?
TICKETS HERE https://uisneach.ie/events/bealtaine-fire-festival-2024/
