Cures of Ireland: A History of Irish Folk Healing
23 August, 11am - 12pm
- Portlaoise Library
- 23 Lower Main Street, Portlaoise, Co. Laois
- R32 N7EP
- Co. Laois
Join folklorist Cecily Gilligan as she shares insights from nearly 40 years of research into Ireland’s fading tradition of folk cures, for ailments like mumps, jaundice, ringworm, and more.
These cures, passed down by word of mouth in rural communities, offer a fascinating glimpse into Ireland’s healing heritage, one that still survives, just barely, in the modern world.
Supported by Europe Direct Portlaoise.
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Cecily Gilligan lives in rural County Sligo, in north-west Ireland. She is a Primary school teacher, and has a degree in Social Science and a Masters in Women’s Studies from University College Cork. She has been interested in folklore since childhood, when much of her knowledge was acquired from within her community, and in particular from her grandmother.
Her book Cures of Ireland: A Treasury of Irish Folk Remedies was published by Merrion Press in the autumn of 2023, and quickly became a bestseller. It was shortlisted for The Folklore Society’s Katharine Briggs Award 2024. In the spring of 2025 it was published in the USA and Canada by Rowman & Littlefield (Bloomsbury).
Cecily is a hill-walker, a sailor, a world traveller, and a strong supporter of Irish culture and language. She is also a campaigner for the protection of human rights and the environment, locally and globally.