Ireland's Wild Plants – Myths, Legends & Folklore

In ancient Ireland there were 365 different parts to the body, and a different plant to cure each part. So the wild plants of Ireland are bound up in our culture and folklore from the earliest times. To arry a four-leaved shamrock brings luck in gambling, while putting nine ivy leaves under her pillow means a girl will dream of her future husband. Here plants are described in seasonal order, a perspective dating back to our ancestors. Different aspects of plant folklore are examined following a brief history of traditional herbal medicine in Ireland. Included are their roles in magical protection, in charms and spells (especially for love!), as emblems in children’s games, and in Irish place names.

Ireland's wild plants have been part of our culture and folklore from the earliest times, featuring in Brehon Laws, early Irish poetry and herbal medicine. Different aspects of plant folklore are examined: their roles in magical protection, in charms and spells, as emblems in children's games, in Irish place names and folklore cures.