Evening star., 1938-04-10
PATTERNS ENRICH
|RELAND'S CHARM
Gayety and Folk Customs
Reign During Summer
Religious Fetes.

DUBLIN, April 9--Spring is MAX
ing the Emerald Isle greener than ever
these days, and with spring the people
of Ireland begin to look forward to
one of the most characteristic of all
Irish folk customs-the celebration of
the pattern
Patterns spot the Irish calendar
from April till September, and the
Irish map from Donegal to Killarney.
And they are not, as a certain lady
tourist recently supposed, dress pat
terms. The word comes from the
same source as patron" and the
Irish pattern was originally strictly
religious ceremony in honor of one of
the many local patron saints for which
Ireland is famous. 1t usually took the
form of pilgrimage to some place
closely associated with an event in
the life of the saint being honored-
for example, to st. Brigids Shrine
at Faughart. County Louth. where the
saint is said to have disfgured her.
self to discourage the advances of
persistent suitors.
St. Brigid is still one of the best
loved saints of Ireland, as play-goers
who have seen Paul Vincent CAROLS
moving drama Shadow and Sub
stance" can testify, and even this
summer, when her pilgrimage will be
celebrated on July 3. the religious ele-
ment will strongly predominant.
Gayety Enters.
Most of the patterns. however. have
gradually become mixed with a gay
but not irreverent spirit of fun and
sociable merry-making
Family pennies. carefully saved Just
Tor the pattern, are easily spent, for
after the religious exercises are over
the festive throng is loudly invited
by vendors and stall-keepers on all
sides to buy this, that or the other
retreshment. souvenir, or patent medi-
cine. Fortune tellers do a thriving
trade, while fiddlers scrape and thump
tnelr merry Irish jigs, or sough their
1avorlte sentimental songs until they
nave earned enough for a night of
lollity themselves. Boys and girls
swing into lively open air dancing
meanwhile; or sometimes hurting
matches take place between local
teams and individual champions con-
tend for prizes in wrestling or jump
ing Old crpnies who have not seen
each other all winter hob-nob in some
cornwall corner away from the crowd.
gosslping and reminlscing over a good
glass of Irish whisky.
Often feature of the celebration is
a storytelling contest between local
1avorites. A group of listeners gathers
around each old bard and the two take
turns at spinning yarns of ancient
Celtic origin, each trying his utmost
10 outdo the other in crafty elabora-
ton or the adding of a new and un-
expected twist to the story. Probably
nowhere else in Western Europe is
the tradition of word-of mouth trans
mission OF folklore and fairy stories
SO we'll preserved as in Ireland. where
1t continues today as it has for GEN.
turles past. All the old heroes of
Celtic mythology live again in these
weird and imaginative tales: Cuchu-
lain, Finn MacCool Diarmind and
many another.
throughout the festivities of the
pattern the atmosphere is one of CAV
sociability such as only an Irish crowd
can produce. The spirit of jov is
genuinely blended with religious fervor
IN combination not often duplicated
in more puritanical societies. and the
tourist visiting a typical pattern is
reminded OF the robust Christianity
of the age Of Chaucer.
With patterns occurring frequently
curing May, June, July and August
many of the thousands of Americans
who will visit Ireland this summer will
nave chance to attend some of the
most attractive celebrations, such as
the pattern at the Three Sisters Well
at Dromtariffe, County Cork. on Nav
6; st. Columbcille's Pattern at Car
raroe. County Galway, on June 9: the
pattern featuring pony races at Dur
row Abbey, Tullamore, County Kings
on June 80; ST. Bridgid's Pattern at
Faughart, County Louth, on July 3,
and the pattern at st. Patricks Well,
Oran, County Roscommon, on July 81.
At these events and scores of others
the Irish people are preparing hos
pitable entertainment for the more
than half million visitors who will
come to their shores during the 1898
travel season
TR AVEI