Irish Customs

Attributing healing to supernatural powers originated long before the establishment of modern medicine in the seventeenth century. It was a universal phenomenon. American Indian chiefs, African witch doctors, medical men in Australia, Europe and Asia all held the respect of their communities. In Ireland, people simply were unaware of any other possible source of illness than a hostile spirit. There was a strong tradition of fairy lore and a deeply religious ethos among the people. So, if a person was living a reasonably sinless life and fell sick, the accepted culprits were demons or fairy folk. To deal with these, therefore, many folk cures involved secret incantations. While people were glad to accept these, they were even more pleased to leave any possible blame for invoking supernatural powers of healing to another. Psychologists might agree that the pace of Irish folk life in the past was in itself health-giving. It had time for neighbourliness, for helping out, for sympathetic chat with someone in trouble. The rituals in which healers engaged were often drawn out. They impressed the patient or his representative. Folk medical practitioners had 'cures', but above all they had

Padraic O'Farrell died suddenly while this book was in preparation. He was, in the most literal sense, an officer and a gentleman. He had served with distinction as a colonel in the Irish army. His love of literature and drama was a constant in his life. On his retirement, he was able to dedicate himself fully to these pursuits. He was a prolific and punctilious author and a delightful companion. He died shortly after reading and approving the proofs of this book. He left everything just so, in good order, and is much missed.