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An NCAD Graphic Design Student named Niamh Kinch has created an interactive project on Mushrooms in Ireland.
She describes it here:
" This project focuses on the power of fungi within Ireland’s green spaces. It aims to show the full potential of fungi in an Irish setting through a communication design lens. It explores the well-known uses of fungi while also diving into the lesser-known but extremely fascinating world of the fungi kingdom in an effort to shine a light on the remarkable uses of these organisms. We are fortunate enough to live in a lush, flourishing country full of forests, fields and parks, all teeming with an array of fungi, so why not utilise this amazing natural material? This project portrays fungi’s important role in our fight against climate change, while also taking a more fun approach through forest fungi hunts and outdoor activities. It aims to provide a balance between work and pleasure in the fungi kingdom and to get people excited about Ireland’s natural resources."
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| (Image: Fungi Forests of Ireland: Niamh Kinch) |
Not only Niamh's work absolutely stunning, it also allows the reader to learn about the role fungi plays in our ecosystem including its role in sustainability; but most importantly it reconnects us to Ireland's history with the mushroom.
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| (Image: Fungi Forests of Ireland: Niamh Kinch) |
On St. Patrick’s Day we can recall many important stories and folklore about mushrooms originating in our Emerald Isle. From Druids consuming mushrooms in rituals to the connection between mushrooms and fairies, in exploration of the latter we present our readers with an extremely rare audio drama discussing just this...fairies. But what are fairies? The answer may come from the humble mushroom. The Liberty Cap & Fly Agaric mushroom grow in Ireland & both are believed to produce visions of fairies and leprechauns along with a variety of other creatures associated with Ireland. Fairies and mushrooms have always been a big part of Irish culture & have become deeply embedded in our culture.
DID YOU KNOW?
The Gaelic slang for fairies & mushrooms is the same word: Pookies.
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In Ireland, the colloquial expression of the experience ones goes on from ingesting such mushrooms is described as “going away with the fairies”.In pagan times, the imbas forosnai were psychic poets. The poets would speak of eating “red flesh of a pig, dog or cat” which is most likely in reference to the the world's most famous fungi: the fly-agaric mushroom. The poets & storytellers of the day would chew “red flesh of a pig” before lying down in a darkened room to seek out inspiration, visions and dreams.
In Conor McPherson's 'The Weir' the author presents one such story.
Click here to listen:
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Posted by: Henry
#fairies #rare #theweir #conormcpherson #Irishfolklore #Stories #Radio
REFERENCES:
Fairy Photos: Dall-e-2
The Weir by Conor - BBC Radio 3 - 08.03.1998 https://audiodrama.fandom.com/wiki/The_Weir
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