The National Visual Arts Library (NIVAL) is an invaluable resource for Irish folklore. In this section of the guide, NIVAL's library assistant Katie Blackwood has gathered material such as artist books, artists and resources on folklore practices.
Tate Adams, Prints and Illustrations.
Published by Dolmen Press, Tate Adams' Prints and Illustrations is a beautiful depiction of a story about a fisherman who is invited by a merman to explore the depths of the ocean. Illustrated with Adams' woodblock prints.
Irish tales and sagas by Ulick O'Connor
Ulick O'Connor retells in magnificent style the great legends of Ireland - the epic story of Cuchulainn; the sorrowful histories of the Children of Lir and of Deirdre; St Patrick's journeys across Ireland; the tale of the Druid and his Soul; the legend of Ossian's journey to the Land of Youth, and last of all a beautiful account of the kindness of Countess Cathleen O'Shea.
Legends of Ireland by JJ Campbell
Under Starry Skies by Liz Ryan
The Táin translated by Thomas Kinsella and illustrated by Louis Le Brocquy
Traditional Crafts of Ireland by David Shaw Smith
Tales of Irish Enchantment by Patricia Lynch
Books on Science Illustration
Traditional boats of Ireland : history, folklore and construction, 623.82 MAC
Two centuries ago sail and oar dominated local Irish trade and fisheries. At least 60 traditional boats operated. This remarkable work, many years in the making, describes these craft, their construction and handling, usage and history, with recollections by men who experienced the often arduous life associated with them.
Treasures of the National Folklore Collection = Seoda as Cnuasach Bhéaloideas Éireann, 709.415 TRE
Treasures of the National Folklore Collection/Seoda as Cnuasach Bhéaloideas Éireann is primarily visual, drawing on the diverse collections found within the archive. The book consists of sixteen essays, with a Foreword by Dr T.K. Whitaker, showcasing some of the treasures and including illustrations, paintings, photographs, manuscripts, music transcriptions and books. The publication will provide an opportunity to re-visit, and reflect on, the work carried out by one of the most innovative cultural government-funded bodies in Western Europe during the first half of the twentieth century in a time of acute economic need. The essays are in English, Irish and Scots Gaelic and each author has written about a particular aspect of the National Folklore Collection’s holdings such as the photographic collection, the paintings or the sound archive for example. The book is published by Comhairle Bhéaloideas Éireann/ The Folklore of Ireland Council as part of the celebrations of the 75th anniversary of the founding of the Irish Folklore Commission.
Depiction of eviction in Ireland 1845-1910, 709.415034 CUR
Dispossession has a long and tortuous history in Ireland, from the Victorian era when evictions were a major social, cultural, and political event; to their dramatic decline after the mid-1850s; and their zenith of media attention and political import in the 1880s, when the Irish National Land League was founded. Drawing on memoirs, ballads, poems, folklore, and novels as well as providing numerous illustrations of contemporary prints and photographs, Curtis provides the first book-length study of rural evictions over a period of sixty years.
The Irish Ordnance Survey : history, culture, and memory, 912 DOH
This is a cultural and intellectual history of the Ordnance Survey, which mapped Ireland from 1824 to 1846. Captain Thomas Larcom of the Ordnance Survey intended to produce an encyclopaedia-like series of county memoirs to accompany the maps, a great survey that would explain Ireland literally, as the maps would represent it graphically. Only one memoir (Templemore, Co. Derry) was published before the project was suspended by not before an immense amount of research had been undertaken for the whole country. Memoir reports, by Royal Engineers, Irish scholars and local assistants, constitute a remarkable archive on the Irish people, their culture, folklore, historical memory and genealogy, religious practices and social structures in the first half of the nineteenth century, before much was swept away by the Great Famine, modernization, and anglicization. This study explores hitherto-unexamined aspects of Ordnance Survey work, in particular its historical, archaeological and cultural significance, and its wider implications for nationality and identity.
services
NIVAL Opening Hours and Access
Access to NIVAL is strictly by appointment only. Researchers may visit the library by appointment on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays between 10am - 5pm.
Please request an appointment by emailing nivalinfo@staff.ncad.ie.
- Access to NIVAL is via a one-way system. Please follow the directional signage and sign-in at the reception desk.
- Readers should bring their own pens, laptops, etc.
- All visitors are advised not to attend if they have any symptoms of Covid-19. Please inform us immediately if you wish to cancel/reschedule your appointment.
Telephone inquiries: 353.1.636.4347 / 353.1.646.1102
To view NIVALs collection, visit their website at this link
Field and Fair by Pádraic Ó Conaire
Under Starry Skies
The Tain Bo Cuailnge, centre-piece of the eighth-century Ulster cycle of heroic tales, is Ireland’s greatest epic. It tells the story of a great cattle-raid, the invasion of Ulster by the armies of Medb and Ailill, queen and king of Connacht, and their allies, seeking to carry off the great Brown Bull of Cuailnge. The hero of the tale is Cuchulainn, the Hound of Ulster, who resists the invaders single-handed while Ulster’s warriors lie sick.Thomas Kinsella presents a complete and living version of the story. His translation is based on the partial texts in two medieval manuscripts, with elements from other versions, and adds a group ofrelated stories which prepare for the action of the Tain. Illustrated with brush drawings by Louis le Brocquy, this edition provides a combination of medieval epic and modern art.
Traditional Crafts of Ireland
Traditional Crafts of Ireland by David Shaw Smith
The traditional crafts of the Irish people come to life in a richly illustrated study of the country's acclaimed woodcarvers, metalworkers, weavers, and renowned glassblowers.
patchwork
books
The Kitchen Sessions by Michael Fortune
The Kitchen Sessions is the title of a public art project by artist Michael Fortune, commissioned by Galway City Council through the Per Cent for Art Programme.The project which began in 2008 had two strands and centred on the housing estate of Fána Burca in Knocknacarra, Galway City. The main strand saw the artist produce a new body of photography work which features in a new publication, while in the second strand he worked with five families from the estate on a participatory arts and training project.
Artists and Folklore
NIVAL's Artist Database
The NIVAL Artists Database has been compiled in order to improve public access to the Library's extensive information files on 20th century and contemporary Irish artists. These files contain exhibition catalogues, newspaper cuttings and ephemera on over 3,500 artists born or based in Ireland.
Below is a selection of artists files who have engaged with the theme of Irish Folklore in their work.
You can browse NIVAL's Artist Database here.
