A video called ‘Bygone days of Ireland’ gives a fascinating view of life in the early part of the 20th century Ireland when people lived off the land and life was much simpler.
It would, of course, be wrong to romanticise those times – they were hard and many had to emigrate to find work – but nevertheless, the video gives us a glimpse of how our forebears lived, worked….and played.
Set mainly in Galway the video covers a variety of activities including stone wall building, St Brigid’s Cross making, rural festivals, songs, music, dancing and much more.
The video has had a good response on YouTube from people all over the world. These are some of the comments:
Although the pre-industrial times obviously weren’t perfect for many reasons, I think this lifestyle is what Ireland needs to strive for again, their original Gaelic culture. They would certainly be setting an example for the rest of the world in terms of respect for Nature and living simply, and not at the expense of others. It is within Ireland’s grasp to become the “Land of Saints and Scholars” once again, to regain their language and culture, their spirituality, their love for intelligence and academics, and of course their deep appreciation of Earth’s beauty. Dae Dalus.
I’m English and think Ireland is how England used to be before we were carved up by motorways and industry and mass immigration. I’ve been looking at the southwest Ireland mountain scenery on google earth/streetview and it’s as good as anything else anywhere in the world. Tungsten Kid
In more general term, this movie is a portrayal of our rural lives and how people lived in those days with little resources. This movie I can relate to very much even though I am from the opposite side of the world, it looks like my own village. Rising Start
You can watch the video below. It’s a long programme but worth watching right until the end, with some house party dancing and a tall tale from an old Irish storyteller.
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