The images in the Photographic Collection are arranged thematically in accordance with the subject headings in Seán Ó Súilleabháin’s A Handbook of Irish Folklore (1942). Use this page to browse the collection by these same themes.
Topics
Explore by topic
Search the archive materials based on their broad topic area
-
Settlement
- landscape (929) »
- villages (1,258) »
- the dwelling-house (1,228) »
- housebuilding (17) »
- floors (6) »
- walls and materials (164) »
- doors and windows (13) »
- hearth and chimney (153) »
- divisions of the house (50) »
- furniture (28) »
- roofs / thatching (210) »
- sod-hut (1) »
- interior (28) »
- the farmyard (82) »
- farm enclosure (67) »
- outbuildings (8) »
- haggard / granary (10) »
- the well (3) »
- fences / boundaries (6) »
- gates and gaps (46) »
- fields (12) »
- temporary dwelling (5) »
- ancient monuments (80) »
- old buildings (10) »
- religious buildings (88) »
- castles (26) »
- old burial grounds (4) »
- graves (33) »
- memorials of the dead (4) »
- stone heap memorials (3) »
- carved stones (35) »
- crosses (29) »
-
Livelihood and Housekeeping
- hunting / fowling (3) »
- fishing (144) »
- fishing-boats (69) »
- beach-combing (6) »
- fishing equipment (84) »
- farm animals (4) »
- cows (20) »
- horses (13) »
- donkeys (4) »
- sheep (24) »
- goats (7) »
- household pets (5) »
- farming (9) »
- farm implements (109) »
- tools (10) »
- drainage (1) »
- tillage (102) »
- reaping (8) »
- threshing (8) »
- manuring (4) »
- harvest (138) »
- crops (3) »
- seaweed gathering (32) »
- flax / linen (7) »
- trade / profession (2) »
- herding (2) »
- cooper (21) »
- basket-maker (28) »
- wheelwright (1) »
- spinner (25) »
- weaver (1) »
- dyeing (4) »
- doctor (3) »
- blacksmith (34) »
- shoe-maker (19) »
- lime-burner (8) »
- mining (1) »
- moulding (metal) (5) »
- milling (62) »
- carpenter (54) »
- rope-making (19) »
- stonemason (3) »
- tinsmith (9) »
- woollen products (3) »
- potter / pottery (41) »
- sculptor / sculpture (2) »
- grinder / sharpener (4) »
- painting (11) »
- lighting (10) »
- fuel (70) »
- dairy products (39) »
- meat (1) »
- wild fruit (1) »
- bread (22) »
- types of food (2) »
- household vessels (1) »
- barrel (1) »
- can (1) »
- basket (12) »
- cooking (3) »
- household implements (33) »
- washing / shaving the person (2) »
- pump / domestic wells (17) »
-
Communication and Trade
- roads / paths (69) »
- fords / bridges (69) »
- carts (90) »
- horse-riding (3) »
- bicycles / motorcars (3) »
- sled (16) »
- trains (143) »
- hotels (1) »
- carriages (6) »
- carrying loads (persons) (4) »
- carrying loads (animals) (49) »
- barrows (9) »
- communication (3) »
- postal communication (4) »
- water transport (17) »
- skin boats (currachs) (303) »
- boats (434) »
- ships (7) »
- sailing (1) »
- boatbuilding (149) »
- harbours (69) »
- lighthouses (1) »
- air travel (5) »
- commerce (2) »
- weights and measures (5) »
- shops (565) »
- buying and selling (2) »
- fairs (2) »
- special fairs (4) »
- markets (42) »
-
The Community
- clothes (4) »
- belts (1) »
- children's clothing (5) »
- women's clothing (1) »
- cloaks (4) »
- shawls (2) »
- men's clothing (5) »
- boots / shoes (1) »
- hats (2) »
- special occasion clothing (1) »
- rich and poor (5) »
- the Travelling Community (15) »
- society, people (24) »
- social gatherings (14) »
- public houses (19) »
- kinship (5) »
- practice of religion (20) »
- clergy / religious orders (1) »
- Catholic Mass (10) »
- Protestant Churches in Ireland (2) »
- clergy (4) »
- schools (18) »
- teachers (1) »
- slogans / notices (1) »
- prisons (2) »
- evictions (1) »
- the army (7) »
- soldiers (9) »
- towns / cities (60) »
-
Nature
- rivers (5) »
- rocks (16) »
- lakes (12) »
- islands (7) »
- the sea (26) »
- bogs (3) »
- heights (5) »
- wells (15) »
- holy wells (Connaught) (20) »
- holy wells (Leinster) (171) »
- holy wells (Munster) (448) »
- holy wells (Ulster) (32) »
- water (10) »
- forests (9) »
- fire (1) »
- trees / bushes (32) »
- plants / herbs (1) »
- animals (8) »
- birds (3) »
- fish (3) »
- Folk Medicine
-
Time and Festivals
- sundials (7) »
- special occasions (4) »
- feasts of the year (5) »
- patterns (6) »
- processions (31) »
- St. Brigid’s Day (10) »
- St. Patrick’s Day (24) »
- Easter (9) »
- May Day (15) »
- Feast of St. John (37) »
- Garland Sunday (3) »
- Hallowe’en (1) »
- Christmas (27) »
- St. Stephen’s Day / Wren Boys (176) »
- local feasts / Twelfth of July (58) »
- May (2) »
- Popular Belief and Practice
- Mythological Tradition
- Religious Tradition
-
Folklore Collecting
- informants (Munster) (591) »
- informants (Leinster) (110) »
- informants (Connaught) (197) »
- informants (Ulster) (227) »
- informants (Scotland) (6) »
- informants (overseas) (17) »
- informants (Isle of Man) (3) »
- work of the Irish Folklore Commission (72) »
- officials of the Irish Folklore Commission (76) »
- portraits of the irish Folklore Commission (5) »
- friends of the Irish Folklore Commission (55) »
- launches / exhibitions of Irish folklore (8) »
-
Games and Pastimes
- Hallowe'en games (9) »
- stick games (2) »
- cord games (25) »
- game of conkers (chestnuts) (3) »
- counting games (5) »
- musicmaking (9) »
- musical instruments (17) »
- musicians (546) »
- dance (29) »
- singing (520) »
- drama (1) »
- mumming (2) »
- hurling (2) »
- games of strength (5) »
- bullet throwing (1) »
- tug of war (2) »
- contests of speed (4) »
- running (2) »
- walking (16) »
- climbing (2) »
- water sports (6) »