A Bird in the House, God Bless Her is a collection of folklore that was recorded and produced by Michael Fortune between September 2017 and March 2018 with members of the Travelling community in Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown.
This collection contain's stories, customs and beliefs which had been resigned to past memory by many. Yet here on the outskirts of Dublin City, Michael found people, young and old, whose everyday lives and experiences are interwoven with these stories, beliefs are customs, ancient and contemporary.
Through his engagement Michael aimed to capture these accounts and beliefs in as true a voice as possible. His aim was to create a living resource which could be shared and enjoyed by the Travelling community themselves; material that immediately had currency and value for those who featured in it and those who could relate to it.
The material presented in this collection includes rare Easter and May Day customs, personal stories involving fairies, the banshee and shape-shifting hares and more contemporary customs such as the blessing of cars and acronyms used on social media.
Featured on this collection are: Nan Connors, Bridget O'Brien, Alice Berry, Margaret Connors, Louise McDonagh, Ann Marie Connors, Bridget O'Brien, Nelly O'Brien, Kitty McAleer, John Connors and Kathleen Doran.
The collection features fourteen individual films which were edited due to topic and subject matter. These ranged in duration and they include:
1. Superstitions, Customs and Facebook (3mins 56secs)
2. St. Philomenas Cord (4mins 34secs)
3. The Fairies (5mins 58secs)
4. Differences - Old and New Customs (3mins 58secs)
5. Blessings and Overlooking (5mins 48secs)
6. Remembering the Dead (4mins 03secs)
7. Making Bread (3mins 43secs)
8. Personal Beliefs and Rituals (8mins 18secs)
9. Naming Traditions Old and New (4mins 46secs)
10. The May Bush and May Eve Mass (3mins 43secs)
11. Easter Tradition from Wexford (3mins 00secs)
12. The Banshee (2mins 42secs)
13. The Hare (4mins 18secs)
14. Accents, Bras and Handbags (4mins 03secs)
15. Launch Compilation (50 minutes)
The collection was produced as part of a project called Exit 15, which was a partnership between Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council and Voluntary Arts Ireland. The programme was funded under the Arts Council’s Invitation to Collaboration Scheme 2017 and by Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council.
All the material was recorded, edited and produced by Michael.