Marion McGarry

RTÉ Brainstorm

Dr Marion McGarry is an art historian, author, independent researcher and lecturer at the Atlantic Technological University

What was Christmas like in rural Ireland back in the day?

Here are seven snapshots of how Christmas used to be marked in Ireland

Christmas carols like the Wexford Carol can be a conduit for joy and celebration in the darkest of times

The general belief was that you should leave the statue outside under a bush the night before the wedding to ensure good weather

From the Christmas box to An Margadh Mór, here are some memorable Irish Christmas traditions from years past

When it came to weather forecasts and predictions, Irish folklore could give Met Éireann a run for their money

Blood sacrifices involving pigs, sheep or geese were practiced in Ireland well into living memory on Martinmas

Despite being associated with the supernatural, Irish people traditionally saw Halloween as a night for fun and games

The briquettes were not only once a convenient, inexpensive fuel for Irish people, they were also an industrial design icon

It is possible to view the Count as Irish or influenced by the Ireland of Bram Stoker's time in many ways.

Here are some things you may not have known about the presidential residence in the middle of Dublin's Phoenix Park