The Irish Folklore Commission carried out invaluable work between 1935 and 1971, collecting a treasure trove of Irish history in the form of recordings, photographs, music and stories.

The Commission (Coimisiún Béaloideasa Éireann) was established as a State Institute attached to University College, Dublin in April 1935 by the first Fianna Fáil government.

Taoiseach Eamon De Valera regarded the preservation of folklore as part of the ‘Gaelicization’ policy of the new state.

The Commission operated under the Department of Education. It aimed to collect, preserve and classify all aspects of Irish folk tradition in a systematic manner.

The sheer breadth of the material collected is illustrated by the fourteen main topics on which information was gathered:

Settlement and Dwelling; Livelihood and Household Support; Communications and Trade; The Community; Human Life; Nature; Folk Medicine; Time; Principles and Rules of Popular Belief and Practice; Mythological Tradition; Historical Tradition; Religious Tradition; Popular 'Oral Literature'; and Sports and Pastimes.

It was succeeded by the Department of Irish Folklore in UCD in 1971.

This documentary by Paddy O'Neill looks at the work of the Irish Folklore Commission.

Produced by Paddy O' Neil.

Presented by D. O'Muirthe

First broadcast 12th May, 1974

An Irish radio documentary from RTÉ Radio 1, Ireland - Documentary on One - the home of Irish radio documentaries