Seal Folklore in Ireland
Folklore about seals is certainly not unique to Ireland, and appears in other Celtic, Nordic and Baltic countries, and indeed in the many other countries of the world. The supernatural transformation from a human to seal is also a very old idea, and features in classical mythology and in medieval Irish texts.
This concept remained intact in Ireland’s oral tradition, and accounts featuring it were eventually collected by the Irish Folklore Commission between 1935 - 1970. Within the material collected by the Irish Folklore Commission there exists a number of accounts about seals, and it is indeed clear that the seal captured the imagination of coastal dwellers.
Irish Seal Sanctuary
For 30 years, the Irish Seal Sanctuary has been to the forefront of wildlife rehabilitation, both nationally and internationally, as pioneers and practitioners of the 3Rs (Rescue, Rehabilitation, Release), it’s volunteers in effect in the role of planetary healers, bridging gaps evolved over time between humanity and environment.
Discover more about Irish Seal SanctuaryThe National Folklore Collection
Much of the archival material housed in the National Folklore Collection was amassed by its forerunners, the Irish Folklore Institute (1930-1935), the Irish Folklore Commission (1935-1971), and the Department of Irish Folklore UCD (1972-2005). Also included are archive materials collected by the Folklore of Ireland Society (1926- ), a group closely associated with the National Folklore Collection.
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