Toil and Trouble ~ Cures and Curses by Sarah McKenna
Kilkenny Home Rule Club, Ireland
When
Where
Kilkenny Home Rule Club, Ireland
About
For two years, Sarah documented traditional cures and curses from the border counties and she has a story to tell about where this ancient practice fits with modern Ireland. ‘The cure’, as it is known, is the ability of a unique person, place, or object to heal particular illnesses, while curses are deeply tied with dark folklore, invoking the land to betray it’s inhabitants. An unusual tradition for a Western European country to have, surviving centuries of colonialisation, religious change, and famine, it connects us directly with our ancestors.