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Signs of Autumn Equinox in Ireland

Irene Hislop
Starlings Murmuration
Starlings Murmuration

Children are going back to school across Ireland, and the adults are chatting about the days growing shorter. Our ancestors watched these seasonal changes very closely. As farmers, their survival depended on understanding the changing seasons and when to plant and harvest their crops. They built incredible structures to capture the sun’s light as it travels along its path at the autumn and spring equinox and the winter and summer solstice. The intricate and timeless motifs they carved into structures at sites such as Newgrange and Lough Crew have become classic designs for Irish gifts. You’ll see our ancestors’ work on t-shirts, pottery and jewelry today.

  • Blackbird Irish Postage Stamp
  • Curlew Irish Postage Stamp

But humans aren’t the only ones tuned into the seasons for survival. Autumn is time for birds to migrate. Some, such as swallows and swifts, leave Ireland for warmer winter homes, while others arrive to enjoy a warmer climate than where they are leaving.  Bird migration is a global event, with our feathered friends flying incredible distances to their seasonal homes every year. Of course, not all birds migrate, and Ireland does have many year-round residents such as the curlew, jackdaw, thrush, and robin.

Swanning into Ireland for Winter
  • Swans on the River Corrib, Claddagh Village
  • Swan on the River Nore, Kilkenny

Swans are a big deal in the Irish avian world. They star in legends such as The Children of Lir, and they feature in symbols such as County Westmeath’s crest. They even appear in Irish gifts. When our autumn arrivals land, our swan population gets quite a boost. Mute swans are our only full-time resident swans. But as the temperature drops, they are joined here by their cousins the whooper swan and the Bewick’s swan. Starlings, blackbirds and siskins are other resident birds that see a population increase in winter with the arrival of more of their species from across Europe.

Sterling Silver & Gold Plated Children of Lir Pendant with Chain
Sterling Silver & Gold Plated Children of Lir Pendant

Redwing are a beloved winter visitor with their gorgeous plumage brightening our damp winter days. This small thrush spends the breeding season in Scandinavia, the Baltic states, parts of Poland, Russia and Iceland, then disperses for winter to western and southern Europe, northwest Africa and southwest Asia.

A Redwing

Bird migration is very visible around the coasts, where a whole host of wading birds arrive for winter including the sanderling, purple sandpiper and grey plover. The curlew sandpiper is scarce but beloved winter visitor to our shores; they shouldn’t be confused with the curlew, who is widespread year-round, but whose numbers get a boost from winter visitors.

Ireland’s neolithic ruins, especially those in the Boyne Valley, are the focal point of autumn equinox with their intriguing motifs seen on so many Irish gifts. But all around those sites, different birds are settling into their seasonal home after long flights from far-flung places. Their ancestors flitted through the skies while ours were building these amazing structures. Before St. Brendan the Navigator ever lifted an oar, birds were migrating around the globe seeking food and a livable habitat every spring and every autumn.

Belleek Pottery Hawk Irish Heritage Piece
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The Book of Kells includes fantastical, intricate birds, and the wren is in the spotlight every December on St. Stephen’s Day. Swans are absolute superstars. Birds have an important place in our culture, both those that reside here all year and those that call this island home seasonally. 

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