FONDÚIREACHT BHÉALOIDEAS ÉIREANN (THE NATIONAL FOLKLORE FOUNDATION)

FONDÚIREACHT BHÉALOIDEAS ÉIREANN – the National Folklore Foundation – is Ireland’s premier custodian of the country’s oral tradition. Through its digital platform, dúnchas.ie, the Foundation makes the vast collections of the Irish Folklore Commission accessible to anyone with an interest in the stories, customs, songs and everyday life that have shaped Irish culture.

The site offers a searchable archive that can be explored by place, theme or collection, with interactive maps guiding users to folklore linked to specific locations. Highlights include the Schools’ Collection, compiled by schoolchildren in the 1930s, the Main Manuscript Collection, and the specialised Bailiúchán Béaloidis Árann, which records the islanders’ traditions of the Aran Islands. Volunteers can join the Meitheal Dúchas.ie project to transcribe manuscripts, photographs and other media, while researchers benefit from reference tools such as alternate surname spellings and curated editorial selections.

Open to schools, scholars, community groups and the general public, the Foundation also invites support through donations to sustain the preservation and sharing of Ireland’s living heritage.