156 Frédéric Armao fire festival now has an international dimension. It was political, sacred, and religious before anything; now most people visit Uisneach on Bealtaine to have a good time. It apparently used to be focused on druids and kings, on their respective roles and prerogatives; now families and teenagers dress as elves and demons, women dress in white while chanting and carrying secret rituals whose origin is more likely rooted in the 19th century Celtic revival than in actual ancient Irish traditions. The involvement of the President of Ireland may echo an ancient mythological episode, which implies a will to connect the present of Ireland to its past: it does not, however, change the substance of the contemporary celebration, which could not possibly be a direct re-enactment of the ancient assembly. It should not come as a surprise that, in 2017, no cattle were passed between two fires to protect them from evil spells. Similarly, the fact that Irish people would now rather pay their taxes on the Internet than on the hill of Uisneach will not come as a shock. Obviously, times have changed, people living in Ireland have changed, the island as a whole (in terms of human geography, economic systems, and political and religious structures) has changed. The festival held on Uisneach very logically followed this evolution and, as the expression goes, seems in tune with the times. The (pre-?)Christian medieval assembly was gradually phased out, probably because it did not correspond to the Irish society anymore—though the influence, either passive or active, of Christianity cannot be overlooked. Pagan rituals were adapted or, in some instances, forbidden. At the dawn of the 21st century, it seems that a newer, more tolerant, more syncretic Irish society is on the rise, as exemplified by the case of the Fire Festival of Uisneach. This new society now enables what would have proved impossible one or two decades ago. On the hill of Uisneach, in May of 2017, people dressed as witches and fairies, danced around a bonfire, recited heathen prayers, and the President of Ireland took an active part in this pagan, or pseudo-pagan, gathering without it becoming a national scandal: a fine example, to say the least, of a feast as a mirror of social and cultural changes. References Armao, Frédéric (2013) “La Charnière de mai: Beltaine, fête celtique ou fête irlandaise?” [In:] Ollodagos 28; 61–128. Armao, Frédéric (2017a) “Cathair Crobh Dearg: From Ancient Beliefs to the Rounds 2017.” [In:] Estudios Irlandeses 12(2); 8–31. DOI: 10.24162/EI2017-7511
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