Discovering Irish lore—and learning if superstitions really do come true
By Daren Blake, Program Director, Ireland
Program Director Daren Blake
Every year around Halloween, it’s a custom in Ireland to serve a fruitcake, which is called a barmbrack. Originally, the barmbrack was baked with various objects inside: a pea, a tiny stick, a little piece of cloth, a small coin (which, in earlier days, was a silver sixpence), and a ring. When friends and family gathered around the table to enjoy the barmbrack, it became a game of fortune. The item you received in your slice of cake would tell you about your future: If you found the pea, you would be unmarried; the stick, you would be a fighter; the cloth, you would have bad luck and be poor; the coin, you would have good luck and be rich; and the ring, you would be wed within the year.
Today, this tradition has changed slightly, and you most often only find a ring inside of the barmbrack. Irishmen often say, “Whoever gets the ring will be well on their way up the aisle before Christmas.”
During one of my tours this past October, I met two wonderful group members, Barbara Fischer—a 2-time traveler from West Des Moines, Iowa, and Ken Sachse—a 2-time traveler from Wellesley Island, New York. They shared their story of how they met during their travels last year. According to Barbara, after her husband passed away last April, she traveled alone for the first time to Panama with another travel company. One afternoon, she attended a singles luncheon, where she sat next to Ken. The two began chatting, and discovered that both enjoyed walking. So they started to walk around the ship, and soon learned that they also liked to dance. Each night, Barbara and Ken danced until midnight. When it was time to say their goodbyes in San Diego at the end of the trip, Barbara didn’t think they’d ever see each other again, as she lived in Iowa, and Ken resided in New York.
Barbara and Ken enjoy a visit to Blarney Castle.
Shortly after her return from Panama, Barbara traveled to Florida, close to the home of Ken’s son. The two were able to reunite, and spent three days talking, and sharing how much they enjoyed travel—but, they explained, this was difficult because they didn’t have a regular travel companion. After returning home—and several phone calls later—Barbara and Ken reserved their Grand Circle River Cruise from Brussels to Switzerland together.
After that River Cruise, the two planned their trip to Ireland, where I now found them as members of my group. Barbara shared that Ken has visited her in Iowa and met her five children and eleven grandchildren. “They loved him,” she said. “After meeting Ken, life is good again.”
On the last day of our tour, I explained the story behind barmbrack to the group and handed each traveler a slice of the cake. Well, guess who found the ring? It was Barbara! You can imagine the excitement within our group, and we’re anxiously waiting to hear if our Irish superstition still works. I wish Barbara and Ken every happiness together.
Learn about Ireland’s enchanting folklore and legends on our Ireland in Depth vacation.