Lá Fhéile Bhríde shona daoibh go léir! Happy St Brigid’s Day!
The calendar says Spring is here, even if the weather hasn’t quite got the memo yet. But the snowdrops are pushing through, the evenings are stretching, and Imbolc reminds us that brighter days are coming.
I’m Amy, the new Community Manager here at Wikimedia Community Ireland, and I’m absolutely delighted to announce that Is Breá le Vicí Béaloideas | Wiki Loves Folklore 2026 is officially open!
I’ll be honest, this is my favourite campaign of the year. As a folklore nerd, there’s something magical about celebrating Ireland’s tangible and intangible cultural heritage, and inviting people across the country to document and share it with the world.
Cad é an comórtas seo? | What’s this all about?
Wiki Loves Folklore is an international photography competition that runs from 1 February to 31 March each year. The aim is simple: capture images of folklore, traditions, and cultural heritage, upload them to Wikimedia Commons, and help illustrate Wikipedia articles for readers around the globe.
In Ireland, we’re lucky to have an incredibly rich folklore tradition and this competition is a chance to document it, preserve it, and share it.
Catagóirí 2026 | 2026 Categories
This year, we’re introducing three themed categories to help guide your photography and address gaps on Wikipedia and Vicipéid:
👤 Gaeil | Irish Language Personalities
We’re looking for portraits of notable figures in the Irish language community, including writers, musicians, artists, broadcasters, educators, activists, and cultural leaders. Vicipéid and English Wikipedia are missing photos of many important people in the Irish language, arts and cultural world, and your images can help change that. Have you been to Oireachtas, attended a poetry reading, gone to a gig, or been snap happy at events? You might have some great portraits hiding in the depths of your camera roll which could help to illustrate articles on Wikipedia – and also win a prize!
Club na féile ag Oireachtas na Samhna 2022, image from Dowlinme, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
🎭 Ealaíona agus Ceardaíocht Traidisiúnta | Traditional Arts & Crafts
From St Brigid’s cross making to basket weaving, sean-nós dancing to traditional music, thatching to knitting to tin smithing – we want to see Ireland’s traditional arts and crafts being practised and celebrated. Wikipedia needs more images of craftspeople at work, traditional techniques being passed down, and the beautiful objects they create. Have you attended a craft workshop, watched a sean-nós dancer, captured a traditional music session, or documented a local artisan? Whether it’s hands weaving rushes, feet dancing on flagstones, or a freshly thatched roof – we want to see it. Your photos can help preserve these skills for future generations.
Wiki Loves Folklore in Ireland 2023 Winner: ‘Ag Déanamh Aráin Making Bread 13’ Image | Íomhá: Seán Ó Domhnaill, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
🍲 Bia Traidisiúnta | Traditional Food
Irish soda bread, colcannon, boxty, barmbrack, coddle, blaas… Ireland’s food heritage is rich and delicious. Capture images of traditional dishes, cooking methods, ingredients, and food customs. Wikipedia is hungry for more images of Irish food! Have you baked brown bread with your granny’s recipe, made champ with the first scallions of the season, or captured a full Irish breakfast in all its glory? From farmers’ markets to family kitchens, from buttermilk to black pudding, we want to see how Ireland eats.
These categories aren’t exclusive, you can submit any image related to Irish folklore. But we’re hoping they’ll inspire you and help us fill some important gaps in the free knowledge ecosystem and help to add high quality images to pages across Wikipedia.
Wiki Loves Folklore Runs from 1 February to 31 March 2026
Conas páirt a ghlacadh | How to take part
Getting involved is easy:
- Glac grianghraf | Take a photo (or dig through your camera roll – you might already have the perfect shot!)
- Cruthaigh cuntas | Create a free account on Wikimedia Commons if you don’t have one already
- Uaslódáil | Upload your images through our competition page here
- Cuir síos air | Add a description, location, and date to help others find and use your image
Faigh Inspioráid | Get inspired
Not sure where to start? Here are some ideas:
🌿 Attend local events
There’s so much happening over the coming weeks. Get out to parades, workshops, festivals, and heritage events in your area and bring your camera.
📸 Go on a photo walk
Visit a holy well, a heritage site, a craft workshop, or a traditional pub session. Ireland is full of folklore waiting to be documented.
🍞 Get baking
Make some soda bread, whip up a batch of boxty, or try your hand at a traditional recipe. Then photograph it!
🧶 Try a craft
Did you make a St Brigid’s cross or Brideog this weekend? Take a picture!
📱 Check your camera roll
You might already have images from past events, travels, or family gatherings that would be perfect.
Ócáidí speisialta | A season full of celebrations
We’re incredibly fortunate in Ireland that the Wiki Loves Folklore campaign period (February–March) coincides with so many relevant days and celebrations:
- 🌿 Lá Fhéile Bhríde / Imbolc (1 February)
- 🐝 Lá Fhéile Gobnait (11 February)
- 🥞 Máirt Inide / Shrove Tuesday (17 February)
- 🗣️ Seachtain na Gaeilge (1–17 March)
- ☘️ St Patrick’s Day | Lá Fhéile Pádraig (17 March)
- 🌸 Sheelah’s Day | Lá Fhéile Síle (18 March)
- 🐂 The Days of the Brindled Cow
Each of these offers opportunities to capture images of living folklore. Whether it’s a parade, a workshop, a traditional meal, or a quiet moment of cultural practice.
Féach siar | Look back at last year
Want to see what kind of images were submitted last year? Check out:
- 📸 All 2025 entries on Wikimedia Commons
- 🎨 Aoife Cawley’s artwork for Wiki Loves Folklore 2025
- 🏆 Wiki Loves Folklore 2025 winners
Caomhnaigh ár dtraidisiúin, íomhá ar íomhá | Preserve our traditions, image by image
This competition is about more than winning prizes. It’s about documenting our heritage, filling gaps in the world’s largest encyclopaedia, and making sure that Irish folklore (in Irish and English and dozens of other languages) is accessible to everyone, everywhere.
Your photo could end up illustrating a Wikipedia article read by millions. How cool is that?
So grab your camera, dig out your archive, get baking, get crafting, and get exploring. We can’t wait to see what you capture.
Go n-éirí libh! Good luck!
Amy
Community Manager,
Wikimedia Community Ireland
👉 Enter Wiki Loves Folklore 2026
📧 Questions? Get in touch at info@wikimedia.ie
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