Wiki Loves Folklore 2026: winners announced
The results of Wiki Loves Folklore Ireland 2026 are in. The competition ran from 1 February to 7 April and called on photographers to dig into their archives or get out to local sites and capture images of Irish folk culture for upload to Wikimedia Commons.
This year’s jury were Aideen Herron (Heritage Project Assistant, CITB NI), Hannah Gallagher (Assistant Keeper at the Irish Folklife Division, National Museum of Ireland), and Cúán de Búrca, co-creator and co-presenter of Dúchas, an Irish-language podcast on folklore, history, heritage, and mythology. Entries were judged on technical quality, originality, and their potential usefulness to Wikimedia projects.
You can browse all entries [here – link to Commons category].
First place: Michael Deligan
First place goes to Michael Deligan for his photograph of Blarney Castle in County Cork. Blarney Castle is best known as the home of the Blarney Stone, also called the Stone of Eloquence, which visitors traditionally kiss while leaning back over the battlements – a custom said to confer the gift of persuasive speech. The castle dates to the fifteenth century and remains one of Ireland’s most visited historic sites.
Second place: A.-K. D.
Second place goes to A.-K. D. for a photograph taken at Clontubbrid Graveyard on the patron day of St Fiachra, 8 February, showing the modern St Fiachra’s Church alongside the Hermit’s Well. Patron days (local feast days tied to a parish’s founding saint) were once a central feature of the Irish calendar, bringing communities together for prayer, music, and gathering at holy wells and sacred sites.
Third place: Michael Deligan
Third place goes again to Michael Deligan, this time for a photograph of Galway Hooker sailing vessels on Galway Bay. The Galway Hooker is a traditional wooden sailing boat developed on the west coast of Ireland, historically used for fishing and transporting turf, livestock, and goods between the islands and the mainland. Once in decline, the boats have been actively preserved and sailed since the 1970s, and racing them remains a feature of summer festivals along the Connemara coast.
Congratulations to all three winners, and thanks to everyone who entered.
Want more photography competitions? You’re in luck!
Three other Wikimedia photo competitions are currently open for entries.
Wiki Loves Earth runs until 31 July and accepts photographs of Ireland’s natural heritage – national parks, nature reserves, and other protected natural sites. Every image uploaded under a free licence becomes available for use in Wikipedia articles on Irish nature and biodiversity. Full details and upload instructions are at Commons:Wiki Loves Earth 2026 in Ireland.
Wiki Loves a Future for Thatch also runs until 31 July and is open to photographers across the island of Ireland, including Northern Ireland. The competition documents thatched and vernacular buildings, thatching in progress, tools and materials, and the changing condition of thatched buildings – including derelict or formerly thatched structures. Historic photographs and oral history recordings are also accepted, provided the uploader holds the copyright. The number of thatched buildings on the island has fallen from around 40,000 in the 1950s to fewer than 150 today in the counties covered, and a 2022 survey found that a quarter of those remaining were in poor or very poor condition. The competition is hosted by CITB NI and funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, with support from Wikimedia Community Ireland. Full details and upload instructions are at Commons:Wiki Loves A Future for Thatch 2026.
Wiki Loves Pride runs until 31 August and accepts photographs documenting LGBTQ+ life, history, and community in Ireland – from Pride events and community gatherings to monuments, queer spaces, art, activism, and everyday life. Photos can be taken at any time; they just need to be uploaded between 1 June and 31 August. Prizes are €200 for first place, €100 for second, and €50 for third. All images are openly licensed and go towards improving representation of LGBTQ+ topics across Wikimedia projects in Irish and English. Full details are at Commons:Wiki Loves Pride 2026 in Ireland.
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Want to organise your own Campaign or Competition on an area of cultural hertiage to preserve? Get in touch with our team at info@wikimedia.ie
