It’ s said that almost everyone in Ireland, particularly in ruralcommunities, will know of someone with a ‘ cure’ . It might be for themumps, a stye in the eye, or a sprain. Indeed the author of Cures ofIreland, Cecily Gilligan was herself cured of jaundice and ringwormby a ‘ seventh son’ in her local Sligo during her childhood.Cecily Gilligan has been researching the rich world of Irish folk curesfor almost forty years and, given the tradition has largely been anoral one, has been interviewing a broad range of people fromaround the country who possess these mystical cures, and thosewho have benefited from their gifts. One has a cure for eczema thatcomprises herbal butter balls, another ‘ buys’ warts from the suffererwith safety pins. There are stories of clay from graves with precioushealing properties and pieces of cords from potato bags being sentacross the world to treat asthma.While the Ireland of the twenty-first century continues to develop atlightning speed, there is something deeply comforting and reassuringin the fact that these ancient healing traditions, while fewer innumber, do survive to this day.