The fox plays an important role in Irish folklore, which emphasizes both its cunning nature and resourcefulness while also acknowledging that some have managed to outsmart the fox.
The red fox, which is native to Ireland, has become a familiar sight in both urban and rural areas, having adapted remarkably well to both environments. In early 20th-century Ireland, however, the native fox population was largely confined to the countryside, as reflected in accounts recorded in the National Folklore Collection.
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Recent research argues that foxes naturally colonized Ireland during the early post-glacial period or earlier, rather than being introduced by humans, as was previously proposed. Furthermore, the fox has been an enduring figure in Irish folklore since the medieval period.
For instance, a version of the tale of Fionn mac Cumhaill and Gráinne, preserved in the Middle Irish Book of Lecan, tells us that Gráinne did not wish to be taken by Fionn and so demands a bride price: a couple of all the wild animals in Ireland. Fianna warrior Caoilte fulfils this request on behalf of his leader, Fionn, but the most elusive animal to capture proves to be the fox. We’re left wondering whether this was because of the fox’s wily nature or due to a small fox population.
>>> READ MORE: Fionn Folklore here!
While early folkloric sources mention the fox, the Schools’ Collection, compiled between 1937 and 1939, will serve as the cornerstone for much of this discussion of fox folklore, as we showcase the animal’s strong presence in entries from rural schools, focusing in particular on the west of Ireland.
Names
The red fox, Vulpes vulpes, is known by various names in Ireland. Even today, the Irish language preserves the old name for the fox, “an sionnach“. Some have claimed that the word “shenanigans” derives from the Irish “sionnacuighim“, meaning “I play the fox”, although this etymological connection remains speculative.
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Another Irish name for the fox is “an madra rua” (or “an madra ruadh“), literally meaning “the red dog”. The animal was also sometimes referred to colloquially in English as “the foxy dog”.
The term “reynard” was once a common name for the fox, particularly among hunters. “Reynard the Fox” is a trickster character in medieval European fables. In Ireland, the term “reynard” is preserved in many traditional rhymes and songs. It appears multiple times in a song composed by Jack Young, which is recorded in the school collection from Patrickswell in Co. Limerick:
“Between nine and ten Reynard came for his hen.
And straightened right up for the bog.
The dirty blaguard came into the yard.
And soon was attacked by the dog.”
The cunning fox in Irish lore
The cunning nature of the fox has long been portrayed with suspicion and negativity in Irish lore, where its cleverness is frequently linked to deceit and trickery. Many cultures around the world share this view of the sly fox. And yet, the animal also inspires a level of awe for its adaptability and resourcefulness. In entries recorded in the Schools’ Collection, the fox is described using the Irish terms “glic“, meaning clever and “uaibhreach“, meaning haughty, proud or arrogant.
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Catching its prey
The fox’s diet consists of small mammals like mice and rats, along with opportunistic finds such as domestic fowl. The fox has a tendency to kill as many birds in a flock as possible, which contributes to its negative reputation.
One story, recorded many times across the country, describes a fox entering a henhouse and killing and consuming a number of birds. Having overindulged, he is too full to make his escape and pretends to be dead when discovered. He then waits for an opportunity to outwit the farmer and make his getaway.
>>> READ MORE: The cuckoo in Irish folklore
The following account from the school in Glenamaddy, Co. Galway, offers a variation on this story and concerns a man who had to contend with a great number of foxes in his area:
“He set a trap for one [of the foxes] who was always coming into his yard. The fox was caught in the trap and when he saw the man coming in the morning he laid down and pretended to be dead. The man came to the fox and threw him over his shoulder. He thought he was dead. When he reached the garden gate he threw down the fox to open the gate, and he ran away.”
In other similar tales, the fox is often depicted carrying dead fowl off on its back, as described in an account from the school in Rathbarry (Castlefreke) in Co. Cork.
Cubs are born usually between March and April, and there was a perception that the vixen was most destructive in the late spring and early summer when she had cubs to feed. It was believed that she would take fowl and lambs for her young in places such as Achill Island, Co. Mayo, where the ground cover was most suited to her pursuits.
Outsmarting its enemies
The intellect and patience of the fox are recurring themes in Irish folklore. Besides outwitting humans, several entries in the Schools’ Collection describe how the fox outwits spirits and other animals, including insects.
For example, an account from the school in Flaskagh More, Co. Galway, claims that the fox knew how to rid itself of fleas by taking a clump of moss in its mouth and backing slowly into the lake. As the water covered the fox, the fleas would jump onto the moss, which the fox then dropped into the water, drowning the fleas.
The fox was also known to approach a farmyard and bark to determine whether a dog was present before making a raid on the poultry and it was said to play dead by riverbanks in order to catch fish.
Building its den
It was believed that foxes chose to build their dens beneath gorse bushes or in secluded woods and bogs and other hard-to-reach places, as highlighted in the following account from the school in Carraholly, Co. Mayo, regarding a fox on Clare Island that was preying on the island’s hens, ducks and geese:
“The[y] often tried to kill him but they never succeeded. One day as they were following him they found his den. It was in the side of a bank but the bank was to[o] steep to get down to the den. The[y] watched the fox another time and they found out his way for getting in to his den. He used to jump from the top and catch a long briar in his mouth on the way down and it would let him swing into the den. One day they let down a man with a rope and cut the briar. The[y] followed him again and he ran for his den as usual. When he jumped over the bank he found that there was no briar and he fell down on the cliffs and was killed.”
This story is retold almost word-for-word in an account from the school in Annagh More, also in Mayo. The overarching narrative of the fox escaping by catching onto a briar or tree is found several times in the Folklore Collection.
Announcing death
When a death occurred, it was said that foxes would gather nearby as if sensing the event.
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Outsmarting the fox
Only the hedgehog and the frog appear to get the better of the fox. Another account from Annagh More recalls a race between a hedgehog and a fox. The hedgehog enlists the help of another hedgehog, with one waiting at the start line and the other at the finish line. The fox is unable to distinguish between the two and fails to realize that he is being outsmarted.
The frog also plays a trick on the fox in this humorous story from the school in Ballybay, Co. Monaghan:
“One time there was a fox, who thought he could run faster than any other animal. One day he was thirsty and came to a pond to drink, and a frog was sitting on the bank. The frog began to croak at him, and the fox said, ‘be of[f] or I will eat you’. Then the frog said, ‘I can run faster than you’. Then the fox laughed and said, ‘well, we will both run to the next gate and see, who will be there first’.
Then the fox looked all round, and as he was doing so, the frog jumped on his tail, and the fox began to run. The fox ran to the gate, not knowing that the frog was on his tail. When the fox reached the gate, he looked behind, and saw no sign of the frog. Then he laughed at the idea of the frog trying to beat him [in] a race, and as he looked round the frog jumped inside the gate, and when the fox saw him, he did not know what to say, and that is how the frog won the race.”
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Befriending the fox
The fox’s intelligence is celebrated in a story concerning St Brigid. A king had tamed a wild fox and trained it to perform tricks. One day, a man mistakenly killed the king’s pet fox, inviting the king’s wrath upon him in the form of a death sentence. St Brigid agreed to intercede on behalf of the man and to persuade the king to spare his life. On her way to visit the king, a shy little fox approached her and she brought it along with her. Under the saint’s instructions, the fox performed tricks for the king so well that he granted the man his release. The fox was left in the king’s care but soon escaped and returned to the wild.
>>> READ MORE: St Brigid’s Day customs and traditions in Co. Kildare in the 1930s
Hunting the fox
Foxes have long been hunted in Ireland for both sport and reward. An account from the school in Shanballard, Co. Galway, tells us that,
“The boys and men of the district often hunt the fox with dogs and sticks on Sundays and track him to his den and dig it out with spades in an endeavour to catch and kill him and thereby prevent him from harming the fowl of the neighbourhood… even against such odds the cunning reynard often remains at large scorning the traps laid for him.”
An unusual tale recorded in Newtown, Co. Galway, in the Irish language, concerns the hunt of an elusive eight-legged white fox (sionnach bán na nocht gcos).
If a fox was captured, its fur was considered valuable and was often used to make women’s stoles. An account from the school in Castlehacket, also in Galway, records that a fox’s pelt could sell for 25 shillings, while the fox’s head or tail was worth between 5 and 8 shillings.
A recent article in the Irish Independent by Liam Collins discussed the destruction scheme, under which reports in 1937 indicated that some 46,000 Irish foxes were killed. Hunters claimed bounties by presenting fox parts, such as a paw, tail or tongue, at garda stations. This led to abuses where individuals received multiple payments for the same animal. Farmers allegedly visited several garda stations to maximize claims. While this scheme is extreme by today’s standards, it was driven by economic pressures, as losing poultry to foxes could significantly impact a farmer’s livelihood.
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Cures
In many parts of the country, there was a belief that the tongue of the fox could be used for various “cures”. For example, placing the tongue on a person’s finger for a day was said to help draw out a thorn, a practice repeated throughout Co. Galway in places like Ballygar, Castlehacket, Clifden, Lickerrig, Srah, and many other locations across the county and beyond. The tongue was also said to cure burns and it was used as a cure for whooping cough in Carbad Beg, Co. Mayo, although the method for this treatment is unrecorded.
There is also a vague account from Clashmore, Co. Waterford, suggesting that the blood from a fox’s tail could be used to cure wildfire.
Current Status
With a stable population in most parts of the country, the fox is not considered endangered or under threat. It is not a protected species in Ireland and it is still hunted for recreation and predator control.
If you know any Irish tales and lore concerning Ireland’s native fox, please share them with us in the comment section below. Check out more foxy folklore in the National Folklore Collection here.
The Roving Fox
By Jimmy Clarke, the travelling poet
I am an airy roving fox
That often prowls among the rocks
And sometimes feeds on hens and cocks.
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