Send us a text

Long before Dracula, Ireland was already telling stories of the dead who refused to stay buried.

In this episode of Let’s Talk Spooky, we explore ancient Irish vampire lore—legends of revenants, blood-drinking dead, and cursed burials rooted in fear, famine, and unresolved death. From the tragic tale of the Dearg-Due to the violent legend of Abhartach, these stories reveal a darker understanding of the undead, where vampires were not romantic outsiders, but neighbors, rulers, and lovers.

These early Irish legends would go on to shape many of the vampire-slaying traditions found across Europe, leaving behind a legacy of fear, ritual, and ancient hunger.

Sources & Further Reading

• Ó hÓgáin, Dáithí. Myth, Legend and Romance: An Encyclopaedia of the Irish Folk Tradition.
• Barber, Paul. Vampires, Burial, and Death: Folklore and Reality.
• Ellis, Peter Berresford. The Mammoth Book of Celtic Myths and Legends.
• National Folklore Collection (Dúchas.ie), University College Dublin
• Geoffrey Keating. Foras Feasa ar Éirinn (17th century)