The
Dresser
Project
by Michael Fortune/folklore.ie
The 2025 Irish Dresser Calendar
Pádraig Walsh, Oughterard, Co. Galway
McGowan’s Dresser, Craughwell, Co. Galway
Daly’s Dresser, Jerpoint , Co. Kilkenny
Pat Bogan, Kilrush, Co Wexford
SOLD OUT SOLD OUT SOLD OUT
Due to phenomenal demand, all onlines sales of The Irish Dresser and Folklore Calendar for 2025 have
ceased. All orders made before this time are being processed and posted, however if you want a copy
you will now have to contact some of the shops listed below. Please contact Michael if you have any
queries on 087 6470247 or at folklore.ie@gmail.com.
About the Calendar
Now in its 5th year, the Irish Dresser Calendar continues to grow in popularity with dressers and
stories from all over Ireland. The 2025 calendar features 14 new dressers from counties Galway, Mayo,
Donegal, Tipperary, Wexford, Waterford and Kilkenny plus QR codes to interviews with their owners in
their homes by Michael. The calendar also features over 100 interesting folklore and calendar dates
from around Ireland plus QR codes to related interviews and texts recorded and produced by Michael
over the decades. This is more than just any calendar, its a piece of art, created with passion and love
by Michael and something that will guide you through the calendar year from a uniquely Irish
perspective. The calendars were designed and printed in Ireland.
The 2025 Irish Dresser and Folklore Calendar
Preview the 2025 calendar design
Stockists Around Ireland
O’Mahony’s Bookstore (Limerick City)
Banner Books (Co. Clare)
The Dingle Bookshop (Dingle, Co. Kerry)
Charlie Byrnes (Galway City)
The Ennis Bookshop (Ennis, Co. Clare)
The Castle Bookshop (Castlebar, Co, Mayo)
Libre (Sligo Town)
Kitts Gifts (Mountbellew, Co. Galway)
Keogh Gifts (Oughterard, Co. Galway)
The Bookshop (Westport, Co. Mayo)
The Book Mark (Letterkenny, Co. Donegal) Maybe 1 copy left
Gadaí Dubh (Ballymakeery, Co. Cork)
Books ‘n’ More (Oranmore, Co. Galway)
Dungeon Bookshop (Killarney, Co. Kerry)
Fennelly’s (Callan, Co. Kilkenny)
The Book & Coffee Shop (Kilkenny)
Books at One (Letterfrack, Co. Galway) Maybe 1 copy left
The Village Bookshop (Terenure, Dublin)
O’Mahony’s Bookstore (Tralee).
Wolfes Booshops (Listowel, Co. Kerry)
Bookcentre, Waterford.
Wexford
Easons (Enniscorthy, Wexford Town and Gorey)
Red Books (Wexford Town)
Selskar Bookshop (Wexford Town)
Hubb 16 (New Ross),
Fortune Antiques (Taghmon)
The Dunbrody Visitor Centre (New Ross)
Readers Paradise (Wexford Town)
Steemers (Bunclody)
The Irish National Heritage Park (Ferrycarrig)
Breda’s (Carrig-on-Bannow)
The Red Door (Carrig-on-Bannow)
Murphy’s (Killanerin)
Raths (Ballygarrett)
The Trading Post (Unyoke)
The Village at Wheelocks (Enniscorthy)
Spectrum Art Supplies (Wexford Town)
The Counties:
Galway, Mayo, Sligo, Donegal, Clare, Kerry,
Cork, Tipperary, Kilkenny, Waterford, Dublin
and Wexford.
This is a small production and simply cannot be stocked in every bookshop
in Ireland. Michael would love copies in all 32 counties, however it is a huge
task to do this for a small producer and he has found the smaller bookshops
much more approachable and helpful than the bigger chain stores around
Ireland. Michael is extremely grateful to the shops that have helped him
over the years and in particular the bookshops on the west coast and his
own native Wexford.
The 2024 Irish Dresser and Folklore Calendar
See what the 2025 Calendar looks like in this 8 minute video.
About The 2025 Irish Dresser and Folklore Calendar
The Calendar - Where it is printed and technical spec.
The calendar is printed every year with Walsh Print in Co. Kerry and will A3 in size folded down to A4, complete with a drill hole for ease of
hanging. It is saddle stitched with full image on top and month and information on the bottom. The days and months are in the Irish and English
land the front cover is a 300gsm silk gloss laminate paper while the inside pages are on 150gsm silk. It is hung via a punched hole. These field-
recordings are a great way to learn more about the dressers, their histories and their owners.
Listen to interviews with the owners of some of the dressers that feature in the 2025 calendar.
Watch a feature on the calendar by Marty Morrisey on the Today Show, RTÉ 1, 22nd of Nov 2024.
The Irish
Dresser Project
The Irish Dresser Project is an ongoing body of research that I have been conducting around Ireland since 2015.
In ways, the seed for this collection was planted in the mid-1970s when I spent the first years of my life living with my grandmother in her ‘two-up, two-down’ cottage in Ballygarrett on the coast of Co. Wexford. At the epicentre of this small house was a simple, practical and well-used kitchen dresser.
While in art college in the mid-1990s, I began noticing the importance of such objects as receptacles of life stories and the deep connection between them and their owners. The incident which sparked this particular project happened in February 2015 when my grandmother, aged 103, passed away.
In October 2014, her independent lifestyle changed when she lost the use of her legs and she simply could not make it upstairs to her bedroom. Many options were considered and one suggestion which came from a visiting nurse was that she move her bed downstairs. The kitchen space was so small, the nurse suggested that her dresser be removed. Not a woman to mince her words, she responded “Like shite, no-one is touching my dresser”. She passed away in February with her dresser remaining intact.
In the months to follow, I made contact with Arts Officers in four local authorities in counties Mayo, Carlow, Tipperary and Waterford - counties in which I had previously undertaken folklore collections. With their support, I set about documenting dressers in each county and producing a photographic and film series which was launched as part of their Bealtaine programmes in May. I also decided to partner with two organisations I’d worked with before: the Department of Folklore and Ethnology in UCC and the National Museum of Ireland - Country Life in Mayo.
One thing that became apparent to me was how the role of the dresser changed over the years from a practical place to hold ware, cups, milk, flour, sugar, etc. in the kitchen to a more shrine-like position in the home. In saying that, the dressers are not just dry pieces of folk furniture or relics of the past. Instead they are an evolving and ever-changing display reflecting the experiences, lives and values of their keepers, serving as shrines as well as practical pieces of furniture.
Over the years I have presented these findings at talks, events and exhibitions throughout Ireland. Something resonated with people with this project and has received wide media coverage at a local and national level and has featured in different programmes on RTÉ Radio and TV, Virgin TV as well as features in newspapers and journals from The Examiner, The Farmers Journal, RTÉ Culture and a plethora of local radio and newspapers over these years..
I am currently producing these photos, films and stories into a new archive and publication which I will share with you in the coming months. Although I never set out to it, I have by chance managed to document over 250 contemporary dressers around Ireland; their stories, their makers and their regional styles.
Michael Fortune, September 2023
Stella Byrne, Marshalstown, Co. Wexford
The Irish Dresser
and Folklore Calendar
Background
In the Summer of 2020 and in the depths of Covid I decided to
produce a calendar using the images and stories of Irish dressers
that I’d documented around the country since 2015. I had
thousands of photos on my hardrives and hundreds of stories in my
head that needed to see the light of day.
So in September I designed the calendar from my home here in
Wexford. Once I had a draft produced, I decided to add another
layer and pencil in various Irish folklore calendar dates. To be
honest, I was tired of seeing dates on calendars and diaries that
had no connection to me in Ireland. I also noticed many were
designed and printed outside of Ireland and this was something
that I addressed and deliberately got mine printed with Walsh Print
in Kerry.
So here we are, four years and five calendars later. The calendar
has been a huge success and every year has been a sell-out. The
operation is a very simple where I have my hand to everything from
the taking the photos, to the design and then the distribution. This
is all done from my home/studio here in rural Wexford and sales
open in late October and finish up just before Christmas.
90% of my sales come from online while I do have some bookshops
around the country that stock them. I am too small of a producer
to get them stocked nationwide and the time chasing and
following up shops simply isn’t feasible.
The 2025 Irish Dresser and Folklore Calendar
The 2025 calendar has been printed and is available to buy from
this website and some shops around the country. I have kept the
calendar costs the same as it was in 2021 and they will retail €15
each. €15 includes free P+P in Ireland in October while postage is
extra for any orders outside of Ireland.
Thanks to all the returning customers and supporters of my work
and my practice, it is greatly appreciated. And welcome to all the
new people who have only recently discovered my practice.
The photographs and stories recorded in the 2025 calendar were
been undertaken between 2023 and 2024 and the calendar
designed in September 2024. I would like to thanks the Arts
Offices in Mayo, Tipperary and Waterford County Councils for their
continued support with this project and also thank the Heritage
Department in Galway County Council for their assistance this year.
I am glad you see the value in the work and the reason why I do it.
Michael Fortune, October 2024.
Maureen Carroll, Birr, Co. Offaly
PDFs of Irish Dresser and Folklore Calendar
Featuring dressers and stories from Mayo, Tipperary, Carlow, Waterford and Wexford.
Click image above to view a PDF of the 2021 calendar in ISSUU.
The 2021 Calendar
The 2022 Calendar
The 2023 Calendar
Featuring dressers and stories from Cork, Wicklow, Galway, Clare, Mayo, Meath, Tipperary, Carlow, Waterford, Kilkenny and Wexford.
Click image above to view a PDF of the 2022 calendar in ISSUU.
Featuring dressers and stories from Mayo, Kilkenny, Tipperary, Carlow, Offaly, Waterford and Wexford.
Click image above to view a PDF of the 2023 calendar in ISSUU.
(2021, 2022 and 2023)
Videos of Irish Dresser
and Folklore Calendars from
The 2024 Irish Dresser and Folklore Calendar
Customer Feedback from October 2023
Thank you! Getting one for my classroom and one for a Polish student. I teach who was thrilled to see their customs acknowledged on it.
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Looking forward to the great pictures and info! Keep up the good work!
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Thank you for letting me pre-order the 2024 calendar.
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Looking forward to receiving the 24 edition.
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My grandma in Germany loves your calendar!
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I buy this every year for my mum, who used to live in Rosslare. Thank you for such a fantastic calendar!
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Thanks for providing a fantastic calendar again this year
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Can't wait for it to arrive!
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Love these calendars. Keep up the great work.
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Thank you for sharing your work through social media.
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Really enjoy this calendar, thank you.
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Can't wait to see all the lovely dressers!
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Lovely idea. Love the Folklore videos!
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Thank you for this wonderful calendar
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Wonderful project! Thank you.
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Love the stories, histories of the dressers, the calendar. Thanks!
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It's wonderful that you continue to do this. Thank you.
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Love the calendars Michael plus all the extras.
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Looking forward to another piece of history.
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Love Folklore.ie and the calendars!
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Thank you for creating another lovely calendar! I enjoy this all year long.
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Love the calendar and the Folklore.ie content!
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Thank you, Michael! I loved the 2023 edition
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Love these calendars, Michael.
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So excited to get these for myself and as gifts. My family and I love our calendars. Thank you!
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Good to know you've been able to find more dressers! Love these calendars.
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I've loved this so much I'm getting some for my sisters!
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I get great joy out of these calendars, thank you
Looking forward to seeing this
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Thank you for remembering the dresser.
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Your calendars have been educational and inspirational to our entire family. Thank you!
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Keep up the fab work you are doing xxx
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Love the calendar
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Wonderful work!
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Well done on producing lovely reminiscences.
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Fantastic calendar . Full of amazing information.
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Looking forward to seeing it.
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This is my wife's favorite Christmas gift!
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I so enjoy your posts on dressers and the folklore. Thank you. The calendar is for sons Irish/American parent in Mayo.
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Thanks for all the wonderful calendars for the last few years, we are all looking forward to this one in my house.
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My mom loved this!
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Thanks Michael, keep up the great and valuable work.
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Thank you for all your amazing work
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I'm a follower on Facebook, I love all your articles & photos.
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Great Stuff, Michael. Best wishes
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Love the calendars. Thanks for preserving local history
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Love this calendar.
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Beidh lá eile ag an bPaorach.
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Mabee our dresser will be on next year's!
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Keep up the good work Michael. You've done so much to save our folklore and old sayings. Thank you.
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Beautiful idea love reading the monthly snippets of info as do my children
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Thank you Michael for a lovely calendar.
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Love these calendars fascinating piece of history Mum loves them.
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Michael love you website and the information and heritage you educate and inform your audience about.
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Thanks Michael. Really looking forward to your calendar. ( "Well done Said aul dunne When young dunne was born").
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A Great record of part of our Irish history. Well Done
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This will be the 3rd year that I give my wife your wonderful calendar as a Christmas gift. She would kill me if I didn't get it.
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Thank you for creating this calendar for 2024
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Purchased last years calendar for my Mum for Christmas, seeing whats on the next page has become the highlight of the month every month! We can't wait for next years, thank you so much!
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Thank you for the annual calendar
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Really enjoy your post, keep up the good work.
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Thank you, this calendar is for my Mam who is from Wexford, and our granny always had a beautiful dresser with a world of history attached to it, love the calendar.
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Best Christmas gift ever. Thank you!
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Thanks a million, I love the calendar and I really appreciate your work!
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Well Michael, again I look forward to the new calendar. You do a wonderful job and I always look forward to reading the stories attached to the dressers. Past calendars sit in my bookcase to be looked at from time to time.
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I'd love to have your calendar.
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Delighted you're continuing with this project Michael! Really love reading the stories behind each dresser.
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Looking forward as ever to my calendar, they are as much a part of our kitchen now as the kettle and The Sacred Heart picture!
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Reminds me of my summer hols when we'd go "home" to Ireland and visit all the relatives. Their dressers were a constant source of interest as the grown-ups chatted away.
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Keep up the great work Michael, these calendars are such a treat for my mam, another Fortune. Thanks for bring such joy!
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Best wishes for 2024 Michael
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Great calendar; perfect for the fridge door in the kitchen. It holds up well with 6 small magnets. I
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I love your dresser passion project!
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Present for My Daugher in England . Keep up the good work
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I look forward to your calendar every year!
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Great work again, Michael.
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Thank you! I love this series of calendars!
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Is aobhinn liom an feilire seo - sar-obair ata idir lamha anseo agat. GRMA!
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Great calendar.
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A favourite of my Aunts .. delighted you are doing thus calendar again.
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Baill ó Dhia ar an obair!
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One for myself and one for a friend that admires these!
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Keep up the good work :)
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Love the calendars Michael plus all the extras
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Thank you for your great work, I've learned so much from your posts & videos!
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Really love admiring all the dressers.
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A selection of comments left by people who purchased the 2024 calendar.
The
Irish Dresser
Project Archive
Dan Doyle
Monalee, Ballindaggin, Co. Wexford
Anne Russell
Roscrea, Co. Tipperary
(2005 - 2023) COMING SOON
Jimmy Finnerty
Moygownagh, Co. Mayo
Mags Joyce
Bouris, Westport, Co. Mayo
Bridie McLoughlin
Portroe, Nenagh, Co. Tipperary
Bridget Buckley
Killanne, Co. Wexford
Curragraigue
Ballindaggin
Enniscorthy,
Co. Wexford
Y21C867
Ireland
Address
Phone/Email
00353 (0)87 6470247
folklore.ie@gmail.com
Michael fortune
Artist/Filmaker/Folklorist