This thesis focuses on the study of the Irish festival of Bealtaine and a comparison with its English and British equivalent, i.e. May Day. Using a thorough comparative analysis of popular proverbs, sayings and folklore accounts written in the first parts of the 20th century by both Irish-speaking and English-speaking farmers, I successfully proved that the dichotomy between the Irish-speaking and English-speaking parts of the country mirrored a dichotomy in the origins of the May traditions in Ireland –when popular theory held that Bealtaine and May Day were in fact two names connected to the same celebration. The two languages therefore echo the history and culture of the British Isles.