Donal Hickey: Welcome to the blooming beautiful flowers of May

You’re as welcome as the flowers in May is an old Irish greeting. So, in these times, it gives the heart a much–needed lift to see wild flowers blooming so beautifully. during bright, sunny days in this loveliest of months.

Some May traditions are continuing. Long ago, our mothers and teachers had us out picking bluebells, buttercups, daisies and cowslips to decorate homes and classrooms. May altars were also quite common and that’s a custom that has survived in some places, with children out picking bunches of flowers.