Superstitions appear to be alive and well among many Irish people, according to reporter Henry McKean and psychic Gráinne Ní Mhéalóid. 

Newstalk Reporter Henry McKean arrived in the studio to Moncrieff with an open umbrella – something he apologised for to all those who are superstitious. 

“I've got the brolly open, and this is very bad luck,” he said. 

“I understand it goes back to Egyptian times, that bad luck – you're not supposed to have it open inside, only in the sun.” 

While Henry is brave enough to leave his brolly open inside, he ventured out in Dublin to see whether our increasingly secular society has any lasting superstitions. 

Fortune Teller shop. Image: agefotostock / Alamy Stock Photo

One man told Henry he still throws salt over his shoulder, but he doesn’t know why. 

“I don’t think it’s a superstitious thing, it’s more just what I do,” he said. 

“I'd walk under a ladder anyway.” 

Another man said he thinks superstitions are instilled in you as a child and are difficult to get over. 

“Like ‘don’t put new shoes on the table’ or ‘don’t open an umbrella inside’,” he said. 

“I definitely wouldn’t walk under a ladder... there's enough bad luck out there.” 

'Irish people are very intuitive'

Psychic Gráinne Ní Mhéalóid, told the show it makes sense superstitions remain popular among Irish people. 

“I think Irish people are actually people who are very intuitive – being Irish, we are actually quite an ancient race,” she said. 

“It's those years being associated with the Catholic Church - we have all these superstitions and beliefs that go way back we don’t even remember where they come from.” 

Ms Ní Mhéalóid has offered predictions and tarot card readings from The Psychic I on South William Street for 25 years – and many claims she has a 99% accuracy rate. 

“I wouldn't say I get it right 99% of the time,” she said. 

“But I've been here at The Psychic I for 25 years and reading tarot cards for longer than that. 

“People would tell me I get it right a lot of the time.” 

'Mirrors would have been very expensive'

Ms Ní Mhéalóid had plenty of historical explanations for people’s beliefs. 

“Mirrors, for example, were associated with looking into your soul,” she said. “When you broke a mirror, it could be that your soul was now going to be lost. 

“But of course, years and years ago, mirrors would have been very expensive.” 

Fears like people crossing on the stairs also have some historical basis, according to Ms Ní Mhéalóid. 

“In ancient times when we lived in castles and houses were quite small and quite tall, stairs would be quite steep and narrow,” she said. 

“If you crossed someone walking up the stairs, chances are you would fall and break your neck.” 

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