20/03/2026
I have seen 2 already one last week and another yesterday came in to say hello and land on my window pane
I was out in the yard yesterday working on a shed and I’ve spotted my first God’s Cow of the year.
We knew them as nothing else where I grew up in Wexford and so did many others around the county. I know they are known as Bóín Dé in Irish, a literal translation of God’s Cow, but we never called them that in my part rural Wexford when I was growing up.
The Welsh have same name too so I’m guessing it went from the Irish to the English with us at some stage in Wexford and we kept the literal translation.
And the really interesting thing is the God’s Cow name is found across Europe so it came into the Irish at some stage too as if you are ever talking to someone from Ukraine, Russia, Poland or the Czech Republic too - ask them what they call it and what is the translation.
Russian - божья коровка/bóžʹja koróvka
Polish - boża krówka
Czech - beruška
Ukrainian - bóžʹja koróvka
Welsh - Buwch goch gota
Irish - God’s Cow/ Bóín Dé
And to confuse things even more - I know that around around Wexford town and district (the old English parts of Wexford) they call them Merrygools and Merrygews - all depending on who you are talking too and this is a kick back Our Lady/Mary and that name.
However, it’s a God’s Cow in north Wexford with me and great to see the same name woven into the languages across Europe and mostly importantly, great to see them out on a fine day.
Text: Michael Fortune
