Gather Round: Ireland’s Storytelling Tradition is Reborn
The ancient art of oral storytelling is having a renaissance worldwide, and Ireland is leading the way.
Seanchoiche Event, Dublin City.
Ireland is an island of storytellers. Even the most mundane event, when recounted to a group of friends, is embellished for maximum impact with the listeners willing to forgo a bit of accuracy for the reward of being entertained.
The love of a good story stretches back into the distant past when storytellers (seanchaí) were the highly respected custodians of local genealogy as well as being skilled tellers of folklore, myths and legends. Originally serving the heads of Gaelic ruling families by committing their ancestral trees to memory, seanchaí were also travelling entertainers, regaling communities with their stories in return for food and board.
This tradition of oral storytelling is now making a comeback in Ireland with a growing number of storytellers learning the ancient art. Nowadays they perform at events rather than at firesides and the form has evolved to include more modern formats like spoken word.
One of the leading lights in the revival of oral storytelling is Seanchoíche, a storytelling platform that began in Dublin and has since grown into a global movement, with regular gatherings now held in over a dozen cities around the world. The name comes from the Irish words seanchaí (storyteller) and oíche (night), and means “storytelling night.” These cosy evenings invite people from all walks of life to share their tales, whether drawn from personal experience, imagination or crafted as spoken word. At the heart of Seanchoíche is a spirit of honesty, openness and connection. Each event is warm and welcoming, with an atmosphere that feels both intimate and magical, gently held together by a shared love of stories.
Upcoming events include an Irish-speaking storytelling night in Belfast (31 July) and a weekend of Seanchoíche events at the All Together Now festival (1–3 August) at gorgeous Curraghmore Estate in County Waterford.
Cape Clear Island, Harbour
For a fuller immersion in the art of storytelling, Cape Clear International Storytelling Festival (5–7 September) is the place to go. Over three days, storytellers from around the world weave their tales transporting listeners into worlds of magic, mischief and heartfelt emotion. The unique festival celebrates its 30th anniversary this year and presents as its special guest Eddie Lenihan, an Irish author, storyteller, lecturer and broadcaster and one of the few practising seanchaithe remaining in Ireland. Among the MCs is award-winning storyteller Liz Weir from Northern Ireland who has performed all over the world and whose workshops are passing on storytelling skills to the next generation.
The festival takes place on Cape Clear Island, off the coast of West Cork. This remote and beautiful spot is accessible only by ferry so festival-goers feel like they are stepping into another world and another time. Events include storytelling in English and Irish, in boats, on walks, and by the harbour with the dramatic natural setting adding a special dimension to the authentic storytelling experience.
Over in County Kerry, another storytelling festival celebrates voices and traditions from Ireland and beyond. Listowel International Storytelling Festival (18–21 September) is a four-day celebration of the oral tradition inspired by the old ‘rambling house’ gatherings – casual community get-togethers in homes where music dancing and storytelling were the evening’s entertainment. Organised by Kerry Writers’ Museum, the festival mixes storytelling with music and local culture aiming to bring the ancient artform to as many people as possible.
Listowel, Co Kerry, 2024
The revival of oral storytelling on the island of Ireland is opening the door for more people to share their stories, whether traditional tales of fairies and heroes or personal narratives of lived experiences. It offers the chance to come together as a community in unique events that have a strong sense of place, a link to the past and a vibrancy born of human connection. And, moreover, it’s good, old-fashioned fun.