As Bealtaine fires are lit and her flowers burst into bloom, a story stirs of the coldest day in May, where the wintry presence of an Cailleach once lingered at summer’s threshold.

Walk alongside one man seeking the story from the land herself, as he receives wise counsel from unexpected messengers.

A mythic Irish tale of Bealtaine that speaks to the hidden voices of nature, while posing the question: if you dare to ask it, can you be still enough to hear the response?

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Credits and Additional Resources

Thugamar Féin An Samhradh Linn. I learnt this song when participating in The Song and the Story Class taught by Mary McLaughlin.

The Book of the Cailleach: Stories of the Wise Woman Healer. Gearóid Ó Crualaoich. Cork University Press.

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What if the Sheela-na-Gig at the Hill of Tara could speak?

Would she be happy with the tales we’ve told?

In this episode, journey to the mythical landscape of Ireland’s Hill of Tara, exploring the intertwined stories of goddess, queen, and the land itself. Through legend, history, and reflection, we consider the many faces of feminine sovereignty — and how the stories we tell today shape our understanding of the past.

All beneath the steady gaze of the Great Mother at the Gate.

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Credits and Additional Resources

Project Sheela. Website.

The Wisdom of the Inner Grail. Jennifer Murphy. Substack. March 13, 2025.

Medb, She Who Intoxicates. Jennifer Murphy. Substack. August 27, 2024.

Hill of Tara at Dawn. Mythic Ireland.  Youtube. Anthony Murphy. March 16, 2020.

Medb of Connaught. Shauna Fox. Rathcroghan Visitor Centre. Article.

Great-Bladder Medb; Mythology and Invention in the Táin Bó Cuailnge. Charles Bowen. Article.

Subjective constructions: Medieval and modern perceptions of women and women warriors in Early and Middle Irish legal and literary texts. Erin Kathleen Burrows. 2021. Article.

The Sacred W***e: Sheela Goddess of the Celts. Maureen Concannon. Collins Press: 2004. Book.

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A falling star. A midnight meadow. And a grandmother who knows more than she lets on.

Journey with a young girl named Brigid as she discovers the ancient wisdom of the women before her — celestial secrets, sacred waters, and the night myth steps out of story and into her life.

Step into the misty heart of Ireland, where the land whispers, rivers carry the names of goddesses, and magic lives in the spirits of those who walk her fields.

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Credits & Additional Resources

The Metrical Dindshenchas - Volume 3. Boand I & II. Mythical Ireland.

Live Irish Myths episode 16: Bóinn, goddess of Brú na Bóinne. Mythical Ireland. Youtube.

Bóinn Re:membered: A Story of Poetic Inspiration by Laura Murphy | S2 Ep7. Knotwork Myth & Storytelling.

Sitting with the Mothers: Getting to Know Goddess Bóinn. Substack. Written by Erica O’Reilly.

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Stand at the ceremonial threshold between seasons — where Samhain meets Imbolc.

Journey into the heart of the story, where an Cailleach greets Brigid at the turning of the year. Stillness softens. Darkness lifts. And seeds of becoming begin to stir.

Here, the wise woman does not entirely disappear as the light returns. She is invited to walk with us — carrying the bones of what has been, midwifing what is yet to be born.

Additional Resources

Sitting with the Mothers: Getting to Know Goddess Brigid. Substack. Written by Erica O’Reilly.

An Irish Imbolc Ritual. Substack. Written by Jennifer Murphy.

Brigid’s Day. Website. Ireland’s National Holiday.

Brigid’s Way. Website. A Celtic Pilgrimage.

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* Image Credit: "Dormant Light". Inspired Stock.

Journey into a winter’s tale where a child’s soft question stirs the magic of an Cailleach, the ancient grandmother spirit of Irish folklore — and the quiet miracles that can mend a grieving heart.

In our story, we meet a Little Boy navigating his first Christmas without his mother. Through his eyes, we witness a world filled with both sorrow and wonder — as he holds a single wish for the season: snow.

In a tale where myth is woven alongside the human heart, an Cailleach offers the Little Boy (and listeners alike) a spark of winter magic and a gentle reminder: our loved ones remain connected to us, even when their physical presence feels far away.

More on an Cailleach

Sitting with the Mothers: Getting to know An Cailleach. Into the Circle with Erica O’Reilly. Substack. 17 November, 2024.

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In Molly’s Story, journey into a tale that moves between beginnings and endings, held by the ancient ones who dwell betwixt the veils. As Samhain continues, let us look to the North — to the ancestors, an Cailleach, and the quieting Earth — as we’re reminded that death is not an ending, but perhaps immram into a new beginning.

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They say trouble finds those who seek it — unfortunately, Thomas O’Malley was just the sort to ignore his grandmother’s warnings. On a chilly November evening, Tommy finally learns why every woman should be met with reverence and respect. For not all who wander after dark are among the living.

Continue your journey into our ‘Stories of Samhain’ series with a tale inspired by Dr. Patricia Lysaght’s research and the haunting legend of The Imprint of the Banshee’s Five Fingers.

Additional Resources

Lysaght, Patricia. The Banshee: The Irish Death-messenger. 1997.

“Blúiríní Béaloidis 27 - the Banshee (With Professor Patricia Lysaght).” Spotify, 31 Oct. 2020.

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Show Notes

The first in our ‘Stories of Samhain’ series, journey with Erica into a reimagining of the Irish folktale ‘The Witch Hare’ - as shared through the magical friendship of Mrs. Murphy & Mrs. O’Sullivan.

Inspired by the tale shared in Treasury of Irish Fairy and Folk Tales. Barnes & Noble Inc, 2016.

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Vision of a Selkie Mother: Receiving a Lost Soul Part | S1 Ep1

Journey with Erica to the shores of County Kerry; where, on her final night, she receives a vision of a Selkie Mother and retrieves a long lost soul part.

Related Into the Circle Stories or Articles

The Calling of the Sea and a Lost Sealskin

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