Story Archaeology

In our third and final episode on the lost hero, Mongán, we piece together some intriguing potsherds. What has the son of Manannán to say to Saint Colm Cille? What happened when he had his "Frenzy"? Can we re-construct his death-tale, Aided Mongáin?

Join the Story Archaeologists as they look for edges and corners in this poetic jigsaw.

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Story Archaeology is run on a voluntary not-for-profit basis. If you can afford a donation towards our running costs, we would be very grateful. The “Donate” button is on the right-hand-side of each page, or e-mail us for other ways to support our work.

Check our Reading List for further reading and resources.

by The Story Archaeologists

Music: “Tam Lin” by Gian Castello

Taliesin by Heloise Christa

In our second dip into Mongan's mysterious waters, we compare several stories showing off Mongan's miraculous poetic skill. As a boy-wonder, he humiliates his father's chief poet; as a king, he terrifies a poor student into a mysterious quest; and finally lets slip that he may have been here before...

Join the Story Archaeologists as they dredge up a lost hero of Irish poets - one who can give Taliesin a run for his money!

Don’t forget to subscribe to get the latest posts! Related Articles will be posted in the days to come…

Story Archaeology is run on a voluntary not-for-profit basis. If you can afford a donation towards our running costs, we would be very grateful. The “Donate” button is on the right-hand-side of each page, or e-mail us for other ways to support our work.

Check our Reading List for further reading and resources.

by The Story Archaeologists

Music: “Tam Lin” by Gian Castello

Fergus mac Léite gets to encounter the underwater world of the  Lupracán, a story which in the late middle / early modern Irish version, almost certainly, inspired Swift's wonderful satire, 'Gulliver's Travels'. The Story Archaeologists, ear herbs at the ready, dive right into the tale, but wonder how these small, but proud and fiercely independent, beings  have devolved, over the centuries into the scary  Leprechaun  travesties .that are dragged out every Paddy's day?

The Saga of Fergus mac Léite  

The king of the Lupracán’s journey to Emain, and how the death of Fergus mac Léite, king of Ulster was brought about.

In our very first Immrám, Immrám Bran, we met Manannán on his way to beget a wonder-child, Mongán. Now that we've finished rowing around the open seas, we've returned to dry land to find out what happened next.

What we've found is one of the funniest stories we've ever looked at! So strap in your sides and prepare to get hilarious with the Story Archaeologists!

Don’t forget to subscribe to get the latest posts! Related Articles will be posted in the days to come…

Story Archaeology is run on a voluntary not-for-profit basis. If you can afford a donation towards our running costs, we would be very grateful. The “Donate” button is on the right-hand-side of each page, or e-mail us for other ways to support our work.

Check our Reading List for further reading and resources.

by The Story Archaeologists

Music: “Tam Lin” by Gian Castello

Happy new year to our Story Archaeology listeners! Because we love ye thiiiiiis much, we're sending out a multimedia feast for our Samhain special.

So, take a look at this video of a live Story Archaeology show, then have a listen to our episode, "A Tale to Remember", and peruse the attached texts and your leisure. Enjoy!

Texts for this episode:

The Fairy Palace of the Quicken Trees by P. W. Joyce

The Palace of the Quicken Trees by Lady Augusta Gregory

The Chase of Slieve Fuad by P. W. Joyce

from "Fionn and the King of Alba's Son"

Don’t forget to subscribe to get the latest posts! Related Articles will be posted in the days to come…

Story Archaeology is run on a voluntary not-for-profit basis. If you can afford a donation towards our running costs, we would be very grateful. The “Donate” button is on the right-hand-side of each page, or e-mail us for other ways to support our work.

Check our Reading List for further reading and resources.

by The Story Archaeologists

Music: “Tam Lin” by Gian Castello

King Cormac Mac Airt is often called "The Irish Solomon". But was this legendary king quite the wise old judge suggested by that epithet?

Find out with the Story Archaeologists in this long-awaited - and lon-running! - 2 hour dig for truth and justice.

Don’t forget to subscribe to get the latest posts! Related Articles will be posted in the days to come…

Story Archaeology is run on a voluntary not-for-profit basis. If you can afford a donation towards our running costs, we would be very grateful. The “Donate” button is on the right-hand-side of each page, or e-mail us for other ways to support our work.

Check our Reading List for further reading and resources.

by The Story Archaeologists

Music: “Tam Lin” by Gian Castello

Greetings all diggers and scrapers and fragment-collectors…

If you read “The Trials and Tribulations of a pair of Story Archaeologists”, you’ll know that we at Story Archaeology have been on our own technological Immrám for some time now. It certainly can feel very much like “rowing around” when trying to select, construct and set up new computers.

We have conquered one of those islands on our journey. Isolde now has a new PC which is much less terrified of the internet than her previous model. Chris has finally installed the wonders of wi-fi in her own home. So we are ready to strike out on the next leg.

This is where you come in. Please take a listen to this short-cast, which explains why we need your help to continue on our journey. We would be nothing without our wonderful audience. Indeed, we’re starting to get the sense that this audience is in fact a community. So please help tug on the oars, and let’s keep Story Archaeology on this extraordinary immrám of discovery!

Passage of the Wisdom Keeper by Paul Bond

The Adventures of Tadhg Mac Céin may seem like a Middle Irish vision of Theme Park Ireland, but this rollocking sea adventure has real surprises up its sleeve. Exactly what kind of Otherworld is it that our Jack-the-Lad hero has discovered?

Join the Story Archaeologists as they plumb the unexpected depths of this hidden Immrám gem.

Don’t forget to subscribe to get the latest posts! Related Articles will be posted in the days to come…

Story Archaeology is run on a voluntary not-for-profit basis. If you can afford a donation towards our running costs, we would be very grateful. The “Donate” button is on the right-hand-side of each page.

Check our Reading List for further reading and resources.

by The Story Archaeologists

Music: “Tam Lin” by Gian Castello

There are some characters in Irish story who are just hard to ignore. St Brendan the Navigator is one of them. Although his voyage is not one of the Immrama from the tale lists, he confidently sets of with his crew of monks to sail to the Land of Promise of the Saints.

Join the Story Archaeologists as they follow in the wake of a saint.

Don’t forget to subscribe to get the latest posts! Related Articles will be posted in the days to come…

Story Archaeology is run on a voluntary not-for-profit basis. If you can afford a donation towards our running costs, we would be very grateful. The “Donate” button is on the right-hand-side of each page.

Check our Reading List for further reading and resources.

by The Story Archaeologists

Music: “Tam Lin” by Gian Castello

The Galway Hooker, Eyre Square, Galway City: by Éamonn O'Doherty

We are reaching the end of our voyage into “official” Immráma. As we turn for home with Mael Duin and his crew, we ask, “So what does it all mean?”

Journey into new waters with the Story Archaeologists as we begin to chart our Immrám adventures.

Don’t forget to subscribe to get the latest posts! Related Articles will be posted in the days to come…

Story Archaeology is run on a voluntary not-for-profit basis. If you can afford a donation towards our running costs, we would be very grateful. The “Donate” button is on the right-hand-side of each page.

Check our Reading List for further reading and resources.

by The Story Archaeologists

Music: “Tam Lin” by Gian Castello