Story Archaeology

Tamlyn Young is a Limerick lecturer and artist specialising., especially in her current project on augmented reality art and storytelling, to create place-based storytelling. She describes her practice as exploring the synergistic, potentials of analogue and digital to create an immersive narrative experience for the viewer.

Links for this episode

The story of Sinann: podcast episodes and Dindshenchas translations. (You will find access to all this material on one page through this link.)

Ralph Kenna and the Arts for Sinann project. (You will be able to explore the way the Sinann story has been given back its relevance and a lot more, through this link.)

Explore a short video on the 'remarkable meanderings of the Sinann story'

Visit Tamlyn's Website

Explore Tamlyn's place-based narrative project.

Explore the background to the project

Explore Tamlyn's immersive augmented reality Sinann story.

Take a glimpse inside the story.

Watch out for more information as the project grows and flows!

The Eglone Stone, Moytura

What makes a story mythic? Why have so many cultures gathered, protected and passed on mythological stories? And, why do they matter today? Join Chris as she takes a personal look at myth and how much mythology still has relevance.

Links for this episode

Read the full text of the Cath Maige Tuired

Explore the Cath Maige Tuired on Story Archaeology : Episodes 1-6 and Episodes 7-12

Explore the story of Gilgamesh. Read a summary of the story or take a deeper dive.

Take a look at The Ark Before Noah by Irving Finkel

Egyptian Folktales: The Doomed Prince,

Explore some of Cú Chulainn’s Bizarre Adventures

The heroic biography of Cú Chulainn By Lisa Gibney B.A.

Explore the stories from the Táin on Story Archaeology

The best full version to read must be the Thomas Kinsella translation.

Daniel Curley is an archaeologist, author and manager of the Rathcroghan Visitor Centre . who has taken a particular interest in the mythological Connacht hero, Fraích. Join Chris and Daniel as they discuss the Táin bó Fraích, and discover how Daniel's research has revealed a far more important role for this 'lost' hero.

Links for this Episode

The Handsomest Hero in Ireland a tale of two halves : Find out more about the paper that Daniel and Mike wrote along with Ralph Kenna.

Explore the Rathcroghan visitor Centre

OtherWorld: Nine Tales of Early Irish Literature: Lisa Bitel's book contains an excellent telling of the story of Fraích and Findabair

A readable version of the story containing a few of the descriptions included in the text (with notes) T

Stories of The Big Wind of 1839 have been told and retold in Ireland for all of 186 years. Join Chris as she explores what makes weather events such as Oíche na Gaoithe Móire so memorable and considers whether Storm Eowyn, a storm of a similar destructive nature, will still be remembered so far into the future.

Links for this episode

Duchas.ie I counted wrongly in the audio article. . There are as many as 1562 transcribed stories under the title of 'The Big Wind

Aticles and Papers I have found interesting.

Met Éireann: Exceptional Weather Events: “Night of the Big Wind” paper by Lisa Shields and Denis Fitzgerald. This paper also contains a number of excellent references for further exploration.

An Article from The Irish Times from 2017

The night of the big wind: the impact of the storm on Loughrea by Keiran Hickey

An interview with Dr Hickey for RTÉ 's Histoy programme.

An Article from the Connaught Telegragh 2018

Armagh Observatory: The Night of the Big Wind by Mathew Patterson 2010

The Ballad of the Night of the Big Wind

From the Dúchas Schools' Collection

Come all ye sons of Erin's Isle and listen to my song

About old Ireland's windy night I wont detain yez long,

There ne'er was such a night before, nor one thats kept in mind,

Like the night of January the sixth in eighteen thirty-nine.

~

The Kerry cows (you know they're small) went soaring through the air;

A funny sight it must have been to see them land in Clare.

It blew the peaks of Cuddy's reeks then lept across the moor.

Sure the people thought they all were kilt, the way the wind did roar.

~

In the County Tipperary, not far from Templemore,

man named Tom McNulty and his wife and children four.

Were lifted from their beds that night (the devil a lie I'll tell),

And were carried bag and baggage to the town of Patrick's Well.

~

Another family of the Burkes that lived near Skibbereen

Were blown from Cork to Kerry; they came down at Caherciveen.

So pleasant was their journey as they rode upon the gale.

That ne'er a one of them woke up I've often heard the tale.

~

In Limerick, thats my county, near the bogs of Ballygran,

I used to hear me father tell how he and Pat McCann

Were on their way home from a wake when men boreen and all

Were wafted high up in the air and blown to Donegal

~

It carried ricks of hay and grain across the River Lee,

But high above the storm rang out in far-flung melody.

Those golden throated Shandon bells played by a magic hand

The music of those bells that night was heard all o'er the land.

~

Thatched roofs were torn from cabins and transported far away,

A jaunting car took wings at Cork, and flew to Bantry Bay.

The jarvey who was driving it, as soon as he came down

Said "Jerra nouns but that's the way to go from town to town".

~

There never was a wind like that 'twas Little Christmas Night,

From every cabin window gleamed the blessed candle's light.

And that is why no lives were lost, at least that's what they say,

Signs on the Irish always light a candle on this day

~

From a school in Co Kerry

I will get this recorded and added to the podcast episode a.s.a.p.

Leafless Ash in June (background)

The effects of the die-back disease are slowly destroying most of Ireland's beautiful ash trees. Join Chris as she explores the sad story of this tree-tragedy that began in Leitrim more than a decade ago now and why it is important that everyone should know what is happening to our woodlands.

The rot in the heartwood.

Links for this episode

Explore Ireland's native trees: The Tree Council of Ireland

Find out more about CRANN and its current activities: Trees for Ireland

Find out more about COILLTE and the projects they support today.

Read what TEAGASC have to say about Ash dieback and the future of Ash trees.

Trees in Early Ireland by Fergus Kelly: Download the PDF to find out more about early medieval Irish law concerning trees

Lisa Bitel is a Professor of Religion and a Medieval historian specializing in Britain and Ireland. and is the author of her new book 'Otherworld'. Join Chris and Lisa as they explore some favourite stories and discuss how best to contintinue the transmission of these wonderful tales, from the deep past, to an audience today.

Links for this episode

Read more abour Lisa's book Otherworld, Nine tales of early Irish literature

Explore more of Lisa's publicaions

Story Archaeology Links

Our conversation references a number of different stories and story cycles.

Explore all the podcast links to episodes about Etain and Midir and Bricriu's feast

(This episode was uploaded after a 22 hour power outage, immediately before I flew to the UK for Xmas. If there prove to be minor editing issues, they will be corected shortly)

Designed to protect and celebrate the unique Karst landscape of South Roscommon and its embedded mythologies and stories, the Uí Máine community project has grown and developed from the inspired work of three main groups, The Celtic Eye art group, the Karst Farming group and the Taughmaconnell Hall, community. Join Chris as she discovers more about their on-going achievements and awards.

Links for this podcast

Listen to the podcast A Conversation with Niola Bowes and Rosemary Carty from the Celtic Eye arts group.

Find out about Celtic Eye

Find out more about the Karst landscape project.

View some of Uí Máine Project recent events.

Find out more about the geological survey of south Roscommon

Find out more on the The Uí Máine Project gallery page (available shortly)

karst regions in Ireland

An Acallam na nÉces Samhain Special

In this seasonal special, the Story Archaeologists compare two stories of Samhain.  But what could such stories tell us about life 100 or even 1,000 years ago? Find out as the Story Archaeologists, Chris and Isolde, go digging one dark night.

I am reposting this episode, one of my personal favourites and one of the most popular, ever.

Links for this Episode

http://archive.org/details/legendsofsaintss00hyde - Legends of Saints and Sinners (Douglas Hyde).

http://archive.org/details/fairyandfolktale33887gut - Fairy and Folk Tales of the Irish Peasantry (W. B. Yeats).

http://www.celt.dias.ie/publications/celtica/c21.html - Celtica Vol. 21. The journal of the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies; School of Celtic Studies (includes the article Echtrae Nerai and its analogues by Seán Ó Coileáin pp. 427–440).

Banbha

Banbha is one of the three Dé Danann sisters, daughters of Ernmas, who gave their names to the land of Ireland, Ériu is the best known of the the three but Banbha has another, older, and less well known story to tell. Join Chris as she celebrates the birth of a new granddaughter named Banbha.

Links for this episode

Take a look at the translation of The book of Invasions, The Lebor Gabála

The Lebor Gabála Érenn at a Glance: an Overview of the 11th Century Irish Book of Invasions. Author: Lloyd D. Graham. This is a very useful aid to gaining a handle on the interactions and familial connections of the characters. It includes very helpful tables and even graphs .

The Irish National Origin-Legend: Synthetic Pseudohistory Author: John CareyThis is an excellent paper concerning how and why the Lebor Gabála Érenn may have been constructed. It was written a few years ago now but it is still rvery informative.

Otherworld Women in Early Irish Literature Author: Heather C KayI only discovered this wonderful paper as I was completing this episode. I will be referencing it again, I am quite certain..

Story Archaeology links for this episode

For information on the Cath Maige Tuired or check out these links for texts.

Creation Stories: A comparison of the Book of Invasions with other foundation stories.

For the story of the two quarreling poet swineherds and bertayal of birth customs in the Táin cycle go to Series 6 'Circling the Táin' through the top navigation or through the link.

For a new 'take' on the Lebor Gabála Érenn listen to the Stories in the Landscape conversation ‘The Writing of the Takings’.with Jamie Madden

The festival of Samhain, is one that has been celebrated, in one form or another, for a very long time. In the early Irish stories it was a time for gatherings and feasting. But how has it changed in more recent times? Join Chris as she explores The 'Schools' Folklore collection'' finding some fascinating Halloween tales.

Links for this episode

Take a look at Allison's Gilbari's paper The Landscape of Halloween: A study of the landscape of Irish Halloween folklore and archaeology. I will be coming back to this excellent paper, soon, in Ramble 14

Find out about the Halloween tradition of 'Souling'

Take a listen to the 'Soul Cake' song.

Take a look at a very interesting map illustrating the number of places in the world where Halloween is now celebrated.

And, of course, explore the Schools' Collection for yourself.

Story Archaeology Links for this episode

Stories to Remember : More about the Schools' Collection

The Voyage of Mael Duin (and the sticky ball of wool!)

And take a listen to my favourite Samhain podcast 'special': Corpse Carrying for Beginners