Spoken Word
Hear fascinating tales from Ireland from authors, storytellers and poets
Schedule
Friday, August 1
| Time | Spoken Word |
| 7 p.m. | Storytelling - Joseph Keane |
| 8 p.m. | Storytelling Roundtable |
Saturday, August 2
| Time | Spoken Word |
| 1 p.m. | Cathy Jo Smith |
| 2 p.m. | "Tales of the Wild Women of Ireland" - Alan Irvine |
| 3 p.m. | "Our Trees:Earth's Pillars from past to Present" - Julie McGhee |
| 4 p.m. | Batt Burns |
| 5 p.m. | Ancient Irish Saints: Fact & Fiction - Cindy Thomson |
| 6 p.m. | "From Exile Come: Meditations in Poetry" - Mac McGowan |
| 7 p.m. | Batt Burns |
| 8 p.m. | Mystical Tales of Ireland - Michael O'Malley |
Sunday, August 3
| Time | Spoken Word |
| 12 p.m. | Storytelling for All- John Locke |
| 1 p.m. | Batt Burns |
| 2 p.m. | Melanie Pratt |
| 3 p.m. | "Tales of the Wild Women of Ireland" - Alan Irvine |
| 4 p.m. | Writing Irish History - Cindy Thomson |
| 5 p.m. | Batt Burns |
| 6 p.m. | Mystical Tales of Ireland - Michael O'Malley |
Details
Alan Irvine- Tale of the Wild Women of Ireland
Ireland’s history is filled with tales of wild warriors, fierce fighters and pirates, but not all of them are men! Storyteller Alan Irvine begins to life Meare the warrior queen of Connaught, Grace O’Malley, the pirate queen if Ireland and more.
Storyteller Alan Irvine lives in Pittsburgh, PA and tells stories at Festivals, schools, historical sites, and more. In addition to Irish and Celtic tales, he tells ghost stories, folktales, hero tales and much more. He has a number of award winning CD’s available through his Web site.
www.alanirvine.com
Batt Burns- Whisperings of Ireland
As a youngster Batt Burns experienced the seanachie( Storyteller) tradition firsthand when he lived with his grandfather in the Hills of County Kerry( Ireland) and heard him tell long, involved stories by the fire during the harsh winter nights. Today Burns helps to preserve that heritage with haunting accounts of ghosts, great adventure stories, tales of heroes, farcical stories and witty jokes.
In his recitations of poetry he draws on the rich field of Irish poets including Oscar Wilde, W.B.Yeats, Patrick Kavanagh ,Padraic Colum, Brendan Kenneally and Seamus Heaney.
During his early years as an elementary school principal, Burns worked hard to make significant changes in the Irish educational system, putting particular emphasis on storytelling. He is the author of many school textbooks, many of his stories have been published and he has produced tapes and CDs of poetry and storytelling. In March 2009 his new book of Irish Folktales will be published by Sterling Publications of New York.
It was winning the All Ireland Teachers’ Talent Competition in 1983, which started him on the road to his second career. In 1994 Burns left his teaching career behind him and became a full-time entertainer in the United States, where he has performed at all of the major storytelling festivals including The National Festival at Jonesborough, Tennessee, at several Irish Clubs and at the college campuses of Harvard, Notre Dame and Northwestern. He has appeared at The Kennedy Centre in Washington DC on four occasions and was featured there on St. Patrick’s Night, 2004. He has entertained on cruise ships, at gala dinners and a few years ago was a featured teller at The Masterton Storytelling Festival in New Zealand.
Cindy Thomson- Ancient Irish Saints: Fact & Fiction and Q & A Writing Irish History
Cindy will have two performances at the Festival. Cindy Thomson is the author of “Brigid of Ireland.” She is also co-author of a baseball biography, and her newest book, “Celtic Wisdom, Treasures from Ireland,” will be released this fall in the UK and September 2009 in the US.
Ancient Irish Saints: Facts & Fiction: Irish legends cannot be proven, but there are some things we know about ancient Ireland. Cindy Thomson author and freelance journalist, leads us on a pilgrimage to the land of saints and scholars.
Q &A Writing Irish History: Cindy Thomson author of three books and many magazine articles writes on the theme of Irish history and genealogy. Bring your questions about writing and publishing.
www.brigidofireland.com
John Locke- Storytelling for All
John is from England and has been in the United States for seven years. He now lives in Worthington. He has been involved in storytelling and folk music for over 30 years. He likes writing his own stories that have a twist at the end, but also tells folk tales from England, Wales and Ireland. He has a book or short stories called British Twist.
His day job is a professional speaker and Training Consultant and travels all over the country speaking at seminars conventions. The part of speaking he enjoys most is the after dinner speaking which always contains an element of comedy.
He is a keen gardener, an avid reader and folk musician and enjoys lots of people and learning about their experiences.
A storyteller for many years John will tell stories from Wales, Ireland and England. He will share funny, interesting and scary stories.
www.AnEnglishmanAbroad.com
Joseph is a seanachie from the County Kerry. He will share his many tales with us and along with Michael O’Malley present the storytelling roundtable on Friday night.
What are the meanings behind these ancient symbols? Learn how they are connected to time and space.
Julie McGhee- Our Trees: Earth’s Pillars from Part to Present
Julie tells stories that have entertained, enlightened and educated her. Those stories can come from anywhere, anytime and anyone (herself included) and they range from fable to facts and are elastic enough to fit all ages. Yet, she has a preference for her Irish and Midwestern roots. She has enjoyed sharing her stories in a variety of venues and audiences.
Those trees we see all around us are not just potential firewood. There is a rich store of legend and lore, much of it Celtic, about these living plants that do so much for our environment.
Mac McGowan- From Exile Come: Meditations in Poetry by Irish- American Warrior-Poet
Mac McGowan is the embodiment of the archetypal Celtic warrior poet. Descended from generations of warriors and Irish poets, Mac was wounded in battle and decorated by the governments of two nations for heroism and gallantry. Mac has been writing, performing and publishing his work since age 11. Mac weaves his warrior spirit, cultural competence and spiritual depth through work that encompasses traditional verse and modern poetry. Mac’s warrior poetry glimmers with gentle humor, courage, and an elegance that opens to the ineffable. Mac lives in Columbus, Ohio with his wife and three children.
Melanie the Seanachie will be telling tales of old Ireland, including the Children of Lir, tales of Fionn MacCumhaill (Finn MacCool) and his son, Oisin and tales of the land of Tir na nOg.
Melanie has been telling tales for more than 20 years. For the past 16 years she has focused much of her storytelling energy on tales from the Celtic lands and tells tales from Scotland, Ireland, Wales, Isle of Man, Cornwall, and Brittany as part of her repertoire. Much of this has come from her genealogical discovery that part of her ancestry is Irish, Welsh and Scottish.
Michael O’Malley- Mystical Tales of Ireland
“Mystical Tales of Ireland” Michael O’Malley’s one-man storytelling theater has entertained Dublin audiences for years with his magical, mystical tales of Ireland. Listen. Enjoy. And be enchanted.
Michael charms audiences with his Tales of Ireland. Irish folk legends, Celtic myths, original family stories, and tales of Michael’s travels in Ireland provide audiences with a rich mixture of magical, mystical, merry, and moving tales. The Irish are known as storytellers with vivid imaginations and Michael honors this heritage. So set a spark to the Irish peat fire and Michael will spark your imagination as he revives the ancient Irish art of the tale well told. Open your ears and open your heart to the charm of Michael’s Irish Tales.
www.michaelthestoryteller.com
