Category Archives: Richard Marsh, Bardic Storyteller

Specialising in legends and folk tales from Ireland, Spain, the Basque Country and other countries

Dublin Walking-storytelling Tour

Some of the stories are based on works of public art and who or what they represent — Oscar Wilde, Molly Malone, Éire with the harp, for example. We visit the Setanta Wall, shown at the top of this page, … Continue reading

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Dangers of Storytelling

A great giant came to Tara from a foreign land and demanded tribute or a fight with a hundred men from third-century high king Cormac mac Airt. He got three fights and killed three hundred of Cormac’s warriors. Cormac called … Continue reading

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Beddgelert

At the foot of Mount Snowdon in North Wales is a village called Beddgelert, named supposedly for the saint whose grave (bedd) is nearby. But the popular version of the story is a localised variant of an international folk tale … Continue reading

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The Killycluggin Stone – County Cavan

The original Iron Age La Tene-style Killycluggin Stone, now in the County Cavan Museum in Ballyjamesduff, is believed to be the idol known as Cenn Crúaich or Crom Crúaich, which could mean “bloody head” but I think means “head of … Continue reading

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The Big Snow of 1982

This video is from a Milk & Cookies session in Dublin, 2010. In support of the veracity, or at least verisimilitude, of this yarn, here are exterior and interior photos of the cottage I lived in at the time near … Continue reading

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Michael’s Morsel

Saint Patrick went to Tara to cure Lugaid son of Laeghaire son of Niall of the Nine Hostages of a “trouble”. Lugaid took a large piece of bread and swallowed it and it stuck in his throat. Patrick gave him … Continue reading

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The Hungry Tree

This tree that ate a steel bench is in the grounds of the 19th-century King’s Inns, Dublin, a college for barristers founded in 1541 by Henry VIII. It’s next to the vehicle gate on Constitution Hill. (King’s Inns is frequently … Continue reading

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The Children of Lir

Lir and his wife, Aobh (pronounced (“eve”), had four children: a girl Fionnuala and her twin brother, Aed (“ay”), and twin boys Fiachra and Conn. Aobh died, and Lir married Aoife. Everyone loved the Children of Lir for their good … Continue reading

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16th-century Irish Storyteller

This satirical anti-Irish, anti-Catholic woodcut is frequently reproduced as a serious depiction of an Irish feast. The standing man labeled “B” is usually described as the poet, who is directing the reachaire/reciter/bard (D) in the performance of one of his … Continue reading

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Fionn mac Cumhaill and the Wax Museum

I live just up the street and around the corner from the Black Church and came across Fionn on my way home on 19 June 2005. I asked him what brought him to Dublin, and he said he wanted to … Continue reading

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