The Clare Oral History Podcast

For National Biodiversity Week we bring you stories of traditional farming and rural life and how they relate to biodiversity.  There are very few direct references to biodiversity in the Cuimhneamh an Chláir archive since that concept has only become part of common language in more recent times.  However there are stories of plant life and nature, cures, dyes, farming practices etc that tell us i...

Biddy Early (1798-1874) was born in Killanena and lived most of her life in Feakle in Co. Clare.  She was a ‘bean feasa’ or wise woman (literally a ‘woman of knowledge’). She was famous as a woman of otherworldly knowledge and the power to cure people’s ills, whether physical, psychic, spiritual, or even economic.  In more recent times she has been casually called a witch, but that word and concep...

Supernatural experiences abound in Irish Folklore.  The veil is thin between the concrete world and the other dimensions especially in the dark part of the year.  The stories are told by Teresa Flynn from Mountshannon, Paddy Murphy, Joe Jack Sexton and Martin Walsh from Mullagh, John Hastings from Quin, Bridie Mahony from Moughna, Peggy Hogan from Feakle, and Sean Crowe from Broadford. GLOSSARY OF...

In Part 2 of a public interview with 88 year old Kitty Leyden, she talks of being an emigrant in New York, returning home, emigrating to England, meeting her husband, her work in Bunratty Folk Park , making bread, family memories of eviction, her love of music and dance, traditional beliefs and 'piseogs'.  Below are explanations of terms you might need help with: County Home: Institution...

88 year old Kitty Leyden was the youngest of 11, born on a small farm in Clonina, Cree, West Clare. She spent her young adulthood in New York. She then settled in Tulla, and raised 8 children. Hers is the story of the ordinary joys and hardships of women’s lives in mid-20th century rural Ireland. But her natural storytelling ability and her powerful memory enable her turn the ordinary into the ext...

Episode 7 focuses on Robin O' Connell from Meelick, in South East Co. Clare - poitin maker,  Gaelic football supremo, tradition bearer, free spirit. This episode is dedicated to the memory of Margaret O' Connor,  who made lovely recordings of great people in O'Briensbridge, Co. Clare, and who gently insisted that we go meet Robin and record him. This episode is made with the support...

Episode 6 features stories of life on the land in Co. Clare. There are stories of farming and of the crafts associated with it, of entertainment and of the rhythms of rural life in Co. Clare in times past. John Vaughan from Kilfenora tells us about the tradition of wintering out cattle in the magical Burren area of Co. Clare.   Paddy Murphy from Mullagh tells us about cow doctors in the days befor...

Episode 5 features stories of life in the towns of Co. Clare. Madeleine Killeen and Pat Foudy tell unusual stories of the lives of children and women in the town of Ennis.  Frank Sheedy and Mary Angela Keane tell us of the eclectic mix of people  who frequented the tourist town of Lisdoonvarna.  Tomsie O' Sullivan paints a vivd picture of the resort town of Lahinch on Garland Sunday - exotic...

Episode 4  features stories of Christmases past in Co. Clare in the West of Ireland. Stories of the magic of Christmas candles in the days before electricity, the hustle and bustle of decorating the house, what 'Santy' brought children, the aromas that remain forever in the memory of Christmas cooking and baking, and of course stories of The Wren! This podcast is based on a selection of...

Episode 3 features stories of the working lives of women in Co. Clare. Susan Williams in Kilfenora and Maura McInerney in Killaloe talk of hard physical labour.  Peggy Hogan in Feakle tells us of the magic of the washing machine.  Susan Barrett in Inagh and Annie Corry in Tulla tell stories of childbirth.  Nora McMahon in Ennistymon, Bridie Morgan and Mary Casey in Corofin all tell us about the wo...

Episode 2 features stories of the Clare coastline. John Daly and Michael Falsey tell us about the herring fishing industry around Quilty.  Randal Counihan talks of ravenous seals and slaveships.  Pa Joe Mahony and Senan Blunnie talk of turfboats and seaweed.  Tommy Fahy on how a tsunami shaped the North Clare coast.  Manuel di Lucia goes spear fishing.  John Glynn explains how to land sharks using...

Episode One features great stories and great storytellers - not long folk tales or professional story tellers, just people who love language and know how to turn a phrase. -Paddy Malley from Feakle tells us about finding a 4,000 year old gold hoard in his field - Chris Droney from Bellharbour tells us about fairy music in a fort near his house. - Teresa Flynn from Mountshannon tells us about endem...