Unreal Irish Folklore

A re-release of the second ever episode of Unreal, while I recover from illness. A new episode will come soon once my voice is back at full strength! Giants sculpted our landscape. They are strong, and fierce, and can be terrifying if you’re unprepared. But anyone can defeat a giant – if you are clever enough to trick them… READ THE PODCAST SCRIPT SOURCES AND FURTHER READINGThe Story of Fionn and the Giant The Giant’s Causeway, Dublin Penny JournalA Legend of Knockmany, by William Carletonoriginal articleJoe Moore’s Story of Finn Macooilly and the Buggane,Manx Fairytales 1234 The very rude Scottish poem featuring the giant-sized descendants of Fionn Other Tales Mentioned The fall of the Viking chieftain TurgesiusMaoil a ChliobainJack and the BeanstalkJack the Giant-killerStingy Jack MUSICAll by Slainte from The Free Music Archive Theme Song – “The Butterfly”The Lark in the Morning / The Atholl HighlandersThe Banshee / The Gravel Walks / The Old Copperplate Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Banshee is one of Ireland’s most famous folkloric figures. A supernatural woman with a cry that foretells of death and devastation to those who hear it, stories about banshees have been terrifying listeners for hundreds of years. But has she always been this way? Read the Podcast Script Sources and Further Reading A Folklore Survey of County ClareThe Triumphs of TurloughThe Hostel of Da ChocaAnnals of Loch CéThe Memoirs of Lady Ann FanshawePersonal Sketches of His Own TimesKeening TraditionThe Irish Funeral CryThe Dublin Penny Journal O'Brien's Irish-English Dictionary Music The Butterfly Return HomeThe White BirchMountain Solitude Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hi everyone, Ruth here, and apologies for the slightly sporadic uploads to Unreal this season – I’ve just been having quite a busy time outside of podcasting. I’m actually going to take mid-season break and come back in two weeks with a special Halloween episode, and finish out the second half of the season then, hopefully with more regular uploads for those last few episodes. I hope that sounds ok, and wishing you a folklore-filled few weeks in the meantime. Go n-éirí an bóthar leat. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What happens when a king goes mad? When he leaves his home, his wife and lands, and goes wandering in the woods and the wild? Such a strange frenzy came on Sweeney, an Irish king long ago. The life he came to live was a harsh and a wild one – but, as the story shows, still one where breathtaking beauty could be found . . . Read the Podcast Script Sources And Further Reading Buile Suibhne. (The frenzy of Suibhne)The King's MirrorMyrddin WyltWild Man Music The Butterfly The Elfin KnightI'm Missing Ennisverything We BuiltIt All Went Away So Quickly Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There once was born a cursed girl. She was beautiful, and strong-willed, and would do anything for the man she loved. But in her name, evil came to Ireland, bringing war and fighting that left hundreds dead in its wake. Her name was Deirdre, and stories told about her live on, as one of Ireland’s most sorrowful legends. Read the Podcast Script Sonder MagazineLet's Talk About the Arts episode Sources and further Reading Story Sources The Exile of the Sons of UisliuDeirdre, or, The Exile of the Sons of UsnechDeirdre, in The Three Sorrows of StorytellingThe Trí Truaighe na Scéalaigheachta Background reading Kingship Made Real? Power and the Public World in Longes Mac nUislennSatire in Medieval IrelandLeabharchamMilesiansHow Ronan Slew His SonCano meic GartnáinDiarmuid & Gráinne Music The Butterfly Our Green Lands Calling on the HillRed as a RoseTurnpikesFarewell to Ennerdale Water Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For every death, a price must be paid. Life is precious, and blood is costly, and when you take the life of a man, you do not know how high the penalty will be. This is a story about three brothers, and a life they took, the price they paid, and the devastation that followed them to their deaths. Read the podcast script Sources and Further Reading Story Sources The Fate of the Children of Tuireann"The Quest of the Sons of Turenn"The Fate of the Children of TuireannThe Three Sorrows of Storytelling Background reading The Grail and the English Sir Perceval"Fines under Brehon Law"Éraic / eric Music The Butterfly LúnassaThe Road to Lisdoonvarna & Scollay'sThe Burning of the Piper's HutShady Grove Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As strange as it is imagine, there are infinite worlds out there in the universe, far beyond our sight. But, if the stories are to be believed, a group of early Irish people came closer than most to contact with the world above our world, and the strange people who inhabited it. Read the Podcast Script Sources and Further Reading Aerial Ships and Underwater Monasteries: The Evolution of a Monastic MarvelVoyagers in the Vault of Heaven: The Phenomenon of Ships in the Sky in Medieval Ireland and BeyondLightnings VIIICuriosities of Indo-European tradition and folk-loreOn Hail and ThunderFrom flying boats to secret Soviet weapons to alien visitors – a brief cultural history of UFOsSometimes a flying boat is just a flying boat: Not everything has to be a UFOTailtenn GamesOn the Identification of the Ancient Cemetery at Loughcrew, Co. MeathThe Aonac Tailteann and the Tailteann Games Music The ButterflyPeriwinkle WatersFree FormSea of Space Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There is something magical about snow, but it’s also deceptive, and deadly – the perfect ingredient for dark tales on a cold winter’s night . . . Read the Podcast ScriptSourcesWeather Lore Customs, Beliefs and Superstitions of the Different FestivalsWeather-LorePlucking Geese in HeavenSigns of SnowDerbforgaill The Deaths of Lugaid and DerbforgaillThe Cuchullin Saga in Irish LiteratureSaints St MolasiusSilva GaedelicaSt ComghanSt PatrickThe Tripartite Life of St PatrickDeirdre The Exile of the Sons of UisliuSín and Muirchertach The Death of Muirchertach Mac ErcaInternational Stories of the Snow Snow DropThe Snow QueenSnegurochkaMusicDreams of the BraveSea of CloudsArcticaKesh Jig, Leitrim FancySomewhere ElseGander in the Pratie Hole, Morrison's Jig, Drowsy MaggieAs Rainbows FallSurreal ForestIn the Bleak Midwinter Stay up to date: https://unrealpodcast.com/https://twitter.com/unrealpodhttps://www.facebook.com/UnrealPod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Granuaile, Ireland’s Pirate Queen , was ahead of her time but remains with us in legend. Escaping the constraints of femininity, Gráinne risked everything she had to live life she wanted, and rule the seas. Read the Podcast Script Sources and Further Reading Granuaile: Ireland's Pirate Queen"Eighteen articles of interrogatory to be answered by Grany ne Malley"12Folktales from Dúchas.ieGranuaile folk songs from Dúchas.ie Music The ButterflyShady GroveThe Banshee, Gravel Walks, The Old CopperplateCeltic BlessingPretty Little DogJig of Slurs, Dublin, Reel, The Merry Blacksmith, The Mountain Road Stay up to date: My guest episode on the Candlelit Tales podcast https://unrealpodcast.com/https://twitter.com/unrealpodhttps://www.facebook.com/UnrealPod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The story of Oisín’s journey to Tír na nÓg with Niamh of the Golden Hair has become one of Ireland’s best-loved legends. But the history of how it came to be told may still surprise you . . . Read the Podcast Script Sources and Further Reading Lay of Oisín on the Land of YouthSgéalta ó Ṫír ĊonaillSgéal ar Oisín agus na FiantaibhThe Colloquy with the AncientsLeabhar na FeinneCeltic MythologyUrashima TarōKing Herla Music The ButterflyBack to the ShiresLovely MariaFor a LifetimeThe Road Map The Burning of the Piper's Hut Stay up to date: https://unrealpodcast.com/https://twitter.com/unrealpodhttps://www.facebook.com/UnrealPod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Witch trials came to an end after 1711. But in the decades that followed, hushed into small, catholic communities in the Irish countryside, fear of the supernatural was growing. And 1895 brought the most infamous execution of a suspected fairy ever to take place – the burning of Bridget Cleary in County Tipperary . . . READ THE PODCAST SCRIPTSOURCES AND FURTHER READINGMain Sources The “Witch-Burning” at Clonmel Belief in Fairies and WitchesNewspaper Accounts New York Times123The Pall Mall GazetteBismark Daily TribuneOther cases mentioned 12The TimesRevelation from a Hamlet near AthloneNew York TimesThe TimesMUSICThe ButterflyCapclearEvening BellsToo Ra Loo Ra Loo Ral (Irish Lullaby)LunassaDark AlleysInterceptionFragile IceShe Moved Through the Fair Stay up to date: https://unrealpodcast.com/https://twitter.com/unrealpodhttps://www.facebook.com/UnrealPod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The story of the last and largest witch trial ever to take place in Ireland. Read the Podcast Script Sources and Further Reading Possessed by the Devil: The Real History of the Islandmagee Witch Trial, by Andrew Sneddon Witchcraft and Magic in Ireland, by Andrew Sneddon Account of the Trial of Eight Reputed Witches by William Tisdall Satan’s Invisible World Discovered, by George SinclairIrish Witchcraft and Demonology, Music The ButterflyBy the WindsParanoiaDance with MeAll of This Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In 1661, rumours swept the town of Youghal about the deadly kiss of a woman named Florence Newton, a kiss that could bring terrible pain, claim lives, and that marked her out for what she truly was – a witch. Read the Podcast Script Sources and Further Reading Irish Witchcraft and Demonology, by St. John D. Seymour ‘Florence Newton’s trial for witchcraft, Cork, 1661: Sir William Aston’s transcript’, Edited by Dr Andrew Sneddon ‘Witchcraft belief and trials in early modern Ireland,’ Dr Andrew Sneddon Witchfinders, by Malcolm Gaskill Music The ButterflySláinteCurtains are Always DrawnFogRunSea & NightMindshipIvory Tongue Stay up to date: https://unrealpodcast.com/https://twitter.com/unrealpodhttps://www.facebook.com/UnrealPod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

(Re-released episode from Season 1) In 1324, Dame Alice Kyteler of Kilkenny became the first woman tried for witchcraft in Ireland. But things did not go according to plan… SOURCES AND FURTHER READINGThe Sorcery Trial of Alice Kyteler: A Contemporary Account, translated and edited by L. S. Davidson and John O. Ward The History and Antiquities of the Diocese of Ossory by Rev. William Carrigan Irish Witchcraft and Demonology by St. John D. Seymour Witchcraft: A Very Short Introduction by Malcolm Gaskill The Sorcery Trial of Alice Kyteler by Bernadette Williams MUSICBeacon“The Butterfly”SláinteChurchbells, St. Nicholas Cossack Cathedral in OmskZabuhailo“Global Warming”Kai Engel“daemones” “periculum”Wheel of Time Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to season 3 of Unreal a podcast about Irish history, stories and tradition. I’m doing something a little different this time around. For the month of October, I will be bringing you weekly true stories of Irish witches: their lives, their trials, their fates. Alice Kyteler. Florence Newton. The women of Islandmagee. Bridget Cleary. These women were part of our history. Their lives and what they went through are all unique, and their stories are a mark of who we were and how far we have come. But all of them deserve to be remembered. So join me next Sunday, to begin a new Chapter of Unreal: The Season of the Witch. Song: Beacon by Ayla Nereo **** A note for my regular listeners - the first episode will be a repeat of Alice Kyteler's story which I previously hosted in Season 1, so you may want to give that one a miss and tune in from the week after. Or feel free to listen again! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The tale of the Salmon of Knowledge is one of the most famous and well-loved stories of Irish in mythology. It’s a story about becoming – of a hero before he was a hero. Everyone in Ireland knows the story. But you might be surprised by its roots! Read the Podcast Script Sources and Further Reading The Salmon of Knowledge Variants Salmon of KnowledgeThe Boyish Exploits of Finn“Had I but eaten of the salmon of knowledge...”The High Deeds of Finn and other Bardic RomancesMy previous episode featuring Fintan mac Bóchra Fionn / Enchanted Water Stories Fionn and CúldubThe Fountain of the Moon Sigurd and Taliesen SigurdHanes TaliesenTaliesenCeridwenIntervention and Disruption in the Myths of Finn and SigurdAbstract Narrative in IrelandReviewed Work: The Thumb of Knowledge in Legends of Finn, Sigurd, and Taliesin Sinnan and Boand Revue CeltiqueRevue CeltiqueOn the Manners and Customs of the AncientThe Well of FaeryThe Metrichal Dindsenchas Music The ButterflyThe Crosses of Annagh. The Humors of Tulla. The Cup of TeaJig of Slurs. Dublin Reel - Merry Blacksmith. The Mountain RoadThings you never knownRelaxing Piano MusicBy the WindLadies Choice – Dance Hall Stay up to date: https://unrealpodcast.com/https://twitter.com/unrealpodhttps://www.facebook.com/UnrealPod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tales of mythical islands and enchanted cities have captivated our storytellers for generations. We are always searching, searching on the far horizon and in the depths of our lakes and rivers, for the worlds we have lost, and the promised lands we still have left to find. Read the Podcast Script Sources and Further Reading Introductions Ireland’s Mysterious Lands and Sunken Cities by Jon Douglas SingerImmramCeltic Otherworld Kilstuiffeen Ordnance Survey LettersIreland: its scenery, its character etc.Legendary Fictions of the Irish CeltsA Folklore Survey of County ClareThe Monks of Kilcrea Caher Linn @RostrevorRARE’s postCarlingfordCarlingford VolcanoLouth Folk TalesCarlingford Leaflet Fintan Mac Bochra Lebor Gabála ÉrennThe Hawk of Achill or the Legends of the Oldest Animals Liban Annals of the Kingdom of IrelandThe Topography of Ireland Mystical Islands The Topography of IrelandSpeculum Regale The Voyage of Brendan Lives of Saints from the Book of LismoreBrendanCumann Comnae Music The ButterflyDrops of Brandy / The Mountain KidThe Burning of the Piper’s HutPretty Little DogShady Grove Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Early Irish forests were thick with wolves. Fierce, fast and predatory, it’s no wonder these animals inspired so many myths and stories before their extinction. The legend of the werewolf - men and women who could walk through the world in the shape of wolves - has captured imaginations for centuries. Read the Podcast Script Sources and Further Reading WerewolfWolves in Folklore, Religion and MythologyBretha Crólige Ossory Werewolves Leabhar Breathnach Annso SisTopographia HiberniaThe Wonders of IrelandWerewolves of Ossory St Ronan “Chronique IX”translation hereRonan of Locronanstronans.co.uk The Wolf Women of Cruachan Cave “The Story of the Three She-Wolves”Irische Texte“The Cave of Cruachan”Gods and Fighting Men Lady Jane Wilde’s Wolf Stories – in Ancient Legends, Mystic Charms & Superstitions of Ireland Cathal the KingConnor and the Wolf Men Fiachna “Fragmentary Annals” in Silva Gaedelica by Standish H. O’Grady Cormac Mac Art “Birth of Cormac Grandson of Conn”Silva Gaedelica “The Birth of Cormac”The High Deeds of Finn Music The ButterflyMagic ForestHidden PastSurreal ForestSmouldering Sound Effects Forest DayDusk WolfCooper Creek Solitary Wolf HowlWood of Wolves in the Rain Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Down in the hollows, hiding just out of sight, the wee folk are watching our every move. And despite their size, these little beings can bring about an incredible amount of destruction. But were the wee folk always thought of as so sinister? And do they think of humans as being just as magical as we think of them? Read the Podcast Script Sources and Further ReadingLeprechauns Fairy Legends and Traditions of the South of IrelandIrish Wonders,Revue CeltiqueAnother Illusion Shattered: "leprechaun" not native Irish King Fergus and the Wee Folk The High Deeds of Finn and other Bardic Romances of Ancient IrelandSilva GadelicaThe Saga of Fergus Mac Létí MusicThe Butterfly The King of the FairiesThe King of the FairiesLunassaThe Banshee. Gravel Walks. The Old CopperplateGander in the Pratie Hole, Morrison's Jig, Drowsy Maggie Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Far below the ocean waves live the strange and mysterious people of the sea. From ancient times to the modern day we have been fascinated by stories of the sea folk – the way they look, the songs they sing, and the great hold they have on us. But the merfolk are very different to humans, and when human and sea person meet, things rarely go according to plan… Read the Podcast Script Sources and Further Reading Introductions MermaidsMerrowsSelkies Stories Lebor Gabála ÉirennRoth Mac Cithaing & Port LáirgeThe Wonderful Tune / The Lady of GollerusOrkney Folk-lore: Selkie FolkThe Little MermaidThe Fisherman and His Soul Essays The Testimony of TraditionThe Motif of the Mermaid in English, Irish, and Scottish Fairy- and Folk Tales Music The ButterflyPure WaterSiren SongCapclearCobweb MorningThe Great Selkie of Sule SkerryRainO Come YeOctober Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.