Candlelit Tales Irish Mythology Podcast

Welcome back to the Candlelit Tales podcast. After our seasonal break for some Samhain-themed storytelling and spookier stories, this episode continues our newest linked series on the Fianna! The first episode of this series is episode 254, so listen back if you want to learn all about the band of warriors known as the Fianna. In this story, we continue with young Fionn’s upbringing in the wilderness, and we see how the young boy learns plays, and trains in his wild surroundings. When he sees the ancient game of hurling for the first time (still the fastest field sport in the world by the way), he becomes utterly fascinated and completely obsessed with it. In this episode, we are also continuing the tradition of collaborating with musicians that we love working with. For this one, we have teamed up with Caoimhín (pronounced Kwe-Veen”. Known to some as the pide piper of the Celtic revolution, Caoimhín has performed several shows with Aron and Sorcha in the last two years and so he asked to produce a story he would like; “something with a bita “UMFF”...and maybe some hurling if possible”. We are delighted to share his work with you, and we hope you enjoy the music he created for this Podcast. Caoimhí is also a multi-instrumentalist, a stringent producer of his own music and a singer-songwriter from Dublin. He mostly sings in the Irish language and draws inspiration from the landscape, the folklore & the mythology of the land for his music. You can find his music online here Social media handle @caoimhínceol Please note the content of these stories may be triggering for some listeners, please take care of yourself as you listen. This story includes mentions of child endangerment and some aspects of violence. This podcast is proudly sponsored by the people who donate to us each month via https://www.patreon.com/candlelittales and anyone who sends us a once-off donation through the Paypal button on our website http://candlelittales.ie/ Find details of our upcoming shows here: https://candlelittales.ie/performances/ https://www.youtube.com/c/CandlelitTales https://open.spotify.com/show/2102WuUUe9Jl6cGXNwQEKf https://soundcloud.com/candlelittales https://twitter.com/candlelit_tales?lang=en https://www.facebook.com/candlelittales https://www.instagram.com/candlelittales https://vimeo.com/user52850249 https://music.amazon.co.uk/podcasts/00d5c29b-ee1a-4078-aacf-62e1a94522dc/candlelit-tales-irish-mythology-podcast

Welcome back to the Candlelit Tales podcast. In this episode, we’re continuing our seasonal break from our Fianna series to bring you stories of the Otherworld in the lead-up to the Celtic New Year: Samhain If you’d like to learn more about the Celtic Fire Festivals, and dive into the meaning and ritual over the course of a year, applications are still open for our Wheel of the Year Storytelling Course, and filling up fast! More info on our website: http://candlelittales.ie/ This story is a retelling of a historical case, the murder of Bridget Cleary. In this version, we see things from another perspective, no less tragic and senseless. The music and the song for this Podcast was created Saoirse Miller, an independent singer-songwriter, composer and producer from Dublin. Drawing inspiration from Irish folklore, pagan mysticism and hauntology, Saoirse's music blends natural sounds with electronics and her otherworldly vocals, to create ethereal electro-acoustic ambience. Her repertoire explores distinctive new-wave trad as well as alternative electro-pop. Her live performances blend her distinct vocals with electronics, live saxophone, clarinet and poetry with live audio-reactive visuals, to teleport the audience into her mystical world. You can find her music here https://open.spotify.com/artist/1UaszBnRpKLugFKFpaQ6Pq?si=Ew7e7XqsSgOHeeiMKUQaIw and give her a follow on instagram https://www.instagram.com/saoirsemiller/profilecard/?igsh=M3I2encybHpyb2t6 Please note the content of these stories may be triggering for some listeners, please take care of yourself as you listen. This story includes allusions to domestic abuse, coercive control, child abuse, and mention of death by burning.. This podcast is proudly sponsored by the people who donate to us each month via https://www.patreon.com/candlelittales and anyone who sends us a once-off donation through the Paypal button on our website http://candlelittales.ie/ Find details of our upcoming shows here: https://candlelittales.ie/performances/

Welcome back to the Candlelit Tales podcast. We are telling some stories of the creatures of the Otherworld in the lead-up to the Celtic New Year: Samhain If you’d like to learn more about the Celtic Fire Festivals, and dive into the meaning and ritual over the course of a year, registration is currently open for our Turning the Wheel Together Storytelling Course. More info on our website: http://candlelittales.ie/ This is a re-release of a previous episode from a few years ago. Remember you can deep dive through our YouTube playlist to follow all our previous Samhain Story Podcasts. This is based on the true and tragic story of Bridget Cleary, which is sometimes referred to as a “witch burning”. In fact, her community believed that Bridget had been taken by fairies, and turned to violence in a misguided attempt to get her “back”. Please note the content of these stories may be triggering for some listeners, please take care of yourself as you listen. This story includes allusions to domestic violence, mental health issues, torture and death. This podcast is proudly sponsored by the people who donate to us each month via https://www.patreon.com/candlelittales and anyone who sends us a once-off donation through the Paypal button on our website http://candlelittales.ie/ Find details of our upcoming shows here: https://candlelittales.ie/performances/

Welcome back to the Candlelit Tales podcast. In this episode, we are taking a seasonal break from our Fianna series to bring you stories of the Otherworld in the lead-up to the Celtic New Year: Samhain If you’d like to learn more about the Celtic Fire Festivals, and dive into the meaning and ritual over the course of a year, applications are currently open for our Wheel of the Year Storytelling Course. More info on our website: http://candlelittales.ie/ This is story is a dark tale, a recreation of an older story, playing with the remaking of modern tales for new audiences with old archetypes who show their ugly faces. We heard this story told to a group at Samhain a few years ago and it stuck with us. We wanted to revisit it and when we met THE WRAN @thewranmusic (the musicians on this track) who had a tune called the Fear Dearg, we knew we needed to collaborate. Please note the content of these stories may be triggering for some listeners, please take care of yourself as you listen. This story includes allusions to domestic abuse, coercive control, child abuse, and mention of death by burning.. @thewranmusic THE WRAN: Emerging from the Comeragh mountains of County Waterford. Four brothers form the brand-new trad fusion band THE WRAN. The Wran infuse traditional Irish tunes with contemporary folk nuances. Their sound is built upon banjo, acoustic guitar, accordion, electric guitar, bass and drums, (to name a few). Their performances weave old folk tunes with original compositions, enchanting audiences with their authenticity and innovation. The band has only begun their journey, but their dynamic energy and musical prowess leave an enduring impact. @thewranmusic We hope you enjoy their music at the end of this episode. This podcast is proudly sponsored by the people who donate to us each month via https://www.patreon.com/candlelittales and anyone who sends us a once-off donation through the Paypal button on our website http://candlelittales.ie/ Find details of our upcoming shows here: https://candlelittales.ie/performances/

Welcome back to the Candlelit Tales podcast. We are telling some stories of the creatures of the Otherworld in the lead-up to the Celtic New Year: Samhain If you’d like to learn more about the Celtic Fire Festivals, and dive into the meaning and ritual over the course of a year, registration is currently open for our Turning the Wheel Together Storytelling Course. More info on our website: http://candlelittales.ie/ This is a re-release of a previous episode from a few years ago. Remember you can deep dive through our YouTube playlist to follow all our previous Samhain Story Podcasts. This is one of the stories of the dangers of the fairies in Irish folklore, and a changeling a little older than one might expect. Please note the content of these stories may be triggering for some listeners, please take care of yourself as you listen. This story includes allusions to medical trauma, poisoning, mental health issues and death. This podcast is proudly sponsored by the people who donate to us each month via https://www.patreon.com/candlelittales and anyone who sends us a once-off donation through the Paypal button on our website http://candlelittales.ie/ Find details of our upcoming shows here: https://candlelittales.ie/performances/

Welcome back to the Candlelit Tales podcast. We are telling some stories of the creatures of the Otherworld in the lead-up to the Celtic New Year: Samhain If you’d like to learn more about the Celtic Fire Festivals, and dive into the meaning and ritual over the course of a year, registration is currently open for our Turning the Wheel Together Storytelling Course. More info on our website: http://candlelittales.ie/ This is a re-release of a previous episode from last year’s Samhain stories. Remember you can deep dive through our YouTube playlist to follow all our previous Samhain Story Podcasts. This is one of the stories reputed to have inspired the vampiric classic, Dracula. The tale of a wicked chieftain who could not be killed, and could only be appeased by offerings of human blood Please note the content of these stories may be triggering for some listeners, please take care of yourself as you listen. This story includes allusions to domestic abuse, coercive control, child abuse, and mention of death by burning. This podcast is proudly sponsored by the people who donate to us each month via https://www.patreon.com/candlelittales and anyone who sends us a once-off donation through the Paypal button on our website http://candlelittales.ie/ Find details of our upcoming shows here: https://candlelittales.ie/performances/

Welcome back to the Candlelit Tales podcast. This episode continues our new series, all about the band of warriors known as the Fianna. In this story, we continue with young Fionn’s upbringing in the wilderness, and an unexpected challenge for his foster mothers. Please note the content of these stories may be triggering for some listeners, please take care of yourself as you listen. This story includes mentions of child endangerment, violence and child abduction. This podcast is proudly sponsored by the people who donate to us each month via https://www.patreon.com/candlelittales and anyone who sends us a once-off donation through the Paypal button on our website http://candlelittales.ie/ Find details of our upcoming shows here: https://candlelittales.ie/performances/

Welcome back to the Candlelit Tales podcast. This episode continues our new series, all about the band of warriors known as the Fianna. In this story, we’ll meet a less familiar character, but a trusted warrior woman of the Fianna. Please note the content of these stories may be triggering for some listeners, please take care of yourself as you listen. This story includes mentions of physical violence, physical harm, violent death and mutilation. This podcast is proudly sponsored by the people who donate to us each month via https://www.patreon.com/candlelittales and anyone who sends us a once-off donation through the Paypal button on our website http://candlelittales.ie/ Find details of our upcoming shows here: https://candlelittales.ie/performances/

Welcome back to the Candlelit Tales podcast. This episode continues our brand new series, all about the band of warriors known as the Fianna. This is the origin story of how the legendary band of warriors we know so well in stories, came to be. It's a love story of sorts, and like most Irish love stories, the tragedy is around the corner, but there's a shining light left behind all the same. Please note the content of these stories may be triggering for some listeners, please take care of yourself as you listen. This story includes mentions of family separation and physical violence. This podcast is proudly sponsored by the people who donate to us each month via https://www.patreon.com/candlelittales and anyone who sends us a once-off donation through the Paypal button on our website http://candlelittales.ie/ Find details of our upcoming shows here: https://candlelittales.ie/performances/

Welcome back to the Candlelit Tales podcast. This episode focuses on a forgotten Goddess in Irish mythology. We celebrate Lughnasa or Lughnasadh as the first harvest day, but there was once a greater celebration known as the Tailteann Games in Meath and all over Ireland. These games were in honour of the Goddess Tailtu, foster mother of Lugh, whose name we remember as the God of the summer sun and the archetypal mythic warrior… but what of his favourite foster mother? Today’s episode is dedicated to Tailtiu as we are in the middle of August, which in Irish is the month of Lughnasa. We will resume our Fianna series in the next episode after this story. Please note the content of these stories may be triggering for some listeners, please take care of yourself as you listen. This story includes mentions of family separation and physical violence. This podcast is proudly sponsored by the people who donate to us each month via https://www.patreon.com/candlelittales and anyone who sends us a once-off donation through the Paypal button on our website http://candlelittales.ie/ Find details of our upcoming shows here: https://candlelittales.ie/performances/

Welcome back to the Candlelit Tales podcast. This episode continues our brand new series, all about the band of warriors known as the Fianna. In this story, we’ll meet another familiar character, and founder of the Fianna, Cumhaill. This is the origin story of how the legendary band of warriors we know so well in stories, came to be. It's a love story of sorts, and like most Irish love stories, the tragedy is around the corner, but there's a shinning light left behind all the same. Please note the content of these stories may be triggering for some listeners, please take care of yourself as you listen. This story includes mentions of family separation and physical violence. This podcast is proudly sponsored by the people who donate to us each month via https://www.patreon.com/candlelittales and anyone who sends us a once-off donation through the Paypal button on our website http://candlelittales.ie/ Find details of our upcoming shows here: https://candlelittales.ie/performances/ https://www.youtube.com/c/CandlelitTales https://open.spotify.com/show/2102WuUUe9Jl6cGXNwQEKf https://soundcloud.com/candlelittales https://twitter.com/candlelit_tales?lang=en https://www.facebook.com/candlelittales https://www.instagram.com/candlelittales https://vimeo.com/user52850249 https://music.amazon.co.uk/podcasts/00d5c29b-ee1a-4078-aacf-62e1a94522dc/candlelit-tales-irish-mythology-podcast

Welcome back to the Candlelit Tales podcast. This episode kicks off a new series, all about the band of warriors known as the Fianna. In this story, we’ll meet a familiar character, going by an unfamiliar name. Please note the content of these stories may be triggering for some listeners, please take care of yourself as you listen. This story includes mentions of family separation and physical violence. This podcast is proudly sponsored by the people who donate to us each month via https://www.patreon.com/candlelittales and anyone who sends us a once-off donation through the Paypal button on our website http://candlelittales.ie/ Find details of our upcoming shows here: https://candlelittales.ie/performances/ https://www.youtube.com/c/CandlelitTales https://open.spotify.com/show/2102WuUUe9Jl6cGXNwQEKf https://soundcloud.com/candlelittales https://twitter.com/candlelit_tales?lang=en https://www.facebook.com/candlelittales https://www.instagram.com/candlelittales https://vimeo.com/user52850249 https://music.amazon.co.uk/podcasts/00d5c29b-ee1a-4078-aacf-62e1a94522dc/candlelit-tales-irish-mythology-podcast

Welcome back to the Candlelit Tales podcast. And this special interview and chat between Sorcha the board of directors of the Gaelic Woodland Project. Founded by Eoghan Connaughton the project was first described to Aron as “a social experiment”, whose main objective was to create native woodlands and protect the existing woodlands on the Island of Ireland. Illustrator, secretary to the GWP and intermittent graphic designer for us well, Santiago Rial offers his unique perspective to the mix as we all discuss Ireland's forestry, the dangers it faces today, the invasive species (that are shockingly still sold in garden centres in Ireland) and the many aspects of biodiversity that Eoghan shared from his wealth of knowledge. This conversation was recorded in July 2023 and since that time the land in Mayo has been bought with donations and a small loan. The GWP is still raising funds to pay off this loan and to plant native woodland on this land and hopefully, more land to come. Eoghan, Santi, and Aron are the three board members of this charity which is hugely collaborative, inclusive and focused on skill sharing. The community is a beautiful one to be part of, and if you'd like to learn more about the GWP, follow the links below: https://gaelicwoodlandproject.com/ https://www.instagram.com/gaelicwoodlandproject?igsh=cHpla3JrY2NxNmYx This podcast is proudly sponsored by the people who donate to us each month via https://www.patreon.com/candlelittales and anyone who sends us a once-off donation through the Paypal button on our website http://candlelittales.ie/ Find details of our upcoming shows here: https://candlelittales.ie/performances/

Welcome back to the Candlelit Tales podcast. And another wonderful collaboration episode. In these sporadic episodes, we’re fortunate enough to collaborate with a few very special musicians. We’re a fan of their work and they also happen to be a fan of ours. We have always been grateful for any collaborations we have created, performed and worked on with other artists. And since music has always been a backbone to our stories, we decided to take a few people up on their offers to collaborate on a few stories. In this episode, Sorcha Tells the story of the coming of the Sons of Mil, and the song of Amergin. And Jenny Ní Rusiéil’s beautiful melody floats throughout it with haunting vocals to add to the atmosphere. Just wait till the song at the end! It is inspired by the song of Amergin, and she blended in her musicality to back Sorcha’s telling of this story. For more on Jenny follow her links here: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4R0J286gbSHVakV3wf1Ben?si=Nkmz5Q5lTuyFe97YJMRuqw https://www.instagram.com/jennybean108?igsh=MWNkcGZ3dW9kdjhuZA== Please note the content of these stories may be triggering for some listeners, please take care of yourself as you listen. This story contains mentions of coercion, grooming, persecution, death by violence, threats of rape, and suicide. This podcast is proudly sponsored by the people who donate to us each month via https://www.patreon.com/candlelittales and anyone who sends us a once-off donation through the Paypal button on our website http://candlelittales.ie/ Find details of our upcoming shows here: https://candlelittales.ie/performances/

Welcome back to the Candlelit Tales podcast. In this episode, we look back on and discuss the High King series and some of our sources and inspiration for how we approached telling Cormac Mac Airt's story. We recorded this episode over Zoom, so if you listen to this on a podcast player, you can head to YouTube to watch the video version. Please note the content of these stories may be triggering for some listeners, please take care of yourself as you listen to this discussion, which touches on all aspects of the High King series. This podcast is proudly sponsored by the people who donate to us each month via https://www.patreon.com/candlelittales and anyone who sends us a once-off donation through the Paypal button on our website http://candlelittales.ie/ Find details of our upcoming shows here: https://candlelittales.ie/performances/

Welcome back to the Candlelit Tales podcast. This episode concludes our new series on the greatest High King in mythological, pseudo-historical memory: Cormac Mac Airt. In this story, Cormac journeys to the Otherworld to confront the entity that took his family away from him, and encounters strange sights and hard-won wisdom. Please note the content of these stories may be triggering for some listeners, please take care of yourself as you listen. This story includes mentions of parental abandonment, abduction, and separation. This podcast is proudly sponsored by the people who donate to us each month via https://www.patreon.com/candlelittales and anyone who sends us a once-off donation through the Paypal button on our website http://candlelittales.ie/ Find details of our upcoming shows here: https://candlelittales.ie/performances/ #candlelittales #candlelittalespodcast #keepherlit #keephercandlelit #thehighkingseries #storytelling #livemusic #mythology #irishmythology #subscribe #youtube #mythologypodcast https://www.youtube.com/c/CandlelitTales https://open.spotify.com/show/2102WuUUe9Jl6cGXNwQEKf https://soundcloud.com/candlelittales https://twitter.com/candlelit_tales?lang=en https://www.facebook.com/candlelittales https://www.instagram.com/candlelittales https://vimeo.com/user52850249 https://music.amazon.co.uk/podcasts/00d5c29b-ee1a-4078-aacf-62e1a94522dc/candlelit-tales-irish-mythology-podcast

Welcome back to the Candlelit Tales podcast. This episode continues our new series on the greatest High King in mythological, pseudo-historical memory: Cormac Mac Airt. This episode brings us to the beginning of the end for Cormac. As the king aged, and believed that his greatest adventures were behind him, Bealtaine brought with it an invitation for the most extraordinary journey of his life. Please note the content of these stories may be triggering for some listeners, please take care of yourself as you listen. This story includes mentions of parental abandonment, abduction, and separation. This podcast is proudly sponsored by the people who donate to us each month via https://www.patreon.com/candlelittales and anyone who sends us a once-off donation through the Paypal button on our website http://candlelittales.ie/ Find details of our upcoming shows here: https://candlelittales.ie/performances/

Welcome back to the Candlelit Tales podcast. This episode continues our new series on the greatest High King in mythological, pseudo-historical memory: Cormac Mac Airt. This episode tells the second part of last week’s story ‘Fire and Fury’ where we were introduced to some of Cormac’s struggles as a High King who was not a fighting man. Insulted by the Ulster men, he had conceded the Kingship rather than pose a direct conflict. But his mother pointed out, he found himself needing to curry favour for a much greater fight. And two men from Munster would help him. But he trusted neither, and he as it turned out, was not to be trusted either. Please note the content of these stories may be triggering for some listeners, please take care of yourself as you listen. This story includes mentions of public humiliation, violence, and violent death. This podcast is proudly sponsored by the people who donate to us each month via https://www.patreon.com/candlelittales and anyone who sends us a once-off donation through the Paypal button on our website http://candlelittales.ie/ Find details of our upcoming shows here: https://candlelittales.ie/performances/

Welcome back to the Candlelit Tales podcast. As this episode is released on the first of May, also called Bealtaine, we decided to take a break from our current series on Cormac Mac Airt, and talk you through some of what we’ve learned over the years of telling stories about this fire festival. We recorded a video to go along with this talk, and you can find that over on our YouTube channel. We’d love if you could check it out and let us know what you think! Sorcha mentions the book “The Year in Ireland” by Kevin Danaher, and we’d highly recommend you try and get your hands on it if you’re interested in this topic, though it is currently out of print. Eithne Massey’s “The Turning of the Year” is also a lovely volume, combining information about the seasonal celebrations with folktales and myths linked to particular times of year. Please note the content of these stories may be triggering for some listeners, please take care of yourself as you listen. This podcast includes Sorcha’s idea of what jokes are, which may be painfully cringe for some listeners. This podcast is proudly sponsored by the people who donate to us each month via https://www.patreon.com/candlelittales and anyone who sends us a once-off donation through the Paypal button on our website http://candlelittales.ie/ Find details of our upcoming shows here: https://candlelittales.ie/performances/

Welcome back to the Candlelit Tales podcast. This episode continues our new series on the greatest High King in mythological, pseudo-historical memory: Cormac Mac Airt. This episode tells the story of Cormac’s struggles. Now that he had gained the kingship, he found he had to hold it, and he had promised that he would hold it with wisdom and justice, rather than violence. This proved a difficult task, with warriors from the North who claimed his leniency was a sign of weakness. Please note the content of these stories may be triggering for some listeners, please take care of yourself as you listen. This story includes mentions of public humiliation, violence, and violent death. This podcast is proudly sponsored by the people who donate to us each month via https://www.patreon.com/candlelittales and anyone who sends us a once-off donation through the Paypal button on our website http://candlelittales.ie/ Find details of our upcoming shows here: https://candlelittales.ie/performances/