The saints and scholars of modern Irish storytelling

Abstract

I'm aware of the irony of writing a paper on the oral tradition. However, the state of Irish storytelling today is so complex that to attempt to "tell" it would result in a half-portrait of what's really happening.Review for this paper began with a trip to Ireland to consult with the tellers in person. I interviewed several members of the modern storytelling community, a group of artists whose performances commemorate the fireside storytelling tradition of the past. Back at home, critical texts on economics and anthropology added context to the idea that modern storytelling is an act of culture commemoration. But this paper is not a lament on the loss of tradition. It is a prospectus on how Irish storytelling will survive and even flourish in coming years. The audiences might not look the same, owing to tourism, and the tellers might appear more diverse, owing to globalization, but the general idea remains the same: In Ireland, storytelling will find a way, always.