The Storyteller
A hush descends on the bar. Standing in front of the roaring fire is a man with a wispy head of hair and wild beard. Before he speaks, he takes a final mouthful of Guinness. This is thirsty work. The small crowd ease back in their chairs. This is who they have come to see. Eddie Lenihan. Storyteller.
For 35 years Eddie has been collecting stories and folktales. In that time he has documented and recorded thousands of tales from his native county of Kerry and the surrounding countryside. For him these stories are cultural artifacts. As important as the old castles ruins that dot the landscape. Maybe even more so. These tales are more than just amusing and interesting incidents, they lay bare the soul of the land and its people.
The storytelling tradition in Ireland stretches back to the ancient Gaelic chieftains. Seanchai, as they were known in the Irish language, played an important part in society. In times before the written word these storytellers were the keepers of myths and legends. They travelled from town to town recounting the legends of Cú Chulainn or Fionn mac Cumhaill. It was a tradition that prevailed for over 1000 years, thought invasions, world wars and famines. Sadly, in 1950s with the increasing prominence of tv and radio the numbers of seanchai began to dwindle. Eddie Lenihan is one of the few remaining in the country.
Eddie’s journey to becoming a Seanchai wasn’t planned. After completing a master in phonetics, he began recording the old folks of the surrounding towns and villages. Initially he was trying to preserve the dying dialects of the area but instead found himself listening to the old stories and legends of times gone by. He used these tales firstly as bedtime stories for his children. Then he got his break on television program called Ten Minute Tales. With more than 10 books under his belt, he now travels the world spreading these old stories to as many people as possible. He seems to have an endless repertoire, he has tales about the famine, about the wars, about animals, and about simple beauty of everyday country life. One topic that he always comes back to is fairies, or the other crowd as he calls them.
Addressing a crowd in his home of Cusheen he says, “People still ask me ‘you don’t believe all that nonsense’ do you?” Given Eddies reputation this seems like a ridiculous question. In 1999 he gained international fame, albeit briefly, when he disrupted construction of a highway in county Clare to rescue a bush. According to Eddie, this was no ordinary bush, this was a sacred fairy bush. His plea sent headlines around the world and to this day, the bush stands.
While this can be regarded as a quirky story it is by no means a one off. In and around county Clare there are plenty of tales of a man with a long wild beard named Eddie advising what trees and shrubs shouldn’t be disturbed unless you’re prepared to deal the wrath of the fairies. There is no doubt that Eddie himself is now firmly part of the folklore of that part of the world.