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< Back Yoshio Takahata Adults, Children, Festivals, Special Needs Availability Full time in Japan; Summers in Ireland Repertoire Traditional Irish tales. Irish stories for Japanese speaking groups Preferred audience Adults and children over 10 years Background experience: Yoshio Takahata is Japanese. He studied Irish folklore UCD in 2010. Every summer he comes to Ireland (especially Connacht) to gather local tales .He attends NUI Galway Irish language courses at the International Summer School every summer. He lives in Tokyo Japan. Twice a month he hosts a storytelling party at a cafe or gallery. He tells stories while playing the Irish harp. http://www.oberon-kingdom.jp/index.html

< Back Fra Gunn Adults, Children, Festivals, Special Needs Availability: Not full time resident on the Island of Ireland but available on the island of Ireland all year round, prepared to travel nationally and internationally. Repertoire: Fra’s repertoire includes myths and legends, folk and faery tales, stories of dungeons and dragons, witches and wizards, riddles, rhymes, ghosts and ganders and eh, a tale about a tail! Background experience: Fra has been a professional actor, storyteller, musician, puppeteer, writer, director, living historian, tour guide and workshop facilitator for over 30 years. He has worked extensively throughout the five ancient provinces of Ireland as well as Scotland, England, Wales, USA, Italy, China, Slovenia and Liverpool. His clients and venues have included theatre, film and television companies, schools, libraries, museums, streets, parks, art centres, community centres, festivals, buses, trains, ships and even an aeroplane! fgunn36@googlemail.com

< Back Orla Mc Govern Adults, Children, Festivals, Special Needs Availability: Full time storyteller, facilitator and performer. Available to travel nationally and internationally. Repertoire: Experienced & versatile award-winning storyteller, performer, playwright, author and facilitator. From fireside traditional stories, to improvisational stories on international stages, to original work for site specific projects, Órla is comfortable with all. A published author, and artistic director of The Moth & Butterfly festival, Órla makes new work, facilitates creative workshops, and is happy to chat with you about your bespoke event or festival. Background experience: Órla Mc Govern is a multi-award-winning Storyteller, Performer, Writer and Facilitator based in Galway, Ireland. She regularly performs and teaches around the world from arena stages, to cottages, to libraries, from the Antrim Glens to the Finnish Forests, and has been a featured performer at several major Storytelling, Theatre and Arts Festivals around the world. Her telling has been described as “a powerful presence, full of warmth”. Órla is the Artistic Director of Moth & Butterfly Storytelling. As a teller, she works with the traditional and the contemporary, often weaving them together in original work. She was commissioned by The Arts Council of Ireland to make a site-specific promenade storytelling piece, set in the West of Ireland Órla works regularly in theatre, film and television as an actor and writer. Her award-winning plays and short films have been produced globally. She also has written two books of stories ‘Dublin Folk Tales For Children’ & ‘Wild Waves & Wishing Wells’ (The History Press). Órla is a master-level practitioner of improvisation, and loves to weave this skill set into her storytelling work. She offers workshops in this for educational, commercial and artistic clients. She is a listed artist on a number of educational programmes, as well as Writers In Schools for Poetry Ireland. She is the Artistic Director of Moth & Butterfly, a Storytelling collective and festival based in Galway. She is particularly excited by collaborative work - projects that weave different types of telling, music etc in search of grounded performance. She welcomes conversations about bespoke performances for Festivals and Performances. She’s been a member of Interface Inagh, The Ohana Collective, Theatre 57, a Committee Member of Storytellers of Ireland and loves the odd dip in the sea! Insta: @theorlamcgovern Insta: @mothandbutterflystories Facebook: www.facebook.com/theorlamcgovern Facebook : www.facebook.com/mothandbutterflystories spontaneoustheatre@gmail.com http://www.orlamcgovern.com (+353) 86 8865507

Storytellers of Ireland is an all-island organisations dedicated to the support and promotion of storytelling. Get In Touch For more information, reach out by filling in the form below or by emailing Simone Email Secretary Simone Scheummelfeder Social Media storytellersofireland1@gmail.com First Name Last Name Email Message Send Thanks for submitting!

Storytellers of Ireland is an all-island organisation dedicated to the support and promotion of storytelling. Join us! Storytellers and listeners welcome! Storyteller Performance How do I go about booking a Storyteller? Storytelling is an intimate and often interactive art. A storyteller tells from memory rather than reading from a book. The listener is very important in the storytelling process. For stories to live, they need the hearts, minds and ears of listeners. Without the listener, there is no story. Choosing a storyteller The website does not recommend one storyteller over another. The entries for individual storytellers in the Directory describe repertoire, experience, availability to travel, favoured age group and contact information. It is up to the person or organisation making the booking to consider which storyteller is best matched to their particular needs. Fees and expenses should be negotiated with each individual storyteller. Storytelling in Education In engaging a storyteller to work in schools and libraries it is worth remembering that storytelling for young people is a specialized skill. Not all storytellers work in schools. Find out from the Directory whether the teller being considered has experience working with the age group in your care. Many storytellersvisit schools through the Heritage in Schools and Writers in Schools schemes, which may pay part or the storytellers' fees. Some things to consider if you are inviting a storyteller to your school Decide what you would like from the storytelling session and discuss it with the storyteller. What age group would you like the storyteller to work with? It is important to remember that a group of young listeners should not ideally contain a wide age range. Very young children will not understand stories pitched at the older ones. Similarily older children may find stories offered to the younger ones too ‘babyish’. What size should the group be? Remember, the intimate nature of storytelling . Ideally there should be no more than two classes per session. How should the space be organised? Because of the importance of eye contact in storytelling, comfort and visibility are the essentials here. If possible, the ideal would be for listeners to sit in a semi circle. Tell the children that they can look forward to the visit of the storyteller to their school. Let the storyteller know if any of the children have special needs. Once you have booked a storyteller, confirm in writing, the date, time and place and if necessary give directions. On the day Have someone organized to meet the storyteller and to show him/ her around. An offer of tea or coffee would be appreciated. Make sure that the storyteller is provided with a glass of water during the session. Due to insurance requirments and the SOI/AOS Child Protection Policy, a responsible adult must be present at the storytelling. It is, of course, important that this person is supportive and not a distraction to the listeners or to the teller. Feedback is welcomed by a storyteller. Last but not least, if you have agreed to pay on the day make sure that there is cash or a cheque waiting. Find A Storyteller View the Storyteller Directory

< Back Joe Brennan Adults, Children, Festivals, Special Needs Availability: Full time and prepared to travel nationally and internationally. Repertoire: Joe weaves a unique and rich tapestry of stories for each of his performances from his store of folktales, myths, legends and original stories. His telling is steeped in the rich storytelling heritage of Ireland while also drawing on tales from other cultures. He has a particular love for magical stories filled with wonder. Background Experience: Joe has been telling stories, and facilitating workshops, full time for over 20 years, having worked in radio and as a teacher previously. He has worked across Ireland and travelled widely bringing the joy of his telling to a wide range of audiences and cultures. Joe is listed on Poetry Ireland’s ‘Writers in Schools’ and also delivers residencies as part of the Teacher Artists Programme(TAP) and Blast programmes, administrated through the county education committees. Joe has performed at many storytelling festivals including Cape Clear International Storytelling Festival, Festival At The Edge(England), Glens Storytelling Festival(Antrim) and Listowel Storytelling Festival. He has also travelled to festivals in Norway, Belgium, USA, India, Russia, Lithuania, Austria, Egypt and Romania. He is the author of Donegal Folk Tales (2103) published by History Press Ireland which was chosen as the Read Donegal book in 2014. Joe has delivered a wide range of workshops and residencies, to all ages in Ireland and abroad. He has worked in schools, libraries, community settings, health settings and third level colleges. Joe was ‘ Artist in Residence’ with Waterford Healing Arts in 2021, sharing stories with staff at University Hospital Waterford and facilitating workshops in storytelling. He continues to tell stories on the Paediatric Ward and with other programmes run by Waterford Healing Arts. In 2021 Joe delivered his project ‘Tale-a-Phone’ in response to Covid, offering a phone call to isolated older people in County Wexford for a chat and a story. He was Artistic Director of Ramelton Storytelling Festival(‘13&’15) and was Children’s Curator for Kilkenny Arts Festival in ’09 & ’10. He is also a children’s playwright and the creator/performer of ‘Star Boy’ a theatre performance without words for younger audiences. Joe taught storytelling skills at Atlantic Technological University Sligo, to childcare and social care students. joebrennan@taletradition.com http://www.taletradition.com (+353) 086 600 2928

< Back Aideen McBride Adults, Children, Festivals, Special Needs Availability: Full time and travels nationally Repertoire: Workshops on storymaking for children and adults; 'Storytelling as a methodology in the Classroom' In-service course for Teachers. Original materials, folk tales, Irish legends, poetry, song and interactive story making. Preferred audience: Age 4-adult Background experience: Aideen grew up in Co Carlow with a rural background and is now living in Dublin with her family. Her stories range from traditional tales and rural tales, to newly created stories. She has told stories in both English and as Gaeilge in schools, libraries and festivals (Cape Clear International Festival, Cultra, Draperstown, Ballinasloe, Liberties, Scéalta Shamhna, Guide Halloween Jamboree). Aideen was involved in story collection projects including Scéal Éile Ballymun; "Memories from the Grassy Margin", with St Catherine's Centre for Travellers in Carlow, and International Tales with the SPIRASI centre in Dublin. Tá tathaí ag Aideen scéaltaí a insint sna dhá teanga. Déanann sí ceardlann as Gaeilge comh mhaith chun scéaltaí a chum. Aideen is listed with Poetry Ireland's Writers in Schools scheme. She last attended a Child Protection Workshop with Poetry Ireland in February 2006 aideenmcbride@gmail.com (+353) 01 862 5825 (+353) 085 160 5028

Storytellers of Ireland is an all-island organisation dedicated to the support and promotion of storytelling. Links George Ewart Evans Centre for Storytelling storytelling.research.glam.ac.uk International Storytelling Center & National Storytelling Festival, USA www.storytellingcenter.com National Storytelling Network, USA www.storynet.org Poetry Ireland www.poetryireland.ie Scottish Storytelling Centre www.scottishstorytellingcentre.co.uk Society for Storytelling www.sfs.org.uk Forum on Migration and Communications www.fomacs.org

< Back Janice Witherspoon Adults, Children, Festivals, Special Needs Availability: Full time and is prepared to travel nationally and internationally. Repertoire: I have a wide repertoire of Irish and Scottish myths, legends and folktales. I also tell a lot of environmental tales in forests and round campfires and regularly perform at eco festivals and sustainability fairs. Background experience: I have lived and performed at the Findhorn Foundation community in Scotland and at the Emerson Living and Learning Community in Sussex but am now based back in my native Co. Antrim, where I have been telling and performing in a wide variety of community contexts for the past 5 years. I also perform a show called Ordinary Woman, Extraordinary Woman, based on the story of the Pirate Queen, Grainne O’Malley, The Boyne- A River in Time, tales set in the Boyne Valley and Flaming Brigid, a collection of Brigid stories. I am a member of the Dalriada Legends, a group of local storytellers who regularly organise and perform at events in Co. Antrim and beyond. jwithers8@yahoo.co.uk http://janicewitherspoon.com (+44) 0782 472 1796

< Back Karen Edwards Adults, Children, Festivals Availability Full time resident on the Island of Ireland, available all year round Repertoire Traditional Irish, International and original self-written stories which can be tailored to the needs of the audience. All ages catered for, stories interspersed with traditional music on low D and D whistle Preferred audience Children, Adults, Festivals Background experience: Schools, nursing homes, commercial venues. Previously featured at Glens and Cape Clear Storytelling Festivals, member of Dalriada Legends Storytelling Group based in Glens of Antrim Prepared to travel: Locally, Nationally & Internationally edwardskaren80@gmail.com http://www.dalriadalegends.co.uk

< Back Clare Muireann Murphy Adults, Children, Festivals Availability: Full time, Bristol based and prepared to travel. If travelling to Ireland, I'd prefer to come for more than one job/one day (to make it worth the travel). Repertoire: Irish Folk tales, myths and legends, wonder tales. World folktales and myths, original stories, wisdom stories, participation stories. Preferred audience: She performs with all ages from 3-99. Clare has given workshops on storytelling, intro to storytelling, communication skills, public speaking, performance skills. She has worked with scientists, academics, actors, storytellers, business, lawyers, bankers, charity workers, medical, veterans, and community groups. Background experience: Clare Muireann Murphy works fulltime as a storyteller, teacher, trainer and consultant. Born in Dublin, Clare has lived in Spain, Galway, America and London. Now based in Bristol, UK she has performed in more than 20 countries around the world. She has played world stages such as the National Theatre London, DramatikkenHuus Oslo, Out of the BOx festival Singapore. She has also played NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Cape Clear International Storytelling Festival, Cork and Jonesborough National Storytelling Festival USA. Her repertoire is rooted in Irish mythology and folklore, Clare also tells World Folklore, original stories, fables and anecdotes. Contacts: IG/Twitter: @StoryClare clare@claremurphy.org http://www.claremurphy.org (+44) 07825 423828