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< Back Sinéad O’Brien Children, Adults, Festivals Availability: Full time resident on the Island of Ireland, available all year round Prepared to travel locally, nationally and internationally. Repertoire: Sinéad weaves stories from Irish folklore & mythology along with stories from history & local heritage. Her storytelling theatre shows mix Irish myths & folklore with personal stories. Preferred audience: Children, Adults and Festivals Background experience: Sinéad is currently touring Ireland & Europe with her storytelling theatre shows, “No One Is Coming” & “Hero/Banlaoch”. Sinéad began as a professional storyteller a decade ago, first as a theatre performer and then as a storyteller at the National Leprechaun Museum in Dublin. Sinéad went on to facilitate community and heritage projects in London’s East End as Resident Storyteller with Toynbee Hall, before heading to Amsterdam where she has worked with Mezrab, the house of Stories. Sinéad performed in theatres & festivals all around the Netherlands and Europe and was a regular host of Mezrab’s storytelling evenings in Amsterdam. Sinéad’s storytelling show’s have received five star reviews and her show “No One Is Coming” (Directed by Sahand Sahebdivani) was shortlisted for the Mental Health Foundation Art Award but The Scotsman at Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2023. storytellersinead@gmail.com http://wanderingstories.com

< Back Simone Schuemmelfeder Adults, Children, Festivals, Special Needs Availability: Full time and travels nationally and internationally Repertoire: Simone creates storytelling experiences for adults and children that are a refreshing mixture of little-known folktales, local lore, world and wisdom tales as well as modern stories with a twist. Weaving tales from her own German background together with stories from many different cultures, Simone’s shows are a story-quilt to warm the heart, inspire and enchant. Background experience: Born close to the Fairy Tale Road in Germany which connects the locations of many tales the Brothers Grimm collected, Simone grew up surrounded by stories. When she moved to Ireland, she founded the storytelling theatre StoryGate ( www.storygate.net ) together with Irish teller and puppeteer Michael Phelan. She has performed extensively across Ireland and abroad in schools and libraries, at festivals and for various institutions, including the German Embassy in Dublin, the Goethe Institut Dublin, Kilkenny Arts Festival, the Mountains To Sea dlr Book Festival, Ghosts in the Glens Storytelling Festival and the Cape Clear International Storytelling Festival. Together with Michael, Simone offers a unique storytelling experience for children with their shows that combine storytelling and puppetry, science and creative writing. She trains both adults and children in storytelling and creative writing and runs Ireland’s only Writing group specifically for children’s book authors at the Irish Writers Centre in Dublin. Simone was Reader in Residence for Laois Libraries and Artist in Primary Schools for Tipperary Arts Office. She is a TAP (Teacher-Artist-Partnership) trained artist and member of Poetry Ireland’s Writers In Schools Scheme. She is a certified audiobook narrator and always on the look-out for a new story to learn. Her shows for adults are a refreshing blend of the old and the new, with folktales and modern stories, bridging generations and cultures to touch the listener’s heart with the oldest of all arts. storygate.ireland@gmail.com http://www.storygate.net

< Back Jack Lynch Adults, Children, Festivals, Special Needs Availability: Full time and is prepared to travel. Repertoire: Folk tales, myths, legends, tall tales and original material. Preferred audience: All ages, excluding pre-school children Background experience: Jack has much experience in schools, libraries, hospitals and prisons throughout Ireland. He works regularly in the National Museum at Collins Barracks and in Dublin psychiatric hospitals. He has been a regular teller at local arts festivals and at storytelling festivals – Cultra, Omagh, Scealta Shamhna, Slieve Bloom, Sperrins, and Courtmacsherry. Further afield he has appeared at Alden Biesen in Belgium, Sidmouth Folk Festival, The Orkney Folk Festival, Newcastle Irish Festival, The Smithsonian Folklife Festival in Washington D.C. and the Illinois Storytelling and Education Programme. Jack has twice been the featured Irish storyteller at the Cape Clear Festival and at Gimistory in the Cayman Islands. He is a founder member of the Dublin Yarnspinners and of Storytellers of Ireland/ Aos Sceal Éireann. Since the passing of John Campbell, Jack has been working regularly with Len Graham. Jack is on the panel of the Poetry Ireland Writers in Schools Scheme. Contacts: Tel: Mobile: Email: Website: quighie@gmail.com http://www.jackstory.com (+353) 087 986 3902

< Back Frances Quinn Adults, Children, Festivals, Special Needs Availability Full-time and happy to travel. Frances tells in English, Irish, or bilingually to people from the age of 5 to 105+! Also basic Spanish. Repertoire A large repertoire of Irish and multicultural stories as well as original material, verse and dramatic monologues. She also performs The Cúchulainn Saga as a one-person show or with a musician. Is de bhunadh Ard Mhacha Frances, ach tá sí lonnaithe i mBéal Feirste faoi láthair. Tá suim ar leith aici i seanscéalta na hÉireann. Ar a bharr sin tá dhá chlár de scéalta idirnáisiúnta aici atá fóirsteanach don dá leibhéal bunscoilíochta. Tá scéalta agus dánta aici chomh maith atá fóirsteanach do dhaltaí mheánscoile agus do dhaoine fásta. Is féidir iad a dhéanamh go dhátheangach fosta. Background Experience Frances has a teaching and acting background. She has told at the major storytelling festivals in Ireland and to an extensive range of audiences in settings both very formal and completely informal. She performed The Cúchulainn Saga in London, in 10 states in the USA and in many venues in Ireland. She is also available for workshops and particularly enjoys working on projects with other artists. Her Armagh Folk Tales was published by the History Press in 2014. She is a member of the Poetry Ireland Writers in Schools scheme and she is currently on the committee of Storytellers of Ireland. f.quinnn@gmail.com (+44) 07591 939414

< Back Randall Stephen Hall Adults, Children, Special Needs Availability: Full time, works as illustrator/freelance and is prepared to travel. Repertoire: Stephen tells myths, legends and original material. He is known for his version of The Giant’s Causeway Story which he presents in an interactive way to primary, secondary school and special school students (full details on his website). Preferred Audience: Primary age, secondary, adult and special needs. Background experience: Stephen has taken his work to Bologna in Italy, to libraries from Limavady to Gottenburg, to the Nerve Centre and the Verbal Arts Centre in Derry. He has performed in schools in Vancouver, British Columbia; Manitoba, and throughout Northern Ireland, most notably in special schools. theweebear@hotmail.com http://www.earthnativeart.co.uk (+44) 028 93 378583

Storytellers of Ireland Coming Soon, storytelling performing arts events in Ireland. Membership available. Storytellers of Ireland Website Currently Under Maintenance PLEASE VISIT OUR FACEBOOK PAGE FOR ANY UPDATES IN THE MEANTIME VISIT FACEBOOK

< Back Liz Weir Adults, Children, Festivals, Special Needs Availability: Full time and is prepared to travel. Repertoire: Folk tales from Ireland, Scotland and beyond. Recitations, myths, legends, original stories, story songs, participation stories and rhymes. Preferred audience: All ages and abilities – from pre-school to pensioners and everyone in between! Liz works with children and adults with special needs, teenagers, elderly care. She works with groups including prisoners, young offenders, victim support groups, local history societies, travellers, cultural diversity organisations, pre-school and nursery staff, teachers, parents, Surestart, adoption support groups. She is available for after dinner speaking, lecturing in teacher training colleges and adult education plus workshops in both storytelling and creative writing for adults and children. Background experience: Liz has almost fifty years of storytelling experience and was the first winner of the International Storybridge Award for "exemplary work in promoting storytelling between Ireland and other countries". Director of the Glens Storytelling Festival. Featured teller at major festivals in Ireland, England, Scotland and in the United States. Featured teller at the Australian National Storytelling Festival, the Toronto Storytelling Festival, the National Storytelling Festival (USA) and festivals in many other countries including Russia, Monaco and Germany. Speaker at conferences including The Conference on World Affairs, Youth Libraries Group, School Library Association. Member of Poetry Ireland's Writers in Schools scheme. liz@lizweir.net http://www.lizweir.net (+44) 028 21 758451 (+44) 07703 440558

< Back Colin Urwin Adults, Children, Festivals, Special Needs, Virtual Availability: Full time and prepared to travel anywhere. Repertoire: Myths, legends and folktales mainly, but not exclusively, from the northeast of Ireland. Songs both folk and original. Recitations and monologues. Reminiscence and humorous anecdotes. Background: Described as a modern-day Seanchaí Colin Urwin is a folk singer, songwriter, storyteller, workshop facilitator, recording artist and author. Steeped for a lifetime in the language, folklore and traditions of his beloved Glens of Antrim, Colin has long been influenced by traditional Irish and Scottish music, song and story. He is most inspired by the people and places, the history and legends, and the sheer rugged romance of the northeast coast of Ireland. From these he conjures up many of his beautiful ballads, magical rhyming monologues and delicately woven tales of wonder. Colin regularly appears at local storytelling and music events for schools, libraries, a wide range of community groups with differing needs, and has performed at international storytelling festivals and conferences all over the world. Colin’s storytelling and songwriting workshops, mentoring sessions and reminiscence programs are always very popular. Writing commissions are regularly accepted including songs, stories and books, and he has also worked as an artistic consultant and brand ambassador in the private sector. colin.urwin@yahoo.co.uk http://www.colinurwin.com (+44) 0751 971 5285

< Back Pat McAuliffe Adults Availability: Part time and is prepared to travel. Repertoire: Original stories (Humour). Preferred audience: Adults and secondary school students. Background experience: Pat has performed all over Ireland and England with the Rambling House. (+353) 063 98512 (+353) 086 256 6351

< Back Masako Carey Adults, Virtual, Children, Festivals, Special Needs Availability Full time resident on the Island of Ireland, available all year round in person or online. Repertoire Masako Carey tells stories in schools, libraries, and community venues with people of all ages and abilities. Her increasing repertoire of traditional Japanese tales includes those which are both comical and serious, and she also tells tales from around the world. Preferred audience Children , Adults , Festivals , Special Needs Background experience: Japanese-born Storyteller Masako Carey has lived in rural Co Antrim since 2001. Masako tells stories in schools, libraries, museums, and community venues with people of all ages and abilities. As a child, Masako always loved reading and watching animated Japanese folktale stories on TV. The influence of the world of animation, combined with her experience as a kindergarten teacher at an international school, gives Masako a unique storytelling style. Her increasing repertoire of traditional Japanese tales includes both comical and serious tales, and she also tells tales from around the world. She was a featured storyteller at Belfast Mela, the Cape Clear International Storytelling Festival, Glens of Antrim Storytelling Festival, Wicklow YARN Storytelling Festival, and Galway Moth & Butterfly International Festival of Storytelling and Improvisation. Masako also performs One Person Japanese story show ‘お話しOhanashi’. I tell stories appropriate to various age groups and abilities. For early age groups, more Interactive stories and activities are used. If there are some specific themes, I will be happy to incorporate them. This could include origami workshop, singing/movement activities, and group artwork. I am certified Level 3 Delivering Cultural Awareness Training Trainer and give one-hour Cultural Experience through PowerPoint presentation, storytelling, and origami demonstration (recommended age 7 and above). For older children and adults, I do Workshop about Hiroshima/Nagasaki and Atomic Bomb (recommended age 12 and above). This could include a story about a child Sadako, PowerPoint Presentation about the facts, making of origami Paper Crane, Group Peace Art, and calligraphy experience of writing Peace in Japanese (1h-4h) I am listed in Poetry of Island Writers in the school scheme. For schools, you could book me through this . masako@masakocarey.co.uk (+44) 0781 848 2776

< Back Kate Murphy Adults, Children Availability: Part time and is prepared to travel. Repertoire: Folk tales, myths and legends and some original material. Preferred audience: Children and adults. Background experience: Kate has much experience in schools and libraries and also tells stories for adult groups such as WIs, professional and business women's associations, parent groups, etc. She has facilitated workshops for students and for senior citizens and has edited a collection of stories from a group of blind and partially-sighted people. These were published in book, braille and audio tape form. Kate is a member of Amherst Writers and Artists and takes workshops in creative writing where she finds her knowledge of traditional stories is an invaluable tool. katemurphy35@hotmail.com (+44) 028 70 822462 (+44) 07752 131800

< Back Sorcha Hegarty Adults, Children, Festivals Category: Adults; Children; Festivals Availability: Part time, is prepared to travel. Repertoire: Irish myth, legends and folktales Preferred Audience: Adults Background Experience: Sorcha has been researching and contemporising mythology with the Bard Summer School for several years, finding multiple versions of ancient stories and synthesizing them into an accessible, coherent whole. In 2014, she set up Candlelit Tales with her brother Aron to tell the stories of Irish mythology and folktales in cozy, informal settings, with acoustic musical backing. Sorcha has entertained audiences with her versions of these ancient tales from Knockanstockan Music Festival and Galway Theatre Festival to children's parties and old people's homes in Dublin. Sorcha is also a playwright and author of her own original stories, which often draw on mythological themes and archetypes. candlelit.tales@gmail.com (+353) 086 314 8740