Nuala Hayes is an actor,  storyteller and author based in Dublin. She became aware of storytelling as a universal and still living art form in the 1990’s and has been sharing and collecting stories ever since.  She tells stories from folklore, legend and mythology to adults and children of all ages and is committed to storytelling as an important part of education and child development.  She also enjoys collaborating with other artists , musicians, visual artists and theatre companies. She believes that oral storytelling is a vital part of the language,  history and traditions in Ireland and sharing stories among different cultures is a key to understanding and celebrating our common humanity. Nuala was formerly the Chairperson of Storytellers of Ireland/ Aos Scéal Éireann ,  and is a member of Poetry Ireland Writers in Schools Scheme.

She was the founder and director of Dublin’s first Storytelling and Music Festival, Scéalta Shamhna, which ran for 10 years and which awakened the interest in live storytelling performance in the city and further afield. 

She was Artist in Residence in Co. Laois and has collected many stories from the Midlands, including from the residents of Birr Community Care Nursing Home, where they created a book together , entitled "St. Anthony’s Tongue. She also collected stories and memories from the older generation who lived on Oileán Chléire,  Cape Clear Island in Co,Cork , resulting the the publication Bóithrín na Smaointe. She is the author of Laois Folk Tales, published by the History Press  in 2015. She also collaborated with fellow storyteller Kate Corkery on the CD The Brewery of Eggshells and other Stories. She is also a frequent contributor to the popular RTE radio programme, Sunday Miscellany.
Among her  recent storytelling projects is a production of "The Queen of Irish Storytellers", a celebration with music and live animation of the some of the stories collected from the iconic storyteller from Co.Kerry, Peig Sayers. This is a collaboration with with folklorist and writer Éilis Ní Dhuibhne,  visual artist Rita Duffy and musician and folklorist from West Kerry,  Aoife Granville. The stories of Peig Sayers , many of which are International Folktales , have been performed at the Yarn Storytelling Festival in Bray, at Fadó Fadó Festival at the Lexicon in Dún Laoghaire, at the Esker Arts Centre  in Tullamore and recently at the Scottish International Storytelling  Festival 2024 in Edinburgh.