The Clare Arts Office commissioned Dial A Seanchaí, an answering machine service that gives users a choice of six brief recordings of songs and tales from Irish mythology. The service, which debuted in 2021, will continue until November 30 and include tales of valiant fights, contests between fairies, dances with the dead, and a cow that never runs out of milk.
The chosen artists have interpreted and created each tale and song in an effort to spark the imagination and revive our connection to myth and legend.
The public may hear Manchán Magan narrate the tale of An Glas Gaibhneach, a mythical cow that produces an endless supply of milk, and Ruth Marshall narrate tales of Inchiquin Lake, a folklore- and mythology-rich lake in County Clare, via the answering machine service.
Branwen Kavanagh sings “Ancient Cures For Modern Ailments” while Junior Brother narrates the tale of officiating a fairy hurling match.
Rónán Ó Snodaigh performs his version of “Follow Me Up to Carlow” while Edwina Guckia narrates the narrative of An Oíche Dheireanach (The Last Night), a Leitrim tale about a young girl who is seduced to dance with fairies.
The event served as a reminder of the “wealth of wisdom contained in our ancient stories and a salute to those who today still continue to share magic through the voice,” according to Clare artist John Lillis, who produced the Dial A Seanchaí initiative.
“There are tales in every culture. Narratives facilitate the transmission of knowledge and insight to future generations and establish a link between ourselves and our ancestors. Narratives stir the subconscious, posing inquiries and shaping responses within each of us. They have the power to revive our connection to language and place, as well as give our ancestors' words fresh life,” Lillis said in a release.