Counting our chickens

This is the fourth video in the Restoring the Balance Series for Heritage Week. Written, narrated and filmed by Ann Gerety Smyth of Scéalta Beo, it gives an insight into keeping chickens and ducks.

A very brief introduction to Permaculture

Permaculture is a design approach that works with nature. Watch the video to find out more.

 

In April and May 2021 Annette of Scéalta Beo had the chance to participate in the Permaculture Design Certificate at the wonderful Carraig Dulra in Co. Wicklow. 

It was an amazing experience and the course which covered a really wide range of topics is highly recommended for anyone with an interest in local food, sustainable living, nutrition, gardening, natural building, rewilding and so much more. This video is the third in the Restoring the Balance series for Heritage Week. It is a very brief summary of Permaculture and features some footage from Annette's garden and its inhabitants. 

 

Video footage and graphics by Annette Corkery.

Pat Kelleher's Kale

This is the second video of our Restoring the Balance series for Heritage Week 2021. Today we share Pat Kelleher's Kale. This heirloom kale has been growing in Pat's garden for generations. Last year he shared some plants with us and we now have seed ready to share. Watch how we saved the seed and get a glimpse at Pat's wonderful vegetable garden. If you have a living story to share get in touch with us at scealtabeo@gmail.com

Heritage Week 2021

We are delighted to be involved in National Heritage Week again this year. We will be uploading videos to this page all week: Restoring the Balance

The first video (below) in the series features Brendan Farrell of Ardagh Eco Gardens talking about his grandfather's Golden Osiers. Enjoy!

We are also looking forward to celebrating the 10th Anniversary of Ardagh Heritage and Creativity Centre with the first in person event since March 2020 on Sunday 22nd August. This Seed, plant and story swap is an outdoor event in accordance with Covid restrictions. Please dress for the weather!

Heritage Week 2021 - Restoring the Balance with Scéalta Beo

Fadó, fadó Midir was tasked by Eochaidh with creating a road over the bog. Eochaidh did not keep his end of the bargain and sent out a spy to watch the spectacle. Midir then built a deliberate fault in the road, so it wouldn't last. 

This story had been told orally for centuries before being written down by the monks who carefully recorded The Wooing of Etain in Lebor na hUidre and the Yellow Book of Lecan in the 12th and 15th Centuries. 

The road in question was uncovered in the early 1980s at Corlea, near Kenagh, Co. Longford. Constructed in 148AD it was found to have lasted a very short time, around ten years, before sinking back into the bog which preserved it. 

One theory is that it had a ceremonial use and so was needed only for enough time to fulfill its purpose. The people of the time experienced many years of failed crops and hunger, brought about by climate change, so drastic action was needed. Back then this involved a huge community effort, getting together to cut down the 100s of oak and birch trees needed to make the road, cutting, shaping and transporting them into place, before sacrificing their king to appease the gods and restore balance to nature and food abundance to the people. 

Throughout history there have been other times when nature was out of balance requiring drastic measures. Now, with climate disasters making headlines we need action again. We can feel helpless when faced with global problems, but solutions may be found closer to home in our natural heritage. 

We need community effort to plant trees, re-wild areas, add biodiversity and work with nature instead of against her. Time is running out to restore abundance and benefit all life. We can start with our own gardens. 

This Heritage Week Scéalta Beo will show what we’ve been doing in a series of videos including some of the following: attracting pollinators, foraging in the garden, food forests, pond life, saving seeds, growing vegetables, keeping chickens and embracing weeds. 

We are starting a collection of living stories: local plant heritage and lore. Pat Kelleher will share the story of the kale that has been growing for generations in his garden. He gave us plants last year and we have saved seeds to share at our in person event. Brendan Farrell will tell us of his grandfather’s golden osiers. We will have cuttings later in the year. 

We would like your help to gather more living stories. Have you had an encounter with a frog? Are you re-wilding land? Have you a tree in your field for generations? Is your family growing vegetables together? Whatever your story, we would love to hear it. Get in touch to share it: scealtabeo@gmail.com 

If you would like to tell us your story in person or have some seeds or chemical-free plants to swap come along to the 10th Anniversary event at Ardagh Heritage and Creativity Centre:

22nd August: 2pm-4pm

Plant, seed and story swap

We have been busy collecting seeds and growing plants to share. We are giving away seeds including Pat Kelleher's Kale in the hope that people will grow their own. We encourage you to bring chemical-free plants and seeds to swap. We'll use what we get in return in our gardens and keep seed to share next year. The aim is to build connections, biodiversity, and keep heritage seeds in circulation. This helps local food resilience and hopefully saves some rare heirloom varieties for the future.

The story collection is a very important element. Scéalta Beo means living stories and we hope to educate and inspire, as well tapping into and storing some vital knowledge, plant lore and memories for future generations. We want to encourage people to garden with nature instead of against it and save the planet while we're at it. Come along to start restoring the balance.

This event will be outdoors and held in accordance with Covid-19 restrictions. 

Feel free to bring your own refreshments or picnic, but remember to leave no trace.
 

Heritage Week 2020

 

 

Join Scéalta Beo and Creative Ardagh online for three days during National Heritage Week when we will show you all you need to explore your townland; delve into its history; take a walk; and look at your local heritage close up.

Using this as inspiration we will then guide you to create your own art and writing in two short workshops suitable for all ages - children and adults.

Share your creations with us and we will feature it in our online gallery. 

Find us on the Heritage in Schools panel

We are now registered experts on the Heritage in Schools panel. Find out more about the scheme and how to book us to come to your school here: www.heritageinschools.ie

You can see our profiles here:
http://www.heritageinschools.ie/heritage-expert/profile/annette-corkery
http://www.heritageinschools.ie/heritage-expert/profile/ann-gerety-smyth

 

Book Scéalta Beo to come to you

Scéalta Beo means living stories. Our mythology storytelling workshops bring the ancient myths and legends of Ireland to life for our audiences. These retellings are suitable for children and adults. Come to see us in Ardagh Heritage and Creativity Centre or book us to travel to your school, group event or festival. This visit can include a drama workshop or add our Life in Early Ireland workshop for a small extra cost.

We currently offer four ancient stories with County Longford connections:

• Midir and Etain
• An Táin
• Diarmuid and Gráinne 
• How the Shannon got it's name.

 

Some story snippets from Scéalta Beo

A fantastic weekend was had by all

Scéalta Beo - the first storytelling festival in the Midlands

Saturday started at 12pm with John Wilmott and Claire Roche of Bards in the Woods. John told stories of the Dagda, the forming of the landscape and the background to other mythology as well as sharing some of his poems beautifully accompanied by Claire on harp. Gerry Donlon and Kate Corkery had gotten together in London to prepare for the weekend and shared a turn and turn about version of the complete legend of Midir and Etain which kept the crowd enthralled for nearly to hours. After lunch Kate gave a workshop on Bringing Stories to Life and Chris Thompson finished the day session with a very enjoyable presentation on Midir's tasks in the Wooing of Etain, especially the construction of the bog road in Corlea. Unfortunately Isolde Carmody, the other half of Story Archaeology, was unable to attend as she is in hospital, but we got to hear her speak through audio recordings which was great.

The three hour evening concert was fantastic with a mix of music, poetry and stories including a surprise musical performance by Brian Dooley of the Kavanagh Festival in Monaghan who had travelled down especially for the event. Ann Gerety Smyth also delighted the audience with a story. Kate Corkery, Gerry Donlon, John Wilmott and Chris Thompson took turns to excite and delight with tales of Moytura, Brig, the Dagda, and many more while we could have listened to Claire Roche on the harp for hours.

 Sunday's family day started with an Open Mic session and Ann and Annette of Creative Ardagh performed a comical, child-friendly version of the Midir and Etain legend, Gerry Donlon shared stories of leprechauns, shoemakers, and tricksters. John Wilmott helped everyone find their own story in workshops throughout the day. Chris Thompson got all of the audience involved in her Warriors and Wizards family show and audience participation was also a feature of the magical inspiring stories of Kate Corkery who brought the day to a close. The audience left reluctantly after a day which also included butterfly making, art, construction, face-painting and dressing up.

Have you heard of Midir and Etain?

Watch us having some fun with the story of Midir and Etain in advance of the Scéalta Beo Storytelling and Mythology festival next weekend. If you would like to hear the full story in much more depth and from several different perspectives come along to Ardagh Heritage and Creativity Centre next Saturday 11th (Adult Day €10) and Sunday 12th (Family Day €10) from 12pm to 5pm. The professional wordsmiths Kate Corkery, Bards Aloud, Bards in the Woods and Story Archaeology are sure to enthrall and entertain both days and at the special adult only concert on Saturday night at 7.30pm (€15). Full details, tickets and some discounts available on http://scealtabeo.blogspot.ie.

Join the wordsmiths for a unique Midlands festival

The first storytelling festival of its kind in the Midlands, Scéalta Beo will have a diverse programme for adults, teens and families, including workshops and performances. Some of our panel of international storytellers and mythology experts have been working on new pieces on the local legend of Midir and Etain especially for their appearances.

The wordsmiths have been hammering out the story with their unique skills and from their different perspectives of poetry, story performance and archaeology for months. After the planning and polishing, we can finally announce that tickets are on sale for this amazing event. Thanks to the support of Creative Ireland's Longford Committee we are able to offer this event at the low cost of €10 per adult for one day or €15 for both days (children are free on Sunday, but must be accompanied by an adult). Tickets for the adults only concert on Saturday night cost €15 or you can get a combination day/evening ticket for €20. Come to all events for €30.

Saturday will be an adult-focused day, as the explorations of some of the themes of the legend are not suitable for younger ears. John Wilmott of Bards in the Woods (Co. Sligo) will set the scene for the festival at 12pm on Saturday with a prequel of the folklore, landscape and mystery that fed into the Etain and Midir story. This will be followed by the story of the Three Etains by Gerry Donlon of Bards Aloud (Ipswich) and Kate Corkery (London). A fascinating examination of morals, impulse control and consequences, performed by a celebrated storytellers, it promises to enchant and entertain.

Kate Corkery is a professional storyteller with a background in language teaching and theatre. Storyteller in Residence at the Irish Cultural Centre, she has toured internationally telling stories in China, Russia and South America as well as appearing in many European festivals. She won a Fringe First Award for “her outstanding work in regenerating the art of storytelling in today's society”. We are honoured to have her attend the inaugural Scéalta Beo festival. Scéalta Beo means living stories and we are looking forward to Kate's workshop, Bringing Stories to Life, which will examine storytelling techniques and allow participants to use their own voice and tell their own tale.

The day programme for Saturday will conclude with a presentation on the tasks of Midir by Story Archaeology duo Chris Thompson and Isolde Carmody (Co Leitrim). We are incredibly happy to be able to welcome them both to Ardagh as they offer a unparalleled insight into the depth of the original text and its local connections.With their usual mix of performance and banter, based on close analysis of the text they will focus on the wide variety of feats and challenges undertaken in the long and complicated Wooing of Etain and explore the mystery of the causeway over Móin Lámraige built in secret by Midir and its counterpart, the remains of the Iron Age causeway uncovered at Corlea Bog near Kenagh, Co. Longford.

A special adult only concert will be held on Saturday 11th, at 7.30pm, featuring all of our guests. This promises to be the highlight of the festival with a mix of story, song, poem, magic and mystery. Gerry Donlon and Kate Corkery have been planning a joint performance, Chris Thompson will present an engaging, detective style look at the Mystery of Midir, while Bards in the Woods team, John Wilmott and Claire Roche, will dazzle with their unique blend of harp music, storytelling, poetry and more. There are limited tickets available for this online at http://scealtabeo.blogspot.ie.

Our special family day on Sunday will have something for all ages. Sign up for our Open Mic session at 12pm Sunday on the website and perform your own story, song or poem to the audience (children and adults welcome). Chris Thompson will enthral with her Warriors and Wizards Family Show at 2pm. There will also be family storytelling sessions featuring Kate Corkery and Bards Aloud throughout the day while John Wilmott will teach the craft or storytelling at adult and children's Find Your Story workshops all building to a special finale. Come along with all the family for a spectacular day of magic, myth, dressing up, drama and more. The weekend promises to be an extremely memorable occasion.

Tickets now on sale for Longford's first storytelling festival

We can't wait for this festival of storytelling and mythology. We are delighted to have the opportunity to bring world-renowned storytellers to the home of Midir and Etain. Tickets are available through the tab above. Book early to avoid disappointment.