The return of the seanchaí: How Ireland's storytelling tradition is finding new life

The tradition passed down through generations of Irish people holds an integral cultural significance — one that has seen a rebirth over the last number of years through the popularity of storytelling nights like Seanchoíche.

The Ballinspittle native unravelled his grá for storytelling at one such event. Finding his voice through the medium of poetry, Daniel began writing and performing at poetry slams across Galway, Dublin, and Barcelona from the age of 21.

Through his presence in the poetry and spoken word spheres, he stumbled across the storytelling night which dedicates itself to sharing stories in a modern context.

Founded by Ciarán Gaffney, Seanchoíche began as a small collective at The Fumbally in Dublin 8 and has grown to international acclaim, emigrating to cities far-flung — from Amsterdam and Sydney to Vancouver and Cork.

Daniel became acquainted with the concept over Christmas of last year, attending a Seanchoíche in Connolly’s of Leap in West Cork.

“There was a last-minute gap for a speaker and I applied,” Daniel recalls of the night. “I had tickets to go anyway, but I had a poem that fit the theme, so I ended up performing.

“As I was doing more poetry events, I was finding that I enjoyed the preamble to the poem just as much as I enjoyed performing the poem.

“It was the same when I went to Leap.

“The Seanchoíche crowd is always super encouraging and generous.”

Speaking with Gaffney after the event, he was invited to host the next Seanchoíche in Connolly’s, which would take place over Easter that year.

At this point, Daniel was still reciting poetry. Gradually hosting more events around Cork, Dublin and at festivals across the summer, he experienced many variations in ways to tell stories — from personal anecdotes to hints of comedy — and felt a pull to try his hand at a new form.

Daniel fostered a fascination with the tradition of storytelling across the world and this new iteration that was beginning to emerge — the contemporary context of the form that Seanchoíche nurtures.

“All you need is to have lived a life and had certain experiences to be able to do it,” he says.

In conversation with Simon Prim, the pair decided that though Prim’s Bookshop as a venue for Seanchoíche was a touch too intimate, they could try their hand at something new.

“Differentiating from Seanchoíche,” Daniel says, “I was interested in seeking out people with more experience as storytellers. People who were aware of themselves being in the line of the seanchaí.

“The criteria for Grapevine was people I could learn from,” Daniel reflects, “and cheekily, it gave me the chance to poach storytellers I was encountering at different events.”

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The growing network of storytelling events in Cork City — including The Gab and Yarnspinners — lends a stage and a space to cultivate community around storytelling.

The first Grapevine took place in July of this year and has lived through four iterations thus far.

Reflecting on the magic that comes from the curation of such a night, Daniel notes Dingle man Paddy O’Brien’s debut at Grapevine. Performing with various voices and intertwining stories with elaborate jokes, he cleverly kept the audience on their toes.

“Watching the different bodily techniques and vocal techniques he was using to tell a story was really revealing to me on how far you can take storytelling and how much of a skill it is,” Daniel says.

“It has also given me a chance to encourage friends of mine to take part.”

Poet and writer Niamh Prior is one.

“I love her stories and she had never done a storytelling night,” Daniel says.

“Being able to invite her to try something new while also seeing her perform her work was really enjoyable.

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“I have mates who I know are hilarious, and very capable storytellers in an offhand way when I see them in the pub or go for coffee with them.

“Having the space to invite them and say — why don’t you give this a go — is great.”

Quoting author Ursula Le Guin, Daniel reiterates the notion that “there have been great societies that did not use the wheel, but there have been no societies that did not tell stories”.

The history, culture, and inherent nature of the art form runs through our blood as people of the world, and it remains regardless of context, as an integral part of human connection.

Acknowledging the culturally transcendent role of storytelling, Daniel elaborates that “there’s a real awareness of the figure of the Seanchaí in Irish society.

“I think maybe we have some inherent ancestral understanding of it in a way that draws people towards it.”

Daniel’s hopes for the future of Grapevine lie in the balance of settling into a cadence that works, possibly embracing special occasions to tie in with a theme for the night.

• The next Grapevine is due to take place in Prim’s Bookshop this Monday, December 16