Show Notes
Biddy Early (1798-1874) was born in Killanena and lived most of her life in Feakle in Co. Clare. She was a ‘bean feasa’ or wise woman (literally a ‘woman of knowledge’). She was famous as a woman of otherworldly knowledge and the power to cure people’s ills, whether physical, psychic, spiritual, or even economic. In more recent times she has been casually called a witch, but that word and concept belong to other cultures. This notion did not really exist in the Gaelic cultur...
More from The Clare Oral History Podcast
Live folklore-sharing and storytelling session at Canny’s bar in Killanena, held on Hallowe’en Night 2025, where Cuimhneamh an Chláir invited people to share a piece of lore from their own place. The focus was on the unexplained, apparitions and death omens: the kinds of stories that concentrate the mind as we go into winter. Participants are Des Mulkere, Michael Sheedy, Pat Hayes, Paddy Brody, Sean Loughrey. Hosted by Paula Carroll. Glossary 'Cóiste bodhar' or Death Coach: a harb...
Paddy Joe McMahon from Cappabane, Scariff in East Clare, died in June 2026 in his 92nd year. He was one of those people every oral history collector dreams of because of his ability to tell a story, his powerful recall of the details of everyday life, and his safeguarding of the stories told to him by the older generation. He was a famer and he loved hunting. He was a sociable man who had grown up in a rambling house, He was a lover of music and good company right up to his ...
For National Biodiversity Week we bring you stories of traditional farming and rural life and how they relate to biodiversity. There are very few direct references to biodiversity in the Cuimhneamh an Chláir archive since that concept has only become part of common language in more recent times. However there are stories of plant life and nature, cures, dyes, farming practices etc that tell us in subtle ways about biodiversity and environmental sustainability. Featured are Brendan...
Supernatural experiences abound in Irish Folklore. The veil is thin between the concrete world and the other dimensions especially in the dark part of the year. The stories are told by Teresa Flynn from Mountshannon, Paddy Murphy, Joe Jack Sexton and Martin Walsh from Mullagh, John Hastings from Quin, Bridie Mahony from Moughna, Peggy Hogan from Feakle, and Sean Crowe from Broadford. GLOSSARY OF TERMS Banshee or 'Bean sí' a female spirit in Irish and other folklores whose appeara...
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