An Esteemed Group of Irish Tellers

I was accepted as a member of “Storytellers of Ireland”, an organization of elite storytellers dedicated to preserving and enhancing the art of oral storytelling. I am the group’s only American member.

I’m not sure how I got in, but someone must have heard or read my stories, or perhaps my reputation has crossed the Atlantic.

I had to apply after I read this on the Storytellers of Ireland About Us web page:

”Our aim is to promote the practice, study and knowledge of oral storytelling in Ireland through the preservation and perpetuation of traditional storytelling and the development of storytelling as a contemporary art. We aim to foster storytelling skills among all age groups, from all cultural backgrounds. We also aim to explore new contexts for storytelling in public places – in schools, community centres and libraries, in care centres and prisons, in theatres, arts centres and at festivals throughout the entire island of Ireland.

Storytelling is an intimate and interactive art. A storyteller tells from memory rather than reading from a book. A tale is not just the spoken equivalent of a literary short story. It has no set text, but is endlessly re-create in the telling. The listener is an essential part of the storytelling process. For stories to live, they need the hearts, minds and ears of listeners. Without the listener there is no story.”

Check out the Storytellers of Ireland website at this link.

Here’s David’s Storytellers of Ireland directory information.

If you are curious about what the Irish storytellers are up to, take a look at the organizations strategic plan.