A Storytelling Heritage
The Mantle is a community arts project at Rossbeigh, Co. Kerry, exploring the ecologies & mythologies of the strand and surrounding coastline through various storytelling practices. From 10th August to 7th September 2024, a series of free public events will take place by the beach every Saturday, each guided by a different mode of storytelling. The project is supported by Creative Ireland.
From informal gatherings to biodiversity walks, performances & art making workshops, this programme invites members of the local community and all those with enduring or newformed connections to Rossbeigh to come together and pick up the storytelling mantle, so to speak. Join us to listen, share, & help set the stories of Rossbeigh back into the place.
Rossbeigh strand is known for its mythical associations with Tír na nÓg. The aura of this particular story reminds us that the place is steeped in tales. The participative events planned aim to gather these local stories, in whichever forms they happen to resurface - told, written, sung, passed down, encountered, divined. They could even be objects, washed up here along the shoreline. By bringing these stories together and experimenting with different ways of circulating them, we hope to create a community resource for sharing knowledge about this shapeshifting coastal area.
Myths, Music & Place
The first event is based on the Irish tradition of Gathering & Storytelling, and participants will be invited to share stories about Rossbeigh – from folk tales to family histories or memories of particular events. Whether your connection to Rossbeigh goes back generations or this place has more recently become home, your story is part of Rossbeigh’s story.
The second event on 17th August from 6-7pm and is focused on Mythology, Folklore & Music. This session will be led by Gail and Thomas (aka Anamciar, Spirit of Kerry), who have worked together in the entertainment and tourism sectors for a number of years. Moving between words and music, different forms of storytelling, this event will explore the role of language(s) in our sense of place, attending to names and their translations, as well as local lore. Thomas will share his 2019 publication 'Kerry Dreamtime', which gathers stories from across the Reeks District, including Ros Beithe and the wider Loch na dTrí gCaol.
A digital copy of the book will be made available to everyone following the event. There will also be an opportunity to participate in a demonstration of traditional instruments, including uilleann pipes, harp, fiddle, bodhran, spoons and whistles.
