Seanchaí hotline on a totally different scéal
HAVE you heard the one about the man who spent a crazy night on a pub crawl with the devil? Now, you can – with Dial-A-Seanchaí. This new phone line has been launched for listeners in Ireland, the US and the UK who can ‘call today to hear the songs and stories of yesterday’.
That’s the slogan of the service where callers can select recordings from six contemporary Irish artists who have reinterpreted existing folklore tales and songs. Stories range from pub crawls that dice with death to mystical islands off Co. Clare.
The project is the brainchild of Clarebased artist John Lillis, who wanted to revive an idea he stumbled across while studying for his masters in art, psychology and creative imagination.
‘I started to research the weirder
‘I was blown away that this was in my county’
parts of Irish folklore and found this amazing project from 1988 by trawling through the RTÉ archives,’ Mr Lillis told the Irish Daily Mail.
The original phone line was launched in 1988 by the then-Clare arts officer Kay Sheehy and offered short recordings from Irish performers.
‘When I read the description I was blown away that this had happened in Co. Clare where I am from and live,’ he said.
Mr Lillis pitched the idea to two Government-backed organisations, Creative Ireland and the Arts Council, who commissioned and funded the project.
The artists reading the stories are Lisa O’Neill, Aindrias De Staic, Ruth Smith, Ian Lynch, Ceara Conway and Kevin Barry.
The producer, who described himself as an artist but not a folklorist, also said that singer/ songwriter Lisa O’Neill’s story is ‘powerful’ and author Kevin Barry’s contribution is ‘absolutely hilarious’.
The project aims to ‘revamp the tradition of the seanchaí’, storytellers who entertained crowds, often around a fire, in rural Ireland.
For Sheila Deegan, an officer for Creative Ireland, the project is part of a broader mission to instil creativity in communities.
‘It’s a deep dive into folklore through story and song that will make you laugh or cry, and reinforce your sense of identity,’ she told the Mail.
She also hopes that the project will connect with the Irish diaspora of an estimated 70million people.
The phoneline will be live until November 1, but there may be an extension if there is a demand for it.
‘I really hope the public will engage with it, take something from it and find it enjoyable,’ said Mr Lillis.
■ To hear Dial-A-Seanchaí call: Ireland: 0656723000 UK: +442080503206 US: +1 8334630651