A seanchaí (pronounced SHANKHEE) is a traditional Gaelic storyteller or historian. The word is often anglicised as shanachie (pronounced SHAN-ə-KHEE). The word seanchaí, which was spelled seanchaidhe (plural seanchaidhthe) before the Irish-language spelling reform of 1948, means a “bearer of old lore", (seanchas).
The distinctive role and craft of the seanchaí is particularly associated with the Gaeltacht (the Irish-speaking areas of Ireland), although storytellers recognizable as seanchaithe were also to be found in cities and rural areas throughout English-speaking Ireland. In their storytelling, some displayed archaic Hiberno-English idioms and vocabulary distinct from the style of ordinary conversation.
Introducing Martin Gleeson, Limerick’s own Seanchaí; who has been writing articles and contributing to Vox Hiberniae Seattle since early 2000. Originally from Thurles, County Tipperary; He now resides in Limerick, County Limerick, with his beautiful wife and family. A graduate of Willesden College of Technology, Martin worked and taught in that field until his retirement. His pantheon knowledge of all things Irish and Irish history is beyond academic, and he is a great source for music and theatrical knowledge and history as well.
Below are some of the stories Martin has contributed to the Vox Hiberniae Seattle Facebook Page. These stories will be progressively added to this page.
