Ty Nolan
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First Stories
The students in The Irish Storytelling Tradition told their first stories last Wednesday, June 13th. It was a good solid set of stories – well chosen and well told. Their written responses to their stories were as interesting as their tellings of them and added dimension to their choices. Danielle Allison told a modern Irish…
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Did I mention that it’s been raining steadily for a week and a half?
No? Well, it has been. It’s a cold rain, with wind. The worst part was when I was trying to preserve my hairdo while walking down O’Connell Street to the Dublin Yarnspinners on Parnell Square wearing adorable sandals with little leather flowers studded with tiny crystal beads that I bought especially for the occasion while…
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Saints and Aprons
I heard another story involving saints, aprons, and rocks at Glendalough, the home of St. Kevin in Wicklow. St.Kevin was concerned that people not be greedy. One morning about breakfast time he met a woman carrying loaves of bread in her apron. He asked her for…
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This World is Good
Miceál Ross joined us in class on Monday morning. Miceál’s first career, which took him all over the world, was as a research economist. Later in life he attended University College Dublin’s famous Delargy Center for Irish Folklore to pursue his passion for story and obtained an additional degree. Although he recently…
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St. Patrick and the Cailleach
When St. Patrick came to Ireland, he met the Cailleach near the three hills of Loughcrew. It didn’t take him long to figure out that she was the goddess of the land, the keeper of the landscape and its creatures. “Fill your apron with rocks and then hop across these hills in three steps”, he…
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Believe it or not – it’s hot!
It really is. An hour ago it was 75 degrees and 60 percent humidity. The sun is intensely brilliant. It takes me roughly ten seconds to become completely soaked upon stepping out of the door. A breeze will often come up, which then turns me into a human swamp cooler – but it’s better than…
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Words from Wise Students
I have an excellent group of students this year. I have been impressed and moved by their responses to the class readings. My own understanding of the issues is often deepened and expanded by what they write. Below are some selections from the first week. Sean Covington (aka Skippy): It really painted the storyteller as…
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Front Page News
Tuesday afternoon I launched the Summer Reading Program at Athlone’s Aidan Heavey Public Library at the beginning of a storytelling session. The next day it was on the front page of the Westmeath Independent. When my students returned from their break on Wednesday morning, Danielle was…
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An Easy Transition Back to My Irish Life
The trip from Los Angeles to Dublin was, as air travel should be, uneventful. Barry Vaughan met us at the airport with the bus. I was hoping that Doug would meet us there, too. His flight was supposed to arrive an hour before ours, but there was no trace of him. We arrived…
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Regret, Remember, Rejoice
I wonder if I will ever know the meaning of the phrase “traveling light?” Although I am delightedly lighter in my person, which will make airplane travel easier, I’m taking almost as much stuff with me on the airplane as I have the previous two years. The exception is that I did not ship myself…
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Storytelling in Athlone
Tuesdays in June the place for stories in the middle of Ireland will be the Athlone Library. I’ve been working with Mae McLynn, one of the librarians to set up a weekly schedule for local children to come to the library for stories. The third Tuesday, June 19th, Liz Weir will be performing. I’ll be…
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Anticipating June 2007
It’s the first week of April and I’m already getting excited about June in Ireland. I will be teaching The Irish Storytelling Tradition for Mesa Community College’s Study Abroad Ireland Program. The program is based in Athlone, Co. Westmeath, right in the center of the country on the beautiful Shannon River. This is the fourth…