St. Patrick's Day Countdown: Irish Stories
Written by Ciaran on Mar. 13, 2025 | 0 Comments
It's less than a week until St. Patrick's Day, and with just a few days left in our countdown to March 17th, we have an offer and some fun facts for you. Check back in with us each day to see what’s up next.
What's the Story?
We Irish love a story so much that it's often the first thing we ask if we bump into a friend. We ask, "What's the story?" when we really mean, "How are you?" Stories and storytellers have held a special place in Ireland for at least 1,000 years. How did storytelling come to hold such a revered place here in Ireland? And what are some of our favorite Irish stories or scéalta?
The History of Storytelling in Ireland
Storytelling is an ancient and hugely respected art form in Ireland. A seanchaí is a traditional Gaelic storyteller—one who preserves and shares the old lore, or seanchas.
A seanchaí at a festival in Carna, Co. Galway in 1935.
Pronounced shan-a-key, the seanchaidhe were the keepers of myths and legends in medieval times, as well as laws, genealogies, and annals for prominent Gaelic families. A very important role indeed, along with the poet and the harper.
A bronze sculpture by Don Cronin of Eamon Kelly, a famous seanchaí, in his hometown of Gneeveguilla, Co. Kerry, Ireland.
Photo Credit: Kman999 (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
Storytelling in Ireland Today
The role lost some of its prestige with the loss of Gaelic culture in the 1600s, but the stories and the seanchaidhe lived on. They often told local tales of fairies, forts, and anything else that was likely to win an audience in the “theatre of the fireside" in villages around Ireland.
To this day, a seanchaí can only be trained by another, with lore passed on orally, remembering everything, with nothing written down. It's sad to say that there are very few traditional seanchaidhe left these days. A Co. Kerry man by the name of Eddie Lenihan is one of the few who remain - he is a true master of his craft.
But with Storytellers of Ireland the craft is slowly but surely gaining strength again, and long may it continue!
Irish stories for your fireside
Now, we can't be holding a candle to Eddie Lenihan, but if you would like to have a few Irish stories to tell by your fire this St. Patrick's Day, we have a few collected here for you. Why not have a go and continue a beloved tradition in Ireland?
How Cú Chulainn got his Name
An iconic hero of Irish folklore, the star of Táin Bó Cúailnge, The Táin, or The Cattle Raid of Cooley, Cú Chulainn was known to fight entire armies singlehandedly. He was the fiercest of warriors, a demi-god, and son of the Celtic God Lugh. Like many Irish stories, there are many versions of the tale of how Cú Chulainn got his name—this is ours.
"Cuchulain in Battle", an illustration by J. C. Leyendecker in T. W. Rolleston's Myths & Legends of the Celtic Race, 1911.
Photo Credit: Public Domain
The Children of Lir
An old Irish story of loss and enduring love. As a story, it has it all: love, death, betrayal, and one very evil stepmother! It is one of our island's most famous legends and has inspired several of our jewelry designs.
The Children of Lir, cursed to live as swans.
Photo Credit: J. Chadwick
Like many Irish legends, the ending is bittersweet without the "Happily Ever After" that is more common in modern stories. But it's a beautiful myth with everything you would expect in a fairytale, and well worth retelling with plenty of opportunity to add your own personal take.
Tír na nÓg
A love story, Irish-style - another tale without a happy ending! This one has a magical horse, a beautiful fairy princess, and a brave warrior whose urge to lend a helping hand is his downfall. Intrigued?
Oisín and Niamh travel to the otherworldly island of Tír na nÓg.
Another famous tale every child in Ireland is told. I heard this one as a young child by the campfire and it stuck with me ever since. Plenty of space, too, to add your own flourishes describing Niamh's beauty, or the wonder of Tír na nÓg.
The Salmon of Knowledge
This is somewhat of an origin story for one of Ireland's greatest mythical heroes: Fionn MacCumhaill. As you may expect, there are as many versions of this tale as there are days in the year, and the details really depend on who is doing the telling! So feel free to make it your own.
So famous it was made into a stamp! A design from the story, issued in 2012, illustrated by Fergus Lyons and designed by Steve Simpson.
Photo Credit: An Post
At its core, The Salmon of Knowledge is an almost-happy tale of striving for knowledge. A good fit for a story that every Irish schoolchild learns while young. There are three core characters: The salmon, said to hold all the world's knowledge. The master, known as Finn Eces, Finnegas, Finegas, or Finneces, depending on who is doing the telling. And our young hero, the apprentice, Fionn MacCumhaill, known as Deimne as a child.
Celebrating Stories
So, will you have a go? If you prefer listening to stories rather than holding court and telling them, you can celebrate this tradition with a piece of our folklore jewelry instead. Inspired by these tales and more, these beautiful pieces are sure to start conversations and perhaps inspire a new generation of storytellers.
What's Next?
Check back tomorrow for Day 14 of our St. Patrick's Day countdown, or open Door Number 13 of our 17 Days of celebratory offers!
Get In Touch
Have a question or something you're not entirely sure about when browsing our pieces? Please reach out. You can send us a note or give us a call—the Dublin workshop is here to make sure that you have a perfect experience from start to finish with My Irish Jeweler.
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Ciaran
My Irish Jeweler
Born in Co. Antrim and reared in Dublin, I was fascinated with Gaelic culture from an early age. I suppose it's not surprising given my mother inherited a grá for the Irish language from my grandfather, an Irish school headmaster. And that grá continues! My brother and sister are now Gaelic teachers here in Ireland, my niece is an award winning Irish dancer, and I proudly work to share Irish culture through our Irish and Celtic Jewelry at My Irish Jeweler!
I love researching and reading about the history of Irish design. It's at the core of what we do here at My Irish Jeweler. I find much of it so interesting that I have to share what I find. I hope you enjoy it!
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