Taking The Tradition On with Eddie Lenihan

Continuing my 'Storytellers and the lands they live and walk' series, my guest this month is Eddie Lenihan from County Clare in Ireland.
Eddie has collected a huge wealth of fairy lore; folk history and dark, dangerous tales. Where he lives fairy lore, myth, legend and memory are intimately intwined with the land. He campaigned - and succeeded - in moving the route of a motorway to avoid destroying a fairy thorn.
Our conversation ranged through personal history, fairy lore and black dogs. We heard of the long memory of the Irish people - military memories dating back to Cromwell up to the present day. Eddie talks about the strangeness of migration and never truly belonging once you move - he moved from Kerry to Clare, members of his family have migrated to England and America and the experience is similar, no matter the distance.
Eddie Lenihan has been collecting and recording folklore, traditions, oral history and memories of past jobs and crafts for 50 years. A small fragment of these stories and knowledge has been published in his many books, which I thoroughly recommend - you can find them on his website - and he will sign them for you too! eddielenihan.w...
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