Designed by Morgane Suquart for 'Paris 24' Olympics opening ceremony. This 'Ramble' is inpired by the silver rider on the River Seine at the Paris 24 Olympics. So join Chris as she explores the history and mythology of three great rivers, the Seine, the Severn and the Shannon and discovers just how their stories may just meander together. Explore a gallery page of images of places explored in this podcast. (up soon) A selection of 'Story Archaeolgy' links for this episode Sinann podcast conversation Sinann in the Metrical Dindshenchas The dindshencas poems ÁTH LÍAC FIND Medb and her sisters Im ..read more

New Scientific evidence supporting the origin of the altar stone at Stonhenge supports a better understanding of the of societal connections and collaborative co-operation to be found between the communities of early neolithic farmers throughout Ireland, Scotland, England and Wales. Join Chris in this new ramble and share her excitement! Links for this Episode Listen to 'A Conversation with Anthony Murphy' (This conversation is referenced throughout this Ramble) News of the new evidence on the Altar stone, Stonehenge from the BBC News of the discovery from 'The Guardian.' A short youtube video ..read more

The SchoolsCollection | dúchas.ie The National Folklore Schools Collection was compiled in 1937 with stories and memories collected with the support of schools from all over Ireland. Itis one of Ireland's unique and valuable treasures and a wonderful resource. Join Chris as she explores this collection and ways in which it is still so relevant and considers whar a similar collecton might look like if gathered now, in 2024, somer 87 years later. Search the Schools Folklore collection for yourself Links for this episode A Comversation with Anthony Murphy Chris' Ramble 6~ Just how old are Irish S ..read more

Newgrange at Twilight ~ Anthony Murphy Anthony Murphy, is an author, journalist, astronomer and photographer. He also curates the wondeful Mythical Ireland website. Join Chris and Anthony as they explore how Irish mythological stories, supported by recent evidence from genertics, seem to reflect the remarkable story of both neolithic and bronze age Ireland. This is a slightly longer 'Conversation in the Landscape' than usual but why not? There is so much to explore in this fascinating topic . Links for this episode First and foremost here is the link to Anthony's impressive webite Mythical Ire ..read more

Grianstad an Gheimhridh, the winter solstice is that special moment when the year turns and the hours of daylight, begin slowly to increase. This time of year has long been a cause for reflection and celebration. So, join Chris on yet another ramble, as she explores an Irish Winter Solstice journey. Links for this episode Links on Story Archaeology The Craneskin Bag A Christmas card from the Archaeologists. Extolling the Holly A Satirical Tale of Extreme Gastronomy Fair’s Fair The Dagda’s Cauldron The Dagda’s Cauldron ~ A home-brew supplemental Some Questions answered by the Story Archaeologis ..read more

Professor Ralph Kenna As many friends of Story Archaeology will now have heard, Professor Ralph Kenna passed away and left the world we know, last Thursday. I received the sad news from his wife, Claire, last Friday. It is so very sad that it has taken me a few days to feel ready to write this post. I will stay in touch with Claire, and have sent her my deepest condolences but if any of you wish to leave a message of sympathy below I will willingly forward it on to his family. You can also send messages of sympathy through the link below. It feels as though Ralph has been a friend and colleagu ..read more

The Táin Bó Cúailnge is an dramatic epic well worth the telling but with some challenging themes including broken loyalties and friendships and destruction laid on the land, for the sake of status and honour. Join Chris as she explores the telling of the tales and encounters a fresh resonance for our times. Links for this episode For podcast episodes and related articles on The boyhood deeds of Cú Chulainn, his training with Scathach, the birthpangs of Ulster, and more. For the podcst episode on Macha For related articles and textual translations concerning Macha (episode 2) For podcast episod ..read more

The The Lebor Gabála tells of a series of mythical Irish migration stories, which can be traced back to a very early date. Its history is somewhat complex and, although fascinating, it is not an 'easy read'. So, join Chris and Jamie as they share Jamie's new telling. 'The Writing of The Takings'. Jamie has created an entertaining and highly amusing interpretation, which gets to the heart of how and why these mythical migration stories were so valued. Read the full version of The Writing of the Takings. Highly recommended! Jamie is planning to record an audio version of 'The Writing of the Taki ..read more

Culture heroes, ancestor figures, genii loci, gods and godesses ... Can all, or indeed, any of these terms be useful in defining some favourite characters in Irish mythology, Join Chris as she takes a walk throuh a forest of stories on a light hearted search for hidden identities. Links for this episode I have referenced a wide variety of stories over the route of this ramble. I would recommend exploring the Story Archaeology archive where you will find links to all these stories. However, I did specifically reference the episodes below. In Search of Manannan In Search of Midir The Writing of ..read more

The Morrigan by Kate Lionis Meet Kate Lionis one of the seven adult winners of the ÉIRÍ art competition and project. So, join Chris and Kate as they discuss, the many creative possiblities of digitally enhanced photography, the enviromental relevance of Australian indigenous stories and share the colours, light, and scents of the Blue Mountains in New South Wales. This is one of a series of shorter ‘Stories in the Landscape’ conversations to celebrate the 2023 ÉIRÍ Evoking Irelands Resilient Female Icons competition and continuing project. Each of the winners takes a very different approach to ..read more