Welcome back to the Candlelit Tales podcast. As this episode is released on the first of May, also called Bealtaine, we decided to take a break from our current series on Cormac Mac Airt, and talk you through some of what we’ve learned over the years of telling stories about this fire festival. We recorded a video to go along with this talk, and you can find that over on our YouTube channel. We’d love if you could check it out and let us know what you think! Sorcha mentions the book “The Year in Ireland” by Kevin Danaher, and we’d highly recommend you try and get your hands on it if you’re int ..read more

Welcome back to the Candlelit Tales podcast. This episode continues our new series on the greatest High King in mythological, pseudo-historical memory: Cormac Mac Airt. This episode tells the story of Cormac’s struggles. Now that he had gained the kingship, he found he had to hold it, and he had promised that he would hold it with wisdom and justice, rather than violence. This proved a difficult task, with warriors from the North who claimed his leniency was a sign of weakness. Please note the content of these stories may be triggering for some listeners, please take care of yourself as you li ..read more

Welcome back to the Candlelit Tales podcast. This episode continues our new series on the greatest High King in mythological, pseudo-historical memory: Cormac Mac Airt. This episode tells the story of Cormac’s meeting with his beloved Eithne, and the tragic tale of what her feckless relatives did to her beloved foster father. Please note the content of these stories may be triggering for some listeners, please take care of yourself as you listen. This story includes mentions of poverty, injustice, and destitution. This podcast is proudly sponsored by the people who donate to us each month via ..read more

Welcome back to the Candlelit Tales podcast. This episode continues our new series on the greatest High King in mythological, pseudo-historical memory: Cormac Mac Airt. In this episode, young Cormac begins to come into his power at Tara, using his greatest kingly gift of judgement to prove his worth. Please note the content of these stories may be triggering for some listeners, please take care of yourself as you listen. This story includes mentions of poverty, injustice, and destitution. This podcast is proudly sponsored by the people who donate to us each month via https://www.patreon.com/ca ..read more

Welcome back to the Candlelit Tales podcast. This episode continues our new series on the greatest High King in mythological, pseudo-historical memory: Cormac Mac Airt. We meet Cormac’s mother, Achtan the druid’s daughter, and discover the origins of the child who would one day be the High King of Ireland. Please note the content of these stories may be triggering for some listeners, please take care of yourself as you listen. This story includes mentions of pregnancy, child endangerment, and death. This podcast is proudly sponsored by the people who donate to us each month via https://www.pat ..read more

Welcome back to the Candlelit Tales podcast. In this episode, we are kicking off a new series on the greatest High King in mythological, pseudo-historical memory: Cormac Mac Airt. We meet Cormac’s mother, Achtan the druid’s daughter, and discover the origins of the child who would one day be High King of Ireland. Please note the content of these stories may be triggering for some listeners, please take care of yourself as you listen. This story includes mentions of pregnancy, child endangerment, and death. This podcast is proudly sponsored by the people who donate to us each month via https ..read more

Welcome back to the Candlelit Tales Podcast. As Spring is in full swing, and Aron and Sorcha are off gallivanting across the Pond (see our website for show dates if you’re in the New York/Vermont area at the time this podcast goes out!) we present to you collaboration with one of our favourite humans. This is the story of the Intoxication of the Ulstermen, and it’s the story that sprung to mind when we thought of this musician doing the score. This story is a stomper and a mad one and Fancy Dan is similarly magically mad and brings the element of stomp to all the shows he creates. Find Dan’s h ..read more

Welcome back to the Candlelit Tales Podcast. As Spring is in full swing, and Aron and Sorcha are still off gallivanting across the Pond and sharing stories with the Irish diaspora in Canada for the first time, we decided to post a special St. Patrick's Day episode today. It is a story that links in the old faith to the conversion of the new, and has one of the greatest heroes of the Fianna telling this famous saint all about his family and friends. The saint wrote it all down, and that's how we know the stories are true. A saint wouldn't lie! This podcast is proudly sponsored by the people who ..read more

Welcome back to the Candlelit Tales Podcast. As Spring is in full swing, and Aron and Sorcha are off gallivanting across the Pond (see our website for show dates if you’re in the New York/Vermont area at the time this podcast goes out!) we present to you a terrible love story that ends terribly for everyone involved. This is the story of a woman who hid her heart so well that she hid it from herself, and what happened when she tried to break free. To learn more about the origins and sources for this story, and Sorcha’s process in writing it, check out our patreon where there is a bonus “writin ..read more

Welcome back to the Candlelit Tales podcast. In this series, we looked back at an old story, or set of stories, and told it in a new way, from a lot of different perspectives. We called this the Táin Mosaic, as the shattered fragments of this story can be put back together in a multiplicity of ways, and we decided to shine a light on some of the lesser-known characters within the story. Please note the content of these stories may be triggering for some listeners, please take care of yourself as you listen. This podcast is proudly sponsored by the people who donate to us each month via https ..read more