Tellers & Artists 2024
Tom Muir
Orkney Island – Scotland / Inse Orc – Albain
Tom Muir tells traditional stories from his native Orkney Islands. He has a great love for both folk tales and local traditions, and his humorous delight in the humanity of the stories is infectious. His love of traditional folk tales led him to republish the stories collected by Walter Traill Dennison (1825-94) in Sanday and the works of folklorist and local historian George Marwick (1836-1912) from Yesnaby on the west coast of the Orkney Mainland. He has also written a book containing as many supernatural folk tales from Orkney as he could find, ‘The Mermaid Bride and other Orkney Folk Tales’, first published in 1998 and later translated into Japanese and Icelandic. In 2014 The History Press published his book ‘Orkney Folk Tales’ as part of their county folk tale series. Tom has also published many other books on aspects of Orkney’s history, Nordic folk tales and the Icelandic Sagas.
Tom’s storytelling skill has seen him perform in many countries, from Newfoundland and Greenland in the north to Slovenia and Hong Kong in the south, as well as all over Scotland, Scandinavia and Europe. He has even been storyteller in residence at the Storholmen Viking Village in Sweden for several years. His proudest achievement is having restored Orkney’s folk tales to a place of prominence and to see them used in schools, while the Scottish Government website, ‘Scotland’s Stories’, which Tom wrote and told stories for, is now used to promote traditional tales in Scotland’s schools. He is also a founder member and president of the Orcadian Story Trust, which runs the annual Orkney Storytelling Festival.
This will be Tom’s first time telling at the Cape Clear Festival and what a treat is in store!
Clare Murphy
Éire / Ireland
Dublin born and bred, Clare has been a storyteller since 2006. Travelling to more than 20 countries she tells for all ages on all kinds of stages. She has performed to audiences from 5 to 5000 people. She loves to tell myth, folklore, wisdom tales and fables. Her inspirations are drawn from far and wide; Syrian folklore to quantum physics to climate change to Irish mythology. She has performed for President Mary Robinson, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Royal Shakespeare Company’s Writers Room and the National Theatre London. When not performing she teaches, trains and consults on how Story can be of service in the world.
“masterly storytelling – all delivered at a pace which meant there was never a dull moment”.
Culture Whisper
“Clare Muireann Murphy’s beautiful lilting Irish voice was in stark contrast to the darkly humorous stories she told us, and she her first-rate comic physicality only served to enhance her storytelling.”
Everything Theatre
John Spillane
Éire / Ireland
John Spillane is a musician, songwriter, performer, recording artist, storyteller, poet and dreamer. Rooted in people, place and story, his music transports the listener and his live performances captivate audiences around the world. As an artist his music appeals to listeners across many genres and generations. His vocal style has a unique almost sean-nós like quality and his performances shimmer with the magic realism that permeates many of his songs as he effortlessly flits between beautiful poetry tinged with melancholy to roguish, irreverent humour. John has the ability to charm, mesmerise and entertain in equal measure.
A native of Cork, the County he lovingly describes as “the centre of the universe” and a source of huge creative influence throughout his career. John’s music is inspired by and encapsulates Irish traditional music in its contemporary form – a reflection of Ireland today. A two-time Meteor Award winner for Best Folk/Trad act John is one of the most accomplished songwriters in Ireland. With an extensive back catalogue beginning with the 1997 album The Wells of the World, his songs have been covered by Christy Moore, Sharon Shannon, Sean Keane and many others.
Twelve albums later in April 2021, John released his first independent album in 20 years, 100 Snow White Horses. In October 2022, John released ‘In Another Light’ a career spanning album recorded live at the Right Here Right Now Festival recorded at Cork Opera House in November 2021.
Hjörleifur Stefánsson
Iceland / An Íoslainn
Hjörleifur Stefánsson is a storyteller and farmer from Iceland. Hjörleifur Stefánsson was born in western Iceland in the middle of the second hay harvest in August 1979. He is a farmer, innkeeper, carpenter and a fan of all things brewed. Hjörleifur grew up on a farm with his grandparents living a stone’s throw away on the next farm over.
He was served stories of old Iceland as well as poems and songs along with his porridge for years, his grandparents being storytellers by nature. He has collected and shared tales for years, both with his kids, audiences and his sheep. Giants, trolls, hidden people and ghosts are his companions as well as Icelanders of the past and their traditions of song and stories.
Zahra Afsah
Iran / An Iaráin
Born and raised in Tehran, Zahra is a storyteller who crafts the ancient Persian stories she tells with precision and passion.
She studied Persian Painting and Transcultural Visuality, examining the links between oral storytelling and Persian miniature painting exploring the direct influences of the oral tradition.
Zahra has run workshops, performed and told stories in schools, museums, festivals, exhibitions as well as informal settings.
Padraig O Briain
Éire / Ireland
Born in Co. Kerry, Padraig O Briain is a natural storyteller who has appeared at Storytelling festivals all over Ireland. He has been a featured teller on many occasions at the world famous Cape Clear International Storytelling Festival. In recent years Paddy has been one of the main tellers at the Sneem International Storytelling Festival , Co. Kerry.
Padraig worked on RTÉ television as presenter of “Dilín Ó Deamhas”, an Irish language TV programme for children (1982 / 1986). Padraig spent many happy years acting with Compántas Chorcaí (Irish language drama). This highly rated group presented shows throughout the island of Ireland. Padraig has written stories, poems and songs in both Irish and English. He regularly writes material for children. His panto “Ali Baba agus an 40 TD’s” was staged at The Everyman Theatre, Cork.
Rugadh Padraig O Briain i gCo. Chiarraí. Is scéalaí nádúrtha é agus scéalta ínste aige ar fud na tíre seo go léir. Bhí sé go minic mar scéalaí ag an bhféile iomráiteach ar Oiléan Chléire. Tá sé ábalta scéalta a rá atá oiriúnach do ghach éinne ó aois 3 go 103. Baineann daoine fíor taitneamh as a scéalta, a dhánta agus a chuid amhráin – ínste ina shlí speisialta, spóirtiúil féin.
Séamus Ó Drisceoil
Éire – Oileán Chléire / Ireland – Cape Clear Island
Séamus Ó Drisceoil, a resident of Cape Clear, has been involved with many aspects of Island life over the years. Creating walking routes on the Island has been one project.
He will be leading a walk, including history and stories of the Island. Who knows, there might even be a special ice-cream involved!
