Past Conferences 2018/19
The Storied Kerry Conference is a day of entertainment and information around story; a culmination of our year-round activities. It’s aim is to create a wider awareness of how our story can have very significant impact socially, culturally and economically, everywhere in Kerry. More importantly the conference is a space to imagine how these impacts can be realised.
Conference contributors include:
- Storytellers (local)
- Story experts (local, national and international)
- Storied Kerry delegates (local)
The conference is a full day of lectures, stories, workshops and live events as well as a meeting hub for socialising and networking. Each day begins with a musical performance around the story.
The Storied Kerry Conference takes place each year in St Oliver’s National School in Killarney, itself an institution steeped in story and committed to giving children their voice (St Oliver’s has the highest percentage of children with non-Irish parents).
Storied Kerry 2020 will take place on Saturday 31st of October. We will publish the conference programme closer to the date (follow our Facebook page or check the news section of storiedkerry.com for updates). Please contact us for more information.
Here, you will find a round-up of the previous two years conferences.
2019: THE IVERAGH CHRISTIAN STORY
Storied Kerry 2019 included the live event – THE IVERAGH CHRISTIAN STORY, a Son et Lumiére (sound and light) installation in Daniel O’Connell Memorial Church Caherciveen, produced in collaboration with The Institute of Technology Tralee. The piece combined sound as immersive drama soundscapes – with theatrical lighting – transforming the interior space of the church into a stage for local Christian heritage to unfold.
The installation was well received and the ambition is now to produce and permanently install a full length (20-25 minute) in Caherciveen and beyond.
Keynote Speakers
keynote topics included ‘The Story of the Civil War in Kerry’, ‘Kerry Material in the National Folklore Collection’, ‘How we are changing – telling story to bring people back again and again’, ‘How story has effected a whole community’ and the Legendary Micheal O Muircheartaigh telling ‘My best football stories’.
Storytellers
Sinead O Muircheartaigh – Dingle/An Daingean District – Seanchaí 
Batt Burns – Kenmare District – legend 
Danny O’Connor – Kenmare District – Landscape 
Edso Crowley – Killorglin District – Folklore 
Rory Darcy – Killarney District – Contemporary Story 
Sean Lyons – Tralee – Contemporary story 
Steve Lynott – Caherciveen District – landscape 
Frances Kennedy – Listowel District – Folklore/Contemporary
The Storied Kerry conference brings together local storytellers, young and old, from all eight Kerry districts.
The stories range across all of the Storied Kerry themes: flora, fauna, archaeology, legend, landscape & geology, history, the contemporary story and folklore
Workshops
Each year, we gather local and international experts to deliver workshops. These include our keynote speakers, storytellers and subject experts from all aspects of story (history community, sports, music, technology and many more topics)
Keynote Presentations
“A furiously frantic chase of black silhouettes showed an unearthly scene of horse and rider pursued by ghosts. David Hopes brings to chilling life a superb performance of Robert Burns’ poem Tam O’Shanter, a tale of the awful and wonderful power of drink.“
Storied Kerry 2018/19
- The Intrinsic Value of Story
Prof. Joseph Sobol, Professor of Storytelling, University of South Wales (2018) - The Untold Story – The Civil War In Kerry
Richard McElligott, UCD (2018) - Uncovering Story – Kerry Material in the National Folklore Collection
Dr. Críostóir Mac Cárthaigh, National Folklore Collection, UCD (2018) - Interpretation for a Contemporary Audience – based on the treatment of Robert Burns’ great poem ‘The Tam o’ Shanter at the Robert Burns’ Birthplace Museum in Ayr
David Hopes, Head of Collections and Interiors at the National Trust for Scotland (2018) - Telling ‘My best football stories…From The Funny To The Serious’
Micheal O Muircheartaigh GAA Sports Commentator - How We Are Changing – Telling Story to Bring People Back Again & Again
David Hopes, Head of Interiors & Collection, National Trust for Scotland (2019) - How Story Has Affected A Whole Community
John Sheehan, Archaeologist, University College Cork (2019)
Storytellers
- Barry O’Donoghue: Tralee District – Fauna
- Batt Burns: Kenmare District – Legend
- Edso Crowley: Killorglin District – Folklore
- Rory Darcy: Killarney District – Contemporary Story
- Frances Kennedy: Listowel District – Folklore/Contemporary
- Steve Lynott: Caherciveen District – Landscape
- Sean Lyons: Tralee District – Contemporary story
- Sinead O Muircheartaigh: Dingle/An Daingean District – Scéal an Seanchaí
- Mike Fuller: Killorglin District – Contemporary Story
- Rory Hodd: Killarney District – Flora
- Tommy Martin: Castleisland District – History
- Mickey McConnell: Listowel District – folklore
- Brigid O’Connor: Dingle/An Daingean District – Legend
- Danny O’Connor: Kenmare District – Landscape
- John Sheehan: Caherciveen District – Archaeology
Workshops
2019
- Using Story to Show to a Contemporary Audience
David Hopes Chaired by Tommy Martin - Story & Music
Nicky and Anne McAuliffe (Nicky and Anne received the Gradam Cheol Lifetime Achievement Award for their years as music performers & teachers) – Chaired by Donal Hickey - Getting communities aware of & involved in their own story
John Sheehan – Chaired by Pat Kavanagh - A Story Journal online
Phillip Doyle, Dept of Creative Media & Information Technology, IT Tralee Chaired by Breandain O Caoimh - The importance of collecting football stories and how this might be done
Micheal O Muircheartaigh, Sports commentator – Chaired by Eamonn O’ Reilly - The Story House
Lorcan O Cinneide, Director, Ionad an Blascaod/The Blasket Centre, & Frank Lewis – Chaired by Frank Lewis
2018
- Researching & Planning, – Potential for a Second-Level Schools’ Pilot Programme
Dr Criostoir MacCarthaigh, National Folklore Collection, UCD – Chair Mary Kennelly - The Story and Young People
Batt Burns, Seanchai – Chair Micheal O Coileain - ICT and New Media as Storytelling Technologies
Philip Doyle, Lecturer, IT Tralee – Chair Brendan O’Sullivan - Planning, Booking and Sustaining a Full Programme (performance, exhibiting, training, etc.)
Joe Murphy – St. John’s Theatre and Arts’ Centre, Listowel – Chair Edso Crowley - The Tourism Story
Prof. Joseph Sobol, University of South Wales – Chair Tommy Martin - The Kerry GAA Story
Richard McElligott, University College Dublin – Chair Sean Lyons
Panel Discussions
Directors of Storied Kerry reported to both conferences on story activity in their district over the previous twelve months.
The discussion section of the conference is concluded each year with a panel discussion encompassing a response to the proceedings from the day and a look forward for the organisation and its goals.
The panel is comprised of people representing the pubic and private sectors to get a wide range of inputs and to stimulate discussion.
2018 Panel
- Micheal O Coileain: Chair, Trustees of Muckross House (main conference sponsors)
- Nora O’Callaghan: Kerry Education & Training Board
- Brendan Griffin TD: Minister of State Dept of Tourism, Transport & Sport
- Declan Murphy: Failte Ireland
2019 Panel
- Declan Murphy: Failte Ireland
- Mike Fuller: FEXCO
- John Breen: Director of Services, Kerry County Council;
- Phillip Doyle: Dept. Creative Media and IT, Institute of Technology, Tralee
- Donal Hickey: Trustees of Muckross House
- Patrick O’Donoghue: O’Donoghue Hotels;
Storied Kerry Board of Directors
Storied Kerry 