12 - 15 October 2011
Venue: Castles and Great Houses of the Slieve Bloom Laois and Offaly
As October opens the door to winter it also ushers in the season of stories and tellers. This is the time for the great tales, when the shadows hide the white of the storytellers’ eyes as they drift between fact, fiction and fantasy. Where better for story telling than the great houses and castles in the midland mountains of the Slieve Bloom.
The Slieve Bloom Storytelling Festival is in its ninth year and once again celebrates the great tradition of storytelling, an art form honed at the fireside of cabin and castle as people sought ways to pass the long nights of the dark months.
This year’s festival will have a poetic feel as it includes a troupe of women poets along with local storytellers and musicians with Derry’s legendary Roy Arbuckle heading the bill.
The festival begins on Wednesday 12th October at 10.00pm with a Rambling House at the Slieve Bloom session in Giltrap’s Pub Kinnitty Drawing Room Kinnitty Castle on Thursday 13th at 8.00pm, Roundwood House, Mountrath on Friday 14th 8.00pm and at Leap Castle on Saturday 15th at 8.00pm, which boasts the most haunted keep in Ireland. On Saturday morning they will perform in the Mountmellick Library .
Catch the Moon
Catch the Moon is a performance poetry and harp ensemble that has been touring around Ireland since last year. Catch the Moon has been delighting both literary and general audiences with its accessible and varied delivery of poetry by four women whose work ranges from Kathy d’Arcy’s highly original spin on unexpected subjects, to Jane Clarke’s award-winning rural sensitivity, to Shirley McClure’s tongue in cheek take on contemporary Ireland. Anja Bakker’s harp is always a delight and a surprise- more sensual and South American than what most audiences expect.
Roy Arbuckle
Roy is a singer, songwriter who plays guitar, lambeg drum and bodhran. People with long memories will remember Roy from his early showband days and with the 70's folk band Chaff. He moved to North America in 1978 and toured extensively with Fiddlers Elbow and later The Rambling Boys of Pleasure. Roy returned to his native Derry in 1985 and as well as performing solo became involved with many community arts and community development projects around the North West of Ireland. Slieve Bloom Storytelling Festival is delighted to welcome Roy with his renowned repertoire, which include a wonderful mix of story, music and song.