Specials – Story Archaeology
Chris Thompson and Isolde Carmody
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Recent Episodes
Chris’ Ramble 22: Concerning Animal Companions
Recent DNA testing on a long ignored jawbone fragment has opened a viewpoint on the distant past to when and how animal companions began to alter the everyday lives of human communities. Join Chris…
Chris’ Rambles 21: Sheebeg and Other Cairns
Dolmens, Barrows, Cairn ? They were built millennia ago to transport the human memory and imagination from one world to another and, in so many different ways, they still do. Join Chris on a personal…
Audio stories 5: The Adventures of Nera~ A Rathcroghan story.
This is probably one of the best – ever- Halloween (Samhain) stories. During this Rathcroghan feast, given by Ailill and Medb, Nera, has to face up to his boastful words and undertake a terrifying…
Chris’ Ramble 15 ~ Lament for the Ash
The effects of the die-back disease are slowly destroying most of Ireland’s beautiful ash trees. Join Chris as she explores the sad story of this tree-tragedy that began in Leitrim more than a decade…
Samhain Special: Corpse Carrying For Beginners
An Acallam na nÉces Samhain Special In this seasonal special, the Story Archaeologists compare two stories of Samhain. But what could such stories tell us about life 100 or even 1,000 years ago?…
Exploring Samhain: A glimpse into the past
The festival of Samhain, is one that has been celebrated, in one form or another, for a very long time. In the early Irish stories it was a time for gatherings and feasting. But how has it changed in…
Chris Ramble 9: An Irish Winter Solstice Journey
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…
The Dagda’s Cauldron ~ A Seasonal Special!
The Dagda with his cauldron of abundance, from which none leave unsatisfied, epitomises the deep and ancient yearning we feel for mid-winter indulgence and good company. It may be that the…
Some questions answered by The Story Archaeologists
We regularly receive questions from listeners and readers. We try to answer them as soon as we can but many are well worth exploring in more detail. Here we discuss just three. Firstly there is the…
The Mysteries of Midir: a Samhain Special
What did happen to Midir? Why does he appear in so few stories? It is a mystery. A murder mystery? Could be. Certainly Midir’s reputation was usurped and he, himself, seems to have been,…
The Otherworld and How to Get There!
So many of the old Irish stories tell of an Otherworld that lies so close to our own. If you want to discover what the stories have to say about getting there, what you might find when you arrive, …
Winter Special 2016: Aisling MacConglinne – A Satirical Tale of Extreme Gastronomy
The Midwinter festival has been a time of over indulgence and conspicuous consumption for millenia! This year, we dig in to the Middle Irish story, Aisling MacConglinne, “The Vision of…
Midwinter Special 2015 – Fair’s Fair
This time of year is a frenzy of shopping, family gatherings and exchange of gifts. But is this simply a modern phenomenon? For this year’s MidWinter Special, the Story Archaeologists dig as deep as…
A Crock of Old Cobblers ~ A Holiday Special
Fergus mac Léite gets to encounter the underwater world of the Lupracán, a story which in the late middle / early modern Irish version, almost certainly, inspired Swift’s wonderful satire,…
Samhain Special 2014 – A Tale to Remember
Happy new year to our Story Archaeology listeners! Because we love ye thiiiiiis much, we’re sending out a multimedia feast for our Samhain special. So, take a look at this video of a live Story…
Midwinter Special: The Craneskin Bag – A Santa’s Sack of Gifts from Irish Mythology
Long before Santa’s sack was filled with seasonal gifts, Manannán Mac Lír had a wonderful craneskin bag full of magical treasures, which he frequently gave to those he favoured. But what will the…
Dindshenchas 08: The Further Adventures of Nera – The Cow and the Time Machine
In the context of Dindshenchas, we return to the fascinating tale, Echtrae Nerai / Táin Bó Aingene (“The Adventures of Nera / The Cattle Raid of Aingene“), which we dipped into in “Corpse Carrying…
The Battle of Moytura 09: The Children of Tuirenn 1 – The King of Bling (Part 1)
In the Early Modern Irish tale, “The Fate of the Children of Tuirenn”, Lugh prepares to take on the might of the Fomoire hosts, seemingly single-handed. But he will need some very special weapons for…
Samhain Special: Corpse Carrying For Beginners
An Acallam na nÉces Samhain Special In this seasonal special, the Story Archaeologists compare two stories of Samhain. It’s a time for ghosts and ghouls and things that go bump in the night… but…
Special: Tales of Sheebeg
An Acallam na nÉces Special In the West of Ireland, every hill is a hollow hill, and every well is a source. But the hill we live on has many legends. Join the Story Archaeologists on an aerial…
Frequently Asked Questions
Specials – Story Archaeology has published 22 episodes since May 2012, covering topics in Documentary, History.
Specials – Story Archaeology is currently highly active with new episodes semi-annually. Average episode length is 52m.
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