Mission to preserve stories of golden era

To be human is to have a story to tell. Since the evolution of language, humans have shared their memories, feelings and wisdom in the form of stories.

To mark Clonakilty’s 400th anniversary a fascinating project celebrating the voices and experiences of the areas women through their stories is currently on-going. More of this later.

Stories have existed in every culture as a means of entertainment, education, cultural preservation and a way of instilling moral values. In oral traditions, stories were often combined with gestures, expressions and rock art. Preserving stories in this way brought understanding, continuity and meaning to peoples’ existence American author Reynolds Price wrote of this ancient imperative “A need to tell and hear stories is essential to our species. Millions survive without love or home, almost none in silence. The sound of story is the dominant sound of our lives.”

This has always been especially true in Ireland where the story and the pleasure of telling it has always held a special place.

The seancaithe and scealai, the Tradition Bearers and Storytellers passed the old stories down through the generations and the masters of this craft held positions of prestige and high honour in their communities.

The organisation Storytellers of Ireland was formed in 2003 in response to the renewal of interest in the art.

“For stories to live they need the hearts, minds and ears of the listeners. Without the listeners there is no story,” the organisation says. Storytelling festivals like the well-known Cape Clear event, which celebrates its 19th anniversary this year, and storytelling houses have increased in popularity.

In the thirties a sterling effort was begun to collect and record some of these stories because, of course, the danger with an exclusively oral tradition is that the story is in danger of dying with its teller.

In his book — The Irish Storyteller — George Zimmerman quotes the wisdom of one of Ireland’s earliest settlers, the legendary Fintan mac Bochna, who must have had some fabulous stories to share since, according to many accounts, Fintan lived for over 5,500 years and acquired additional knowledge from the old Hawk on Achill Island. A man who saw no reason to hide his considerable light under a bushel, Fintan said: “I am knowledgeable in Ireland’s feasts and in its cattle-raids, in its destruction and in its courtships, in all that has been done. I am the truly learned witness who explains to all everything unknown a continuity of existence still remains in me,” he concluded modestly.

But captivating though the old tales are, it’s not just the distant past that fascinates. Today’s stories and recollections are also vital if we are to enjoy Fintan’s apt description of “a continuity of existence”.

Clonakilty-based Alison Wickham has started a project designed to ensure that the often-remarkable stories of the women in the area are preserved. She told me how she hopes to publish these stories in book form.

*What gave you the idea for this collection Alison?

>>“My husband and I are originally from New Zealand. We’ve lived in Clonakilty for the past 15 years and we are extremely fond of the town and its remarkable people. One of the things that I found myself wondering about though was why there wasn’t more written about the everyday lives of so-called ‘ordinary’ women of this area, women who lived and worked on farms, raised families and who often kept things together through some very hard times. I’ve had the pleasure of meeting and getting to know some of these women over the years through various voluntary organisations. When I heard about the 400th anniversary, I thought this would be the ideal time to document some of their stories.”

*So how did you go about getting the ball rolling?

>>“I started putting the word around town and I placed an add in the Southern Star. The response has been really good. One of the contributors has given me a remarkable story of farm life beginning in the ’20s. It’s beautifully written too. Other women have sent in some fascinating anecdotes. I’m looking for stories long and short and any artefacts or photos people might have. Contributors will have complete control over their contributions. Nothing will be published without their signing off on it. And contributors can be anonymous if they wish.”

*What’s your own background Alison?

>>“I’ve had numerous jobs — marketing, human resources manager and more. And I’ve a degree in Social Science. I’ve always had a keen interest in people and an obsession with stories and reading. If I haven’t got a book or a paper to read I’ll make do with a cereal box or whatever’s to hand. My husband’s about to retire from running the New Zealand Irish Cattle Breeder’s Association and because I couldn’t work in Ireland, I’m lucky to have had the time for this project. These women have so much to be proud of. And stories are a way of celebrating heritage, helping people to understand each other.

“I often think that we learn more from stories than we do from our parents.”

*Alison can be contacted at 086 1755149.