West Cork set for three days of tall tales at storytelling festival
People will be travelling not just from all over the country, but from around the globe to catch the ferry to Cape Clear for three days of tall tales from some of the best story-tellers the world has to offer.
Some of them have come for many years in a row — while others have been so enthused by the festival that they’ve taken up the seanchaí mantle and become story-tellers themselves.
In 2002 a budding US storyteller who attended the Cape Clear Island Storytelling Festival as a member of the audience was encouraged by the experience to turn professional.
This weekend — and some 12 years on — Kevin Kling returns to the festival, but this time as one of the best known and most highly-paid contemporary storytellers in the United States, so much so, that he had to be booked a full year in advance for his return to the renowned island festival The Cape Clear Island International Storytelling Festival runs from tomorrow in six different venues throughout the island, across 17 different events and two all-day exhibitions, and is expected to attract more than 500 fans.
Combining both free and paying events, the festival features several storytelling concerts, a storytelling boat trip around the island, a range of storytelling master classes and workshops, as well as a special Irish Day — Lá Scéalaíochta agus Scoraíochta.
“We’re constantly attracting an influx of new people plus we also have quite a number who have attended all the festival — we attract people from across the age spectrum — adults teenagers and younger kids.
Choosing performers for the festival was a “tricky thing to get right,” said festival co-director Gerry Clancy.
“We have a simple rule that we never invite someone that we haven’t seen perform. We need to see the chemistry with the audience, and gauge the type of material they use. ”
Go to www.capeclearstorytelling.com or Facebook
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