*Mick O’Reardon.
DOOLIN came alive for the thirty second Russell Festival Weekend.
Forgotten tales sprung to life at the end of February for the beloved traditional Irish music festival in North Clare which preserves the legacy of the world-famous Russell musicians, Micho, Pakie and Gussie.
Amid the festival’s rich programme of concerts, recitals, pub sessions, and musical tributes, the Doolin Folklore Project and Aindrias de Staic delivered highlight contributions, bringing folklore, rare archival recordings, and revived century-old tales to vibrant life as joyful complements to the core celebration of Irish traditional music.
Community storytellers gathered to share gripping oral traditions deeply rooted in the landscapes, families, and lived experiences of North Clare to open the festival. The session at the Russell Centre was hosted by the Doolin Folklore Project. The Doolin Folklore Project revived tales from the Leader Siofáin collection, some of which were not performed live in nearly 100 years. John Browne retold the great story ‘Rí na gCat’ (the King of the Cats). Mick O’Reardon and Helen Browne collaborated with talented 6th class students from Doolin National School to bring stories like Caileach sa Cortha roaring back to life.
Helen Browne of the Doolin Folklore Project said: “It’s been so important to keep the stories alive from the Leader Siofáin collection and no better way to do this but with the youth”.
Aindrias de Staic, founder of the Burren Storytelling Centre remarked, “It’s been a great journey since we first started working together in 2019. The research, translations and workshops have led to great performances and it’s wonderful to see some of these old stories come to life on stage”.
Stack in an intimate live performance presented rare analogue tapes recorded by Eddy Stack in the 1980s, including historic stories from Micho Russell and references to Paddy Phádraig Mhiceál known as one of the last native Irish speakers in the area. These precious tapes are set to be formally transferred this year to the Irish Traditional Music Archive (ITMA).
Festivities concluded on Sunday evening with the festival premiere of Cill Stuiffín in its TG4 broadcast version. The documentary weaves together the folklore, history, and cultural resonance of Cill Stuiffín through stunning landscapes, cherished memories, and vibrant community spirit.
