Suggested age range around nine and up. So just what did Cú Chulainn get up to while he was still only a boy and how did he become such a famous warrior? This story is told by Scathach the woman who trained him how to fight! Find out what Uathach, Scathach’s daughter, thought about it…
Category: Stories by Chris Thompson
Chris Thompson’s retellings of the old stories. All work copyright Chris Thompson.
The extraordinary story of Sinann: A New Paper
The inspirational figure who gave her name to Ireland longest river Great News! A new paper on the story of Sinann and the restoration of her story is now available, as a pre-print prior to publication. It is available to read here or online The paper has been the work of Professor Ralph Kenna with…
The ‘ÉIRÍ’Competition Schools’ Pack
‘ÉIRÍ’ Evoking Ireland’s Resilient female Ícons ‘ÉIRÍ’ An International Competition Celebrating Women and Girls in Irish Mythology An interactive support package for Primary and younger Secondary Students Feel free to download this interactive Google Slides presentation as a teaching aid for exploring the wondeful old Irish stories set in their early Medieval pre-Norman Irish context….
Chris’ Ramble 2: David and Goliath, Meet Lugh and Balor
Some reflections on a journey to discover Irish stories. Join Chris as she explores Irish oral story transmission and wonders if even stories sometimes need careful map makers to prevent them them from being lost. Links for this episode If you would like to find out more about the infamous Giraldus Cambrensis Or just join…
An Unexpected Journey part 2: Are we nearly there yet?
I wrote the article, An Unexpected Journey – There and Back Again, all of eighteen months ago, back in May, 2020. This, as everyone other than my friends and family in Queensland will remember, was during the first round of Covid lockdowns. In this article I compared the feeling of being flung into an unpredictable…
The Story of Sinann
In the days of dreaming when the when the ever-living ones still walked freely among the misty mountains and green valleys of Ireland, when the soft light of enchantment still shone from every hill of the sidhe, there was a well. It was a deep hidden pool, fringed and caressed by nine strong hazel trees….
An Unexpected Journey
On the second morning of May, 2020 I awoke before dawn. It was four forty a.m. A glorious cacophony of birds was already celebrating a luminous sky-glow, heralding a clear morning. Suddenly, I was no longer sleepy. I grabbed my dressing gown, put my phone into my pocket, and stepped outside. Standing in the orchard,…
Stories and Activities 5: Irish story picture gallery
What might King Fergus have worn? What was an Iron-age roundhouse like? What was a hero’s chariot made of? What about that ‘Cave of the Cats? What does it look like now? I thought I might put up a page of images to help answer these questions and lots more. I hope these pictures help…
Stories and Activities with Children 3: Stories about Finn and his friends.
There are many stories about Finn Mac Cumhaill. (usually Fionn in modern Irish) The original texts are complex and difficult to say the least! This is largely because the Fionn (earlier Finn) stories remained in the oral tradition and were written down quite late. This means that there are many interwoven versions and duplications. I…
Stories and Activities with Children 4: The Two Poet Pig-keepers
This audio story is one of the many stories that circle around the great Táin Bó Cúailnge , The cattle raid of Cooley. It is not a well known story but it is important as it is really the ‘origin’ story for the whole cycle. It is also a great tale and explains a lot!…