Slowly, oh, so slowly, Máel Dúin became aware of his surroundings. He could sense the sun’s warm brightness on the other side of his eyelids, but he did not want to open his eyes. He felt relaxed, his limbs heavy, almost languorous, and very comfortable. He had no desire to move a muscle. But why…
Category: Series 04: Rowing Around Immráma
Rowing Around Immráma 05: Immrám Curaig Máel Dúin 2 – The Voyage of Mael Duin’s Boat Part 2
We are reaching the end of our voyage into “official” Immráma. As we turn for home with Mael Duin and his crew, we ask, “So what does it all mean?” Journey into new waters with the Story Archaeologists as we begin to chart our Immrám adventures. Don’t forget to subscribe to get the latest posts!…
Trials and tribulations of a pair of Story Archaeologists
Over the last few months we have been exploring the wild watery wonders and terrors of the Immráma. We have reached out for the delicately blossomed branch and healing apples of Manannán , and glimpsed the scintillating orchards below the waves. We have witnessed the salmon’s leap over a brazen weir, wondered at milk -running rainbows…
The Isle of Women
Máeldύin stood at the stern of the triple skinned boat, brooding moodily over the glassy waters. His eyes remained fixed on the shadowed depths, almost as if he were searching for another of those uncanny underwater islands; a place to dream, a place to drown. Behind him, was the clamoured activity of the boat. The…
Rowing Around Immráma 04: Immrám Curaig Máel Dúin – The Voyage of Máel Dúin’s Boat
When Máel Dúin sets out on a voyage to avenge the father he has never known, he encounters a seascape of wonders and terrors where nothing is what it seems. Join the story Archaeologists as they follow in his wake, discovering some unexpected marvels. This episode is only the first installment of this maratime epic,…
The Birth of the Uí Corra ~ A Connacht Fairy Tale.
Once upon a time, in the dear and beautiful land of Connacht, there lived a wealthy man and his wife, who wished for nothing other than a healthy child to make their lives complete. It sounds like the beginning of a familiar fairy tale, and so it is. In a way, the birth of a…
Rowing Around Immráma 03: Immrám Uí Corra
The tale of the Uí Corra may start out as an intriguing fairy tale, but their journey is not for the faint of heart. Their quest for knowledge soon deepens into a dark and stormy voyage of tortured souls and infernal visions. Join the Story Archaeologists as they plumb the contradictory depths of this under-appreciated Immrám. Don’t forget…
The Island of the Salmon
To travel in the hands of God.To put away the boat’s oars and let the undulating waves breathe them where they would.To watch the world’s sun light up the broad plain of the sea into molten gold, glittering with sudden sparks of silver like drowned stars.There was a great peace in this voyage. The monk…
Rowing Around Immráma 02: Immrám Snedgussa ocus Mac Ríagla
In the aftermath of the Battle of Mag Rath, the Men of Ross endure a harsh sentence: to be set adrift in the Atlantic Ocean. Inspired by this, Snedgus and Mac Ríagla, two of St. Colmcille’s monks, decide to try it out for themselves. Hop aboard with the Story Archaeologists to explore another trench of…
Reflections On The Skelligs
In our first episode on the Imramma, ‘The Voyage of Bran Mac Febul, we discussed the monastic preference for settling in lonely and out of the way places. We referred to the practice as ‘extreme monasticism’. One of the best examples of this must be early monastic complex on a lonely rock, you can hardly…