The Gab

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  • Storytelling at Coughlan’s and more dates

    The Gab Presents in Coughlan’s, Douglas St.
    Friday 6 February 2026 8:00 pm

    Tickets: €24.50 including booking & venue fees

    https://tickets.peoplesrepublicofcork.com/11191185/The-Gab-Presents:-Storytelling/Fri-06-Feb-2026

    With one sold out night in January, we’re delighted to return to Coughlan’s in February, see https://www.coughlans.ie/whats-on/the-gab-presents-storytelling-11191185 for full details

    Other upcoming Gab dates:

    February Sketchbook: Tuesday 3 November 8.30pm Blarney Castle Hotel

    Regular Sketchbook in Blarney where we take a deep dive into stories and telling. Please RSVP if you want to tell a story, take a role or attend and dont forget €5 

    February Mixtape: Tuesday 17 February 8.30pm Callanan’s George’s Quay

    Doors open at 8pm, storytelling starts at 8.30pm. 

    SAVE THE DATE! 

    April Workshop with Daniel Morden: Friday 10 – Sunday 12 April in Church of the Resurrection Blarney

    We are delighted to be bringing one of the best storytellers in the English speaking world to Blarney in April. Daniel Morden has been a professional teller of traditional tales since 1989. On the evening of Friday 10 April, Daniel will lead a storytelling performance in the COI Blarney. Followed by a 2 day workshop on Saturday 11 and Sunday 12 April in the same location. See https://danielmorden.org/ 

    More info coming soon. Please email thegabstorytelling@gmail.com to reserve a space 

  • A lovely way to end the year …

    🎄 The Gab Storytelling Christmas Special: Sunday 28 December Church of the Resurrection, Blarney. Doors 7pm for a 7.30pm start

    We are delighted to be receiving support from Cork City Council’s Night Time Economy fund for a special night of storytelling in the Church of the Resurrection in Blarney. This will be a free event. Hope to see you there

  • The Gab at Leap Scarecrow Festival ’25

    Photo taken by Rita O’Sullivan

    Thanks a million to Conor Ó Buachalla https://www.gormu.com/ for inviting us to tell stories in the Leap Inn last night as part of Leap Scarecrow festival. It was an epic night of stories covering virtues, vices, crucifixions, a golden ball, a fish king, a headless priest, a funeral home in NYC, a very able apprentice, several appearances of the devil and a seriously hairy pony. With great tunes from the local group 4 Uke Sake  and the Tim Healy band. We’re starting a fund for a mini bus so we can have more adventures like this to West Cork.

  • October ’25 Mixtape in Callanans

    Image property of The Gab Storytelling and Max Bell. The Gab MIxtape October 2025, Callanan’s Pub, Cork City October 2025. Photo by Max Bell.

    Vince “all the way from Tipperary” Kiely launched straight into the October Mixtape in Callanan’s as Fear an Tí bang on time and kept us going at a great gallop all night. The first teller, Mary Walsh, took us to within a few miles of her native place and back to the penal times in the 1700s, the parish of Matehy and the notorious Captain Fox and his yeomen. 

    The next teller, Paul O’Sullivan, didn’t just give us an ode to Jim Mountjoy who founded the Jazz festival, he gave us an ode to Cork and its characters. Jim died earlier this year and Paul’s story paid tribute to the visionary man and his legacy for the city. 

    Julie Crowley’s folk tale introduced us to a poor man with a wife, 7 children and terrible misfortune one year when his crops failed. In search of work, he walked and he walked and he walked for 13 miles until he met a man who offered to solve his problems with gold and silver but at what cost?

    Cathal Ó’Loingsigh took us to the break with some fine playing on the banjo – the Groves (hornpipe), An siocán sneachta by Joe Carey, John Kimmel’s jig and Seán sa Cheo.

    Deirdre O’Mahony told us a story about Davy, a fierce nice fella but not great at anything and bad luck followed him wherever he went. Until one eventful day when he set a fish free, got fired and met a strange man who offered to turn his luck around. 

    Coppers and Brass on the tin whistle was how Meath man, Stevie O’Brien, introduced us to Patsy Harrington, a travelling piper from Mohill, Co. Leitrim. Patsy was a small little lad, who had the finest pipes and the finest horse in the country thanks to the widow O’Hara. The widow’s wake turned into quite the night for Patsy! 

    The final story of the night came from Vince Kiely himself. He took us back 1901 and all the way to the high north of Canada, Dawson town, south of the Klondike River and the little wooden church and the feast of St. Eustace, the patron saint of trappers and hunters. Then he brought us even further north and the unlikely pairing the Killer Kelly and the Reverend Russell taught us that despite all our coping skills in adversity ‘It’s the small things that get you’. 

    Cathal brought the night to a close with a slow air on the box, An Buachaill Caol Dubh followed by three polkas.

    Thanks a million to Max Bell for these excellent photos that captured the night so well, great to have him back. Thanks to Rob Crowley and Eileen Crowley for making us feel so at home in Callanan’s. Thanks to Paul for manning the door. Thanks to Deirdre for putting it all together. Thanks to the tellers and musicians and most of all thanks to the listeners for making the night extra special. 

  • October at the Gab

    October Sketchbook: Tuesday 7 October 8.30pm Blarney Castle Hotel

    Regular Sketchbook in Blarney where we take a deep dive into stories and telling. Story slots are full but please email thegabstorytelling@gmail.com if you want to take a role or attend.

    The Gab presents Pat Speight: Thursday 9 October 7.30pm Coughlans Douglas Street €24.20

    Sold out, see you there if you got a ticket!

    October Mixtape: Tuesday 21 October 8.30pm Callanan’s George’s Quay

    We’re back in our Cork City home, Callanan’s. Doors open at 8pm, storytelling starts at 8.30pm. Get in early if you want to get a seat. 

    Storytelling for Leap Scarecrow Festival : Tuesday 28 October 7.30pm Leap Inn Bar & Restaurant

    Looking forward to heading to Leap to tell stories for grown-ups as part of their Scarecrow Festival. Tickets are free but you have to register https://www.eventbrite.com/e/storytelling-music-at-halloween-with-the-gab-15yrs-tickets-1716562166649 and see https://www.leapscarecrowfestival.com/ for more info and events 

  • Great article about Pat Speight and the Gab in today’s Echo

    Thanks to Pat Speight and Aisling Meath for this excellent article about Pat, storytelling in Cork, the Gab and his gig with us in Coughlans next week with photos by Max Bell. Only a handful of tickets left https://tickets.peoplesrepublicofcork.com/11182963/The-Gab-Presents-Pat-Speight/Thu-09-Oct-2025 get one before they’re gone

  • The Gab presents Pat Speight – 9th Oct in Coughlans

    Tickets €24.20 (including booking and venue fee) https://tickets.peoplesrepublicofcork.com/11182963/The-Gab-Presents-Pat-Speight/Thu-09-Oct-2025

    Pat Speight is a master storyteller, known affectionately as “Pat the Hat”. Bringing the Irish and international tradition of storytelling to life, Pat draws on an extensive catalogue of folktales, myths and legends. Known for his quick wit and mischievousness, Pat’s unique storytelling style has delighted audiences at home and abroad for many years.Pat will be supported by Paul O’Sullivan and Colm Ryan who have both been attentively honing their storytelling skills at the Gab in recent years.

    Music on the night will be from Trip the Light, Caroline Sweeney and Wayne McSweeney, a guitar-playing, singing duo from East Cork, covering favourites from the 1960s to present day as well as their own original material.

  • September ’25 Mixtape in Callanan’s

    Photo by Max Bell (not taken on the night!)

    The yellow weather warning neither dampened the spirits or lessened the size of the crowd that turned up in Callanan’s for our first Gab Mixtape of the season last Tuesday evening. 

    BAT, Sharon O’Neill, started us bang on time at 8.30pm and after a brief welcome back and housekeeping introduced the first teller, Brendan O’Sullivan. An old neighbour of Brendan’s said going to the bog was akin to the penal island of Spike. Brendan took us back to the bog and introduced us to Jacob, the stallion donkey with an unmerciful bray and a fondness for the jennets. 

    Trish Burke, with a Chinese story, told us of a prince who brought the best craftspeople and the best materials together to build a palace. They were guided by a small, thin, little man who told them to work with the elements, “the rain and the wind are your allies, and they built a paradise on earth in an atmosphere of comradery and kinship.

    Diarmuid O Drisceoil took us in a very different direction with a folk tale about a misfortunate blacksmith, his mother, his mother-in-law, his horse and a boy who came to visit who changed everything with a silver little hatchet. The listeners were squirming and shrieking with the gore that followed. 

    Just before the break, music man Mo O’Conor, stepped up with his guitar and announced he was running for the Aras and assured us we’d save a fortune because he’d be able to recycle the suits of the man vacating the job. Mo started with a cover of the Dubliner’s Zoological Gardens before giving us his own song inspired by the moving statues called Ballinspittle. 

    After appearing in Waterloo in August and due to popular request, Liam O’Shaughnessy and Paul O’Sullivan were back with two great stories. Liam told us again about Seán Óg de Barra, the young fella from Cork. They called him Seán Óg the Hare because he was stone mad for leaping which came in handy when he declared he would be the last man to ever join the Fianna. 

    While Paul reminded us the original intention of the GAA’s Scór was as a cultural base but was hijacked by clubs to settle old scores from the pitch. They didn’t know what hit them with the 5 piece all-female ensemble in the ballad group competition, as Paul said, you couldn’t make it up! 

    Sharon brought the stories to an end with a personal one about a kerfuffle outside her house, a request for a spin, the girl on each shoulder and a change in names to protect the innocent. There was no innocence left by the end of the story.  

    Mo closed the night with his poem “Silent car trip”, his own song “Homeland” about meeting a Mexican family in Texas in 2004, the Drifters “”Save the Last Dance for Me” and finally showed off his fret acrobatics with his own “The Long Journey Home”. 

    Thanks to Rob and Eileen behind the bar for all the support they give us at the Gab. Thanks to Deirdre O’Mahony for all the work putting the night together. Thanks a million to Colm Ryan for stepping in at the last minute to take photos, see Facebook

    Thanks to the tellers, musicians and most of all those of you who came to listen.

  • The Gab Storytelling Summer Special

    The prayers all week for good weather were granted and we couldn’t have had a finer evening on the site of the old schoolhouse on the church grounds in Waterloo for the Gab Storytelling Summer Special. The collaboration with Blarney Community Choir that started in May paid dividends when the choir joined us for the evening. Under the guidance of Anna Mitchell and accompanied by Robbie Barron on guitar, the choir delighted us with “Under the Moon of Love” by Tommy Boyce and Curtis Lee followed by the timely Oasis classic “Don’t look back in anger” and the uplifting Coldplay’s “When I ruled the world”.  

    Local woman, Mary Walsh, was back as Bean a Tí, and had a very easy job with the talent of storytellers that showed up. First was a man from East Cork, Liam O’Shaughnessy, who introduced us to Seán Óg de Barra, the young fella from Cork with more notions in his head than stars in the sky who was the last man to ever join the Fianna. 

    Next up was Deirdre O’Mahony, whose grandmother Rita attended the school in Waterloo. Deirdre, sickened by the fact that she has to make a dinner every evening, her kids don’t know how good they have it with pesto and passata. So far from the canned corned beef and carrots of Deirdre’s summer holidays with her grandmother and grandaunts. 

    Local man, Paul O’Sullivan, gave us a scéal about Scór ballad group competition. It all started perfectly for the 5 piece women ballad group, well before the time of the Spice girls. They began with “Óró sé do bheatha abhaile”, followed beautifully by “Grace” and then it took a turn … well, you couldn’t make it up. 

    Up next, Ballincollig’s Julie Crowley, gave us a beautiful take on a folk tale about a farmer named Ned and his youngest, Mick, who wasn’t convinced his life would be made easier if he were to get married but he went along with the crowd to the local dance. Against his better judgment he got a date, another date and another. And Ned did his best to scupper all Mick’s chances with of all things, a big stone! 

    Meath man, Stevie O’Brien, started with a tune on his whistle, Coppers and Brass, and attributed it to Patsy Harrington, a piper who always let his pipes do the talking. Stevie went on to tell us a tale about Patsy, the widow O’Hara, the finest set of pipes, the first motor car in Co. Meath, a big mouthful of golden teeth and a whole lot more. If you missed it, you missed a good one. 

    Another blow-in to Cork, Brendan O’Suvllian, a Kerry man originally but we’ll forgive him. Brendan brought us back to the old days, when the graves were always dug by the neighbours. When the professional grave diggers came in, some of the locals took exception and continued to hang around which had a good ending for some. 

    Thanks to Fr. Michael Fitzgerald for allowing us to use the church grounds, to the Waterloo Renewal Group for all the hard work they do maintain the beautiful space and sharing it with us, to Fergal & Nora O’Callaghan for these wonderful memories captured with their cameras, to Anna Mitchell, Robbie Barron and the Blarney Community Choir for the beautiful singing, to the wonderful tellers, to Deirdre O’Mahony for pulling it all together and most of all, thanks to the listeners for coming along and lending their ears.

    More photos available https://www.facebook.com/media/set?vanity=TheGabStorytelling&set=a.815069964189928  

  • Summer’s end is around the bend just flying

    The summer seems to be whizzing by but not to worry, that means we’re back soon with plenty storytelling shenanigans to keep you going as the nights grow longer.

    😎Summer Storytelling Special: Friday 29 August 7pm – Waterloo Churchyard Old Schoolhouse – with Special Guests Blarney Community Choir 

    We are thrilled that Blarney Community Choir will be joining us for our end of summer special this year. This is our 4th summer returning to Waterloo, it’s always a special evening. Don’t forget to bring a chair plus coat/blanket and cash or card for donations. Keep an eye on our socials to see who will be telling. 

    🎯September Sketchbook: Tuesday 2 September 8.30pm Blarney Castle Hotel

    Regular Sketchbook in Blarney where we take a deep dive into stories and telling. Please RSVP if you want to tell a story or take a role. 

    ✨September Mixtape: Tuesday 16 September 8.30pm Callanan’s George’s Quay

    After our summer hols, we can’t wait to get back to our Cork City home, Callanan’s. Doors open at 8pm, storytelling starts at 8.30pm. Get in early if you want to get a seat! 

     The Gab presents Pat Speight: Thursday 9 October 7.30pm Coughlans Douglas Street €24.20

    Don’t forget, we are heading back to Coughlans in October, this time with our local storytelling legend, Pat Speight. Pat will be joined on the night by up-and-coming tellers Colm Ryan and Paul O’Sullivan with music from Caroline Sweeney and Deirdre O’Manony. Tickets are selling fast so get yours before they’re gone https://tickets.peoplesrepublicofcork.com/11182963/The-Gab-Presents-Pat-Speight/Thu-09-Oct-2025