This post is too late to tell you about the Sketchbook workshop that happened in Blarney on Tues 6 Oct, sorry! But glad to be able to tell you we have a very exciting lineup for Callanan’s on Tues 20.
October Mixtape: Tuesday 20, 8.30pm Callanan’s George’s Quay, Cork City
Doors open at 8pm, storytelling starts at 8.30pm. Be early if you want a seat! It’s a free event but donations welcome.
See https://www.facebook.com/TheGabStorytelling for updates in the lead up to it.
Pat Speight has been telling stories for more years than many of us can remember, and that skill and experience shines when he revels in the role of Fear an Tí (FAT). At the September Mixtape in Callanan’s, he started reeling us in with a story of a boy’s first day at school, the blacksmith’s cure, and a mighty breakfast the following day.
Pat then introduced the first teller, the inimitable Terri Ryan, who gave us a new twist on her bachelors’ story and the arrival of dancehalls in rural Ireland. As Terri said, “the farmers took to these ballrooms like the tide took to the moon,” and continued with a romp of a story interacting with these bachelors, we were in stiches thanks to Terri.
Fresh off the boat from the Cape Clear Storytelling Festival, Liam O’Shaughnessy gave us his own spin on a story he heard from Amy Douglas, about a man who was absolutely mad for the road and had the worn-out boots to prove it. His luck changed when a little man traded his resting spot for a new pair of yellow boots. A gorgeous story, told well by Liam.
Our resident uilleann piper, Stevie O’Brien, started with a beautiful tribute to the recently deceased Paddy Keenan. Stevie told us Paddy was a huge influence on all pipers, and that he made the instrument popular, vibrant and valued, before playing us Sliabh na mBan, a tune he heard Finbarr Furey playing at Paddy Keenan’s funeral. Stevie finished the first half of the Mixtape with a trio of jigs, including Mrs. Geary’s and Paddy Keenan’s.
Rob and Eileen were rushed off their feet behind the bar during the interval, but it was no bother to them. They got everyone watered before Deirdre O’Mahony started the second half of storytelling with her magical story about the midwife who was whisked off into the night by a tall, dark stranger. “We’re going far and we’re going fast, hold on tight,” and we all did, as we were transported to another world through Deirdre’s evocative telling.
Colm Ryan was up next, to tell us an epic territorial battle story of one man versus the mighty Miny Minx. There was howling, blood, scratches, tears and the sobbing cry of a man in his 50s. There were dreamies, teasers, a catio and a garden hose. We can assure you, no cats were harmed in the telling of this story but we can’t say the same for the man!
Pat was back to tell us a short tale to settle the crowd, about a Cork man sailing to an oil-rich city in the far east and getting the surprise of his life when he walked down the gangplank.
To finish the music, Stevie introduced the low whistle and charmed us with “The Butterfly,” before reverting to the pipes for Henry Mac Dermot Roe, followed by two slip jigs and a lesson on how to distinguish between reels, jigs and slip jigs. You learn something new every day!
Pat Speight closed the night of storytelling with a heartfelt one, set in Cromane near Glenbeigh, about a blind man and the efforts he went to for his wife. A beautiful ending to a great evening of stories.
Thanks a million to Rob and Eileen in Callanan’s for providing the perfect setting for us. Thanks to Deirdre O’Mahony for putting the night together. Thanks to the tellers and musicians for the entertainment. And most of all, thank you to the generous listeners , we really appreciate your ears.
Thanks to Colm Ryan for these photos
Because of the glorious heat of summer 2026, we were sure we’d be telling stories at the ball wall, with an outdoor storytelling event to celebrate 40 years of the Whitechurch and Waterloo Community Association. But the weather had other ideas, and moved us inside to the small hall as the first evening of rain fell outside.
Thankfully, the crowd welcomed the change of venue, and we even gained a few new listeners from John A. Mulcahy’s talk on the history of the community centre earlier in the evening. Despite the short-notice change in location, we managed to start on time, thanks to the steady hand of Caroline Foley, our Bean an Tí (BAT) for the evening.
The first storyteller, Mary Walsh, began by reminiscing about the school next door, before continuing into a story of two very different boys in another school writing an essay about the swallow.
Fresh from winning Scéalaíocht (storytelling in Irish) at Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann, Brendan O’Sullivan told us his award-winning story. Most in the room caught the gist, but Brendan was kind enough to give a summary in English too. Congratulations again, Brendan!
Pauline O’Grady-Noonan told us a gorgeous story about growing up on the family farm in Co. Clare, and the beautiful, spirited relationship between her brother Francis and her mother. And all the local news they shared when their mother was trying to make the evening phone calls.
We had been praying for rain all summer, and while it came that night, Trish Burke told a very appropriate story about a trip to town with her mother’s friend Gretta. Because of the rain they encountered a mysterious man and his umbrella and had to get to the bottom of the mystery.
“Once upon a time there was a midwife,” according to our next teller, Deirdre O’Mahony who transported us to another world of tall dark men, pudgy babies and bags of gold seen through the eyes of the midwife, magical stuff.
It was something special to hear Paul O’Sullivan honouring his mother Peggy, on home ground, with a story about her desert island discs. Paul had us singing along, laughing and crying in equal measure.
To end the stories, Sharon O’Neill enthralled us with Mis and Dubh Rois, a story of grief, madness, lust and love about a legendary woman who lives on to give Slieve Mish mountain range its name. Sharon delighted the Whitechurch audience with the term ‘tricking stick’, imaginations were running wild!
Mo O’Connor, from Conna, brought us his poem “The Tinkers at Tallow Fair,” along with a run through some beloved songs — The Galway Shawl, Bob Dylan’s Don’t Think Twice, Save the Last Dance, and The Candy Store on the Corner. After the thanks, Mo finished the night with another song, I’ll Fly Away, and a humorous poem he wrote after a five-word challenge. Excellent stuff as always from Mo.
Many congratulations to Whitechurch and Waterloo Community Association on an amazing 40 years. We can’t wait to see where you go next!
Special thank you to Blue Hat Drama for all the help in preparation and thank you to the organisers, the tellers, the singers and especially the audience. We were thrilled to be able to celebrate with some stories at FestiGeal.
Despite it being summer holidays it’s been a very few weeks but we’re thrilled to be resuming normal service in September with the Sketchbook in Blarney and the Mixtape in Callanan’s. Who doesn’t love a bit of routine!?!
September Sketchbook: Tuesday 8, 8.30pm Blarney Castle Hotel
At the Sketchbook, we take a deep dive into stories and telling. Please email thegabstorytelling@gmail.com if you want to attend, tell a story or take a role. Cover charge is €5
September Mixtape: Tuesday 15, 8.30pm Callanan’s George’s Quay
Doors open at 8pm, storytelling starts at 8.30pm. Be early if you want a seat! Check out https://www.facebook.com/TheGabStorytelling for updates in the lead up to it.
We recently celebrated the Gab’s 10th Birthday at Elizabeth fort, thanks to sponsorship by Cork City Council Nighttime Economy fund. We don’t know how he does it, but Max Bell’s photos get better every time, thanks so much Max (and Édith for the above photo which includes Max) for making us look beautiful! Thanks a million to Mervyn and Adam at Elizabeth Fort who set everything up for us in the beautiful garden at the fort and cleared all the chairs away while we ate pizza and had the craic. Thanks to Deirdre O’Mahony as Bean an tí who had the tough task of keeping more than 20 performers inline, she ensured a great flow and did an excellent job. Thanks to Paul Walsh who guided us through the fort. Thank you to the tellers, poets, singers and performers who kept us highly entertained for the night. And most of all, thanks to the listeners, ye were the best audience.
Mary Walsh was the first teller and told a short story about her brother Paul writing his news back in primary school. News so shocking to the teacher it resulted in a worried phone call to home but his mother, Bridie, was able to set the story straight.
The stalwart Gabber and storyteller, Sharon O’Neill delighted us with the audience participation in her story about a wonky donkey. There were whoops, cheers and plenty shouting from the crowd.
It was a beautiful warm, sunny evening in Elizabeth fort but Liam O’Shaughnessy charmed us with a short anecdote about rain and a Russia called Rudolf, the pun and punchline was just perfect.
Despite not many of us knowing the song, “Old Orange Flute”, Rob McKahey had us singing along to the chorus. What a treat to hear the a cappella folk song in Rob’s inimitable and humorous style.
Can you believe it was Julie Crowley who introduced Mary Walsh and Deirdre O’Mahony to storytelling when she brought them to the Cape Clear storytelling festival in 2012? It was lovely to hear Julie telling the story of how and when our love of storytelling began a few years before the Gab was born.
The man from Bonane, Brendan O’Sullivan, never disappoints and he gave us a cracker of a short story about Sr. Ignations on her deathbed, surrounded by her sisters. They decided to give her a drop of brandy in her milk to perk her up. It worked and provided her very memorable last words.
Not that you’d guess it but Pauline O’Grady-Noonan is a relative newbie to the Gab. We were in stitches with her story about a man with a male pet camel who brought him to Dublin for a match and caused fierce confusion reporting the crime.
Now a regular at Mixtapes and Sketchbooks, Pat Murray sang a very timely, funny and thought-provoking song, “I’d Go Anywhere to Fight For Oil to Lubricate the Red, White & Blue” by the American folk musician, Dana Lyons.
Lenka Forrest, long-time supporter of the Gab since the very early days, gave us a story with her unique Eastern European perspective on cooking a family meal in Ireland, hilarious!
The West Waterford duo, Sinead O’Neill and Liam Roche brought us down memory lane with a bopping rendition of a story they sang at their very first Gab in O’Mahony’s in Watergrasshill, “I wanna dance with somebody” by Whitney Heuston.
Rom Hyde had us roaring with laugher telling a story about Jack who had a surname that sounds the same as the vernacular word for excrement, Sh1t and the trouble it caused for him.
Pat Speight has been a guiding professional storytelling hand since the very first year of the Gab’s existence so it was wonderful to have him celebrating with us at our 10th birthday. His first story was about a farmer whose wife couldn’t cook and his second story was a tricker’s story about a man with a horse who swallowed his gold.
Caroline Foley composed a poem about the Gab to celebrate the Gab’s 10th birthday, especially highlighting the monthly workshop, the Sketchbook in the Blarney Castle hotel, where “they help us discover stories we never knew”. Thanks a million, Caroline!
Conor Ó Buachalla, who runs https://www.gormu.com/, small-group eco-adventures, delighted us with a tale of taking two Canadians and two locals on a tour in West cork. The locals were more than anyone could handle ending up with Conor and the Canadians having the experience of a lifetime.
Judith Coffey was at the very first night of the Gab in Coughlans in 2016 and charmed us with a bespoke poem for the Gab’s 10th birthday. She reminded us that nobody had a clue what was going to happen that first night, she thought it was going to be boring, imagine! And she beautifully reminded us of Gabbers we have lost over the last 10 years, thanks a million Judith! Judith finished with a signature dirty witty ditty, “Soft as putty”.
Colm Ryan gave us a life-affirming story about surviving a climb of Carrauntoohil in extreme conditions a few years ago. Despite the fine evening, we were all in that wind tunnel with Colm thanks to his evocative descriptions.
No stranger to the Gab, Terri Ryan introduced us to Willie Joe Dulux, a character from her youth and the craic they got up to as innocent youngsters in Mitchelstown.
Diarmuid O Drisceoil’s story could be considered an ecumenical matter, a few days after the resurrection, Jesus meets up with some of the lads, has a few pints with them, goes out in a boat on the sea of Galilee, hilarity ensues. Diarmuid’s actions and sound effects were spot on.
Paul O’Sullivan told a wonderful poignant story filled with unspoken kindness and community spirit about an old childhood neighbour George. Very fitting for the occasion.
Sinead and Liam rounded off the performances of the evening with a few songs, “From this valley” by the Civil Wars, “Carolina” by Taylor Swift and “Set fire to the 3rd bar” by Snow Patrol.
Thanks again for celebrating 10 years with us. Here’s to many, many more.
Thanks to Cork City Council’s Night time economy for sponsoring our Christmas Special in the Church of the Resurrection in Blarney late last year. Thanks to Reverend Abigail Sines for such a warm welcome to the church, to Max Bell as always for capturing the night perfectly in these photos, to all the helpers for setting up and returning the church to how we found it, to Paul Walsh for manning the door, to the tellers, musicians and singers for the festive entertainment and most of all to the listeners who made the night so special for all of us.
Deirdre O’Mahony welcomed everyone to the Church of the Resurrection as Bean a’ tí before introducing local Cathal Ó Loingsigh. He played the beautiful, slow and dreamy, Draíocht an ghab, a tune he composed especially for the Gab.
First storyteller, Brendan O’Sullivan took us to Bonane, Co. Kerry, Christmas night 1999. A haunting tribute of a story in memory of those who had gone before, especially Tade Lee, Brendan’s father’s uncle.
Next up was a classic folk tale told by Julie Crowley, the Man with no Luck, who met many strangers as he walked and he walked and he walked to find God to find out why he had no luck.
Even though his poor father was a lightning rod for trouble, Paul O’Sullivan never wanted for anything growing up in a family of five thanks to the kindness of neighbours. There were many adventures on the family farm from pulling ragworth and picking stones to the high jinks with Georgie Garrett’s donkey.
Did you know there was a Christmas miser before Scrooge? Sharon O’Neill gave us the story of Gabriel Grub, the sexton who dug the graves and rang the bells who saw other’s happiness as a personal insult. But one Christmas night, when Gabriel is taken away by goblins, he learns a thing or two.
The West Waterford duo, Sinead O’Neill and Liam Roche, took us to the break with Taylor Swift’s “Caroline” and Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah”.
Our genial BAT, Deirdre O’Mahony told us a story about how the divilment and mischief of her late father Timmy has inspired her modern day parenting and that scourge on advent households, the elf on the shelf.
Lenka Forrest took us to Eastern Europe in the last century and painted a gorgeous Christmas picture for us when Brezhnev was the Soviet leader and Reagan was seen as the bad guy where they feasted on carp fish on Christmas eve and baby Jesus brought the presents.
Diarmuid O Drisceoil gave us the sense of an ending with the story of a burial in Cape Clear, neighbours coming together to dig the grave and lay a local to rest, a glimpse into the passing of time in every sense.
Before we were sent off on on our festive way, Sinead and Liam sang out the night with a duet by Judy Collins and Ari Hest from their album, Silver Skies Blue, “Aberdeen” and the grand finale, “Oh Holy Night”.
More photos available on Facebook.
The first event of our 11th year is an extra Gab Sketchbook, a storytelling workshop, in Nano Nagle Place on Friday 3 July at 5.30pm.
Tickets are free but registration is required https://nanonagleplace.ie/nanoevents/the-gab-storytelling-workshop/
Thanks to Cork City Council’s Nighttime Economy, we are celebrating our 10 year anniversary at Elizabeth Fort. The event was sold out but thanks to Elizabeth fort for finding some more chairs for us! Please book your ticket now https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/the-gab-storytelling-celebrates-10-years-tickets-1990430456075 before they’re gone again!
The May Gab Mixtape in Callanan’s kicked off bang on time with Diarmuid O Drisceoil at the helm as FAT. The first teller, Deirdre O’Mahony, took us back to her teenage job as the relief milker for the summer on her family’s dairy farm. A fraught introduction to the milking parlour with her Dad as her boss. She was saving up to go to Dingle at the end of the summer but as well as money she was rewarded with a memorable bovine shower.
Next Liam O’Shaughnessy with a traditional tale about a princess who wonders about the 12 empty bedrooms in the castle, the 12 rusting swords and the 12 idle horses in the stable. Turns out her 12 brothers were living the goose life by day and having the craic as her brothers at nighttime. A great folk tale told in Liam’s inimitable style.
Daniel Galvin had to fight a man recently for a story, we’d love to have seen the other fella. He went on to tell us his mad take on the arrival of mobile saunas to Ireland, a phenomenon in the community that ended in a 3 day siege highlighting the contrast between an old and new Ireland.
Sorcha de Róiste brought us to the break with two beautiful sean nos songs “Raghadsa is mo Cheaití” from West Kerry followed by “Casam araon na Géanna Romhainn” from Cúil Aodha.
Despite it being 4 deep at the bar, Rob and Eileen had everyone watered in no time and we were back to the show in no time. Sorcha treated us to a Muskerry song rediscovered by Sean O Riada, “Aisling Gheal” followed by the beautiful “An Chúilfhionn”.
Colm Ryan was up next with an action packed chase of Carlos by his father the King. Carlos had an unusual talent but It wasn’t until he met Maria that his talent failed him. And thanks to Maria’s brother Pablo they all nearly lived happily ever after.
In her Cork colours, Anna O’Sullivan, enthralled us with her remembering her first trip to Croke Park as a youngster with her little brother Denis, her dad and her uncle Noel. A pilgrimage that has been repeated many times since but the first time is always very special.
The FAT, Diarmuid finished the stories for the night with his unusual discovery from the 1926 census and putative great grandfather Dan Sheehan, an “iar-snámhaí”, who may have swam all the way to America and came home with a small fortune.
As Diarmuid reminded us, we had a night of stories and songs, no special effects, no props, no lighting, no sound system, just the human voice and a wonderfully attentive audience. We all went home the better for the night.
Thanks as always to Rob and Eileen in Callanans, Max for these photos that get better and better each time, Deirdre for putting it all together, Paul on the door, all of the tellers and singers but most of all the listeners for their wonderful attention and encouragement.
More photos available on our Facebook page
Full house, packed by 8.10 not a seat to be had, standing room only.
Vince Kiely started the night as Fear an Tí reminding us of his long relationship with the Gab since the very early days. Brendan O’Sullivan was up first with a spooky tale about Fr Quill’s grave and a plot to unearth his resting soul. An hilarious story of childhood devilment where ultimately twas Mam and Dad who had the last laugh.
Ivay Nyggard had travelled from Norway by way of Tipperary and brought us a Norwegian creation story of the cow Audhumla who licked the ice to reveal the first of the Norse Gods. The big, fat udder will remain long in the memory! A flavour of Scandinavian culture.
From Norse cows to lambs on the Burren, our next story was from a new teller, Pauline O’Grady Noonan. We followed the happy farm life of Shorty the lamb all the way from her precarious birth to her eventual freedom. A simple rural story of Pauline’s childhood full of love, empathy and lambs.
Rob McKahey is a legend on the Cork music scene from his years as the drummer of punk rock band STUMP. Rob has hung up his drumsticks in favour of a guitar these days but when he does perform we know we are in for a treat. He played 4 songs in the first half; ‘I prefer girls to boys’, an ode to the male ego being dented in favour of the fairer sex. Then we had an alternative version of ‘The Banks’ penned by Rob’s late band member the legend Mick Lynch. Instead of sporting and playing we met bodily fluids, tampons and nappies. Rob treated us to a slice of his childhood on the northside growing up in Blackpool with ‘Scutting’ before bringing us into the break with the cold and violent ‘ Delia’s Gone’.
It was 3 deep at the bar where Rob was ably assisted by Ruby and we got back into to second half of the night with Judith Coffey opening with two poems-one about the sadness of a lost shoe and the other an ode to chapter in a woman’s life where all sense goes out the window-the dreaded menopause.
We had a complete change of pace then with Sharon O’Neill who introduced us to Mis – beast, woman, mountain, lover, queen-each of her roles was beautifully crafted by Sharon’s telling. From the opening line to the last, she had the audience enthralled with this complex character from Irish mythology. We’ll be using the term ‘tricking stick’ again I’m sure. An unexpected love story that brought us towards the end of the evening.
From ancient love to modern, next up to finish the night of stories was Vince. We met a man with a ponytail, a woman with manicured hair and an unlikely coupling. A departure from Vince’s usual style we learned the importance of perfection, imperfection and how one can often be disguised as the other. Rob sang us out with an ode to his beautiful wife Judith, penned during lockdown ‘Smile Judith Smile’. ‘The Man who Couldn’t Cry’ by Loudon Wainwright III. A man whose tear ducts dried up until they didn’t-a story of pain, jail, rain and dehydration and death…Another brilliant performance from Rob to see us out into the April night.
Thanks a million to Rob in Callanans, Ruby for helping out, Deirdre for putting it all together, the performers and most of all the listeners for being an amazing audience. Our next Mixtape is Tues 19 May, doors 8pm for an 8.30pm start and it’s already shaping up to be a great one!
More photos available on our Facebook page.
