The Gab

Tag: cork

  • Daniel Morden Storytelling workshop & performance

    Performance – Friday 10 April 8pm
    https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/the-gab-presents-daniel-morden-tickets-1984116863951

    Workshop – Saturday 11 & Sunday 12 April 10am – 4pm (includes performance)
    https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/storytelling-workshop-with-daniel-morden-tickets-1984118540967

    Storytelling Performance – Friday 10 April 8pm
    For over three decades, Daniel Morden has been transporting audiences around the globe through the ancient art of storytelling. Whether navigating a timeless Greek myth or thrilling adventure, Daniel commands the stage with rare, magnetic intensity. Witness a true master of the craft at work and join us for an evening of laughter, wonder and storytelling at its best.

    Music on the night will be from Gab regulars mezzosoprano Gráinne Stafford, piper Stevie O’Brien and fiddler Fanny Leenhardt. Hailing from Kells, Co. Meath, Stevie O’Brien, has been playing the uilleann pipes and various whistles since he was a youngster. Gráinne Stafford from Enniscorthy in Wexford has performed with Opera Ireland, the National Chamber Choir, East Cork Choral Society and Cork Operatic Society. Fanny Leenhardt was born in the South East of France. She is passionate about traditional Irish music (and bread!) and is an exceptional fiddle player. All three now live in Cork, this special Gab event brings them together for the first time.

    STORYTELLING WORKSHOP – Day 1 – Saturday 11 April
    Step into the timeless world of traditional storytelling in this storytelling workshop. Designed for those with little or no prior experience with folk tales, the session introduces the art of telling traditional stories drawn from folklore, myth and oral traditions. Participants will explore how stories are shaped, remembered, and shared aloud.

    You’ll learn techniques for choosing a story, defining its structure, and telling it in your own natural voice—without scripts or pressure to perform. The emphasis is on confidence, enjoyment, and connection rather than perfection. By the end of the workshop, you’ll have developed your own storytelling style and gained practical tools to continue telling stories in everyday and community settings. Participants should bring along a traditional story to work with. (The Gab will help you find one if needs be)

    STORYTELLING WORKSHOP – Day 2 – Sunday 12 April
    Building on day one, Daniel continues with the traditional tale. Myths, legends and folktales are sometimes enthralling, but all too often they can be confusing or even offensive. Daniel will explain strategies that he has developed to adapt old stories so that they are relevant to contemporary audiences.

    Performance
    https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/the-gab-presents-daniel-morden-tickets-1984116863951

    Workshop & performance
    https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/storytelling-workshop-with-daniel-morden-tickets-1984118540967

  • Gab Mixtape in Callanan’s Tues 17 Feb & more news

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

    It’s been an incredibly busy few weeks for the Gab with two more sold-out shows in Coughlans and making lots more plans for our 10th year in existence. We can’t wait to get back into Callanan’s on Tuesday night, it feels like last year since we were there! 

    Looking ahead to March, we have our regular Sketchbook in Blarney, an extra Sketchbook in Maureen’s and then the launch of  FĂ©ile Fearann RĂ­ to top off the month. And Daniel Morden comes to Blarney in April, exciting times ahead! 

    • February Mixtape: Tuesday 17 February 8.30pm Callanan’s George’s Quay
      • Doors open at 8pm, storytelling starts at 8.30pm. Be early if you want a seat! 
    • March Sketchbook: Tuesday 3 March 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 take a role or attend. Cover charge is €5 
    • Extra March Sketchbook: Tuesday 10 March 8.30pm Maureen’s 
      • Sketchbooks are now so popular, we’re delighted to be able to have an extra one in town in March in the gorgeous https://www.maureenscork.com/ We will be deep diving into stories and how to tell them. Please RSVP if you want to attend, tell a story or take a role. Cover charge is €5 
    • FĂ©ile Fearann RĂ­ festival launch: Wed 25 March Doors 6.30pm Hollyhill Library

    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 the 80s. 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/

  • The Art of the Gathering: From the Magic of Stories to the Science of Connection

    Photo by Max Bell Mary, Julie and Deirdre at the Gab in Oct 2025
    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.

    A personal post by Mary Walsh

    Ten years ago, I started the Gab because I loved listening to stories, I couldn’t find enough storytelling events and I wanted to hear more. Often at the Gab, strangers come in as individuals and create a little community. I always wondered: Why does listening to stories make us feel so good? Why does it connect us so deeply?

    Today, as I grow Ginkgo Collective with Robert Hawkes, I’m hoping to find the scientific “why” behind that magic.

    The Gab has never been a solo project for me. It’s built on the hard work of the storytellers and some incredible people who understood the power of a shared space. My cousin Deirdre O’Mahony has been my co-conspirator since before the very beginning; she’s been the steady hand sharing and shaping the vision from day one.

    Sharon O’Neill was a massive support from those early days, and even though she’s moved off the committee, she remains one of the Gab’s most able analysts at the Sketchbook. We don’t see them often enough now but Clair O’Sullivan and Judith Coffey shaped the Gab constitution and helped create beautiful shared storytelling spaces in the early years. We cannot forget Max Bell, who captures the essence of the Gab in every photo and video. 

    And then there’s Julie Crowley, who was the one to first introduce us all to the world of storytelling. I’m delighted to say we’ve finally co-opted her onto the committee to manage the books. It is and has always been, a committee of storytellers who put storytelling first and can also get the work done.

    Through the lens of Polyvagal Theory, I realise that what we do at the Gab isn’t just entertainment, it’s a collective exercise in ventral vagal co-regulation. When we listen to a storyteller’s voice, we create an image of their story in our minds and our nervous systems begin to align. Our heart rates soften and our brains receive a biological signal that says: “You are safe. You belong here.” It’s the same feeling you get when listening to a choir; there is a physical reset that happens when we are in rhythm with one another.

    This is exactly what we are bringing to our first Ginkgo event, The Science of Rhythm & Regulation. I know our facilitators, Brendan McKiernan and Anna Mitchell, personally. Brendan brings the clinical depth of Polyvagal Theory, and Anna brings the magic of a professional conductor. I know the day will be full of the same joy and connection you’d expect at a Gab storytelling event, with the added bonus of understanding the biology behind it.

    Anyone who knows me, knows how much I love spreadsheets and checklists, they’re the tools of my event management trade. But it’s also about the art of the gathering. Whether I’m arranging the room for a Gab event or planning a workshop on neuroscience, my goal is to create a space for co-regulation to come to life.

    I want you to leave a Ginkgo or a Gab event feeling lighter than when you walked in. I want you to have that “aha” moment of a new insight, but I also want you to have had a genuine laugh along the way. Because when we feel good, we learn better. And when we connect, we thrive.

  • 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 Ă“ 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 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 Ă“g de Barra, the young fella from Cork. They called him Seán Ă“g 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 ScĂłr 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 TĂ­, 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 Ă“g 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 scĂ©al about ScĂłr 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 “ÓrĂł sĂ© 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