Edmund Lenihan
Encyclopedia
Edmund Lenihan also known as Eddie Lenihan, is an Irish
author
, storyteller
, lecturer and broadcaster. He is one of the few practising seanchaithe (traditional Irish lore-keepers and tale-spinners) remaining in Ireland. He has been called "one of the greatest of Irish story-tellers" and "a national treasure".
, Ireland
, but currently resides in Crusheen, County Clare
. His college education was at Saint Ita's College in Abbeyfeale
, County Limerick
and University College
in Galway
. He is a collector
and preservationist
of folk tales
, recording stories told by older people as passed to them in oral tradition
, and then distributing them to a wider audience via print, audio and filmed recordings.
Lenihan is particularly well-known for his tales of Irish folk hero
es, fairies, fallen angel
s, and other supernatural
beings as recorded in Irish mythology
, folklore
and oral history
. He has also published poetry
, stories about historical and legendary women
of Ireland, and railroad history. In his role as a cultural
preservationist he maintains the largest private collection of folklore in Ireland.
His first local reputation developed as an enthusiastic children's storyteller. But as his international storytelling reputation grew, he has appeared in the film, The Fairy Faith, in a series of programmes on BBC radio, and at numerous high-profile folk festivals.
of Irish cultural heritage
and artifacts resulting from industrialization of rural Ireland. He described his motivation to preserve hill forts, rural dwellings and native plants in the context of general preservation of folkways. He also briefly described how his conservation ethic
s had come to disagreement with the centralized progressive
goals of modernist
planners
.
This had come to international attention in 1999 when Lenihan had stood up to road builders in County Clare who had wanted to cut down a special whitethorn
tree. (The whitethorn is considered in local Irish lore, and Celtic folklore
in general, to be sacred to the Aos Sí
- the fairy folk of Ireland.) In local tradition, this specific tree was believed to serve as the meeting place for the fairies of Munster
whenever they prepared to ride against the fairies of Connacht
. His activism and protests had made international headlines, and succeeded in altering the road project in order to spare the tree.
Mr. Lenihan is not a violent
activist
. In the 1999 incident he used the tactic of mobilizing public awareness by telling the old, traditional stories that mentioned the traditional significance of the tree
, as well as the punishments that came to those who harmed the abodes of the fairies.
community who are steeped in a tradition of oral history.
for a Protestant landlord
. His stories of the people, places and heroes of County Clare were incorporated into the 1982 book, Long Ago by Shannonside. His importance in Lenihan's estimation was "...remarkable, then equally significant is the fact that one such man's death can deprive an area of a large part of its oral tradition at one blow".
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
, storyteller
Storytelling
Storytelling is the conveying of events in words, images and sounds, often by improvisation or embellishment. Stories or narratives have been shared in every culture as a means of entertainment, education, cultural preservation and in order to instill moral values...
, lecturer and broadcaster. He is one of the few practising seanchaithe (traditional Irish lore-keepers and tale-spinners) remaining in Ireland. He has been called "one of the greatest of Irish story-tellers" and "a national treasure".
Biography
Lenihan is a native of Brosna, County KerryCounty Kerry
Kerry means the "people of Ciar" which was the name of the pre-Gaelic tribe who lived in part of the present county. The legendary founder of the tribe was Ciar, son of Fergus mac Róich. In Old Irish "Ciar" meant black or dark brown, and the word continues in use in modern Irish as an adjective...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, but currently resides in Crusheen, County Clare
County Clare
-History:There was a Neolithic civilisation in the Clare area — the name of the peoples is unknown, but the Prehistoric peoples left evidence behind in the form of ancient dolmen; single-chamber megalithic tombs, usually consisting of three or more upright stones...
. His college education was at Saint Ita's College in Abbeyfeale
Abbeyfeale
Abbeyfeale is a historical market town in County Limerick, Ireland near the boundary with County Kerry. The town is in the midwest of Ireland, some from Newcastle West on the N21 – the main road from Limerick to Tralee.-Geography:...
, County Limerick
County Limerick
It is thought that humans had established themselves in the Lough Gur area of the county as early as 3000 BC, while megalithic remains found at Duntryleague date back further to 3500 BC...
and University College
National University of Ireland, Galway
The National University of Ireland, Galway is a constituent university of the National University of Ireland...
in Galway
Galway
Galway or City of Galway is a city in County Galway, Republic of Ireland. It is the sixth largest and the fastest-growing city in Ireland. It is also the third largest city within the Republic and the only city in the Province of Connacht. Located on the west coast of Ireland, it sits on the...
. He is a collector
Folkloristics
Folkloristics is the formal academic study of folklore. The term derives from a nineteenth century German designation of folkloristik to distinguish between folklore as the content and folkloristics as its study, much as language is distinguished from linguistics...
and preservationist
Preservationist
Preservationist is generally understood to mean historic preservationist: one who advocates to preserve architecturally or historically significant buildings, structures, objects or sites from demolition or degradation...
of folk tales
Folklore
Folklore consists of legends, music, oral history, proverbs, jokes, popular beliefs, fairy tales and customs that are the traditions of a culture, subculture, or group. It is also the set of practices through which those expressive genres are shared. The study of folklore is sometimes called...
, recording stories told by older people as passed to them in oral tradition
Oral tradition
Oral tradition and oral lore is cultural material and traditions transmitted orally from one generation to another. The messages or testimony are verbally transmitted in speech or song and may take the form, for example, of folktales, sayings, ballads, songs, or chants...
, and then distributing them to a wider audience via print, audio and filmed recordings.
Lenihan is particularly well-known for his tales of Irish folk hero
Folk hero
A folk hero is a type of hero, real, fictional, or mythological. The single salient characteristic which makes a character a folk hero is the imprinting of the name, personality and deeds of the character in the popular consciousness. This presence in the popular consciousness is evidenced by...
es, fairies, fallen angel
Fallen angel
Fallen angel is a concept developed in Jewish mythology from interpretation of the Book of Enoch. The actual term fallen angel is not found in either the Hebrew Bible or the New Testament. Christians adopted the concept of fallen angels mainly based on their interpretations of the Book of...
s, and other supernatural
Supernatural
The supernatural or is that which is not subject to the laws of nature, or more figuratively, that which is said to exist above and beyond nature...
beings as recorded in Irish mythology
Irish mythology
The mythology of pre-Christian Ireland did not entirely survive the conversion to Christianity, but much of it was preserved, shorn of its religious meanings, in medieval Irish literature, which represents the most extensive and best preserved of all the branch and the Historical Cycle. There are...
, folklore
Folklore
Folklore consists of legends, music, oral history, proverbs, jokes, popular beliefs, fairy tales and customs that are the traditions of a culture, subculture, or group. It is also the set of practices through which those expressive genres are shared. The study of folklore is sometimes called...
and oral history
Oral history
Oral history is the collection and study of historical information about individuals, families, important events, or everyday life using audiotapes, videotapes, or transcriptions of planned interviews...
. He has also published poetry
Poetry
Poetry is a form of literary art in which language is used for its aesthetic and evocative qualities in addition to, or in lieu of, its apparent meaning...
, stories about historical and legendary women
Women's history
Women's history is the study of the role that women have played in history, together with the methods needed to study women. It includes the study of the history of the growth of woman's rights throughout recorded history, the examination of individual women of historical significance, and the...
of Ireland, and railroad history. In his role as a cultural
Folk culture
Folk culture refers to the lifestyle of a culture. Historically, handed down through oral tradition, it demonstrates the "old ways" over novelty and relates to a sense of community. Folk culture is quite often imbued with a sense of place...
preservationist he maintains the largest private collection of folklore in Ireland.
His first local reputation developed as an enthusiastic children's storyteller. But as his international storytelling reputation grew, he has appeared in the film, The Fairy Faith, in a series of programmes on BBC radio, and at numerous high-profile folk festivals.
Conservation activism
In the 2004 reprint of his 2003 book, Meeting the Other Crowd: The Fairy Stories of Hidden Ireland Mr. Lenihan explained his continuing dismay at the rapid lossUrbanization
Urbanization, urbanisation or urban drift is the physical growth of urban areas as a result of global change. The United Nations projected that half of the world's population would live in urban areas at the end of 2008....
of Irish cultural heritage
Cultural heritage
Cultural heritage is the legacy of physical artifacts and intangible attributes of a group or society that are inherited from past generations, maintained in the present and bestowed for the benefit of future generations...
and artifacts resulting from industrialization of rural Ireland. He described his motivation to preserve hill forts, rural dwellings and native plants in the context of general preservation of folkways. He also briefly described how his conservation ethic
Conservation ethic
Conservation is an ethic of resource use, allocation, and protection. Its primary focus is upon maintaining the health of the natural world: its, fisheries, habitats, and biological diversity. Secondary focus is on materials conservation and energy conservation, which are seen as important to...
s had come to disagreement with the centralized progressive
Progressivism
Progressivism is an umbrella term for a political ideology advocating or favoring social, political, and economic reform or changes. Progressivism is often viewed by some conservatives, constitutionalists, and libertarians to be in opposition to conservative or reactionary ideologies.The...
goals of modernist
Modernism
Modernism, in its broadest definition, is modern thought, character, or practice. More specifically, the term describes the modernist movement, its set of cultural tendencies and array of associated cultural movements, originally arising from wide-scale and far-reaching changes to Western society...
planners
Social engineering (political science)
Social engineering is a discipline in political science that refers to efforts to influence popular attitudes and social behaviors on a large scale, whether by governments or private groups. In the political arena, the counterpart of social engineering is political engineering.For various reasons,...
.
Common Hawthorn
Crataegus monogyna, known as common hawthorn or single-seeded hawthorn, is a species of hawthorn native to Europe, northwest Africa and western Asia. It has been introduced in many other parts of the world where it is an invasive weed...
tree. (The whitethorn is considered in local Irish lore, and Celtic folklore
Irish mythology
The mythology of pre-Christian Ireland did not entirely survive the conversion to Christianity, but much of it was preserved, shorn of its religious meanings, in medieval Irish literature, which represents the most extensive and best preserved of all the branch and the Historical Cycle. There are...
in general, to be sacred to the Aos Sí
Aos Sí
The aos sí are a supernatural race in Irish mythology and Scottish mythology are comparable to the fairies or elves. They are said to live underground in the fairy mounds, across the western sea, or in an invisible world that coexists with the world of humans...
- the fairy folk of Ireland.) In local tradition, this specific tree was believed to serve as the meeting place for the fairies of Munster
Munster
Munster is one of the Provinces of Ireland situated in the south of Ireland. In Ancient Ireland, it was one of the fifths ruled by a "king of over-kings" . Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, the ancient kingdoms were shired into a number of counties for administrative and judicial purposes...
whenever they prepared to ride against the fairies of Connacht
Connacht
Connacht , formerly anglicised as Connaught, is one of the Provinces of Ireland situated in the west of Ireland. In Ancient Ireland, it was one of the fifths ruled by a "king of over-kings" . Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, the ancient kingdoms were shired into a number of counties for...
. His activism and protests had made international headlines, and succeeded in altering the road project in order to spare the tree.
Mr. Lenihan is not a violent
Nonviolence
Nonviolence has two meanings. It can refer, first, to a general philosophy of abstention from violence because of moral or religious principle It can refer to the behaviour of people using nonviolent action Nonviolence has two (closely related) meanings. (1) It can refer, first, to a general...
activist
Activism
Activism consists of intentional efforts to bring about social, political, economic, or environmental change. Activism can take a wide range of forms from writing letters to newspapers or politicians, political campaigning, economic activism such as boycotts or preferentially patronizing...
. In the 1999 incident he used the tactic of mobilizing public awareness by telling the old, traditional stories that mentioned the traditional significance of the tree
Whitethorn
- Plants :* Acacia constricta, known as whitethorn acacia, a shrub in the family Fabaceae* Bursaria spinosa, a small shrub in the family Pittosporaceae* Ceanothus leucodermis a shrub in the family Rhamnaceae...
, as well as the punishments that came to those who harmed the abodes of the fairies.
Lenihan's informants
In his cultural preservation efforts Mr. Lenihan relies heavily on local informants. These individuals are (often elderly) members of the ruralRural
Rural areas or the country or countryside are areas that are not urbanized, though when large areas are described, country towns and smaller cities will be included. They have a low population density, and typically much of the land is devoted to agriculture...
community who are steeped in a tradition of oral history.
Jimmy Armstrong
Jimmy Armstrong was born in 1914 in Ballyrougham, the son of a land stewardSteward (office)
A steward is an official who is appointed by the legal ruling monarch to represent him or her in a country, and may have a mandate to govern it in his or her name; in the latter case, it roughly corresponds with the position of governor or deputy...
for a Protestant landlord
Landlord
A landlord is the owner of a house, apartment, condominium, or real estate which is rented or leased to an individual or business, who is called a tenant . When a juristic person is in this position, the term landlord is used. Other terms include lessor and owner...
. His stories of the people, places and heroes of County Clare were incorporated into the 1982 book, Long Ago by Shannonside. His importance in Lenihan's estimation was "...remarkable, then equally significant is the fact that one such man's death can deprive an area of a large part of its oral tradition at one blow".
Books
- Lenihan, Edmund; Jimmy ArmstrongJimmy ArmstrongJimmy Armstrong was a professional footballer who played for Spen Black and White, Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur, Luton Town and Bristol Rovers.- Football career :...
. Long Ago by Shannonside (1982) Mercier Press. Cork; Dublin. ISBN 978-0853426714 - Lenihan, Edmund. A Loss of Face and Other Poems (1983) Inchicronan Press. Crusheen, Co. Clare. ASIN: B0007BGLC8 OCLC: 17518025
- Lenihan, Edmund. The Portrait Gatherer (1984) Inchicronan Press. Crusheen, Co. Clare. ISBN 978-0950914015
- Lenihan, Edmund. Even Iron Men Die (1985) Inchicronan Press. Crusheen, Co. Clare. ASIN: B0006DI11Q OCLC: 33124197
- Lenihan, Edmund; Frances Boland. Stories of Old Ireland for Children (1986) (republished 1997) Mercier Press. Cork. ISBN 978-0853427773
- Lenihan, Edmund; Joseph Gervin. Strange Irish Tales for Children (1987) (republished 1992) Mercer Press. Cork. ISBN 978-0853428336
- Lenihan, Edmund. In Search of Biddy Early (1987) Learning Links. ISBN 978-0853428206
- Lenihan, Edmund. In the Tracks of the West Clare Railway (1990) Mercier Press. Cork; Dublin. (republished 1991) Irish American Book Co. ISBN 978-0853429098
- Lenihan, Edmund. Defiant Irish Women (1991) Mercier Press. Dublin. (Republished 1997) Mercier Press. Cork ISBN 978-1856351881
- Lenihan, Edmund. Ferocious Irish Women (1991) Irish American Book Co. ISBN 978-0853429777
- Lenihan, Edmund. The Devil Is an Irishman (1995) Mercier Press. ISBN 978-1856350167
- Lenihan, Edmund. A Spooky Irish Tale for Children (1996) Mercier Press. Dublin. ISBN 978-1856351508
- Lenihan, Edmund; Athena Alchazidu. Neuvěřitelná irská dobrodružství (1991) Ando. Brno. ISBN 978-8086047072 (Czech languageCzech languageCzech is a West Slavic language with about 12 million native speakers; it is the majority language in the Czech Republic and spoken by Czechs worldwide. The language was known as Bohemian in English until the late 19th century...
) - Lenihan, Edmund. Gruesome Irish Tales (1997) Mercier Press. Cork. ISBN 9781856351973
- Lenihan, Edmund. Humorous Irish tales for children (1998) Mercier Press. Cork; Dublin. ISBN 9781856352383
- Lenihan, Edmund. Wad of Notes (1998) Gem and Emerald Books. ISBN 978-0952581307
- Lenihan, Edmund. The Savage Pigs of Tulla (2000) Mercier Press. Cork; Dublin ISBN 978-1856353236
- Lenihan, Edmund. Rowdy Irish Tales for Children(2001) Mercier Press. Cork; Dublin. ISBN 978-1856353663
- Lenihan, Eddie; Carolyn Eve Green. Meeting the Other Crowd: The Fairy Stories of Hidden Ireland (2003) Gill & Macmillan. Dublin. ISBN 978-0717136599 (Republished 2004) Jeremy P. Tarcher/Putnam. New York. (Penguin edition) ISBN 978-1585423071
- Lenihan, Edmund; Alan ClarkeAlan ClarkeAlan Clarke was a television and film director, producer and writer, born in Wallasey, Merseyside, England.Most of Clarke's output was for television rather than cinema, including work for the famous play strands The Wednesday Play and Play for Today...
, Irish Tales of Mystery and Imagination (2006) Mercier Press. Cork; Dublin. ISBN 978-1856355193 (title as listed by Worldcat) - Lenihan, Eddie; Alan Clarke. Irish Tales of Mystery and Magic (2006) Mercier Press. Cork; Dublin. ISBN 978-1856355193 (title as listed by Amazon.com)
Media
- Lenihan, Edmund. Fionn MacCumhail and the Dark Pool (1983) Ceirnini Cladaig. Baile Atha Cliath, Éire. OCLC: 73342345 (Cassette Tape)
- Lenihan, Edmund. Niamh and the Giant (1984) Claddagh Records. Dublin. OCLC: 39034369 (Cassette tape)
- Lenihan, Edmund. Story Teller. (1986) Claddagh Records. Dublin. OCLC: 64861824 (Cassette Tape)
- Lenihan, Edmund Storyteller 2 (1988) Claddagh Records. Dublin. OCLC: 39034419 (Cassette tape)
- Aziz, Peter; Elizabeth Jane Baldry; Neil Boyle (II); and Hugh Boyle (III). The Fairy Faith (2001) Wellspring Media. ASIN: B00005K9OQ (Documentary DVD)
- Lenihan, Edmund; Colcannon (Musical group); Windhorse Productions. The Good People (2001) Sounds TrueSounds TrueSounds True is a multimedia publishing company based near Boulder, Colorado. It was created in 1985 by Tami Simon. The company has published approximately 1,000 titles, including spoken-word audio recordings, books, music, filmed events, multimedia packages and online educational programs from...
. Boulder. OCLC: 47106057 (Cassette Tape)
See also
- Traditional knowledgeTraditional knowledgeTraditional knowledge , indigenous knowledge , traditional environmental knowledge and local knowledge generally refer to the long-standing traditions and practices of certain regional, indigenous, or local communities. Traditional knowledge also encompasses the wisdom, knowledge, and teachings...
- Alan LomaxAlan LomaxAlan Lomax was an American folklorist and ethnomusicologist. He was one of the great field collectors of folk music of the 20th century, recording thousands of songs in the United States, Great Britain, Ireland, the Caribbean, Italy, and Spain.In his later career, Lomax advanced his theories of...
(folk music archivist) - Brothers GrimmBrothers GrimmThe Brothers Grimm , Jacob Grimm and Wilhelm Grimm , were German academics, linguists, cultural researchers, and authors who collected folklore and published several collections of it as Grimm's Fairy Tales, which became very popular...
(folklore conservators)
External links
- Eddie Lenihan - Seanchaí - Storyteller - Author's website
- "Festival Thru The Lens" - Photos and report of Lenihan's appearance at the Killala Festival 2003, Castlebar, Ireland
- Photos of Lenihan performing for schoolchildren
- Photos from Round Stone Summerfest 2007