This course will guide students in the creation of their own podcast to explore and celebrate the tradition of Irish storytelling. It would introduce students to the Irish storytelling tradition — first through readings and listenings, then through in-person interviews with Irish storytellers, musicians, and other performers in the Dingle peninsula and field visits to the real locations documented in their stories. Students will find and interview storytellers on the Dingle peninsula who can share tales of local lore and legends. Let them share their stories, then be ready to question them — what happened next? Where does this story come from? Does it remind you of any other stories? And where should I go to learn more?

Students will also identify the places on the Dingle peninsula with significance to those stories. These could be archaeological and historical sites, natural places, or cityscapes. With guidance from the instructor, brainstorm creative ways to capture sound or “set the scene” at those places. It could be as simple as birds singing or water rushing — or it could be an unexpected, lovely moment you could never capture in a classroom or studio. Students will consider creative ways to incorporate music. Is it the sound of a traditional Irish session at a crowded pub? A traditional ballad sung unaccompanied by a local — what the old collectors used to scour the countryside looking for?