New! Irish audio stories for a wider audience. 2: The Gilla Dacair and his ugly horse.
June 15, 2025 · 23 min
A Finn MacCumhail story
Suggested age range: 9 and on up!
In this hilarious tale we take a canter through a Fenian tale of surly servants, a seabound horse, , hairy horrors and a battle with the High-King of the World. All in a day’s work for Finn and the Fianna.
Practical bits
Part 2 begins at 8 mins 35
Part 3 begins at 17 mins 34
For adults: Explore this link for a lot more on the original tale.
Irish mythological and hero tales were not originally written for a young audience. No they were intended for an adult audience gathered together at feasts, Óenachs and to mark special events,. Younsters may well have been present, may have enjoyed them, but they weren't considered juvenelia.
However they contain so much that younger audience will enjoy. They are full of adventures and wonders. They have characters, both male and female who show courage, compassion, ans comeradeship and who demonstrate a sense of wonder, a sense of purpose, and, most definitely a sense of humour.
I tell all of these stories regularly in schools and libraries. I have also recorded them as audio stories and I am happy to share them. Why? Well first they need to be shared. Second, I love audiobooks. As a story teller, I think these stories work best in this format.
Have fun. Chris