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Stories and folklore at annual Sneem festival

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7 years ago

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TIME FOR A STORY: Sneem storyteller Batt Burns, founder of the Sneem International Storytelling & Folklore Festival which takes place from tomorrow.

Storytellers from the UK and Ireland will gather over the coming days for the eighth annual Sneem International Storytelling & Folklore Festival, which takes place from November 8 -10.

Legendary singer/songwriter Jimmy Crowley, Fionn Foley in the award-winning one-man-play ‘Brendan Galileo For Europe’, The Story Swap Sessions and The Young Tellers Concert are just some of the delights planned.

This unique festival in the picturesque village of Sneem has become an established purveyor of the ancient art of yarn-spinning with the tradition being kept alive by young and old.

All featured tellers, including Northern Ireland’s Liz Weir, London-based Cork storyteller and author Kate Corkery, Tom Moore (Kerry), Paddy Regan (Cork) and festival founder Batt Burns are lining out at tomorrow night’s storytelling concert along with legendary songsmith Jimmy Crowley. Saturday night will see a double bill featuring Fionn Fagan’s 2018 Fringe Festival award-winning solo show ‘Brendan Galileo For Europe’ which will be preceded by Kate Corkery’s ‘Sweetshop on the Shore’.

Other festival highlights include a Young Tellers concert, featuring three Fleadh Cheoil na h-Eireann champions from the same family, lunchtime theatre – ‘An Enemy of the People’ by Henry Ibsen, a pub trail featuring Kerry’s Sonny Egan, folklore lectures, The Story Swap Sessions hosted by Killian Burns where amateur tellers get their chance and storytelling in an 18th century barn, making this festival weekend a gift for anyone who likes to be wowed by the power of words. The 15th Kerry Sneem Scouts Group will also host over 400 scouts from all over Kerry in Sneem to coincide with the festival.

“The spoken word is back with a bang which is reflected in the growing interest in our festival with tellers as young as 12 and more as old as the hills sharing stories,” founder and Sneem Seanchai Batt Burns said. “It’s great to see people from all walks of life making the trip to Sneem to enjoy our most ancient tradition. Our mission was always to provide a platform for people of all competencies to tell and it’s reassuring to see that, despite modern-day distractions, there is an enthusiastic listening audience out there.”

You can find the full programme on www.sneemstorytellingfestival.com.

 

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Sinn Féin to host public meeting on cost of living at Killarney Heights Hotel

Sinn Féin deputy leader Pearse Doherty will host a public meeting on the costs of living and housing crises at the Killarney Heights Hotel on Thursday, May 28 at 8pm. […]

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19 hours ago

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25 May 2026

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Sinn Féin deputy leader Pearse Doherty will host a public meeting on the costs of living and housing crises at the Killarney Heights Hotel on Thursday, May 28 at 8pm.

The Donegal TD will be joined by Kerry TD Pa Daly to discuss the economic pressures facing local households and the policy changes needed to provide financial relief. The main focus of the evening will center on the barriers preventing local people from buying their own homes, alongside broader costs of living challenges.
Speaking exclusively to the Killarney Advertiser ahead of his visit, Deputy Doherty said workers and families across Kerry are being squeezed from every direction by rising weekly shops, high energy bills, increasing insurance premiums, and substantial housing costs.
“Young people are losing hope that they will ever own a home in the county where they were raised,” Deputy Doherty said. “And while all of this is happening, the government is sitting on billions in budget surpluses while telling struggling families to wait. It is simply not good enough.”
The Sinn Féin finance spokesperson highlighted specific regional factors making the crisis acute in County Kerry, particularly regarding home heating costs.
“Almost 59% of homes in Kerry rely on home heating oil, which is nearly double the state average of 34%,” he said. “That means families across the county are far more exposed to soaring fuel costs than households in many other parts of the state. Yet the government withdrew supports that were helping households keep the lights on and heat their homes.”
Deputy Doherty noted that the housing situation in Kerry has moved beyond a social issue and is now impacting the local economy and communities. He pointed to figures showing average rents in the county have reached €1,493 per month, with exceptionally low market availability.
“At the time of writing, there were only 27 properties available online to rent across the entire county. Only 19 were below €2,000 a month and just five were available for less than €1,500. A county the size of Kerry, and only five rental properties affordable to someone on an ordinary income,” he said.
He also raised concerns for first-time buyers, noting that average house prices in Kerry have climbed to €296,000, representing an increase of €33,500 in a single year.
During the meeting, the Sinn Féin representatives will outline their party’s alternative proposals. These include a state-led program of affordable home building, a ban on excessive rent increases, enhanced protections for renters, and immediate energy credits and tax relief for workers.
“The resources exist to do this,” Deputy Doherty added. “The government’s own figures show billions in surplus funds available to the state. The issue is not a lack of money. The issue is political choice.”
The meeting is open to all members of the public, and a discussion session will follow the main presentations.

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National Park hosts weekend Bioblitz for National Biodiversity Week

Killarney National Park is taking centre stage for the final weekend of National Biodiversity Week, with the public being urged to get outdoor and explore the local environment. Today, Friday, […]

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21 hours ago

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25 May 2026

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Killarney National Park is taking centre stage for the final weekend of National Biodiversity Week, with the public being urged to get outdoor and explore the local environment.

Today, Friday, May 22, marks the UN International Day for Biological Diversity, and a series of free events will run across the park until the national celebration concludes this Sunday, May 24.
The highlight of the weekend is the Killarney National Park Bioblitz. This event brings families, nature lovers, and community volunteers together to find, identify, and record as many different plant and animal species as possible across the park’s diverse habitats over the next three days.
Christopher O’Sullivan, Minister for Nature, Heritage and Biodiversity, encouraged locals and visitors alike to utiliSe the final days of the festival to experience the area’s unique wildlife, referencing Killarney’s native habitats as key areas the state is working to protect.
Niall Ó Donnchú, Director General of the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS), noted that the week is designed to remind people that native plants, woodlands, and rivers are vital systems that make life possible. OrganiSers are encouraging anyone in the locality to head out to Killarney National Park before Sunday evening to participate in the species count and support local conservation efforts.

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