With my time in Italy coming to a close, I was lucky enough to explore the island of Sardinia with author and storyteller Enedina Sanna who showed me around ancient Nuraghes and tombs dating back millennia. From the Nuragic civilisation dating back to the 18th century BC it was quite something to really take a step back in time, and imagine the world in which they lived in.

The short video below shows me talking about cave art (the roof caved in centuries ago) that would have made up a tomb.

As well as taking in ancient history from the Bronze Age, it was also a great excuse to record a few stories. While we were travelling the countryside, there was not only white thorn bushes (sceach in Irish) – fairy trees – but also fairy caves and other dwellings – we’ll get to those in a later post.

The video below is the first story I ever told (and first time recording it). It was originally based on a short tale told by an ‘oul fella’ out Kerry direction, but this story got the Glens of Antrim angle added to it as it was told.

Another one, probably of Kerry/Galway/Clare origin is the second story I recorded, which I tend to call my ‘part two’ of experiences with the fairies back home. Under a very healthy ash tree it was hard not to include one about hurling and the fairies.

It’s funny how the more these stories are told, the more they change from what they originally were and the much more …culchie (country person in Ireland) they get, even down to the vocabulary used.

Plenty more to come from me and the fairies…