OLD IRISH

Program 04-03-14-A

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To The Best of Our Knowledge
from Wisconsin Public Radio

If you ever find yourself on a dark country road in Ireland, bring along some salt, red thread, and a cross. That's what you'll need to protect yourself from "the other crowd." In this hour of To the Best of Our Knowledge, the fairies of Ireland. They're magical, vengeful, and still alive and well on the Emerald Isle. Also, we'll explore sean-nos, the ancient song tradition of Ireland. And the fight to preserve the Irish language.

SEGMENT 1:

Philip Freeman is the author of Saint Patrick of Ireland: A Biography. He tells Anne Strainchamps that Patrick was enslaved by Irish raiders, escaped back to England, then returned to Ireland because of a vision and devoted himself to converting the Irish. Driving out the snakes is a myth, but Patrick was fierce in his devotion to the Irish, especially the women. Also, Jim Fleming talks with Mairin Ui Cheide, a sean-nos singer. Sean-nos is old-style traditional singing where songs usually tell a story. The tradition is fading as the old singers die off, but younger singers like Mairin hope to keep it alive for awhile longer.

SEGMENT 2:

Meaiti Jo Sheamuis is the host of a traditional Irish music show on RTE, the Irish language radio network. He's also an evangelist for the Irish language. He tells Jim Fleming that he grew up speaking Irish and couldn't speak or understand English until he was 15. He talks about the history of the Irish language and the reasons why it's especially threatened now, despite the political and cultural freedom in Ireland.

SEGMENT 3:

Eddie Lenihan is the author of The Other Crowd, a book about the tradition of fairies in Ireland. From his home in County Clare, he tells Steve Paulson that Irish fairies are violent and dangerous and that people believe in them still. And he tells how to protect yourself from fairies.

Cassette copies are available at 1-800-747-7444. Ask for program number 04-03-14-A.

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Books:

• Philip Freeman, Saint Patrick of Ireland: A Biography
• Eddie Lenihan & Carolyn Eve Green, Meeting the Other Crowd: The Fairy Stories of Hidden Ireland (Tarcher/Putnam)

Links:

• www.rte.ie Radio Telefís Éireann (RTÉ)
• http://www.rte.ie/rnag/english/about.html (RnaG, which is the Irish language station where Meaiti Jo Sheamuis works)

Music:

• -It's Saint Patrick's Day/ NRBQ/ "You're Nice People You Are"/ Rounder
  
• -The Bonny Laboring Boy/ The Boys of the Lough/ "Far and Back Again: Keepers Celtic Morning Show Favorite"/ mpr
  
• -Johnny Armstrong/ Maggie Sansone/ "Celtic Meditations: Into the Light"/Maggie's Music -The Heathery Cruach"/ Altan/ "The Best of Altan"/ GreenLinnet -Fairly Shot of Her/ Clannad/ "A Magical Gathering: The Clannad Anthrology"/ Rhino
  

Distribution dates:

week of 03/20/2005 - hour 2 week of 03/14/2004 - hour 1

Listen!

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Questions and comments can be addressed to: flemingj@wpr.org

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