Before the advent of radio and TV, people in Ireland had to use their own imagination a bit more often to keep themselves entertained, with local storytellers regarded as celebrities for their ability to regale neighbors with Irish folklore and traditional tales.

Some would say that this old storytelling tradition is no longer as vibrant as it once was, but the abilities of these Co Wexford students would seem to prove them wrong.

It’s evident that the reign of Netflix and hours of TV haven’t ruined the storytelling talents of these young lads from Coláiste Abbain in Adamstown, as back in 2016 they retold stories of the banshee and the devil himself that had been passed down to them by their older relatives.

Irish folklore (“Béaloideas”, meaning “mouth education”, i.e., learning passed on by listening alone) is one of the richest in the world, and it helps that many Irish people also have a knack for a bit of showmanship as they tell their tale as well.

These few short tales were compiled as part of a project by Michael Fortune titled “My People, My Place.”

As part of an intergenerational folklore collection project, Fortune interviewed first- and second-year secondary school students at Coláiste Abbain between April and May 2015, highlighting the rich oral history and storytelling characters still present in Ireland today.

Fortune also carried out interviews with Raheen Active Retirement Group in Co. Wexford in 2006, as part of a subproject called “That’s what we were told anyway …”, collecting local folklore and stories from the older Wexford generation.

From “Strange Happenings” to “Customs and Superstitions,” you can just imagine yourself sitting with a cup of tea and a piece of soda bread, laughing and joking with family and friends over stories heard a hundred times over but that never get old.

* Originally published in January 2016 and updated in December 2025.