Award Winning Irish Storyteller

Maria was the Irish Storyteller in Residence for Kerry Writers Museum from 2019 to 2022. She was the Artistic Director for the Listowel International Storytelling Festival 2020 to 2022. Maria is currently working as an archivist with Sheahan’s Storytelling Cottage in Finuge – a 300 year old traditional Rambling House in Finuge, Co. Kerry

She is a well-known popular storyteller on the storytelling circuit in Ireland and on the Cyberspace Platform. She is a well-known Bean An Tí (Irish Session Host) on the Irish Storytelling Circuit.

She is the preferred storyteller of Colette Travel Agency (the oldest existing travel agency based in the USA) for their premium storytelling experience in Cork.  Maria delivers stories of Ireland’s Ancient East, Wild Atlantic Way, the Diaspora bond with America and the impressive history of Cork City and Cobh Harbour.

Maria delivers Erasmus training in storytelling and storymaking – she will be returning to Ernst, Germany for her fourth visit to the Grammer School system in 2024 and will be taking part in an Education through Story progamme in Croatia in 2024.

An Award-Winning Irish Storyteller

• She won the longest-running Story Competition in Ireland – Finuge twice
• The Butter Roads Storytelling Competition in Blarney
• The Bealtaine Hero Award to co-create stories from gathered memories of yesteryear

Maria along with 3 other Irish Storytellers from across the island of Ireland, represented traditional Irish Storytelling genres on the World Stage at the International Storytelling Festival in Morocco in 2021 and 2023.  She was spokesperson for the Irish Camp on RTE’s Afternoon show with hosts Máire and Daithí.  Maria was Bean An Tí (host) for the Irish American Session both years.

Marrakech is a Unesco backed City of Storytelling, preserving the intangible inheritance of Storytelling. The International Storytelling Festival is supported by Mohammed VI King of Morocco.

Maria has told stories in the famous Square in Marrakech, Jemaa el-Fnaa. She has given workshops in the Schools, Universities and Museums of Marrkech and in December 2023 she preformed as the special guest of James McIntyre – the Irish Ambassador to Morocco – to showcase the diverse range of Irish Storytelling.

Marrakech