About Maria
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 2019 to 2022. Maria is currently Storyteller in Residence with Sheehan’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.
Maria holds a Guinness World Record for the longest storytelling session ever held. Her participation certificate was presented by His Excellency Dr. Lachen Mahraoui, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Morocco in Ireland.
Maria delivers Erasmus training in storytelling and storymaking, including visits to the Grammar School system in Ernst, Germany, and an Education through Story programme in Croatia.
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
Storytelling - Our traditional shared intangible inheritance
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 Marrakech and in December 2023 she performed as the special guest of James McIntyre – the Irish Ambassador to Morocco – to showcase the diverse range of Irish Storytelling.
Marrakech
What I Do
Join the Chlann
Come home to your story family. News, seasonal gatherings and a seat by the fire.
Story Circles
An ancient, communal storytelling practice for teams, families and anyone ready to feel part of something bigger.
Magical Thinking
Story and ritual for the parts of you that logic can't reach, where faith, intuition and imagination lead the way.
Corporate Storytelling
22 years turning corporate crisis into culture change: real storytelling that cut one team's staff turnover from 70% to 0%.
Drama Therapist
One-to-one and group Dramatherapy in Cork, an evidence-based creative arts therapy leaning on the healing story.
Story Shop
Story cards, seasonal treasures and gifts steeped in the old ways. Have a browse.
Book a Workshop
The Culture Guide, Story Circles and storytelling day trips. Bring the old ways to your people.
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Latest Blog
Story Bridges: A dream to connect countries through stories
I love sitting inside the walls of Sheehan’s Storytelling Cottage. Especially on those dark rainy evenings with a roaring turf fire. There are 300 years of stories in these walls, and it feels like they fall out to inhabit my internal world when I sit…
Storymaking Workshops – The Hunt Museum, Limerick
Welcome to my world on the #StoryRoad where I meet the most magical and creative people. I call my Story Business, “Story from Seeds” because amazing things can grow when we give our imaginations free reign. I am based in Cork City, Ireland - my...
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