S2 Ep2: Crossing the Lough

At the narrows between Omeath and Warrenpoint, ferry boats once carried folks across Carlingford Lough. In wartime, the passengers might have carried a piece of butter or bag of sugar up their sleeve. Stories such as these inspired a community-engaged art project using driftwood and bits and pieces found on the beach around the lough.

All sorts of stories wash up on the shores of the Irish Sea; some are just a bit of fun, but others are vital in informing how we consider the landscapes and seascapes around us. In this episode, we hear about seaweed foraging and the ways that language holds our knowledge of the land and sea; the ways that coastal communities have depended on their shores for generations; and how once upon a time someone drove a car into the middle of Carlingford Lough.

Steve Lally has been working as an international storyteller and bestselling author for fifteen years. He has recently worked with the Shifting Tides project to create socially engaged sculptures inspired by stories of smuggling between Omeath and Warrenpoint.

Samuel Arnold Keane is a forager, illustrator, and performer, merging various art forms to tell the stories of the seaweeds, coasts, and streets he gathers, wades, and walks. At the essence of his creative practice is a passion for the natural world, to share this with others through image, performance, song and word.

Stories are told by Ian Sherry, Roisin Mulligan, and Anne McKeown, recorded by Declan Mallon and Steve Lally.

To read more about the work of Samuel Arnold Keane and Danae Wollen, take a look at their interview for the Shifting Tides Blog, Duileasc: Foraging as Activism, or read about our ancient links to seaweed in this article published by The Irish Times. Steve Lally has also published a number of books including Down Folk Tales and Irish Gothic Fairy Stories.