There was no shortage of stories to be told around Joyce Country over the Bank Holiday Weekend – thanks to the inaugural ‘Stone Mad’ Storytelling Festival that brought the crowds to venues around Clonbur, Cong, Ballinrobe, Finney, The Neale, and elsewhere.

All were treated to the varied genres of the art of storytelling – from professional storytellers, ‘walk and talk’ history strolls, music, film and drama … all with the odd cup of tea, or stronger, in hand!

Local groups hosted and participated in the activities – including local Women’s/Men’s Sheds, Ciorcail Comhrá, writers’ groups, primary schools and community groups in the Geopark area.

This inaugural running of the festival emerged from the partnership of the Mourne, Gullion and Strangford Geopark in County Down and the Joyce Country and Western Lakes Geopark.

With support from the Shared Island fund at the Department of Foreign Affairs, the two Geoparks have engaged with each other over the last couple of years to set up useful channels of transfer of know-how and methods and models by which a Geopark can evolve a positive economic dividend for its participating communities.

The Gathering – the storytelling festival that takes place in Hilltown, Co Down, in early March each year – provided the inspiration on how to cleverly exploit and blend the various genres of storytelling and bring it to audiences in a totally different and most engaging way.

The organisers of that event assisted the Joyce Country Geopark partners to put on their own festival over three days and nights – bringing outstanding performers with them to showcase their talent and delight audiences in South Mayo and the Joyce Country.

Top of that list was the renowned Colm Sands to deliver his endearing blend of music and humour along with professional storyteller, Sinéad McAleavey in The Larches, Finney on Sunday evening.

Other accomplished storytellers performing at the Stone Mad Storytelling Festival included Fiona Dowling, Rab Fulton, Ruth Marshall, Orla McGovern, Balor Underworld and Máirín Mhic Lochlainn.

Pictured at the launch of Stone Mad, the Joyce Country and Western Lakes Geopark inaugural Storytelling Festival, were (from left) Joyce Country and Western Lakes Geopark manager Michael Hegarty; Ballinrobe CDC chairman Frank Keane; Cathaoirleach of Claremorris/Swinford Municipal District Cllr Damian Ryan, Committee member Joe Greaney; GeoEnterprise Chairperson Trish Walsh; Cllr Michael Burke; Committee member Geraldine Morris, and Cllr Andrew Reddington. Pic: Trish Forde