A land of stories and storytellers

READING is hugely beneficial, but sure you don’t need me to tell that. Both from an educational point of view and for your mental health it’s a win-win past time. Non-fiction helps us learn whilst fiction helps us escape. I’ve more books than feckin Waterstones, so hubby says, and I can’t and won’t part with them. Books are precious to me. The way some women love shoes and bags; I love books. Reading is such a simple pleasure and with so much competition for our attention in everyday life, it may seem easier to browse on your phone or watch TV than lift a book. Research has shown that you activate more parts of your brain when reading, strengthening it, helping you process information more effectively. It also reduces stress and lowers blood pressure and your heart rate after just a few minutes. So there you go! What more do I need to say to convince you?

I’ve usually got a couple of books on the go at any one time. And it won’t come as a surprise that I have a bias for Irish writers. I’ve just finished a belter of a book, a work of non-fiction called, Irish by John Burrowes. This is the true story of mass migration to Glasgow following the Great Hunger and Burrowes doesn’t sugarcoat a thing let me tell you. From the horrors of the ships that sailed up the River Clyde with bodies packed both above and below deck, to the abject poverty these people lived in in the Glasgow slums, he tells the story so vividly of how the Irish impacted and changed the face of Glasgow—the contribution made by Irish labourers to the industrial revolution, to the formation of Celtic Football Club and the building of some of Glasgow’s most beautiful chapels. But it’s not all a doom and gloom tale, although there were moments of struggle. There’s much humour to be had in his storytelling too; as well as a good education of our social history.

Sat on my bedside table along with Irish is Katriona O’Sullivan’s book, Poor, a must read for those who enjoy a true story of resilience. This is Katriona’s own story about being brought up in real poverty in Coventry with four other siblings and a mum and dad who were drug addicts and alcoholics. Her Irish daddy ended up in jail more than once which left them with an addict mum who struggled to cope. She was exposed to and endured things no child should ever have to face. On top of that her mum was forced into prostitution due to their lack of money. But all’s well that ends well and there’s a wonderful ending to this story, so don’t despair. Through the kindness of teachers, friends and even strangers, Katriona got onto the Trinity College access programme and is now Dr Katriona O’Sullivan (above) with a PhD in psychology, a teacher and an established writer. So this is a real story of triumph over adversity and the courage of the human spirit. Something that was there from the get go was Katriona’s love of books. They sustained her. Took her away from the everyday misery and trials she faced. They were her escape.

Play it again

Alongside my passion for books I enjoy a good play. This weekend myself and hubby took a run up to Dundee Rep Theatre to see Doubt. A Parable, written by John Patrick Shanley. Shanley is an Irish-American writer who was born and raised in the Bronx and has won countless literary awards as well as an Academy Award for his screenplay, Moonstruck and a Pulitzer and a Tony Award for Doubt. A Parable. Moonstruck was his inaugural success story in 1987. How could any of us forget Cher’s hilarious portrayal of Loretta Castorini, an Italian-American widow who ends up falling for her new fiance’s brother, played by Nicolas Cage. Shanley reckons growing up in the Bronx, he was able to draw from his life experiences and being surrounded by passionate Italian-Americans who talked a lot, he was able to create authentic characters and find real inspiration for the story.

So when I first read Doubt. A Parable I wondered yet again, was this story also inspired by his own childhood? It is also set in the Bronx in the 1960s in a Catholic school. Shanley attended a Catholic school but insists the plays themes of morality and the power of doubt were deeply rooted in his own upbringing and personal observations of how societal beliefs can be challenged. The story surrounds an older nun, Sr Aloysius who casts doubt on the moral behaviour of Fr Flynn, the parish priest who is also a teacher in the school. It’s a situation where faith, power and suspicion collide, but despite there being no concrete evidence of any wrongdoing, we the audience are carried along on a journey with Sr Aloysius, one that is filled with doubt. We are sucked into her narrative and like any other snippet of gossip, if we’re told something often enough and with real intent, it might seem easier to go along with the belief that where’s there’s smoke there’s fire; there must be something in it.

I remember the Hollywood movie well. Meryl Streep played Sr Aloysius and Philip Seymour Hoffman played Fr Flynn. Their on screen chemistry was explosive to say the least and the film was nominated for five Oscars in total, including Best Film, Best Actress, Meryl Streep, Best Actor Philip Seymour Hoffman and best supporting actors, Amy Adams and Viola Davis.

Many years ago Shanley returned to his father’s home place in Mullingar and subsequently wrote a play called Outside Mullingar about a father who threatens to disinherit his only son and leave his farm to his American cousins. Sound familiar? Well it should. It was also given the Hollywood treatment and made into a movie called Wild Mountain Thyme, starring Emily Blunt and Jamie Dornan. It didn’t quite meet the Oscar sensation of Doubt or Moonstruck and it turned out to be a bit of a cinematic flop, but the original play highlights a stark reality that is all too common in Ireland. Land and who it’s left to causes family feuds like no other, which never ceases to astound me. Siblings battling it out for a few acres and entire families ripped apart by nothing but greed and hatred.

Once again, Shanley has the theme of morality at the heart of this story and is unafraid of getting his fingernails dirty when digging deeper into bad familial behaviours and human flaws. A wise man once said to me: “There’s no pockets in a shroud!” And how true is that eh? Sure we can’t take it with us, so what’s the point? Is a bit of green grass or a few bricks and mortar really worth losing family over? Not a bit of it.

Storytelling tradition

Ireland has a long and storied history of exceptionally gifted writers, from the likes of James Joyce to Maeve Binchy, John Boyne and more recently the likes of Sally Rooney. And they all have something in common, this innate gift of being able to tell a good story. I’ve asked myself this question on more than one occasion, what is it about the Irish that makes us such brilliant storytellers? Storytelling has been a long standing oral tradition, long before the introduction of writing, where stories were passed down from generation to generation. This tradition, coupled with a cultural value for the spoken word has helped emphasise the memory, vivid language and power of the spoken word. ‘Seanchai’ is the Irish word for storyteller. People who travelled from town to town sharing stories and preserving Irish history and folklore. And of course when the written word came into play, those same stories were documented and passed down.

Everyone has a story in them, of that I’m convinced. We’ve all had to deal with loss, grief, lifes’ adversities and trials, and one of the most cathartic things anyone can do is sit down and write it out. Considering Ireland’s history, it’s no wonder they have produced such prolific writers. But sure isn’t it the same for every day communication? The written word holds so much more power.

“If you have words, there’s always a chance you’ll find your way.” (Seamus Heaney)

L J Sexton, mum of four, returned to university to pursue her passion for the written word. She achieved her Honours Degree in English Literature and Creative Writing and hasn't stopped writing since. Lyn is born of Irish parents and lived in Donegal for eight years. She is also the press officer for Irish Minstrels CCÉ music group based in St Roch’s Secondary School