Bluiríní Béaloidis is a podcast from the National Folklore Collection at University College Dublin. It explores the rich landscape of Irish and European folk traditions. Each episode journeys through diverse cultural narratives, revealing how understanding our traditional heritage can illuminate our present and guide our future. By uncovering the stories, beliefs, and practices embedded in folklore, the podcast invites listeners to discover the depth and complexity of our shared cultural inheritance.

Peig Sayers
"Long as the day is, night comes, and alas, the night is coming for me too... Someone else will have pastime out of my work when I'm gone on the way of truth. A person here and a person there will say, maybe, 'Who was that Peig Sayers?' but poor Peig will be the length of their shout from them."

This poignant quote from Peig Sayers (1873-1958) captures both her awareness of mortality and her understanding of how storytellers live on through their narratives. For this episode of Blúiríní Béaloidis, hosts from Ireland's National Folklore Collection dedicate their exploration to a single remarkable individual whose life exemplifies the power and significance of the oral tradition.

Mairéad 'Peig' Sayers stands as one of Ireland's most significant tradition bearers, known for her masterful storytelling that expressed "the wisdom of the many in the wit of the few." Born on the mainland but married into the isolated Blasket Islands community off Ireland's southwest coast, Peig preserved hundreds of folk tales, songs, prayers, and poems that might otherwise have been lost.

Ironically, as noted by scholar Irene Lucchitti, Peig's printed autobiographies later "experienced a decline in reputation, suffering critical disdain and schoolyard ridicule" when they became required reading in Irish schools. This mixed reception reflects the complex relationship between oral tradition and literary representation, and between lived experience and cultural symbolism.

Nearly sixty-five years after her death, this programme aims to reintroduce Peig to new audiences who might find in her storytelling a source of insight and inspiration. By examining her life and work, we gain understanding of how individual tradition bearers serve as crucial links in the chain of cultural transmission, adapting ancient narratives to speak to contemporary concerns while preserving their essential power.