I think many of us Kerry researchers, as we progressed with the search for our ancestors, have come to realize that much of the oral traditions from our ancestors - the stories, songs, music and lore, usually passed on by a "seanachaí " (story teller), ended with the departure of the emigrants who left during the so called "famine" c.1845-1850 ( A better term might be the Great Starvation.) Like those of the W.W.II holocaust, many of these survivors of the Great Hunger spoke little of the homeland they left, leaving the subsequent generations of the Irish diaspora bereft of this rich past that most of Irish decent still back home would come to expect. Maybe the following might be of use to you in that quest to recapture some of our lost heritage ...

"Maurice O'Keeffe, with thirty years experience in the antiques business in Tralee, Co. Kerry has, over a number of years, painstakingly and lovingly recorded for posterity, the rich oral heritage of the province ... encountered in the highways and byways of Munster and recorded by Maurice O'Keeffe between 1998 and 2002"

If you go to the IRISH LIFE AND LORE homepage, enter the site and click on the index to find descriptions of the CDs with many that pertain to Kerry folk, and others that may be of general interest . Here are just a couple of examples:

105. Martin Long: The traditions of turf cutting, hedge schools during the Penal days, and a great fairy story are all recalled with verve by Martin.

109. Pádraig Begley of Ballinasare, West Kerry: Wonderful memories and a story told about Tom Crean, who travelled with Shackleton to the South Pole.

Mr O'Keeffe has kindly offered a special rate for us! If you mention the IRL-KERRY LIST or COUNTY KERRY GENEALOGY SITE,  you will get a discount off the cost of each individual hour long CD from the usual € 26 Euros, to a special price for us of just € 20 Euros. Bear in mind, that CDs one purchases in shops have been produced in thousands, and sell in thousands and are presumably backed by large business interests and can sell at volume prices. So know this is not a big company, but a local Tralee, Kerry small business and that the CDs have been produced, printed, mixed and mastered, with all related expense, by Mr O'Keeffe and his wife Jane.

Please know also, this is a discount for our Kerry reseachers,  theres nothing in it for our non profit Kerry site and mailing list! So go here and remember to mention us:

IRISH LIFE AND LORE HOMEPAGE