Review: The Irish Mythology Podcast

Day five of Seven Reviews in Seven Days. I’m amazed I’ve been able to do this, and also really glad. I needed a jump start, and I think here is where I have it.

I was not a Percy Jackson kid, but I also wasn’t not a Percy Jackson kid. I’ve always had this back and forth passing love of any sort of mythology that caught my fancy. Egyptian mythology for a little while, Greek mythology for another bit. The one I could never get my hands on though was Irish Mythology. As I am recently past my resurgence of a Greek Mythology phase (thank you, Lore Olympus, Hades and Let’s Talk About Myths, Baby!) I considered again: Irish mythology is often out of my grasp.

To podcasts, I turn. Almost every time, I am not disappointed. For this curiosity of mine, I have found the Irish Mythology Podcast. An indie podcast funded in part by Patreon, this is a good podcast to start getting your feet wet with Irish mythology. It’s only frustrating when you happen to find them towards the end of a hiatus- they’re back though and I find their episodes increasingly good.

A podcast that takes you through various stories of Irish myth. The thing to know is that much of this mythology wasn’t written down until Christians came around to do it. So much of what we happen to have is through this lens. Years of study have helped, and our hosts Marcas Ó hUiscín and Stephanie Ní Thiarnaigh do an excellent job of piecing together these stories.

The writing is well done, and the delivery is engaging. I really think they do a good job of getting you through some of the difficult parts. The Irish language isn’t familiar to many ears, and I never feel off-put when Marcas and Stephanie are presenting their episodes. They are gentle, and entertaining with their presentations - between the twisting storylines and the language barrier, these two hosts pull off a feat. This podcast isn’t for people who know Irish mythology- it’s for those who don’t- or people who just want to listen to the stories again.

I seriously recommend that listeners start with the backlog instead of jumping in. There are some one or two stand-alone episodes for special occasions, but many stories twist around each other in a way that makes it easier to start from earlier on in the series. I have been a little lost listening to the newer episodes that tie together- just because I personally, do not have a good grasp on characters. This isn’t like jumping into a much

Every episode is filled with love and joy that I really appreciate as a listener. While the production quality is not the highest- it’s constantly getting better. It is warm and homey to listen to. I really feel like you’re sitting there and a friend is explaining something they’re passionate about to you. This is one of those podcasts where I like that you can tell that people are doing this because they love the content. Many people are turned off by these independent podcasts- but I want to encourage everyone to give them a chance. This is a podcast we need to support to keep moving forward, and I think their trajectory is nothing but up.

Thank you for reading day five of Seven Reviews in Seven Days. To listen to The Irish Mythology Podcast: Link Here.

Please remember, this is not an official escapade, only one to kick me into gear after a really awkward July. Please subscribe if you want monthly updates of what I’m doing, or follow me on Instagram and Twitter for more day-to-day nonsense.