This Irish-language essay centres on the heroic story Conall Gulban, of which some
sixty versions were collected from Irish storytellers in the twentieth century.
While the story’s connection to medieval
romantic tales, European folklore and older Irish storytelling, as well as
Conall’s origins in Irish historical tradition concerning the fifth century
have already been amply demonstrated, this article looks at how these various
influences on the story have been shaped into specific narratives by examining
just three versions. One of these was collected from the Co. Clare storyteller,
Stiofán Ó hEalaoire in 1930; the second was collected from the Co. Kerry (Uíbh
Ráthach) storyteller Seán Ó Conaill in 1927; and the third was collected from
Muiris Ó Conchúbhair (Maurice Sheáin Connor), also in Co. Kerry (Corca
Dhuibhne) in 1946. Looking at these three texts together shows that despite the
story’s complex origins and complicated history, each version forms a distinct
narrative, with an atmosphere and style that is maintained throughout. Ó
hEalaoire’s story is one of larger-than-life heroic deeds and slapstick humour,
with echoes of the older Irish storytelling tradition. Seán Ó Conaill’s version
is neatly balanced between romance, heroism and humour, and is the one which
most clearly demonstrates the story’s relationship to medieval romance.
Connor’s narrative embodies the values and world-view of the Märchen, with much more dialogue and a
localised setting rich in social and material ethnographic detail. The hero himself also evolves from version to
version: in the third he is noticeably smaller than in the first, but he is
much more talkative and sociable. In the elements of old Irish storytelling,
medieval literature and Indo-European folktales present in these three texts we
can not only discern important strands of influence on the Irish folk
repertoire, but we can also see how these various cultural strands were shaped
in different ways in the Irish storytelling tradition.