About Into The Mythic - Ancient Irish Stories for Modern Times
Join us as we journey back and find new meanings in some very ancient stories. Leeanne O Donnell and Pol O Colmain revisit Ireland's ancient legends with fresh ears - peeling back the layers to uncover what resonance these stories might have for us now in the 21st Century. Some stories endure for thousands of years and these ones have - so what are they trying to tell us ?
This series is made possible by the kind sponsorship of our friends at Wild Goose Studio. https://wildgoosestudio.com.
We have a new series of bonus podcasts about the fascinating Brehon laws of Ancient Ireland available over on Patreon https://patreon.com/IntotheMythic?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLink
Into the Mythic is recorded at the Working Artist's Studio in Ballydehob. Presented and produced by Leeanne O Donnell.
Music composed and performed by Pol and Dubhaltach O Colmain @workingartiststudios
Leeanne's first novel Sparks of Bright Matter is out now - in all good bookshops, on kindle and as an audiobook on Audible and Spotify.
Publisher
Leeanne O' Donnell
Category
history · religion & spirituality · society & culture
Caves in the Irish Mythic Imagination: Truth in the Darkness
The bards and poets of Ancient Ireland believed that being in the dark helped them access the truth. In this episode we explore the role of caves in the Irish Mythic imagination. We discuss the stories surround the legendary Oweynagat Cave in Co Roscommon and the concept of alternate realties existing along side our own.
7 Mar 2026
Wintering, Bog Bodies and Marrying the Land
How did people winter in ancient Ireland and how did their understanding of the land and the seasons feed into the myths and legends of this society ? This wide ranging conversation takes us from Bog Bodies to Newgrange with few good stories along the way. If you've enjoyed what we've been doing with the podcast please come and support us on Patreon for lots more about the mythic world of ancient Ireland. https://www.patreon.com/cw/IntotheMythic Recorded at the Working Artists Stu...
5 Nov 2025
Into the Mythic Live Halloween Special 'Samhain and the Cailleach'
Get in touch wIth us ! A special Halloween episode exploring the origins of the Cailleach. An exploration of this incredibly potent female archetype in Irish Mythology. More than a witch, more than a hag, she takes us right back to the origin of humanity. Recorded in front of a live audience at the Bandon Banshee Festival Oct 2025
29 Oct 2024
Episode 9 : Mythical, Mystical Islands
Get in touch wIth us ! Exciting news! We are running a special online course this winter. A live interactive experience with Into the Mythic hosts Pol and Leeanne. From 6 weeks from Samhain to Winter Solstice we invite you to join us online to be nourished and entertained by the magical stories of Ireland’s ancient culture. Find out more and book your place at https://www.leeanneodonnell.com/store/p/into-the-mythic-online-course Episode 9 : This week Pol tells us about mysterious islan...
4 Oct 2024
Episode 8: The Perfect Wife
Get in touch wIth us ! In this story a radiant otherworldly woman emerges from the woods to marry an ordinary man .... with disastrous consequences .... Come Into the Mythic with us ! Find out more about our live interactive course on Irish Mythology this winter at https://www.leeanneodonnell.com/store/p/into-the-mythic-online-course
9 Jul 2024
Episode 7 : The Sun God and the River Goddess
Get in touch wIth us ! We are very happy to be back with a second season of Into the Mythic thanks to the sponsorship of our friends at WildGooseStudio.com in Kinsale. This week's story concerns two very ancient divine beings from Irish Mythology - Dagda and Boinne, who are two important characters in the stories about the Tuatha De Dannan. It seems that origins of this story go right back to the culture that built Newgrange. Come Into the Mythic with us ! Find out more about our live interac...
13 Jun 2024
Into the Mythic Update
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10 May 2023
Episode 6 - Sideways to the Sun
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Where did the ancient inhabitants of Ireland come from and why did they end up here ? This week's story is an ancient epic about the Sons of Mil and the Tuatha De Dannan. It's a story full of magic - and if you've ever felt that Ireland is a place where the veil between the worlds can be very thin then this week's episode offers some mythological context !
29 Mar 2023
Episode 5 : The Mystic and the Monk
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This week's story is about an unlikely meeting between a female mystic and a monk. Written down 1600 years ago it contains elements that date back even further ... and it has inspired some beautiful 21st century poetry that gives a whole new twist to the tale ...
27 Feb 2023
Intro
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Join us as we find out what resonances our ancient stories have for us today
1 Feb 2023
Episode 4 : Brotherly Love - Can it Survive a War ?
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This Irish myth explores what happens when two friends get caught up on opposing sides of a war .... as their destines are shaped by forces much bigger than either of them what can survive of their brotherly love ?
31 Jan 2023
Episode 1: The King's Secret - An ancient Irish myth with a modern message
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The weight of carrying a terrible secret about his King causes a young man to sicken to the point of death. In this ancient Irish myth, a magical tree and the power of music combine to bring about a resolution to what seems like an impossible problem.
31 Jan 2023
Episode 2 : The Birdman - A Curse or a Blessing ?
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A curse or a blessing ? An Irish Chieftain resists the arrival of Christianity and is turned into a bird .... Sweeney must leave his home and family behind and live like a bird in the wild woodlands of ancient Ireland.
31 Jan 2023
Episode 3 : All's Fair in Love And War - Or Is It ?
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In this ancient Irish story a powerful chieftain and a young warrior fall in love with the same beautiful woman .... in the love triangle that ensues honour is compromised and hearts are broken.
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Apple Podcasts (US)
4.9 / 5
45 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
21 ratings
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