Children’s Event
Sunday, 16 November 2025 at 11am
The James Joyce Centre was pleased to host this family-friendly, authentic storytelling experience as young and old wereinvited to re-connect with their storytelling roots at Fable Family Festival on Sunday, 16 November.
Fable celebrates the power of storytelling, inspiring the next generation of seanchaí by re-imagining the traditional storytelling experience in ambitious and imaginative ways that engage young and curious audiences.
It was a magical day of storytelling, workshops, and creative activities for children. Families enjoyed fireside stories, songs, and tall tales with actor, singer, and storyteller Wren Dennehy and friends, where children sang along to the tale of Molly Malone and watched the Púca come to life in word and song.
Our seanchaís brought colourful myths reimagined for modern ears, including the specially commissioned story by children’s writer Dave Rudden, The Salmon of Knowledge, which celebrates wisdom, curiosity, perseverance, and the joy of sharing knowledge.
Children also joined Animal Story Time Yoga, where they moved and played like their favourite animal friends, imagining fantastic creatures and bringing their stories to life on the mat in a supportive and inclusive environment. In What’s Your Tall Tale, children worked with a storyteller to reconnect with Ireland’s rich storytelling tradition, creating their own tall tales through imagery and words.
In theatre and improv workshops with Dublin City Libraries’ Storyteller in Residence Aisling Breen, kids became storytellers themselves, using drama games, movement, and playful improvisation to develop characters, scenes, and adventures on stage. Finally, children celebrated heroes through art with acclaimed artist Kiki Na Art, designing and creating artworks inspired by mythic legends or real-life heroes.
Fable on Film featured Seanchai recordings of mythic stories which families visited throughout the day.
Children dove into creativity at Arts & Crafts: Create Your Own Salmon of Knowledge, where they crafted their own Salmon of Knowledge using recycled materials, paint, and imagination, celebrating wisdom, curiosity, and the joy of discovery through art. Alongside this, the Spellcasting Stand offered a magical space where storytelling and play werecombined as a tool for well-being, encouraging imagination and mindfulness.
For those who could not attend in person, the Fable Podcast offers accessible portals to ancient Ireland, featuring the 2025 unique adaptation of the Salmon of Knowledge, alongside classics from previous festivals, including renowned seanchaí Eddie Lenihan sharing stories of the “other folk,” alongside modern myths read by singer Jerry Fish and actress Mary Murray.
Fable Family Festival is proudly sponsored by The Arts Council of Ireland with thanks to the James Joyce Centre.
The James Joyce Centre is supported by the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport.
