Storytelling
 
 


As a young boy Batt lived with his grandfather who was a traditional seanachie ( storyteller ) in the Hills of Kerry. In this remote part of Southern Ireland before the advent of TV, the old customs were preserved and he heard the ancient tales of Ireland being recounted by the fireside during the long, harsh winter nights.

He was fascinated by what he heard and today he draws on this rich childhood experience to recreate on stage, with great authenticity, the ancient world of storytelling.

Verse was very much featured in the seanachie's repertoire and poetry is an integral part of Batt's evocative performances. Steeped as he is in the twin traditions of storytelling and verse, and having served his apprenticeship to a master teller makes him a truly authentic Irish seanachie.

Book Award
Batt’s first book of stories, The King With Horse’s Ears and Other Irish Folktales ( Sterling Publishing, New York), which was published in 2009, won the 2010 Storytelling World Award in the USA for the best collection of folktales for young readers.
Primarily the book is of interest to younger readers but many of his own stories, inspired by his youthful experiences in the Kerry Hills, will also be enjoyed by adults.

buy online Barnes & Noble or at kennys.ie

" One need not be Irish to enjoy Burns. His subjects.........transcend race or ethnicity"

" How rewarding it can be to seek cultural sustenance in the older, simpler forms of entertainment"
Omaha World-Herald

Batt lures his listeners with haunting accounts of ghosts, witty jokes, adventurous stories, evocative poetry and traditional folklore.
His material can be tailored to suit many and varied audiences and it is laced with Irish wit and humour. He draws heavily on the work of famous Irish writers like W.B.Yeats, Brendan Kenneally, Frank O’Connor and Bryan Mc Mahon.


 
 


Performances 2012

Sun City   Bluffton, South Carolina  Irish Heritage Club February 21st.


Timber Pines Country Club, Springhill, Florida  February 25th



Daytona Beach Regional Library, Florida  March 3rd.



Nolan's Irish Pub,Cocoa Beach,  Florida  March 4th



Clearwater Public Library, Florida March 5th



York County Library, Rock Hill. South Carolina March 11th      
    

Arbor Acres Retirement Centre, North Carolina, March 13th



Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland. March 16th