The Strange, Magical, Mythical Tour of Kilfinane

The Strange, Magical, Mythical Tour of Kilfinane is a sound walk co-produced with 12 year olds from Kilfinane. It's a journey through their imaginations, sharing mythical backstories of landmarks old and new, allowing walkers to see Kilfinane in a whole new light. As Artist in Residence of HearSay Festival 2026, I worked with the Sonic Historical Investigators (AKA Scoil Fionan's sixth class - 24 twelve year olds) to make an alternative audio history tour of Kilfinane - a village in Country Limerick, Ireland. In groups of 4, the Sonic Historical Investigators chose places in Kilfinane to write a new mythical backstory for. I ran workshops on storytelling, foley and presenting, and recorded and edited their stories. About 95% of the sound effects you hear in the stories are created by the kids themselves. Each location of the The Strange, Magical, Mythical Tour of Kilfinane has a QR codes which people can scan to listen to the audio. We also created a zine and map, using art made by the young storytellers, to guide walkers to each location. At HearSay Festival 2026, I led a guided tour for around 60 people, with the Sonic Historical Investigators (AKA 6th Class).