Uploaded March 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 day ago
The Banshee Returns is a new collection of children’s folklore marking the 20th anniversary of the cult classic The Banshee Lives in the Handball Alley (2004/2005) which was recorded in Limerick City in 2004/2005.
In 2004, Wexford artists Aileen Lambert and Michael Fortune spent seven months recording stories with children in three Limerick schools. With only a cheap video camera and mic, they created what is regarded as one of the finest collections of children’s folklore in Ireland—capturing the voices, accents, and imaginations of young storytellers in the estates and streets where they grew up.
Two decades later, Lambert and Fortune returned to Limerick to work with pupils from St Mary’s National School and Thomond Primary School. The result is a fascinating new film that blends old favourites with fresh voices, showing what has changed—and what has stayed the same.
Over 40 hours of interviews were recorded and edited into a collection of 24 films and this 10 minute collection is just a taste of some of the stories as told by the children. The full archive is available to watch here on YouTube ensuring this treasure trove of children’s folklore is preserved and a PDF of the stories is accessible at www.folklore.ie
The Banshee Returns is a new collection of children’s folklore marking the 20th anniversary of the cult classic The Banshee Lives in the Handball Alley (2004/2005) which was recorded in Limerick City in 2004/2005.
In 2004, Wexford artists Aileen Lambert and Michael Fortune spent seven months recording stories with children in three Limerick schools. With only a cheap video camera and mic, they created what is regarded as one of the finest collections of children’s folklore in Ireland—capturing the voices, accents, and imaginations of young storytellers in the estates and streets where they grew up.
Two decades later, Lambert and Fortune returned to Limerick to work with pupils from St Mary’s National School and Thomond Primary School. The result is a fascinating new film that blends old favourites with fresh voices, showing what has changed—and what has stayed the same.
Over 40 hours of interviews were recorded and edited into a collection of 24 films and this 10 minute collection is just a taste of some of the stories as told by the children. The full archive is available to watch here on YouTube ensuring this treasure trove of children’s folklore is preserved and a PDF of the stories is accessible at www.folklore.ie
