Episode 6: Ó Dálaigh House, Co. Kerry

Ó Dálaigh House, Co. Kerry, Manchán visits a cottage to which the ‘Sí’ reputedly gifted the owners the mystical air Port na bPúcaí, a tune so powerful it can call whales to the surface, and he finds the island may have been inhabited since prehistoric times.

Off the coast of Kerry, lies the Great Blasket Island – it is perhaps the most inspiring and stunning remnant of old Ireland that exists today. In 1910, the highly praised English scholar Robin Flower claimed the Blasket Islanders were the oldest continuing tradition in the British Isles. The Irish government completely evacuated the Island in 1953, so sadly it is now uninhabited and yet the presence of its people remains so strong. Laois Ó Dálaigh invites Manchán to delve into the history of her former family home on the island. In telling their hugely rich heritage and heartbreaking story, Manchán investigates whether the world renowned Irish Waltz ‘Pórt na bPúcaí’ / ‘Music of the Fairies’ was originally composed by Laois’s great great grandfather Martin Ó Dálaigh or whether it was passed down to his family from the ghosts of the neighbouring island Inis Mhic Aoibhleáin!