2025 FESTIVAL ARTISTS
NICEOL BLUE
Niceol is a storyteller in song and spoken word. A singer, songwriter, writer, improviser and storyteller, she grew up in the Pacific Northwest of the US, an environment that helped to shape her performance style. Niceol is a published musician, poet and writer, with music has been described as 'exceptional'. Now at home in Galway, Niceol is a founding member of Moth and Butterfly, and works behind the scenes and on stage. Niceol performs all over the world. As well as being part of the Moth & Butterfly Crew and Artist Roster, Niceol is Moth Butterfly's Technical Director and as such will be running all of the sound and lights and things behind the scenes throughout the festival.
You can catch Niceol at the following events:
EIMEAR BURKE
Eimear is a Druid and a Storyteller. She has a deep love of the ancient Irish tales and has a
passion for storytelling. She brings the old tales to new audiences, and - while remaining
faithful to the stories - often examines them from new perspectives, so that listeners
experience them as fresh and relevant. She loves to weave in song and the harp into her
stories. She particularly enjoys showing people the sacred sites of Ireland and telling the
ancient tales right where they happened.
You can catch Eimear at the following events:
JANE CASEY
Jane is a content creator based in Dublin with a passion for Irish heritage, dedicated to uncovering hidden histories and stories that are hidden in plain sight. Through her social media, she encourages her followers to stay curious and take a closer look at the world around them—you never know what piece of Irish history you might stumble upon!
You can catch Jane at the following events:
PETER CHAND
Peter has enthralled audiences both near and far with his skilfully told tales. As one of
Europe’s most renowned storytellers, he is in constant demand for his powerful, evocative
and moving stories from the Indian subcontinent, collected over a lifetime from friends and
family in Punjab, India. Alongside this speciality, Peter also has an ever-growing repertoire
of world stories which he shares in schools, festivals, libraries, theatres, and cultural events
around the world.
You can catch Peter at the following events:
KAISA-KOKKO-PALMER
Kaisa is an improviser, director, teacher and communication skills instructor from Finland. Kaisa has studied improvisation (iO Chicago, Unexpected Productions Seattle), music, special education, communication skills, various forms of dancing and musical instruments and has Masters in Education. She has been improvising for more than a decade and has taught impro and applied impro to various groups and levels in several countries including Finland, Sweden, Estonia, Poland, The Netherlands, Ireland, Costa Rica, Peru and United States. both in the United States and abroad. On top of improvising, Sara is also an experienced
writer and storyteller. Kaisa is also one half of the acclaimed improv duo ‘Crocodile Paws’.
You can catch Kaisa at the following events:
ÓRLA MC GOVERN
Órla is an award-winning Storyteller, performer and writer based in Galway. As well as being the Artistic Director of Moth & Butterfly, she performs, tells stories and leads workshops at venues small and large around the world. Órla's plays have been produced globally and she has written two books of stories ‘Dublin Folk Tales For Children’ & ‘Wild Waves & Wishing Wells’ (The History Press). She is a member of Galway collective Theatre 57 and of the Connemara Arts Collective Interface Inagh. As well as theatre performance, Órla also acts for film and TV. Some credits include ‘Stay’, ‘Lily’, Sanctuary, and ‘North Circular Road’. She is a member of Ohana, the European Collective of Improvisors, and she loves to swim in the sea!
You can catch Órla at the following events:
MÁIRÍN MHIC LOCHLAINN
As Ros a’ Mhíl do Máirín Mhic Lochlainn! She tells stories in Irish and English, in the traditional way - the way her father used to tell them sitting by the fireside on the long winter nights of her youth! Siad na scèalta fiannaíochta is fearr le Máirín - the long sagas about the King of Ireland’s son, getting the better of An Fathach Mòr in the land of the east; stories that would take 3 or4 nights to tell! Màirín also has a lot of local stories, about all sort of things, ar nòs Conàn Maol agus An Chaileach; or The Eel who lived in Loch Coraib; or the Fairies in Àill na Graoi! She has told stories as far away as New Zealand, where the Māoris tell stories not unlike the Irish Stories! Sure stories have been travelling since the beginning of time, agus ho fada mar sin an scèal!
You can catch Máirín at the following events:
ANJA MURRAY
Anja is an ecologist, policy analyst, broadcaster and author, familiar to many from award winning radio documentaries (Nature File; Root & Branch, Feather & Flock on RTÉ lyric fm) and previously from Eco Eye on RTÉ1. Anja’ work explores the wonders of Irelands natural world, including challenges and solutions to the current crisis, and creative approaches to fostering a wider societal engagement with our non-human kin.
Her bestselling book ‘Wild Embrace – connecting to the wonder of Irelands natural world’ (Hachette Ireland) will be out in paperback in January 2025.
SARA PALMER Sara is an Improviser, actor, teacher and writer. She is the co-founder of Impro Helsinki and travels the world performing improvised theater, with countless performances and festivals both in the United States and abroad. On top of improvising, Sara is also an experienced writer and storyteller. Sara is also one half of the acclaimed improv duo ‘Crocodile Paws’. You can catch Sara at the following events:
JACKIE ROANTREE
Jackie Roantree is a dubliner living in the west of Ireland for 30 years. Her performance path started as a teen in the Dublin youth theatre and onwards to New York and London before joining Macnas in 1990. She then ran away with a sailor and lived on Inis Mór with her 2 children painting the landscape and working with community arts. She lives between there and galway where she has been involved in performance and improv and holds a degree in contemporary art. Jackie has been involved with Moth & Butterfly for almost a decade telling her stories and improvising.
You can catch Jackie at the following events:
