“Talking of the Fairy Road”: Modulations of the Seanchaí in Conor McPherson’s The Weir

Abstract

Focusing on The Weir (1999), one of Irish playwright Conor McPherson’s masterpieces, this study attempts to elaborate the ways in which the Irish traditional seanchai is mirrored in this play. A seanchai is an Irish traditional storyteller, who has always been one of the most prevalent features of Irish folklore and which has recently been revived by Irish playwrights. In The Weir, McPherson incorporates the old seanchai tradition and places it within modern human contexts. Except for one, each of the characters of the play is playing the role of a seanchai, which is manipulated by McPherson not only to depict a popular Irish tradition but also to present human interior feelings of fear, trauma, and desolation. This paper testifies to the enduring importance of the role of Irish traditional seanchai, which has adapted and survived over modernization. The analysis aims not just to understand the ways in which the play uses the seanchais’ techniques but also explores the significance of the stories narrated by each of these seanchais in the play. The Irish seanchai tradition is known for its eloquence. Likewise, seanchais in The Weir expressively narrate their stories to generate gorgeous, realistic, and sometimes tragic form of drama, which reflects an artfulness that renders this play distinct amongst other plays.