Maria Gillen is a fourth-generation traditional Irish storyteller from Cork City in the south of Ireland. She is the current Storyteller in residence for Sheehan’s Storytelling 300 year old Cottage in Finugue, Co. Kerry. 

She was brought up where the wisdom lives in the stones, if you know how to listen, she carries forward what she calls the Five Deep Wells of Irish Storytelling:

Myth and Legend,
Stories of Place and Stone,
Diaspora Stories,
Bean Feasa Wisdom Stories,
and Co-Created Stories.

With 22 years corporate experience culminating in her role as European Operations Manager, Maria bridges ancient oral tradition with modern life. Her work brings the warmth of the Irish fireside into festivals, leadership spaces, and community gatherings across the world.