The Lough Gur Annual Storytelling Festival,in its 13th year, was introduced to commemorate the memory of Tom McNamara, a seanchai of renown and who transformed storytelling into an art form.

It will take place this year from October 26 to 29,with the performance of "The Matchmaker" with Mick Lally and Mary McEvoy, seen as a highlight.

Tom Tierney, chairperson of Lough Gur Development Co-operative, said: "The central theme of storytelling is most apt for Halloween as it conjures up images of ghosts and of the supernatural.

Lally & McEvoy

"And Lough Gur is an ideal setting as the area is steeped in legend and folklore. Lough Gur and the townlands that surround it are home to hundreds of stories.

For generations, children have listened with open minds, dreaming up images of great adventures.

"Some of these stories go back to when there were kings and queens, and tell of great battles being fought, won and lost. They tell of wrongs that were done to people and how the little people were often asked to help them in their hour of plight.

The majority of the stories revolve around the local area and things that happened over the centuries".

The programme starts with the performance of Teach a Bloc, promising music, stories and fun.