A Man You Don’t Meet Every Day

The Golden Room – Episode #9

Marko Gallaidhe

Listen to The Golden Room with Marko Gallaidhe here

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Marko Gallaidhe – by Kevan Manwaring, 2018

To get us in the mood for St Patrick’s Day a special archive interview with a man you don’t meet every day – folksinger, musician, magician, and artist, Marko Gallaidhe. Back in 2014 at the start of my doctoral research I recorded a series of wide-ranging conversations with Marko in his flat in Bath. Marko is widely known and respected on the Irish music circuit in Britain, but few people get to discover the depth of his esoteric knowledge. Marko is, I believe, a bona fide tradition bearer with his extensive repertoire and deep understanding of the magical roots of tale and song. I asked questions about the nature of the Sidhe, the Otherworld, and Second Sight – although the conversation went in many fascinating directions. It is the first of what I’ve called the ‘Marko Sessions’, and if there is interest I can make more available.

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Marko playing a tune – photo by Kevan Manwaring

The tunes (Marko on bodhran, bones, and whistle; John Cunningham on flute) were recorded live at What a Performance! in Bath, on Friday 13th March, 2020. This long-running monthly event was hosted by storyteller Richard Selby, who has kept it going since its founder, Dave Angus, passed away a decade ago.

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A magician’s rings – photograph by Kevan Manwaring

The research was part of my PhD project at the University of Leicester, which focused on the Reverend Robert Kirk, author of The Secret Commonwealth of Elves, Fauns, and Fairies (1691). We met on Kirk’s birthday, 9th December. The resulting project, a transmedia novel called The Knowing – a Fantasy, is showcased on my website: http://thesecretcommonwealth.com/

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Marko by Kevan Manwaring