The Banshee Returns: 20 Years On, Children’s Folklore Film Gets a Fresh Telling
Limerick’s best-loved banshee is back. This autumn, The Bualadh Bos Children’s Festival will host the world premiere of Revisiting the Banshee—a brand-new film project marking the 20th anniversary of the cult classic The Banshee Lives in the Handball Alley.
First created in 2004 - 05 by artists Aileen Lambert and Michael Fortune (of folklore.ie fame), the original film captivated audiences in Limerick and beyond with its magical blend of local folklore, superstition, and the vivid imaginations of the schoolchildren. Two decades later, the voices of today’s children have been captured once again—revealing what has changed, and what has stayed the same.
The new project was sparked by Monica Spencer of THE GAFF, Limerick’s community arts hub, and brought to life by Michael and Aileen with support from the Arts Council and Limerick City Arts Office. Earlier this year, the pair revisited St Mary’s National School and Thomond Primary School, sitting down with 4th and 5th class pupils to record tales of ghosts, superstitions, and legendary local characters.
Audiences will recognise favourites such as Drunken Thady, The Bishop’s Lady, and The Green Lady, alongside timeless warnings like “step on a crack and you’ll break your mother’s back.” But Revisiting the Banshee also uncovers new voices and fresh stories, showing how folklore continues to evolve in the hands of young storytellers.
The title itself recalls a tale from St Mary’s Park: “If you touch the four corners of the Handball Alley and say the Hail Mary backwards three times, the Banshee will come out and haunt you.” As with the original project, the children bring their own “truths” to the stories. Knowing the fine line between mischief and magic, Michael and Aileen allow these tales to shine. Remarkably, some of the very same stories recorded 20 years ago have been retold to them as fact—proof of how folklore lingers and reshapes itself across generations. The results are both soulful and entertaining, not least in the lively exchanges between pairs of children as they back up their stories—or happily challenge each other.
Over the course of their visits, Michael and Aileen recorded 24 interviews with pupils—an extraordinary 40 hours of storytelling. These conversations have been carefully edited, chapter-marked, and catalogued so that every tale is preserved and easy to explore. The full collection will be launched on YouTube at the event, opening a treasure trove of ghost stories, superstitions, and folklore to the public in Limerick and beyond. To make the work even more accessible, the artists have also produced a detailed PDF index of every interview—a lasting resource for schools, researchers, and anyone fascinated by children’s voices and Irish folklore. This will be available at www.folklore.ie
Revisiting the Banshee will premiere at the Belltable, as part of The Bualadh Bos Children’s Festival 2025:
• School shows: Tuesday 30 September, 10 am & 12 pm
• Family show: Friday 3 October, 6:30 pm
Event Tickets are €5 and available at Belltable Box Office, 061-953400,
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The event features a screening of the original film and the premiere of the new 40-minute compilation Revisiting the Banshee. Michael and Aileen will attend each screening to introduce the films and officially launch the archive.
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