“When Covid came, I was stuck up here on top of the mountain. Nobody here. So I started doing it online, and we had up to 80 people coming every Saturday night. Now we’re down to about 20, but they’re still there from Ohio and San Diego and Prague and Scotland and Derry and all over the place.”

What began as a necessity became proof that storytelling could thrive in virtual spaces. “People say you can’t build community online… We have a really strong storytelling community online, you know, which pleases me. There are people in their 90s… come on every Saturday night. So amazing. Just amazing. I really believe if you build it, they will come.”

Choosing the Right Story

“For me, being a good storyteller isn’t just about being able to tell stories. It’s about choosing the right story for the right audience at the right time. Am I in a church group, in the pub on Saturday night, in school, in a library? There has to be a really good match.”

That philosophy has shaped her fifty-year career, where she has built a vast repertoire drawn from folklore, nursing homes, and the stories passed down through generations. “It’s a life’s work building up stories… I go into nursing homes and older people tell me stories. It’s just lovely to bring those people out in front of an audience.”

Stories of Magic, Love, and Folklore

Weir delights in stories of enchantment and superstition. “Last Saturday night, I told one of my favorite stories, which is a story from Rathlin Island, from the telling of the late Thomas Cecil. There’s a story about a boy who gets taken by the fairies, but they bring him back because he’s got a thorn trapped under his finger.”

“I like stories of magic and enchantment. I like stories about love. Stories from folklore really, cures and superstitions, magical pieces and ghost stories.”

From Queen’s to the World

Her path began in Belfast. “I did an English degree at Queen’s, and I did a post-grad in librarianship… I was set my first task of telling the story at Falls Road Library, Belfast. And I had the book, and the book was shaking and I was shaking because I’m actually a really shy person. But the kids liked it – that made me feel good about myself.” She had expected librarianship to be about books alone, not performance. Yet that first shaky telling opened a door: “I thought it was all just books, you know? But the audience gives you confidence.” Over time she grew into the role, shedding the book as a barrier between herself and her listeners and learning, as she says, “to tell stories out of my mouth with no book between me and them.”

The shy librarian became an international storyteller. “That was 1973. That’s a long time… 50 years probably.”

Storytelling for Understanding

Stories are not only entertainment but tools for empathy. “Part of my philosophy as a storyteller is… to have stories that make people think. If I’m doing anti-bullying work in a school, you do stories of friendship. Nowadays, what’s very relevant in Northern Ireland is multicultural work… we’re collecting stories from Syrian women now living in Belfast, publishing a collection of their stories in English and in Arabic, so that people will gain a greater understanding.”

Weir’s current role as storyteller-in-residence for the Armstrong Storytelling Trust reflects this mission. “I think stories can promote conflict resolution, promote understanding.”