The Man Who Talked to the Wind

The Man Who Talked to the Wind gathers Rathlin Island folk tales reworked from recordings made by local storyteller Tommy Cecil. Preserved in the Ulster Folk Museum’s Tommy Cecil Archive, these accounts also include stories gathered from other islanders, bringing a distinctive oral tradition into print.

Set on Rathlin, off the north coast of County Antrim, the collection reflects a community shaped by the sea and by generations of farming, fishing and seafaring. Its stories draw on Irish and Scottish traditions, while the island’s background includes Viking raids, medieval massacres, famine and emigration. Colin Urwin presents a record of Rathlin’s storytelling heritage, including traditions that might otherwise have disappeared.