Literature You Can Listen To

international | arts and media | press release Tuesday May 18, 2010 10:25 by Jho Harris - All Points West Media Services jhoharris at podcasts dot ie Sligo 071 9182210

Voices from Ireland

This is a story about a new Irish website which is bringing free audio podcasts by Irish writers to the web

Lovers of Irish Literature, Culture and the Arts may like to know about a new podcasting website developed by a north west media company.

Podcasts.ie ~ Voices from Ireland, is a new website delivering high quality free audio content from Irish writers of poetry, prose and song as well as documentaries, story telling and weekly programmes on our culture, heritage and the arts.

Podcasts.ie is the brainchild of Jho Harris and Sinéad McClure of All Points West Media Services. Jho and Sinéad are seasoned radio producers and broadcasters whose work includes a ten year stint at the helm of ‘Artbeat’ an arts programme broadcast in the Mid and Northwest Region, they have also worked with Lyric FM on a series dealing specifically with Irish literature and have produced many documentaries on history and heritage.

Their love of the medium of sound and its remarkable ability to transport the listener to places without visual clues and crossover into imagination, coupled with a passion for Irish Literature and Music and more than a dash of experience in the industry brought Jho and Sinéad to found Podcasts.ie, a website dedicated to spreading our unique ability for story telling across the world.

The site underwent extensive testing in the latter part of 2009 to ensure ease of use and that maximum sound quality could be maintained without too much strain on bandwidth, after satisfactory testing, the site went live just before Christmas and has attracted over 235,000 hits since January 1st 2010. Aside from the fantastic writers who have recorded content so far, a host of greatly talented people have agreed to add their remarkable work to the site.

On podcasts.ie you will hear recordings from some of our best writers, song smiths and documentary makers. You will find interviews with the writers as well as personal podcasts with the writer sharing the story behind some of their best known work, followed by a reading/ performance of the piece in question. The site offers these podcasts free to the listener and as content is being produced constantly, the visitor is offered a place to return to again and again.

So if you enjoy all things Irish including stories, readings, unplugged music performances, interesting documentaries delivered through the medium of sound, log on to http://www.podcasts.ie and let your imagination run riot!