Tapping into the power of memory

Andy Gaffney’s awardwinning podcast Promenade, a series of sixteen stories from around the world, was born during the early days of Covid when the 5km travel limit applied. His daily walks on Salthill’s Prom inspired the collection which was based on people’s memories and which has won plaudits at home and abroad. The second series is now available online and the diverse participants include Peter whose memories include being hidden from the Nazis as a child. Andy tells BERNIE Ní FHLATHARTA how Promenade developed and why stories matter.

Storytelling has been a means of communication right through the ages, from the sign language of prehistoric times to the many sophisticated options available now.

Podcasts certainly came into their own during lockdown and it was during the pandemic that Wicklow man, Andy Gaffney who now lives in Galway, came up with the concept of recording people’s stories and producing them as podcasts.

The first series of Promenade was released in November 2021, with the second series just out now – both are available across a range of streaming apps.

Andy loves a good story, no matter what it’s about, although he admits, the way a person tells it has a lot to do with that enjoyment.

“Everyone has a story. And they’re worth hearing, most of the time. I really like listening to people. I also like talking to people but I made a decision to just have one voice on the episodes,” he explains of his approach to these interviews, which draw on people’s memories.

Like so many people, Andy began walking within his 5km limit during those early, scary months of lockdown.

Salthill Prom became his haunt, hence the name Promenade. The first series of Promenade had a loose theme of water, while the second, which dropped a few weeks ago, features 14 stories from around the world, dealing with childhood memories triggered by the ordinary and the extraordinary. This could be a piece of music, a car ride, sitting on a step or a home-movie clip.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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