One of the great things about what I do (and there are many) is meeting interesting companies with innovative ideas.

TellTales.ie is one such company.

I met Colm Muldowney of Tell Tales during a series of clinics I was delivering with the Innovation Centre in GMIT.

Here is what Pat told me

I have set up a unique new service called Tell Tales, which documents and preserves Life Stories.  Through a series of interviews we transcribe, edit, document and publish a Hardcopy Book.

The aim of Tell Tales is to invest in our own families and treasure their life experiences and journey whilst providing a roadmap for those that are coming in the next generation.  The family book is ultimately the Gift of our Loved one’s Lifetime.  I am in a privileged position of capturing the most interesting stories in what people perceive to be an ordinary life.  As it turns out everyone has a story, and mostly these are quite extraordinary.

As people discovered what I did, they were very excited about the business and eager to discuss their own family story and uncover how extraordinary their family members lives or journeys have been.

About Colm & Tell Tales

I am from Portarlington.  Having emigrated for a number of years to England and Australia, I moved West to Westport and finally put roots down in Headford, Co Galway.  As a mature student I returned to education in NUIG where I completed a Degree in History & Economics, followed by a Higher Diploma in Education at UCC.

As part of my studies, I had to complete an Oral History assignment which encouraged me to start gathering tales from my own family.  The outcome, stories and feedback was magical and it pointed me towards overcoming this economic and job crisis whilst doing something I love.  Stories such as how the Barrow once boiled with the May Fly hatch and how it was destroyed by peat; the disappearance of the partridge due to use of silage; how many a courtships began from meeting while working on the bog; how the coming of the Beet Factories and the income it provided allowed many small farmers to remain at home and avoid emigration. Everyone’s family has these stories and if we know from where we came, it will inform us where we are going.  Encouraged by people’s feedback I decided to channel my passion for oral history into a business – Tell Tales was born.