To conclude this project, I will summarize my main research findings and discuss future calls for research.
During the course of conducting this project, I conducted various interviews, meetings, correspondence, research, and tens of hours composing the digital images that you see interwoven throughout this website in order to demonstrate the presence of phronesis in Irish folklore and storytelling. Each interview or interaction with subject material, family members, and scholars yielded a wealth of information that you see in this labor of love.
This website functions as my form of storytelling through a variety of means both visual and literal. Each image I created and each interview created a deeper need for more research and practical study.
While this project has revealed the presence and activity of phronesis in Irish rhetoric, it has also highlighted areas in which Irish cultural rhetoric in combination with folklore needs more study and exploration. More specifically, I have identified the following areas in which future scholarship could flourish.
Exploring the tenets of Irish rhetoric in depth, i.e. aisling, blarney, béaloideas, craic, imbas forosnai, and seanfhocail.
Exploring main themes of Irish rhetoric and folklore, i.e. time, spirituality, hospitality, relationships, resilience, social good, and wit.
Modern examples of folklore, storytelling, and storytelling practices.
Linguistic and rhetorical appeals and tools in Irish oral literature.
A deeper inspection of the development and correlation of modern storytelling and rhetorical practices in Irish rhetoric.
Deeper inquisition into the rhetoric of folklore.
Cross-disciplinarian efforts to identify and open lines of inquiry in connection to folklore, rhetoric, and culture.
These are just a few areas in which scholars, students, or even Irish cultural enthusiasts may contribute to the studies of rhetoric, culture, and folklore. In particular, however, I would call upon current scholars and future scholars to engage with rhetoric, folklore, and culture in ways that increase open knowledge and accessibility while promoting cross-disciplinary research. The pursuit and application of knowledge should never be restricted or avoided simply because it hasn't been conducted yet, or because there is not a formal line of inquiry.
For students looking to pursue rhetoric in Irish folklore, exploring medieval Irish rhetoric might provide more context for future studies and illustrate a richer history of the connection between folklore, storytelling, and Irish Rhetoric.
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