Seanachie is the older anglicisation commonly found in nineteenth-century Anglo-Irish writing and in poets such as Nora Hopper Chesson, who used the figure of the wandering storyteller as a romantic symbol of vanishing Gaelic culture. The term carried considerable cultural freight in the Revival period, evoking an unbroken oral tradition stretching back to pagan Ireland. Its picturesque associations made it a favourite in English-language treatments of Irish themes, though scholars preferred the Irish form seanchaí. The seanachie figure appears in poems, ballads, and stories as a keeper of fire-side wisdom, a living bridge between the mythological past and the modern world.

Seanachie is an anglicized spelling of seanchaí, referring to the traditional storyteller. It is often used in English-language contexts to denote the keeper of oral lore. In poetry, the seanachie represents the link between past and present, preserving history through narrative. Poets invoke the seanachie to claim authenticity and cultural continuity. The figure embodies the value placed on memory and speech in Irish society. Understanding the seanachie helps interpret the narrative strategies of Irish literature.