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Irish Fairy and Folk Tales
The tales collected for Irish Fairy and Folk Tales all are reprinted from nineteenth-century sources, but they date back much further, to a time when they were part of a centuries-old oral tradition of storytelling and had yet to be committed to the printed page. These are stories that passed down through the ages virtually unaltered in their telling. To those who told and listened to them, they expressed something fundamental about Irish culture and the Irish way of life.
The stories in this volume feature a wide variety of fantastic beings, including ghosts, witches, fairies, and changelings, but several feature creatures that are virtually exclusive to Ireland: the banshee, the merrow, the pooka, and the leprechaun. Read these tales of frightening supernatural horrors, brave folk heroes, and everyday people clever enough to outwith the devil, and you'll agree that they could only take place on Irish soil.
The stories in this volume feature a wide variety of fantastic beings, including ghosts, witches, fairies, and changelings, but several feature creatures that are virtually exclusive to Ireland: the banshee, the merrow, the pooka, and the leprechaun. Read these tales of frightening supernatural horrors, brave folk heroes, and everyday people clever enough to outwith the devil, and you'll agree that they could only take place on Irish soil.
134 pages, Leather Bound
First published January 2, 2015
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Note: WorldCat is an excellent resource for finding author information and contents of anthologies.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 143 reviews
October 28, 2024
I bought this to set the mood for a trip to Ireland. I read most of these on the long plane ride over, and the language and tales did increase my anticipation of my adventure to the Emerald Isle. Ultimately, the trip to Ireland was fantastic and magical. However, the thirteen tales in this book were underwhelming. While they told of fairies, leprechauns, ghosts, and witches; none were scary, profound, or moving. I will say they got better as the book went on.
Thirteen tales, written in the 17th century, collected in a beautiful cover that unfortunately exceeds the quality of the complication.
Thirteen tales, written in the 17th century, collected in a beautiful cover that unfortunately exceeds the quality of the complication.
August 15, 2020
This little book of Irish fairy and folk tales was a very entertaining read, and the Celtic artwork on the cover is beautiful.
Some of stories were funny, mad, violent, amusing, and moving. I highly recommend it. I do hope to see Ireland someday.
"The great Gaels of Ireland are the men that God made mad, For all their wars are merry, and all their songs are sad."-G.K.Chesterton
"Being Irish, he had an abiding sense of tragedy, which sustained him through temporary periods of joy." -William Butler Yeats
Some of stories were funny, mad, violent, amusing, and moving. I highly recommend it. I do hope to see Ireland someday.
"The great Gaels of Ireland are the men that God made mad, For all their wars are merry, and all their songs are sad."-G.K.Chesterton
"Being Irish, he had an abiding sense of tragedy, which sustained him through temporary periods of joy." -William Butler Yeats
July 13, 2016
I think I spent as much time just looking at this book as I did reading it. The design is just gorgeous. The cover is dark green with all kinds of Celtic knotwork in both gold and silver. I especially like the big medallion in the middle of the back cover. The endpapers are a nice grassy green with a repeating knotwork design in a lighter color. The edges are gilded gold and the pages are thick and smooth. I do wish it had a grass-green ribbon bookmark, though I suppose it's just too small for one.
There are 13 works in the set. It begins and ends with a poem and the others are stories of varying length. Being a collection of short stories more or less, it was easy to set it down between and not come back to it for a while.
The Fairies 3 stars, the 7th
I feel like I didn't quite get it, but that's probably just poetry (and maybe a bit of a cultural gap). Nice vibe though.
The Priest's Supper 2 stars, the 7th
I don't get it. It was over at what I thought would be more the middle, and I just don't get why the fairies were afraid of the priest yet wanted him to answer their question, or why they took the fish but just for mischief.
The Changeling 2.5 stars, the 7th
Simple and straightforward.
The Lady of Gollerus 3.5 stars, the 7th
I very much enjoyed this one after being rather ambivalent about the others. I liked the story and the way it was told, and the way everyone talked and the look of the merrow. I'd like a watercolor painting of her from the beginning scene of the story.
Pat Diver's Ordeal 3 stars, the 9th
It was certainly an interesting story, but I don't get what the big men were or what exactly they were about or how they always knew where Pat was, and was the comment about stories at the end just a mechanism of storytelling or was the big man somehow connected to the old man and his wife?
The Pooka 2 stars, the 9th
I had trouble with the long sentence structures and thought there was a bit of a rush to tell events with much less insight to the characters. I also missed dialogue.
The Bunworth Banshee 3 stars, the 9th
I suppose I'm just missing the necessary cultural grounding. I don't feel this story had much of a point. It had a nice flow though and was easy to read.
The Fate of Frank M'Kenna 4 stars, the 9th
I liked this story very much. Again, it seemed a bit anticlimactic or wanting in some way, but it was very interesting and I suppose has more of a point or points than many others. I would like to know more about the hare.
The Witch of Rathdowney 3 stars, the 9th
A very strange but interesting tale.
The Priest's Soul 4 stars, the 9th
I liked this story all through, and especially at the end when I saw it was the origin of the butterfly. I had never heard such a story about the butterfly being connected to anything special like the soul.
The Three Wishes 3 stars, the 11th
A quite interesting tale, but not as exciting to read as its events would suggest. By far the longest story in this set.
A Legend of Knockmany 4 stars, the 12th
Very good. A much more interesting trickery than in "The Three Wishes" and very fun to read.
The Lepracaun, or, Fairy Shoemaker 3 stars, the 12th
Cute.
There are 13 works in the set. It begins and ends with a poem and the others are stories of varying length. Being a collection of short stories more or less, it was easy to set it down between and not come back to it for a while.
The Fairies 3 stars, the 7th
I feel like I didn't quite get it, but that's probably just poetry (and maybe a bit of a cultural gap). Nice vibe though.
The Priest's Supper 2 stars, the 7th
I don't get it. It was over at what I thought would be more the middle, and I just don't get why the fairies were afraid of the priest yet wanted him to answer their question, or why they took the fish but just for mischief.
The Changeling 2.5 stars, the 7th
Simple and straightforward.
The Lady of Gollerus 3.5 stars, the 7th
I very much enjoyed this one after being rather ambivalent about the others. I liked the story and the way it was told, and the way everyone talked and the look of the merrow. I'd like a watercolor painting of her from the beginning scene of the story.
Pat Diver's Ordeal 3 stars, the 9th
It was certainly an interesting story, but I don't get what the big men were or what exactly they were about or how they always knew where Pat was, and was the comment about stories at the end just a mechanism of storytelling or was the big man somehow connected to the old man and his wife?
The Pooka 2 stars, the 9th
I had trouble with the long sentence structures and thought there was a bit of a rush to tell events with much less insight to the characters. I also missed dialogue.
The Bunworth Banshee 3 stars, the 9th
I suppose I'm just missing the necessary cultural grounding. I don't feel this story had much of a point. It had a nice flow though and was easy to read.
The Fate of Frank M'Kenna 4 stars, the 9th
I liked this story very much. Again, it seemed a bit anticlimactic or wanting in some way, but it was very interesting and I suppose has more of a point or points than many others. I would like to know more about the hare.
The Witch of Rathdowney 3 stars, the 9th
A very strange but interesting tale.
The Priest's Soul 4 stars, the 9th
I liked this story all through, and especially at the end when I saw it was the origin of the butterfly. I had never heard such a story about the butterfly being connected to anything special like the soul.
The Three Wishes 3 stars, the 11th
A quite interesting tale, but not as exciting to read as its events would suggest. By far the longest story in this set.
A Legend of Knockmany 4 stars, the 12th
Very good. A much more interesting trickery than in "The Three Wishes" and very fun to read.
The Lepracaun, or, Fairy Shoemaker 3 stars, the 12th
Cute.
December 26, 2021
Fairly endearing for what it was going for. It was an interesting look at some Irish tall tales, some of which I was familiar with and some of which I wasn't. Surprisingly (or perhaps it shouldn't be), it's pretty morbid stuff, and some of the moralizing has aged a bit poorly.
Still, it was a good and brief romp into a rich world of folklore. I couldn't help but feel, though, that this was less than the tip of the iceberg, and the next time I'll look for something more comprehensive.
Still, it was a good and brief romp into a rich world of folklore. I couldn't help but feel, though, that this was less than the tip of the iceberg, and the next time I'll look for something more comprehensive.
July 19, 2018
3.5 Not a bad collection by any means, but I think, when I picked this up, I expected more stories about the fairy folk than folk tales about priests and such. It probably goes without saying that my favorite stories involved fairies or giants then! I loved the poem, "The Fairies" by William Allingham, that opens the collection, as I did the stories "The Changling" by Lady Wilde (Oscar Wilde's mother), "The Pooka" by E.W., and "A Legend of Knockmany" by William Carleton. This is an overall good, short read! It's a beautifully designed book as well.
December 5, 2018
What can I say? Gaelic culture is a fave of mine. Fairy and folk tales are so much fun to read.
April 29, 2021
Very much disappointed with this book, though not actually with the writing itself. As with any collection, some stories were more interesting to me than others, and there were a variety of writing styles and perspectives presented here. But to have looked at the vast collection of fairy lore produced by the Irish and condense it to the collection is quite ridiculous. Because if the editors think this is the pinnacle of Irish fairy stories, they're insane. For being quite a small nation, the Irish and the Irish diaspora have produced an insane amount of literature, and fairies play a very big part in this folklore. The tales in this collection are not at all representative of the humor, wit, and uncanny recollection of Irish folktales. While these were fine enough stories (though some are terribly dull, unfortunately enough), that they have been bound together and promoted as something great is a disappointment--and more than a mere disappointment when one takes into consideration the amount of material available to produce just such a collection. The editors should have done better--or perhaps they just have bad taste.
February 28, 2023
Honestly this was really fun to read!
March 23, 2018
Rating a collection of stories is always hard for me, because there are some great ones, and others that are not really good, as is the case of this book. It's a collection of several Irish folktales from somewhere around 1800s. These stories are either full of spirits such as fairies and elves, or contain a lot of Christian content, where most characters are priests or have lost the way of God. I found them mostly entertaining, but the language makes it difficult to read, the words and expressions are very old and unfamiliar, and for someone like me, who is not a native English speaker, it takes a while to get used to it.
My favourite story definitely was 'The three wishes'. I thought it was funny, clever, and it had the perfect Irish touch. It's about a man who doesn't want to work or do anything but still be rich, and so he is given three wishes, which he apparently wastes on stupid things. But later on, he makes a deal with the devil for wealth, and those three previous wishes will come in handy to cheat the devil into keep giving him more money and wealth.
'A legend of Knockmany' was also really lovely, it felt really Celtic because its main character is a giant from Celtic folklore, and it's about how a woman cheats him into thinking her husband is so powerful that he would destroy him if he saw him. Which is far from the truth, as the husband is actually terrified of the giant.
There are others that definitely feel Irish, and some that could really just be about any other country and you wouldn't notice. It's a good read for a day or two.
My favourite story definitely was 'The three wishes'. I thought it was funny, clever, and it had the perfect Irish touch. It's about a man who doesn't want to work or do anything but still be rich, and so he is given three wishes, which he apparently wastes on stupid things. But later on, he makes a deal with the devil for wealth, and those three previous wishes will come in handy to cheat the devil into keep giving him more money and wealth.
'A legend of Knockmany' was also really lovely, it felt really Celtic because its main character is a giant from Celtic folklore, and it's about how a woman cheats him into thinking her husband is so powerful that he would destroy him if he saw him. Which is far from the truth, as the husband is actually terrified of the giant.
There are others that definitely feel Irish, and some that could really just be about any other country and you wouldn't notice. It's a good read for a day or two.
August 24, 2018
My two favorites being “The Priest’s Soul” and “A Legend of Knockmany”
April 1, 2022
A fun read during March for someone who’s Irish. Definitely a little hard to read some of the time due to the dated language.
December 25, 2025
a delightful anthology to read aloud with your partner over the course of many vacations!
December 19, 2020
This little, leather-bound edition of Irish Fairy and Folk Tales is a lot of fun, and an interesting conversation piece to have on the shelf or coffee table. Compiled of stories from older compilations of stories from the Irish tradition, the actual work contained herein isn't *spectacular, game-changing* literature by any stretch of the imagination. Most fairy-tales aren't. They are stories constructed to explain, in easy, human terms, the world around us. Many of the tales collected here deal with the creation of natural artifacts, the way in which the natural world behaves (but was not well understood at the time), and simple moral fables to teach children right from wrong, the golden rule, and that the mind can be as useful as might.
That said, as these are fairy and folk tales, and their interpretations and narratives likely changed over a number of years and tellers, it is easy to tell that these stories come from an oral tradition. They are all littered with asides and personal anecdotes which indicate a teller recreating a story with elements created specifically for a well-known crowd of close friends and family. And there is something that gets lost a little bit in translation in having them read, printed on the page, and not told by a great teller and held in rapt attention around the fire.
Fun and quick!
That said, as these are fairy and folk tales, and their interpretations and narratives likely changed over a number of years and tellers, it is easy to tell that these stories come from an oral tradition. They are all littered with asides and personal anecdotes which indicate a teller recreating a story with elements created specifically for a well-known crowd of close friends and family. And there is something that gets lost a little bit in translation in having them read, printed on the page, and not told by a great teller and held in rapt attention around the fire.
Fun and quick!
July 25, 2022
This was an utterly charming collection of Irish fairy and folk tales, some deeply recognizable because of their prevalence in pop culture and others more obscure. Each of the tales were short but interesting, and rife with unique language that seems to stem directly from oral tradition. All of these tales were deeply revealing of the long held values of Irish culture, and some were from well known figures in Irish history, such as Lady Wilde.
While this was a worthwhile read, many of the concepts weren't able to hold my attention for a long period of time simply because they've been referenced so often in popular culture. I enjoyed it, but likely won't find myself returning for another read.
While this was a worthwhile read, many of the concepts weren't able to hold my attention for a long period of time simply because they've been referenced so often in popular culture. I enjoyed it, but likely won't find myself returning for another read.
December 4, 2022
lovely compilation of irish tales, fun read to get into the spirits. Thankyou Veerle for getting it for my birthday:)
Finished the last story in the plane back from Dublin after a fun trip there. The Celtic history sparked my inspiration, en die is door het bezoek alleen maar aangewakkerd. De stad ademt poezie en de taal leent zich heel erg aan verhalen vertellen.
Excited to read a copy of Ulysses and a bundle of WB Yeats' poems I got there. Love Ireland will for suure come back and visit the countryside aswell.
Some of my faves include The Priest's Supper, The Pooka & The Fate of Frank M'Kenna.
Read the final story in the bus back to the Dublin airport
Finished the last story in the plane back from Dublin after a fun trip there. The Celtic history sparked my inspiration, en die is door het bezoek alleen maar aangewakkerd. De stad ademt poezie en de taal leent zich heel erg aan verhalen vertellen.
Excited to read a copy of Ulysses and a bundle of WB Yeats' poems I got there. Love Ireland will for suure come back and visit the countryside aswell.
Some of my faves include The Priest's Supper, The Pooka & The Fate of Frank M'Kenna.
Read the final story in the bus back to the Dublin airport
April 6, 2025
This was a really fun collection of Irish folk tales. Sort of a mixed bag in terms of tone and theme, but a lot of fun. I appreciated that it felt "authentic" not a watered-down fairy tale collection for little kids to enjoy. My favorites were "The Three Wishes" and "The Legend of Knockmany" which were both retold by William Careleton. Will need to look up more by this author.
April 26, 2021
The cover of this book makes this a magical read, I really enjoyed it!
March 21, 2023
An excellent collection of stories and poems including the most famous creatures of Irish mythology. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
December 21, 2024
I love the Irish
December 30, 2023
A fun collection! I enjoyed every bit of it!
Read
April 20, 2024Cute little collection. Pocket-sized for easy travel. I enjoyed having this as my "purse-book" for the last few months. My favorite story was The Pooka. I also liked The Three Wishes, which reminded me a similar story I'd read about the Jack 'O Lantern. Many of these tales maintain their comedic edges, despite being hundreds of years old. This is a good starter collection for folks dipping their toes in the genre. Charming and whimsical. I'll definitely be keeping it in my reference library.
April 23, 2024
It’s cool to read stories that go back to before written history. However, this book was pretty boring. I thought it would be more Irish mythology but it was just legends really. It was fine, but just kinda eh.
July 6, 2023
The book is so pleasant to hold and behold that it's a pity the stories aren't quite up to par. I get that they were choosing from public domain selections, but I think they could have done a slightly better culling. Still, it's a great little book and a quick read.
May 26, 2018
The first thing I noticed is, apparently in Irish writing they love to use commas. I don't know if it was to make it more poetic or if it was just a hell of a lot of run on sentences, but I found it a bit unnecessary and some what harder to read. The second thing, I kept waiting for there to be some kind of lesson, but I don't think there was much of any. Most of the stories I wasn't too big on, they were okay, however, there were a few that made up for the others. For the most part I have already forgotten most of the stories and it only took me few days to read, since it was a short book of short stories. I might go back and read it again some day, but most likely it will just sit on my shelf and collect dust. I think you could probably find better mythology out there and would suggest reading that instead, unless you really just want a quick read and are really into Irish culture.
August 10, 2017
This is just a collection of short stories all originating in Ireland. I read this on the plane to and from my trip to Ireland, I would have easily gotten it completed if it held my interest a little more. Some short stories hold your attention more then others while others are just plain boring.
Of course, the book ends with the best story about the Giant Finn MacCool which probably had more interest to me as I had just visited the Giants Causeway where the story takes place.
Overall it had a lot of cool legends and interesting ideas while some stories don't hold as well as others. It was also a very small and quick read book. I'd give it a 2.5/5, average collection of stories.
Of course, the book ends with the best story about the Giant Finn MacCool which probably had more interest to me as I had just visited the Giants Causeway where the story takes place.
Overall it had a lot of cool legends and interesting ideas while some stories don't hold as well as others. It was also a very small and quick read book. I'd give it a 2.5/5, average collection of stories.
December 27, 2016
As a book of many stories, it is hard to give one rating, but I think three stars covers it pretty nicely. Some of the stories didn't make any sense at all, and others were kind of funny, and others again very delightful. My favorites where the poem The Fairies, The Lady of Gollerus, A Legend of Knockmany and, in spite of atheist me disliking the moral of it, The Priest's Soul by Lady Wilde, mother of Oscar. The butterfly thing? Very inventive.
August 6, 2018
1.5 stars....There were a lot more boring ones than there were good, and the good ones don’t make it totally worth it. Also it’s way heavy on the folktales rather than the fairy tales where I figured it would be half and half. I assume some type of lesson was supposed to be presented at the end of most but I didn’t get that. No disrespect, but I’ve come across a lot better compilations than this one.
did-not-finish
June 28, 2021I am putting this on my abandoned shelf. Not that the stories weren’t interesting, but they didn’t capture my attention enough to read the whole thing. Maybe this is one of those books that you only read one story at a time, and then put down for a couple months until you’re ready for another story?
January 3, 2016
I finished this book of Irish Fairy and Folk Tales, which I got from a friend for Christmas. I really liked the stories! Some of them were really cute, and other were a bit disturbing, but I still liked them a lot.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 143 reviews