Irish Gothic Fairy Stories: From the 32 Counties of Ireland

by Steve Lally, Paula Flynn

In Ireland there are four provinces and, within these, are thirty-two counties. Each county and its people are unique, but the one thing they all have in common is their respect and regard for the "The Good Folk," the Fairies of all Ireland. Steve Lally and Paula Flynn have compiled this magnificent collection of fairy tales from each county in Ireland. This book is a contemporary take on some classic stories and will be enjoyed for generations to come.

Genres: Ireland, Mythology, Folklore, Fantasy, Fiction, Short Stories, Fae

224 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2018

Reviews

[Gabrielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars, but rounding up for Goodreads.

This was a fun read. I loved learning more about folktales around Ireland, and some of the stories I really enjoyed. Only 1 section truly felt gothic through and through (while many of the rest of the stories were dark, they didn't give off very gothic vibes thanks to the way they were told), but I still thoroughly enjoyed my time reading this book.

[Ida Electra · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the stories in this. As someone who had very limited knowledge of the Good Folk of Ireland, I found the explication of the different kinds of Fairies and practices very helpful. However, I found the introduction to each county a bit bland and repetitive. Each story also has an introduction indicating where the story comes from (who told it, or which book it comes from). While it is important to have the sources, I found this part rather bland as well.

Some of the stories I found very enjoyable, but others less so. In a couple of instances there is not even a story, but an explication of the faerie or practice that never amounts to an actual story. While the explication can be interesting, as someone who read this more for the stories than to learn details of Irish mythology, I found those parts a bit disappointing. Overall, this was still an interesting read, so I give it 3 stars.

[Scott Pomfret · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well-selected tales

This collection of tales concerning the faeries of the 32 counties is well-selected from a great variety of sources and types. Each section, which corresponds to a particular county, gives some background on the county’s name and legendary history, literary greats and folklorists that Hale from there, and occasionally some connection to the authors. A solid collection.

[Jyvur Entropy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a lovely book. I learned so much about Irish culture and history. The stories were all both whimsical and creepy at the same time. I’m still not entirely sure what made them “gothic” but I suppose I’m willing to overlook that weird detail. I finished this book in two days. It was so fun to read.

[Brian P. McGlynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book, it was a bit different, it had stories from the 32 counties of Ireland. You could easily go to your favorite county to read the tale and then go back and read the book in order. I've now read several books on Irish Fairy tales, they seem to have a lot of threads i common, makes you wonder if some of it is real

[Callie · Rating 4 out of 5]

so fun