Legends and Stories of Ireland

Metadata

Gutenberg ID

—

Title

Legends and Stories of Ireland

Language

en

Book source

Global Grey

Description max 80 words

A lively nineteenth-century collection of Irish folktales and rural sketches by Samuel Lover, preserving traditional storytelling, local colour, and vivid character studies. The book features oral narratives with authentic peasant pronunciation, magical encounters, and humorous sketches of Irish life.

Summary up to 500 words

Published in 1831, *Legends and Stories of Ireland* by Samuel Lover offers a rich tapestry of Irish folklore derived from oral tradition. In his preface, Lover explains his intent to share tales originally told to friends, preserving the unique speech patterns and imaginative storytelling style of the peasantry. He notes that while some stories were intended merely for diversion, their reception led to their publication. To assist readers with the dialect, Lover includes a glossary defining terms like 'noggin' and 'spalpeen.' The collection balances the supernatural with the everyday, capturing the wit, superstition, and warmth of rural Ireland. The narrative begins with the legend of King O'Toole and St. Kevin. The story recounts the life of a king whose declining years were enlivened by a pet goose until the bird grew old and could no longer entertain him. Melancholy and lost, the king encounters St. Kevin, who appears in disguise to offer solace. The volume transitions into humorous sketches, such as the tale of a cow that eats a piper and the misadventures of a farmer driving her to a fair. Another prominent story involves the doctor, Darby Kelleher, who mistakes a Leprechaun for a fellow human. Attempting to extract gold from the fairy, Darby is outwitted by the creature's magical ointment and the intervention of his own friends. The book concludes with the tale of the Priest's Ghost, a sad story told by an old woman about a priest who haunts a chapel to say mass for the dead until a living soul answers his call, bringing him peace after twenty years. Through these varied tales, Lover successfully preserves the raw material of Irish legend, allowing the reader to hear the voices of the village crone and mountain guide.

LLM editorial rating

4.2/5

Download URL

https://www.globalgreyebooks.com/ebooks/samuel-lover_legends-and-stories-of-ireland.epub

Local file path

data/epubs/url-b6fd27bfa843614b.epub

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Categories

• Folklore
• Mythology
• Legends