Legends from IrelandSean O'Sullivan1977

Ireland is peculiarly rich in both folktales and legends. Whereas folktales are fictional, recounted for amusement, legends are meant to be credible stories, told for the purpose of instrution: they are usually localised and down-to-earth, with some degree of historic validity - at least to the ears of their audience.

Nearly all the legends in this volume have been translated from oral field-collections made in the Irish language for the Irish Folklore commission. All the translations are by the author and are published here for the first time.
The collection includes stories about Fate and the supernatural, from devils and ghosts to fairies and mermaids ; it deals with persons possessing special powers, and with the origins of names ; and it commemorates pirates, highwaymen, robbers and historical personnages, from Cromwell and Daniel O'Connell to Cahal of the Red Hand.