Folktales of Ireland

Few countries can boast such a plentitude of traditional folktales as Ireland. In 1935, the creation of The Irish Folklore Commission set in motion the first organized efforts of collecting and studying a multitude of folktales, both written as well as those of the Irish oral tradition. The Commission has collected well over a million pages of manuscripts. Folktales of Ireland offers chief archivist Sean O'Sullivan's representation of this awe-inspiring collection. These tales represent the first English language collection of Gaelic folktales. "e;Without doubt the finest group of Irish tales that has yet been published in English."e;-The Guardian "e;O'Sullivan writes out of an intimacy with his subject and an instinctive grasp of the language of the originals. He tells us that his archives contain more than a million and a half pages of manuscript. If Mr. O'Sullivan translates them, I'll read them."e;-Seamus Heaney, New Statesman "e;The stories have an authentic folktale flavor and will satisfy both the student of folklore and the general reader."e;-Booklist