Ancient Legends of Ireland

by Soinbhe Lally, Finbarr O'Connor (Illustrator)

A collection of Irish legends, including: The Coming of the Dé Danaan / Etain and Midir / Deirdre of the Sorrows / Fergus Mac Leda and the Monster / The Death of Cúchulainn / The Dream of Angus / The Story of Flidias.

40 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2000

Reviews

[Abigail · Rating 3 out of 5]

Billed as a companion to this author-illustrator team's Favorite Irish Fairy Tales, which I have sadly been unable to locate, this book was my first clue that Soinbhe Lally had written anything other than the lovely anthropomorphic bee-fantasy, A Hive For The Honeybee . This is not the Irish folklore of cute (or annoying) leprechauns, or mischievous (and malicious) fairies. The seven tales contained herein are from the ancient Irish mythology, and are taken from the Mythological Cycle, Ulster Cycle, and Fenian Cycle of tales. As such, they are a refreshing break from many of the Irish-themed picture books available in the American market. Not surprisingly, this title is unavailable in the United States. Included are:

The Coming of the Dé Danaan, detailing the arrival of this magical race of beings in Ireland, and their battles with the Firbolgs and Formórians.

Etain and Midir, in which no transformation - whether into butterfly, human mortal, or swan - can keep true lovers apart... although personally, I'm more in Fuamnach's camp.

Deirdre of the Sorrows, in which the tragic and doomed love of Dierdre and Naoise is set out... another guy (Conor) who wants a women he shouldn't.

Fergus Mac Leda and the Monster, in which the king of Ulster must battle a fearsome water monster, and win back his handsome "face."

The Death of Cúchulainn, in which this "Irish Achilles" meets his death standing up... this might earn me some flack, but I've always been somewhat sympathetic to Maeve - and I've always thought the men of Ulster got no more than they deserved with that curse...

The Dream of Angus, in which another pair of true lovers find happiness as swans... What is it with the Irish and swans? Anyone?

And finally, The Story of Flidias, in which the goddess of the forest, her daughter, the King of the Deer, and the famed Fionn and his Fianna, all converge one day...

What can I say? If you can find this, fellow reader, by all means procure a copy... A wonderful collection of tales that will introduce young readers to some of the "meatier" tales in the Irish tradition. As for the illustrations, by Mr. Finbarr O'Connor, I had mixed feelings. Some of the panels are simply lovely, as with the portrait of Deirdre, or Angus's dream. Others seems almost cartoon-like...

[Cheryl · Rating 2 out of 5]

Gorgeous illustrations, but it wasn't always clear which characters from each story were being depicted. Well-told legends, but awful ones, almost as full of betrayal, violence, vengeance, confusions of infatuation vs. true love, etc., as the Greek myths. An educator might find some value in this book, but I don't think it worth sharing with our children as a storybook at all.