Irish Wonders

by D.R. McAnally

Celtic lore holds a wealth of colorful characters beyond the famed leprechaun. And this gathering of late 19th century traditional folk tales brings together the best of the Emerald Isle's fabled denizens. The Banshee, Satan's Cloven Hoof, The Henpecked Giant, and—of course—The Leprechaun, all weave their spellbinding magic in the classic tradition of Irish storytelling in the pages of enchanting treasury. Illustrated throughout with 65 beautiful pen-and-ink drawings. 240 pages.

Genres: Mythology, Folklore, Fantasy, Fiction, Ireland, Fairy Tales, Short Stories

218 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1888

About the author

1847-1909

Reviews

[Abby Wu]

This book contained some entertaining stories to say the least. I enjoyed the author's knack for gathering lots of information from varying sources to produce detailed accounts. I did find it odd, however, that in a book of legends and myth, there was an entire chapter devoted to "The Police". Yes, ordinary police, not supernatural in any way. Though I suppose the author heard enough tales on the subject to garner this chapter and it is an interesting addition.
The biggest complaint I have was the transliteration of the native Irish dialects. Which makes the book very difficult to read at times.

[Derek Davis]

Not everyone who enjoys Celtic folklore or every modern folklorist will like this book. Published in 1888, it can smack of condescension in its apparently stereotypical transliteration of Irish dialect. But I loved it, because it's honest, direct and a work of intense personal involvement.
McAnally divides the chapters by type of being or elemental discussed – pookas, fairies, banshees, leprechauns, old maids, etc. – each with an erudite introduction followed by a local tale told in local dialect and supposedly recounted by a local storyteller. The difference in style between the two sections is remarkable, switching from precise, carefully assembled academic elucidation to sitting-on-a-log, pipe-in-hand back-country rhythm.
Today, you can hold out your recorder and capture that rhythm and the exact sound behind it. Back then, I have no idea how this man managed to receive or recall the nuances of dialect that come through. I've read many an account where the folklorist attempts to reproduce the pronunciation and cadence of native speech, but this is by far the best. You can hear the person speaking on the page.
Was McAnally eidetic? Did he take almost unbelievably detailed notes? Did he (shudder) make up his "recollections" – which I very much doubt? However done, it works in a way I've never read before and is well worth the travel back in time.

[Angela]

Bad

My head hurt trying to read it I gave up atthe at the pooka I have big Irish family I could not understand or read this they might sound like that but at least spell and write correct so people might have a clue

[Michele]

Written in a terrible phonetic Irish.

[James Crawford]

There's no way I could resist reading this book. I like Ireland and I like the paranormal and mythology so it seemed a really good combination.

I wasn't disappointed at all. The book covers kings, Pooka, Satan, Fairies, Banshees, various others, and my favorite title The Henpecked Giant.

You've got stories of a really good king that helped beggars, an evil spirit that goes after sinners, ruined churches and graveyards and a hilarious story about how Satan ended up with a cloven hoof.

There's an enchanted island that vanishes and shows up other places, neat stories about how some lakes came about, and something I hadn't known before and that is fairies were once angels.

The Banshee is covered as are round towers which might be related to sun worship. Leprechaun's also appear and can be good or bad beings. The Henpecked Giant story turned out to be really good.

The author also notes that stories can change over time.

A really enjoyable book.

[Susan Molloy]

🖍️ Eeek! I found the majority of these stories are difficult to read because of the transliteration of the Irish brogue being so thick and heavy. The Project Gutenberg website has the original drawings, while the Kindle version does not. 🗑 Conversely, other readers may find this story their cup of tea and right up their alley. J’ai abandonné ce livre.

📕 Published in 1888.

જ⁀➴🟢The illustrated e-book version can be found on the Project Gutenberg website.
🟣 Kindle.
▬▬▬▬▬

[Vincent Konrad]

There’s a lil bit of good folklore in there but u have to mine it out from barely intelligible eye dialect and a hefty dose of sexism.

Eg: “Whin he seen the widdys an’ the other wimmin wid thim shtravigerin’ through the strate on the way to the coort an’ heard the phillaloo they were afther makin’, he axed phat the matther was.”

Some of the words I never figured out what they were supposed to be, and was left wondering if they were unfamiliar Irish terms or just particularly gruesome attempts at rendering an accent.

Addendum: lol mc ANALLY

[Robin Dawes]

First published in the late 19th century, this collection of folk tales and legends is marred for modern readers by casual racism and pervasive, aggressive misogyny. But grit your teeth and read through that if you can because the tales themselves are beguiling and for the most part can be cleaned up and retold without losing any their charm (although there are definitely some that are beyond redemption).

[William]

Entertaining fantasy listening 🔰😡

A will written fantasy Sci-Fi adventures thriller group of short stories by D. R. McAnally about the Emerald Isle. I would recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys horror, ghost 👻, and fantasy novellas. Enjoy the adventure of reading 👓 or listening 🎶 to different types of novels 🔰🏡🏰😈 2022

[Pattiann]

Whimsical read wish there was a bit more to it or some sort of co clueing remarks but all in all interesting and I liked his approach of retelling the tales but not claiming any authority of them LOL

[Richard]

Having read the story about fairies taking away little children from their beds, it made me think that this was likely connected to the infant mortality rates.

[Carolyn]

Educational while being a bit too cute trying to copy the old Irish Brogue. I liked the details of each beast and being. I liked the folklore.