The Devil is an Irishman

by Eddie Lenihan

A collection of stories recounting Irish encounters with the Devil. Take a night-rambler (Jack Murt in `Jack o'the Lantern' ); a fisherman (Seán O Duinn); a gambler (Martin the Cards in `The Two-Rooted Briar' ) or a plain ordinary farmer (Larry in `Larry and the Devil' ). There are certain things no one should do, certain conventions that must be obeyed, such as not fishing on Good Friday or talking to spectral figures in graveyards during the dead hours of the night. But sadly, common sense does not always rule. The only problem is that when the cause of trouble is the Devil, the consequences for the luckless victim are very serious indeed - unless he has the presence of mind to beat the Evil One.

Genres: Fantasy, Folklore

160 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 1995

About the author

Probably the best known Seanachai (storyteller) in Ireland. He inspired the character of Ferry Dan/The Great Seanachai in award winning animation Song Of Sea.

Reviews

[Patrick Ellard]

Brilliantly written book of Irish tales. Some definitely better than others but all entertaining. However the second from last story, entitled Jack O' the Lantern and the longest in the collection, is a particular stand out.

[Mbuye]

A collection of light hearted stories about the Irish and their strange, almost proprietary relationship with the Devil. “An odd fact, but one not entirely to be wondered at, is that Devil stories far outnumber tales about his opposite number – God – in Irish tradition. Can it be that we Irish are in some fallen way more comfortable with the infernal than with the celestial?” (From Lenihan’s Introduction.)

Some of the stories merely match wits, the Irishman usually winning by virtue of his superior low cunning; some have the Devil shrieking in eldritch triumph as he drags the greedy Irishman off to the nether regions, and some have a touch of Dunsanian eeriness, but all are eminently readable, enjoyable, and very, very funny.