Other editions of book Legends and Stories of Ireland

THOUGH the sources whence these Stories are derived are open to every one, yet chance or choice may prevent thousands from making such sources available; and though the village crone and mountain guide have many hearers, still their circle is so circumscribed, that most of what I have ventured to lay before my reader is for the first time made tangible to the greater portion of those who do me the favour to become such. Many of them were originally intended merely for the diversion of a few friends round my own fireside;--there, recited in the manner of those from whom I heard them, they first made their debut, and the flattering reception they met on so minor a stage, led to their appearance before larger audiences;--subsequently, I was induced to publish two of them in the Dublin Literary Gazette, and the favourable notice from contemporary prints, which they received, has led to the publication of the present volume. I should not have troubled the reader with this account of the "birth, parentage, and education" of my literary bantlings, but to have it understood that some of them are essentially oral in their character, and, I fear, suffer materially when reduced to writing. This I mention en passant to the critics; and if I meet but half as good-natured readers as I have hitherto found auditors, I shall have cause to be thankful. But, previously to the perusal of the following pages, there are a few observations that I feel are necessary, and which I shall make as concise as possible. Most of the stories are given in the manner of the peasantry; and this has led to some peculiarities that might be objected to, were not the cause explained--namely, frequent digressions in the course of the narrative, occasional adjurations, and certain words unusually spelt. As regards the first, I beg to answer, that the stories would be deficient in national character without it; the Irish are so imaginative that they never tell a story straightforward, but constantly indulge in episode; for the second, it is only fair to say, that in most cases the Irish peasant's adjurations are not meant to be in the remotest degree irreverent, but arise merely from the impassioned manner of speaking which an excitable people are prone to; and I trust that such oaths as "thunder-and-turf," or maledictions, as "bad cees to you," will not be considered very offensive

It is a widely held belief, especially amongst the peoples of English-speaking nations, that the Irish have the “Gift of the Gab”. Samuel Lover’s LEGENDS AND STORIES OF IRELAND shows the utter truthfulness of this conviction.Herein you will find 20 of the most enduring classic Irish stories like:King O'toole And St. Kevin,Lough Corrib,A Legend Of Lough Mask,The King And The Bishop,Jimmy The Fool,The Devil's Mill and many more.After a recitation by Samuel Lover of a few tales at a dinner party, he was subsequently convinced to publish two of them in the Dublin Literary Gazette. The favourable reception of these tales resulted in Irish Stories and Legends, an exquisite and exceptional volume of Irish folklore. Prepared and collated with very few changes, Samuel Lover wanted to stay true to the original stories, so that the written story would enchant readers as though it were being presented in the vernacular.So, we invite you to download and curl up with this unique piece of Irish folklore, not seen in print for over one hundred and seventy years, and let the Gift of the Irish enchant and captivate you.KEYWORDS/TAGS: fairy tales, folklore, myths, legends, children’s stories, childrens stories, bygone era, fairydom, ethereal, fairy land, classic stories, children’s bedtime stories, happy place, happiness, King O'toole, St. Kevin, Ireland, Irish, Celtic, Lough Corrib, Lough Mask, White Trout, Battle Of The Berrins, Father Roach, Priest's Story, King, Bishop, Jimmy, Fool, Catastrophe, Devil's Mill, Gridiron, Paddy The Piper, Priest's Ghost, New Potatoes, Paddy, Sport, White Horse, Peppers, Little Weaver, Duleek Gate, Curse, Kishogue, Fairy Finder, Alpeen, Cudgel, Bad Scran, Bad Food, Bad Win, Bad Cess, Malediction, Cess, Success, Baithershin. May Be So, Ballyrag, Scold, Caureen, Old Bat, Strictly, A Little Old Hat, Een, Diminutive, Colleen Dhas, Pretty Girl, comether, Come Hither, Acquaintance, Gommoch, Simpleton, Hard Word, Hint, Hunkers, Haunches, Kimmeens, Sly Tricks, Machree, My Dear, Mavourneen, My Darling, Musha, Exclamation, Noggin, Drinking Vessel, Phillelew, Outcry, Spalpheen, Contemptible Person, Stravaig, Ramble, Ulican, Funeral Cry, Wake, Weirasthru

Legends and Stories of Irelandby Samuel LoverAn early 19th century collection of comic Irish short stories."Most of the stories are given in the manner of the peasantry; and this has led to some peculiarities that might be objected to, were not the cause explained--namely, frequent digressions in the course of the narrative, occasional adjurations, and certain words unusually spelt. As regards the first, I beg to answer, that the stories would be deficient in national character without it; the Irish are so imaginative that they never tell a story straightforward, but constantly indulge in episode; for the second, it is only fair to say, that in most cases the Irish peasant's adjurations are not meant to be in the remotest degree irreverent, but arise merely from the impassioned manner of speaking which an excitable people are prone to; and I trust that such oaths as "thunder-and-turf," or maledictions, as "bad cees to you," will not be considered very offensive...""Samuel Lover (February 24, 1797 Dublin - July 6, 1868) was an Irish songwriter, novelist, as well as a painter of portraits, chiefly miniatures. He produced a number of Irish songs, of which several - including The Angel's Whisper, Molly Bawn, and The Four-leaved Shamrock - attained great popularity. He also wrote some novels, of which Rory O'More (in its first form a ballad), and Handy Andy are the best known, and short Irish sketches, which, with his songs, he combined into a popular entertainment called Irish Nights. He joined with Dickens in founding Bentley's Magazine."

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work.This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it.This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. To ensure a quality reading experience, this work has been proofread and republished using a format that seamlessly blends the original graphical elements with text in an easy-to-read typeface.We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

It is a widely held belief, especially amongst the peoples of English-speaking nations, that the Irish have the gift of the gab. Samuel Lover's Irish Stories and Legends shows the utter truthfulness of this conviction. After a recitation by Samuel Lover of a few tales at a dinner party, he was subsequently convinced to publish two of them in the Dublin Literary Gazette. The favourable reception of these tales resulted in Irish Stories and Legends, an exquisite and exceptional volume of Irish folklore. Prepared and collated with very few changes, Samuel Lover wanted to stay true to the original stories, so that the written story would enchant readers as though it were being presented in the vernacular. So curl up with this unique piece of Irish folklore, not seen in print for over one hundred and seventy years, and let the Gift of the Irish enchant and captivate you. Samuel Lover (1797-1868) was an Irish novelist, a songwriter, and a painter of portraits. So famous was this son of Ireland that a memorial to him stands in St Patrick's Cathedral, in Dublin. Less well-known is the fact that he was the also the grandfather of Victor Herbert, a famous Broadway composer. Renowned for his clever twist of phrase, Samuel Lover once said, "When once the itch of literature comes over a man, nothing can cure it but the scratching of a pen". We're grateful that he never stopped "itching"! Later in life, Samuel moved to London and joined with Dickens in founding Bentley's Magazine. Dickens was the magazine's first editor, and Oliver Twist its first serial. Lover certainly kept illustrious company. The memorial in St Patrick's Cathedral summarises Lover's achievements thusly: Poet, painter, novelist and composer, who, in the exercise of a genius as distinguished in its versatility as in its power, by his pen and pencil illustrated so happily the characteristics of the peasantry of his country that his name will ever be honourably identified with Ireland. A percentage of the sale of this book will be donated towards the education of underprivileged youth in Ireland.

From the preface: "I should not have troubled the reader with this account of the "birth, parentage, and education" of my literary bantlings, but to have it understood that some of them are essentially oral in their character, and, I fear, suffer materially when reduced to writing. This I mention en passant to the critics; and if I meet but half as good-natured readers as I have hitherto found auditors, I shall have cause to be thankful. But, previously to the perusal of the following pages, there are a few observations that I feel are necessary, and which I shall make as concise as possible. Most of the stories are given in the manner of the peasantry; and this has led to some peculiarities that might be objected to, were not the cause explained--namely, frequent digressions in the course of the narrative, occasional adjurations, and certain words unusually spelt. As regards the first, I beg to answer, that the stories would be deficient in national character without it; the Irish are so imaginative that they never tell a story straightforward, but constantly indulge in episode; for the second, it is only fair to say, that in most cases the Irish peasant's adjurations are not meant to be in the remotest degree irreverent, but arise merely from the impassioned manner of speaking which an excitable people are prone to; and I trust that such oaths as "thunder-and-turf," or maledictions, as "bad cees to you," will not be considered very offensive."