cover image Irish Tales and Sagas

Irish Tales and Sagas

Ulick O'Connor. Town House, $12 (96pp) ISBN 978-0-684-02016-7

O'Connor evokes the glory days of Ireland past, when the Celtic King Conor ruled Ulster and the 12 Knights of the Red Branch, the most famous of whom was Cuchulain, sat at his court. These tales belong to the magical world of fairy tales: Cuchulain's mother is transformed into a beautiful bird by the god Lu, and flies away to Fairyland. Cuchulain was the ideal hero, handsome and wise and brave. The first of these seven tales relates the life and death of Cuchulain (betrayed to his enemies by means of a magic spell). Other stories tell of the Tuatha de Danaan, who lived in Ireland before the Gaels; of the beautiful Deirdre and the tragedy wrought by her beauty; of druids and St. Patrick. Bewick's enchanting illustrations echo the magical, far-away time of these lovely tales.