Customer Reviews

A Field Guide to Irish Fairies

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
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1 star:		(0)

 

 

This little book gets right to the meat of Irish folklore and the various sorts of fey. Includes the mythological variance between tales from differing counties and tries to reconcile the countless spelling/name variations and the differing significance attached to various elementals. The accounts and tales are both fanciful and straightforward and carry none of that phony, fadish, fluffy bunny fru fru that poisons serious examination and/or gentle celebration of our Good Neighbours.

This book introduces several types of Irish fairies: what they look like, their character, where they are located and how to avoid or deal with them should you encounter them. I have enjoyed reading it and have learned a lot, and so have my two sons (ages 6 and 12) and their friends. We used this book as a reference for a craft at the Eugene Irish Festival where people learned about fairies and those who participated loved it.

Highly recommended to anyone at the beginning level of learning about Irish Fairies. Great artwork, too.

This is a beautiful little book. It has the great authority on celtic mythology Bob Curran sharing his knowledge of Fairy lore from Ireland. Not in a whimsical as is usual manner with faires but in a knowledgeable yet informative manner. There are also the excellent illustrations by Andrew Whitson. On a personal note upon reading this book mention was made of a great Uncle of mine Frank Craig. My mother filled us with stories about Frank as we grew up. Besides being one of the last native Irish speakers on Rathlin Island he had a great head filled with folklore, some of it he told to scare my mother and her siblings witless when they were small children. He would also tell them that there were no fairies now. He had heard them leave long ago and travel west to beyond the sunset. Sadly he died in 1973 but it was so good to read something about his stories in this book.So on a personal and on a general level I highly recommend this book.

I love this book!!! I got it from the libary and now I'm buying it. I love this book, it's interesting to read. I just didn't want to stop. It's fun and mysterious. My favorite Irish Fairy is the Grogoch [Grow-gock]. You'll love it too.
I think any ages 7-12 would enjoy it. Their is not to many really hard words.
For really young kids (4-) is a little scary. The Sherrie is the really scary I know there not real but for kids to young I would not let read it. It's a out of print book:(,but you can get it for cheep used. (Or new for a lot!!!!) It's a great book and I think you should get it too!!!!

Our very own Leprechaun sent us this book and my sons loved learning about ALL the fey of Ireland.

Twas especially handy for writing a toast for a St. Pat's Gala!
(for which I won the prize, thanks to the wee folk)

Great book, lots of illustrations and tons of Irish lore to fascinate young and olde.

I first discovered this book in Gleann Cholm Cille, County Donegal, Ireland. I thought it was great, but it was the beginning of a month-long trip, so I decided not to get it. It became one of the souvenirs I regretted not getting, so I was ecstatic when I found it on Amazon! I happen to love Irish folklore and the Good People, and found the drawings and information to be highly entertaining! It would make a great gift for kids, but as for my copy, I don't plan on parting with it any time soon! If you like fairy/faerie art work and info that isn't corrupted into being annoyingly kid-friendly, I'd recommend Brian Froud's Faeries (25th Anniversary Edition).

The book contains a few good illustrations, but as a source of reference material it is sorely lacking. The author describes only a small number of fairies and he has the habit of jumping to conclusions that depart from traditional fairy lore.