Irish Folk History - by Henry Glassie (Paperback)

About the Book

In story, song, and spontaneous essay, these texts tell of the coming of Christianity, of endless war, of the hardships and delights of rural life.

Book Synopsis

Made of the words of the people who live today in the beautiful, embattled countryside of Ulster, Irish Folk History is, in essence, the people's own statement of their past. In story, song, and spontaneous essay, these texts, selected from Passing the Time in Ballymenone, tell of the coming of Christianity, of endless war, of the hardships and delights of rural life.

During a time of trouble, Henry Glassie came into a community of active story-tellers in County Fermanagh in Northern Ireland, and in this book he sets their voices--their chuckles, whispers, and anger--before us. The words of Hugh Nolan, Michael Boyle, of Peter Flanagan, Hugh Patrick Owens, and their neighbors, echo from the page to present a tale that is at once the story of their tiny community and the story of all of Ireland.

Review Quotes

"A valuable edition of the principal tales and songs from Passing the Time in Ballymenone."-- "Worldview"

"In this setting the words take on a more mysterious quality; we can easily notice the spontaneous invention."-- "Village Voice"

About the Author

Henry Glassie is College Professor of Folklore and codirector of the Turkish Studies Program at Indiana University.