Derry Folk Tales

Derry Folk Tales gathers stories from County Derry drawn from historical sources and newly recorded local reminiscences. Its subjects range from the legends of St Columba and the skeleton on Derry’s coat of arms to the Leap of the Dog, linked with the naming of Limavady, and the tale of Finvola, the Gem of the Roe.

The collection also turns towards darker material, including Abhartach, described in tradition as an Irish vampire, and a man who raised the Devil. Lough Foyle provides settings for tales of the Lig-na-Paiste, Manannan Mac Lir, a mermaid and the Nine Waves at Magilligan. Ghosts, fairies, banshees, superstitions, cures and local traditions appear alongside these legends, retold by storyteller Madeline McCully and accompanied by line illustrations.