Kildare Folk Tales

About this book

Steve Lally gathers tales rooted in County Kildare, combining historical sources with newly recorded local reminiscence. The collection ranges from the Wizard Earl who lived at Maynooth Castle and the Pooka Horse associated with Rathcoffey Castle to stories of Saint Brigid and the Devil at Castletown House.

Ghost stories, fairy lore and memories of magic sit alongside accounts of the Kildare Lurikeen, the Ghost Room at Maynooth, the Death Coach and the Bog of Allen. Lally also turns to human characters and local traditions, including the boxer Dan Donnelly, wise woman Moll Anthony, the Curragh Wrens and the Trinity Well. The tales are retold in a storyteller’s voice and accompanied by the author’s illustrations.