Meath Folk Tales

Meath Folk Tales gathers roughly one hundred stories from across County Meath, linking local places with legend, history and oral tradition. Richard Marsh includes accounts of kings, saints and god-figures, alongside explanations for place-names and stories centred on figures such as Collier the Robber, the Prophet Meldrum and Barney Curley, whose 1975 betting coup made him a modern folk hero.

The collection ranges from Tara, Newgrange and the River Boyne to tales of the Gormanston Foxes, werewolves, fairies, ghosts, spells and holy wells. Historical episodes, including Cromwell’s campaign and the 1798 Rebellion, sit alongside accounts of buried treasure, sleeping soldiers and things encountered on the road, showing how Meath’s folklore continues to absorb newer stories.