Description

Over the years fairies have disappeared from general view because modern man is too absorbed in his own affairs and moves too fast to take the time to meet them. As the simple and sincere people are the most likely to meet the 'good people' it is always the folk and never the scholar who record their deeds. These enthralling stories are told as they were received from the storytellers with whom Kennedy was familiar. The fairies can do anything and are as liable to do good as evil; they can raise the wind, cause a storm, ruin the crops or make them abundant, cripple a healthy man or make a lame person walk. They do ask certain courtesies, such as never draining a glass, and leaving food in their path. When they are well-treated, they are very generous, but they are deadly to those who wrong them as the reader will find out in these fascinating stories.

From Patrick Kennedy's early youth (1801–1873) he felt a deep interest in stories and legends which were peculiar to Ireland. All our superstitions, and a great part of our legendary lore, have been handed down to us from our ancestors and Kennedy's dearest wish was that their memory should not fade from the minds of the people. He recorded these stories as they were told to him by the people around the fireside.