Sligo Folk Tales

For the devotee of Irish heritage, mythology or folklore, County Sligo has everything. From the Curlew mountains in the south, where Aodh Ruadh Ó Domhnaill defeated an English army under Sir Conyers Clifford, to Benbulben's slopes in the north, where St Colmcille battled the High King of Ireland, every hill and valley is linked by the gossamer threads of myth, folklore and legend. These stories, some age-old legends and fantastical myths, some amusing anecdotes and cautionary tales, are a heady mix of the bloodthirsty, funny and passionate and a selection of the best are retold here by professional storyteller Joe McGowan. In these pages you will find little-known anecdotes of the traditional rural ways of Sligo's residents, their customs and superstitions; you will find stories of epic battles and heroic deeds; and you will also hear the fantastical accounts of mythical creatures, faeries, witches and the ghosts of Connacht itself.

Auteur

Joe McGowan is a professional storyteller and author who has been recording the old lore of the Irish countryside for the last forty years. His short stories, cameos of Irish life both past and present, feature frequently in magazines, on local radio and on RTE. His previously published works include Sligo, Land of Destiny and Echoes of a Savage Land. He lives in Mullaghmore, Co. Sligo and is a member of the National Folklore Society.