Armagh Folk Tales

  ‘'Like many counties in Ireland, stories are in the DNA of the people. The landscape is the fabric of the stories - what sews us together or unfortunately, at times, rips us apart. Stories are a way of coming to terms with our fortunes and misfortunes, and with the quirks of others; in short, a way of making sense of the human condition.''
On this journey in Armagh, one of the most historic counties on the Emerald Island, you will meet heroes and heroines, gods and goddesses. The tragic story of the Children of Lir, the larger than life figure of Cú Chulainn, Deirdre's sorrows, the haunting mermaid Liban, Conor Mac Nessa. You will trace Saint Patric's footsteps, pray by the Holy Wells (and read an extraordinary story about the Night of the Well), dance with fairies in both traditional tales and sightings of our times, meet changelings, get spooked by ghostly footsteps in the night and modern ghost stories. And this is a mere handful of the treasures waiting for you in Co. Armagh.
Unfortunately, the experience would have been truly unique if it hadn't been for the lifeless, weak, confusing, dry writing, the writer's obvious and inexplicable aversion to Christianity and the sorrowful attempts to appear ‘'humorous'' and ‘'spirited.'' In my opinion, apart from a few beautiful moments, this volume is one of the weakest in the series due to Quinn's approach. A pity, really, because the content is excellent.