The Adventures of Finn MacCool & Other Irish Folk Tales cover art

The Adventures of Finn MacCool & Other Irish Folk Tales

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The Adventures of Finn MacCool & Other Irish Folk Tales

By: Liam Gerrard - editor
Narrated by: Liam Gerrard
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Summary

There are many stories of the legendary Irish hero Finn MacCool, or Fionn mac Cumhaill. Liam Gerrard brings together some of the most well-known in this treasure-trove of Irish folk tales and short stories. Chief among them is the well-loved "Finn & The Scottish Giant", telling the tale of how the Giant's Causeway came into being.

Gerrard has adapted and edited over 40 short stories of Irish and Celtic folklore. So sit back, relax, and enjoy hearing the stories of the legends that have been passed down through generations over thousands of years. From ancient stories of warrior queens and heroic kings to tales of mythical creatures and fairy folk, this audiobook offers a fascinating insight into the vibrant and colorful world of Irish folklore.

You'll be captivated by the vivid descriptions of the stunning landscapes of Ireland, as well as the deep-rooted traditions and beliefs that have shaped Irish culture, including the tales of Bran, Osian, Daniel O'Rourke, Cuchulain, and many more.

Contents:

1. The Fenians

2. The Birth of Finn

3. Finn's Boyhood

4. The Coming of Finn

5. Finn and the Scottish Giant

6. The Story of Sadbh

7. The Birth of Bran

8. The Grateful Beasts

9. The Leprechaun or Fairy Shoemaker

10. Daniel O'Rourke

11. The Three Crowns

12. Cuchulain of Muirthemne

13. The Boyhood of Cuchulain

14. The Legend of Knockgrafton

15. The Stolen Child

16. The Land of youth

17. The Adventures of Gilla Na Chreck

18. The Hillman & The Housewife

19. The Giant Walker

20. The Pursuit of the Gilla Dacker

21. Jamie Feel and the Young Lady

22. The Ninepenny Fidil

23. The White Trout

24. The Wonderful Cake

25. The Legend of the Little Weaver of Duleek Gate

26. Lawn Dyarrig & the Knight of Terrible Valley

27. The Horned Women

28. The Quare Gander

29. The King of the Black Desert

30. The Piper & the P?ca

31. The Talking Head of Donn-Bo

32. The Bracket Bull

33. The Demon Cat

34. The Abbot of Inisfalen

35. Morraha

36. The King's Son

37. Murtough & The Witch Woman

38. The Red Pony

39. King O'Toole & St Kevin

40. Lament of the last Leprechaun

41. The Corpse Watchers

42. The Mad Pudding

43. BONUS TRACK A Legend of Knockmany (Finn & the Scottish Giant alternative version)

Public Domain (P)2023 Raconteurs Audio LLP' Anthologies & Short Stories Fantasy Short Stories World Literature
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All stars
Most relevant
Agree wholeheartedly with the previous review. Those stories are truly beautifully read by one who speaks Irish.

Irish tales read by an Irishman

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I’ve been searching for something like this for ages and never found anything that comes close to it. There are so many different Irish folk stories here (over 40!) and many I’d never heard before. It was like being transported back to my youth listening to my grandpa tell me stories on his lap! Gerrard has collated a fantastic collection of stories including some longer tales such as the ‘Finn MacCool’ stories, interspersed with shorter poems such as the ‘nine penny fidil’.

It’s such a joy to hear Liam Gerrard’s Irish voice read these stories, his voice is perfect, animated, evocative and enchanting.

A must-have for anyone’s library!
A+++

Beautiful stories beautifully narrated!

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A marvellous collection of childhood tales I hadn’t heard in years, brought together brilliantly. Many of these tales are children’s folk stories and Gerrard’s narration embodies that child-like spirit with excitement, fun and liveliness.

The grandchildren love listening to these in the car.
Thanks for reminding me of stories I hadn’t heard in decades!

Fabulous folk tales brought to life

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I'm going to write this review in the style of the audiobook itself to give you a taste of what how forced and caricatured the jumbled faux-Irish phraseology and performance are:
Ah, sure, I was hopin’ to hear a few grand retellin’s of the mighty tales of the Fianna, so I was. But sure, isn't it that what I got instead was a right mess of cringe, and no mistake. The auld stories are turned into a right mess of daft fairy tales. And sure, on top of that, there's a mishmash of folk tales from here and there, now and then, like a couple of strawberries stuffed into a pot of stew! Sure, 'tis enough to make a leprechaun weep, so it is, to be sure to be sure...
Enough.
Since this stereotype-fest has been nominated for a Hollywood award, I can assume it appeals to Americans who inexplicably believe themselves to be Irish and would unironically greet someone with "top of the morning to you". But beyond that, I struggle to picture someone with a basic awareness of Ireland as a real place and no chemical dependencies actually enjoying this. It's also hard to imagine this kind of caricature being tolerated in 2024 for many other identities to be honest.
I'd recommend this as a listen to anyone looking for material for academic research that aims to induce and measure cringe in human participants.

Cringerama!

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