Originally published: 1989. Includes index. Includes bibliographical references and index.
Contents:
Introduction -- The hour of death -- Fionn in search of his youth -- Cromwell and the friar -- The girl and the sailor -- The four-leafed shamrock and the cock -- The cow that ate the piper -- Conal and Donal and Taig -- Adventures of a strolling player / Oliver Goldsmith (1730-1774) -- The limerick gloves / Maria Edgeworth (1767-1849) -- The death of a devotee / William Carleton (1794-1869) -- The brown man / Gerald Griffin (1803-1840) -- Green tea / Sheridan Le Fanu (1814-1873) -- Albert Nobbs / George Moore (1852-1933) -- The sphinx without a secret / Oscar Wilde (1854-1900) -- Philippa's fox-hunt / E. Œ. Somerville and Martin Moss (1858-1949 and 1862-1915) -- The priest / Daniel Corkery (1878-1964) -- The weaver's grave / Seumas O'Kelly (1881-1918) -- The dead / James Joyce (1882-1941) -- My little black ass / Padraic O Conaire (1882-1928) -- The triangle / James Stephens (1882-1950) -- Bush river / Joyce Cary (1888-1957) -- The pedlar's revenge / Liam O'Flaherty (1896-1984) -- The fanatic / Liam O'Flaherty (1896-1984) -- Her table spread / Elizabeth Bowen (1899-1973) -- The faithless wife / Sean O'Faolain (1900-1991) -- The sugawn chair / Sean O'Faolain (1900-1991) -- Guests of the nation / Frank O'Connor (1903-1966) -- The majesty of law / Frank O'Connor (1903-1966) -- Pastorale / Patrick Boyle (1905-1982) -- The hare-lip / Mairtin O Cadhain (1906-1970) -- The poteen maker / Michael McLaverty (1907-1992) -- The ring / Bryan MacMahon (1909-1998) -- Sarah / Mary Lavin (1912-1994) -- Desert island / Terence De Vere White (1912-1994) -- The pilgrims / Benedict Kiely (1919- ) -- Weep for our pride / James Plunkett (1920-2003) -- Loser / Val Mulkerns (1925- ) -- The bird I fancied / Aidan Higgins (1927- ) -- Death in Jerusalem / William Trevor (1928- ) -- The diviner / Brian Friel (1929- ) -- An occasion of sin / John Montague (1929- ) -- Irish revel / Edna O'Brien (1932- ) -- First conjugation / Julia O'Faolain (1933- ) -- The beginning of an idea / John McGahern (1934- ) -- Life drawing / Bernard Mac Laverty (1942- ) -- The airedale / Desmond Hogan (1951- ) -- Acknowledgement -- Index of authors.
Summary:
SHORT STORIES. Ireland has long been a nation of story-tellers. What began as a lively form of entertainment has grown into an unrivalled literary genre. Although Ireland may mourn the loss of the seanchai, the old hearthside story-teller, the Irish art of story-telling is by no means lost. This varied anthology traces the development of the Irish short story from the early folk-tales of the oral tradition through Oliver Goldsmith, Maria Edgeworth, James Joyce, and Liam O'Flaherty, and on to the rising stars of the modern generation, such as Bernard Mac Laverty and Desmond Hogan.
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.