Tag Dermot Flynn

The Faerie Isle: Tales and Traditions of Ireland’s Forgotten Folklore

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The Faerie Isle: Tales and Traditions of Ireland’s Forgotten Folklore
Sine Quinn and Dermot Flynn
Walker Books

In this collection of Irish folklore you will meet all manner of faerie beings each of which has an introductory fact page that precedes the story. For example Giant tells of.their enormous height, awesome strength and fights, mentioning such as Fionn mac Cumhaill and the tale Stomping Ground relates how two cow eating giants, seen by a boy and his grandmother, fall asleep in a field. In the next field the grandmother keeps her beehives and she engineers that her bees should attack the giants, sting them so badly that they never go anywhere near her place again.

Then there are the shapeshifters of which there is an abundance in Irish folklore called piseoaitthe (charm setters) . One I found particularly fascinating is The Charmer, a silver-tongued faerie said to be the most beautiful of all the ‘good people’.

Also known as the ‘love-talker’ this mystifying faerie with his seductive voice, (supposedly a member of the leprechaun family), is able to leave a person trapped by unrequited love as was red haired Nora in the story that follows. One evening we read, she encounters a mysterious handsome stranger who charms her completely only to vanish almost immediately leaving the girl devastated to the extent that, so the story goes, she still walks the road whereon she met him, searching for her faerie lover.

Selkies, mermaids, a banshee and sheeries also wait to enrapture readers between the pages of this Faerie Isle. Anyone with an interest in folklore, especially those with some Irish blood running through their veins will be fascinated and enchanted by Sine Quinn’s text that has been richly illustrated by Dermot Flynn whose portrayals of the faerie folk range from utterly spine-chilling to alluring.

Fia and the Last Snow Deer

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Fia and the Last Snow Deer
Eilish Fisher, illustrated by Dermot Flynn
Puffin Books

I deferred reading this, put off by the hype it’s had, but once I started, I was immediately drawn in by the author’s lyrical writing and magical storytelling, reading her verse novel in a single sitting.
The setting is Ireland in ancient times and it’s narrated by Fia whose village is trapped under a blanket of snow where after several unending winters the starving villagers are eagerly awaiting the return of the hunters, due to arrive before the next solstice.

However they come with barely enough for a couple of days and so the villagers gather to determine the fate of Fia’s snow deer, Solas (born under the same solstice as the girl thirteen years ago) not only for his meat but also for an ancient prophecy promise that an ultimate sacrifice will return sunlight and life to the world. However, Fia plots with her great grandmother to seek out the Deer Mother who wakes the world at the winter solstice thus saving the village and Solas. Then Fia and her cousin Mish run from the village with Solas, travelling through the harsh landscape, facing such perils as lurking shadows and hardship. They also meet a wolf.

During the journey Fia learns a lot about loyalty, love, family, friendship, jealousy and kindness, and readers find out more about both Fia and Mish, their relationship and standing within the village, as well as the expectations and pressures of birthright and of prophecies. Will they make it to the Deer Mother and ultimately, will Fia find the courage to make the sacrifice required to end winter and bring the sun back – a sacrifice she didn’t fully understand at the outset?

An integral part of the story are Dermot Flynn’s stunning illustrations which echo the transition from darkness to light, while highlighting the love, hardship and hope of the narrative.

A spellbinding read for chilly winter days, best enjoyed snuggled up while consuming a hot chocolate.