Folklore and Local Tradition

Where it surfaces

• The Ghost and the Bonesetter

  The story is rooted in Irish folklore about ghosts, the duty of tenants to sit up in the castle, and the superstition of the last buried corpse.

• The Fortunes of Sir Robert Ardagh

  The story is rooted in Irish local legend, with the castle and its traditions giving rise to wild and extraordinary tales passed down through generations.

• Scraps of Hibernian Ballads

  The chapter defends indigenous Irish ballads as genuine poetry, highlighting oral tradition and local song-making.

• Jim Sulivan’s Adventures in the Great Snow

  The chapter is steeped in Irish folk traditions, including wakes, matchmaking, and the comedic resolution of marital disputes through priestly intervention.

• The Quare Gander

  The story is steeped in Irish folk belief, including fairy doctors, transmigration of souls, and local superstitions.

• Billy Malowney's Taste of Love and Glory

  The story is framed as a local tale told by a fisherman, rich with Irish dialect, customs, and references to wakes, weddings, and communal storytelling.

• The Sexton’s Adventure

  The tale is presented as a local legend of Chapelizod, with the sexton as a repository of village anecdotes.

• The Spectre Lovers

  The story is steeped in local legend, with Ally Moran and Major Vandeleur's mother interpreting the vision through remembered tales and superstitions.

• Some Gossip About Chapelizod

  Rich in local anecdotes, including the story of Luttrell and the devil, Bob Martin's tales, and the anecdote about Dean Swift being outwitted by a cowboy, preserving oral traditions.

• Ultor de Lacy: A Legend of Cappercullen

  The story is presented as a local legend, emphasizing oral tradition and regional beliefs.

• I: The Jacobite’s Legacy

  The story is framed as a traditional Irish family legend, with the glen of Cappercullen and the ruined castle serving as a backdrop for supernatural inheritance.

• II: The Fairies in the Castle

  The local boys believe the castle is haunted by the Phooka, and the ladies exploit fairy folklore to frighten the captured child.

• IV: The Light in the Bell Tower

  The light is tied to local legends of the De Lacys' brutal judgments in the tower.

• VII: Una’s Love

  The chapter draws on Irish folklore, including the ballad and the legend of the ghostly singing in the glen.

• VIII: Sister Agnes and the Portrait

  The story is preserved as a local tale, with the portrait used to warn children of the family's cursed history.

• My Aunt Margaret's Adventure

  The narrative draws on Irish folk beliefs about restless spirits and haunted places.

• IV: Perturbation

  The mention of 'old stories of highwaymen' reflects local folklore and the oral tradition of tales about dangerous roads.

• V: The Good Woman

  The inn's name 'The Good Woman' and the maid's superstitious refusal to admit men after ten o'clock reflect local customs and folk beliefs.

• II: The Blessed Candle

  The wake customs, the use of the holy candle, and the belief in soul-trapping reflect deep-rooted Irish folk traditions.

• The Child That Went with the Fairies

  The story draws heavily on Irish fairy lore, including protective measures like rowan trees, horseshoes, and holy water, and the belief in the 'Good people' of Lisnavoura.

• The White Cat of Drumgunniol

  The story is rooted in Irish folklore, with the white cat acting like a banshee and the wake customs described in detail.

• Stories of Lough Guir

  The chapter centers on the rich folklore of Lough Guir, including fairy lore, the enchanted submerged castle of the Desmonds, and local traditions passed down by Miss Anne Baily.

• The Magician Earl

  The story is a classic Irish legend passed down through oral tradition, featuring a local smith's encounter with the enchanted Earl.

• Moll Rial's Adventure

  The tale is rooted in Irish folklore, featuring a local legend of an earl under a spell and the protective power of a sacred name.

• The Banshee

  The banshee is a traditional Irish folk figure associated with the Baily family.

• The Vision of Tom Chuff

  The tale is passed down as a local legend, told around cottage hearths as a moral warning.

• XIII: The Woodman

  The woodman's tale of the Moravian nobleman and local vampire hunting practices underscores the role of folk belief in the narrative.

• The Dead Sexton

  The tale is recounted by winter firesides, and the stranger is compared to local bogeymen like 'freytens a boo or a dobbies off Dardale Moss,' grounding the story in regional folklore.

• Laura Silver Bell

  The story incorporates local beliefs about witches, unbaptized souls, fairy abductions, and the protective power of rowan trees and horseshoes.

• Dickon the Devil

  The story of Dickon and the ghost is presented as a local legend, with the innkeeper reluctant to discuss it and the steward sharing it as a cautionary tale.

• Endnotes

  The editor defends the preservation of supernatural tales and local traditions, noting they have been softened rather than exaggerated.