Includes bibliographical references and index

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 / Goldsmith -- The Lime- rick gloves / Edgeworth -- The death of a devotee / Carleton -- The brown man / Griffin -- Green tea / Le Fanu -- Albert Nobbs / Moore -- The sphinx without a secret / Wilde -- Philippa's fox-

hunt / Somerville and Ross -- The priest / Corkery -- The weaver's grave / O'Kelly -- The dead / Joyce -- My little black ass / O'Conaire -- The triangle / Stephens -- Bush River / Cary -- The peddlar's revenge / O'Flaherty -- The fanatic / O'Flaherty -- Her table spread / Bowen -- The faithless wife / O"Faolain -- The sugawn chair / O'Faolain -- Guests of the nation / O'Connor -- Pastorale / Boyle -- The hare-lip / O'Cadhain -- The poteen

maker / McLaverty -- The ring / MacMahon -- Sarah / Lavin -- Desert Island / White -- The Pilgrims / Kiely -- Weep for our pride / Plunkett -- Loser / Mulkerns -- The bird I fancie / Higgins -- Death in Jerusalem / Trevor -- The Diviner / Friel -- An occasion of sin / Montague -- Irish revel / O'Brien -- First conjugation / O'Faolain -- The beginning of an idea / McGahern -- Life drawing / MacLaverty -- The Airdale / Hogan