Elena Danaan – illustratör

‘An excellent and comprehensive exploration of this fascinating subject.’ - Philip Carr-Gomm, author of Druid Mysteries‘Samhain was the entry point into winter, a time of hardship, cold and hunger … It was also a time of introspection, of communing with the dead and the otherworld – themes that have somehow survived, albeit distorted, into the modern era.’The modern celebration of Halloween is derived from the ancient festival of the dead known in Ireland as Samhain. It is from Ireland that we have inherited most of our Halloween traditions, mainly through the diaspora. Delving into the ancient past, this book uncovers the history of this festival in Britain, Ireland and Brittany, including the forgotten goddess Tlachtga and the sacred temple of the Druids in Co. Meath, where the first Halloween fires were lit.

Named after the peoples of Ciarraige who inhabited the ancient territory, Kerry possesses a rich tapestry of history, legend and folklore unparalleled by many others. In this book, authors Gary Branigan and Luke Eastwood narrate a variety of myths and fables that will take you on a journey through Kerry’s past. Many of the stories have been handed down by local people from generation to generation, and reveal old customs and beliefs filled with superstition, while others are more modern, showing the continuance of the Irish traditions of the seanachaí and of Irish storytelling.