Brewer's Dictionary Of Irish Phrase & Fable - Hardcover

'The original Brewer, still going strong, has always been a grand source for myths and legends and etymological curiosities, so we expect great things from this version, Ireland being rich in both departments. It does not disappoint.' (Nicholas Bagnall SUNDAY TELEGRAPH (5.12.04))

''crammed with facts and amply greased with a decent supply of well-turned phrases...this book is a gem.' (Tom Adair SCOTLAND ON SUNDAY (12.12.04))

'Brewer's Dictionary is a serious and scholarly work that packs in an amazing quantity of information.' (Victor Price TLS (25.2.05))

'The new reference book...has endless potential as a wet afternoon distraction.' (Terry Prone IRISH INDEPENDENT (19.2.05))

Brewer's Dictionary of Irish Phrase and Fable is devoted exclusively to the history, culture, mythology and language of the island of Ireland. Like its parent volume (Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable), the 'Irish Brewer' covers a huge range of different subjects, and will be particularly generous in its account of legend, superstition and folklore. It will be generous also in its insights into the origins and history of words and phrases, and will contain an remarkable array of expressions and allusions that the user might struggle to find in an 'ordinary' dictionary or encyclopedia of Ireland. Its 5000 A to Z entries entries include Celtic gods and goddesses, bards, beasts, literary allusions, proverbial sayings, idiomatic phrases and expressions, characters from Irish literature ancient and modern, resonant place-names, and individuals and events of 'iconic' stature in Irish history. A significant number of entries will relate to contemporary Irish life and culture. As is de rigueur with all Brewer's-branded titles, there will be material in abundance here to delight lovers of the odd, the obscure and the arcane.