Showing results for "william carleton"

It was one evening at the close of a September month and a September day that two equestrians might be observed passing along one of those old and lonely Irish roads that seemed, from the nature of its construction, to have been paved by a society of antiquarians, if a person could judge from its obsolete character, and the difficulty, without risk of neck or limb, of riding a horse or driving a carriage along it. Ireland, as our English readers ought to know, has always been a country tee...

"The Ned M'Keown Stories" is a series of tales written by William Carleton, an Irish author renowned for his portrayals of rural life in Ireland during the 19th century. The stories are part of Carleton's collection titled "Traits and Stories of the Irish Peasantry," which offers rich insights into the customs, traditions, and struggles of the Irish people, particularly those living in the countryside.Ned M'Keown is a recurring character in Carleton's works, and he serves as a representati...

Young Denis O'Shaughnessy was old Denis's son; and old Denis, like many great men before him, was the son of his father and mother in particular, and a long line of respectable ancestors in general. He was, moreover, a great historian, a perplexing controversialist, deeply read in Dr. Gallagher and Pastorini, and equally profound in the history of Harry the Eighth, and Luther's partnership with the devil. Denis was a tall man, who, from his peculiar appearance, and the nature of his dress,...

In "The Black Prophet," Carleton addresses the impact of the famine on the Irish population. The narrative revolves around the character of Mat Kavanagh, who gains a reputation as the "Black Prophet" due to his predictions of the famine's severity. The story explores the struggles and hardships faced by the Irish peasantry during this challenging period, capturing the desperation and suffering that characterized the era.Carleton's portrayal of the famine and its effects is both poignant an...

Phelim O'Toole, who had the honor of being that interesting personage, an only son, was heir to a snug estate of half an acre, which had been the family patrimony since the time of his grandfather, Tyrrell O'Toole, who won it from the Sassenah at the point of his reaping-hook, during a descent once made upon England by a body of “spalpeens,” in the month of August. This resolute little band was led on by Tyrrell, who, having secured about eight guineas by the excursion, returned to his own...

"Phelim O'Toole's Courtship" is one of the short stories included in this collection. Each story in the collection offers a glimpse into the lives of the Irish peasantry, providing readers with insights into the cultural and social dynamics of the time.Carleton's writing style combines humor, satire, and social commentary, making his works both entertaining and reflective of the realities of Irish rural life during his era. "Traits and Stories of the Irish Peasantry" as a whole is a signif...

Set against Ballytrain and the Irish road, this novel blends scandal, memory, and social satire into a story of family ruin, political intrigue, and moral reckoning. A mysterious stranger's moonlit coach journey home becomes an emotional return to a lost childhood world, where hills, rivers, and villages stir tenderness, grief, and longing. But the warmth of homecoming quickly gives way to conflict as priests, officers, lovers, spies, and sharp-tongued observers collide in scenes that expo...

One evening in the beginning of the eighteenth century—as nearly as we can conjecture, the year might be that of 1720—some time about the end of April, a young man named Lamh Laudher O'Rorke, or Strong-handed O'Eorke, was proceeding from his father's house, with a stout oaken cudgel in his hand, towards an orchard that stood at the skirt of a country town, in a part of the kingdom which, for the present, shall be nameless. Though known by the epithet of Lamh Laudher, his Christian name was...

ONE summer evening Mary Sullivan was sitting at her own well-swept hearthstone, knitting feet to a pair of sheep’s-grey stockings for Bartley, her husband. It was one of those serene evenings in the month of June when the decline of day assumes a calmness and repose, resembling what we might suppose to have irradiated Eden when our first parents sat in it before their fall. The beams of the sun shone through the windows in clear shafts of amber light, exhibiting millions of those atoms whi...

The novel tells the story of Fardorougha Sullivan, a miserly landlord living in rural Ireland during the early 19th century. Fardorougha's obsession with hoarding wealth and his refusal to spend money have far-reaching consequences for himself, his family, and the community around him. The novel explores themes of greed, family dynamics, social hierarchy, and the impact of poverty on individuals and society.Carleton's vivid portrayal of Irish rural life, his use of dialect and folklore, an...

The story centers around a young man named Jack Dolan, a talented boxer who mysteriously disappears after a fight. Rumors swirl that he was murdered by his rival, Darby M'Keown, who had a reputation for foul play. However, Jack's body is never found, and the townspeople are left to grapple with uncertainty and fear.Years later, Darby M'Keown is found dead in his own bed, seemingly from natural causes. But the townspeople, still haunted by the unsolved mystery of Jack Dolan's disappearance,...

It was on one of those nights in August, when the moon and stars shine through an atmosphere clear and cloudless, with a mildness of lustre almost continental, that a horseman, advancing at a rapid pace, turned off a remote branch of road up a narrow lane, and, dismounting before a neat whitewashed cottage, gave a quick and impatient knock at the door. Almost instantly, out of a small window that opened on hinges, was protruded a broad female face, surrounded, by way of nightcap, with seve...