Michael Joseph Molloy (1917-1994) was born and died in Milltown, Co. Galway. He originally intended to join the priesthood but was struck down by tuberculosis. It was during the long periods he spent in the hospital that he started writing plays, having been inspired by a childhood visit to the Abbey Theatre, Dublin. His first play, Old Road, was produced at the Abbey in 1943, as were The Visiting House in 1946 and The King of Friday's Men in 1948. When the old theatre burned down and the company moved to the Queen's Theatre, his The Wood of the Whispering and The Paddy Pedlar were produced there, followed by The Will and the Way, The Right Rose Tree, and The Wooing of Duvesa. After the company's return to the rebuilt theatre in 1966 his plays -- with their romantic plots and Syngean dialogue -- did not find favor with the new Abbey, and, with the exception of Petticoat Loose in 1979, none of his later works were performed professionally. This selection contains The King of Friday's Men, The Paddy Pedlar,,The Wood of the Whispering, Daughter from Over the Water, Petticoat Loose, and the previously unpublished The Bachelor's Daughter. The volume includes a bibliographical checklist of Molloy's writings.

" Whether called "the good people," "the little people," or simply "them," fairies are familiar from their appearances in Shakespeare's plays, Disney's films, and points in between. In many cultures, however, fairies are not just the stuff of distant legend or literature: they are real creatures with supernatural powers. The Good People presents nineteen essays that focus on the actual fairies of folklore -- fairies of past and living traditions who affected, and still affect, people's lives in myriad ways.

When Irish beauty, SIBELLA COTTLE sets her sights on the rakish HARRY LYNCH-BLOSSE, she is determined to steal his heart and make him hers; but Harry is not free to love her. He is still married to Emily Mahon, a staunch Catholic who refuses to have their marriage annulled. Even if she were to release him, his ambitions would be better served by marrying Lady HARRIETT BROWNE, a cousin of Lord Altamont. Despite himself, Harry falls for Sibella and following a night of passion she becomes pregnant. Her plight is desperate. They elope to his mother's home in Suffolk in 1774 where Harry persuades a solicitor to confirm his freedom to marry. Sibella's hopes are dashed at the altar when a letter from Ireland denies Harry's right to marry. Harry promises to marry her once his annulment comes through. Although distraught, Sibella recovers to focus on her pregnancy. Her mood lifts when she gives birth to a healthy boy, MICHAEL. Having returned to Balla, County Mayo, Harry becomes the 7th Baronet after his father dies. Good fortune follows when Sir Harry is elected to the Irish Parliament and Sibella delivers twin girls, CECILIA and Mary Anne. In the following years, Sibella gives birth to her second son, John, and after a further pregnancy, to her third daughter, Bridget. During this time, Harry establishes the Balla Volunteers to protect Ireland from invasion. Lady Harriett assists him in this task much to the chagrin of Sibella. Worse is to follow when Sibella intercepts a letter from JAMES CUFFE MP, a trustee to Harry's estate. In the letter, Cuffe urges Harry to abandon "that woman" and marry Lady Harriett now that he is free to do so. Sibella is terrified and seeks the advice of the witch, JUDY HOLIAN, who recommends the spancel, a love charm guaranteed to spellbind Harry for life. Aided by Judy, Sibella makes a spancel from a strip of skin cut from a corpse initially unaware that the body is that of Harry's illegitimate daughter, Ellen Colgan. Sibella must ensure that Harry never finds out the source of the spancel or he would surely abandon her. Haunted by the spectre of witchcraft, Sibella's position is precarious. Her epic struggle for survival is interwoven against a background of intrigue, rebellion and romance. This extraordinary story is based on real events in 18th century Ireland.