What do you think of when you hear St. Patrick’s day?
I think of 3 things – leprechauns, four-leaf clovers, Irish folktales, and Irish authors.
St Patrick’s Day is such a fun holiday in a culturally rich and fascinating country. Whether you’re Irish or not, I think we can all have fun on St Patrick’s Day by learning more about the culture and holiday through one of the richest experiences on this planet – by reading a book.
I think it’s a beautiful holiday that we can commemorate here on our site by sharing some fun books with you, which you can then read or gift to people, or even read with your children!
Let’s have some Irish fun, shall we?
1. Teach your kids about leprechauns.
Is there anything more symbolic than the leprechaun? And did you know that there are many children’s books about this fun creature? How about curling up on the sofa with your kids and reading some of these adorable books? I bet your young ones will have a hoot and a half!
2. How much do you know about Irish folklore?
I don’t know about you, but the only Irish folktale I know is the one about the leprechaun (where he stands at the end of a rainbow with a pot of gold). My bad! When I did some quick research, it turns out that Irish folklore has brought us some other staples, such as: the changeling (a fairy doppelganger), the banshee (screeching witch), kelpie (a sea horse), fairies, and others. Changelings are definitely prominent supernatural characters in many horror books these days. And you can always grab an Irish Folklore book and learn more about all of these magical creatures.
We recommend:
3. A list of fantastic Irish authors and their incredible books.
Did you know how many of our favorite authors are actually Irish? I don’t always know the nationality of the authors I read, and that is my mistake. Today I decided to make a list of some of the most amazing Irish authors to ever live – and write – and share them with you.
The classic ones:
James Joyce, Oscar Wilde, Bram Stocker
The award-winning ones:
Colm Toibin, Colum McCan, John Boyne, Anne Enright, Claire Keegan
The modern ones:
Sally Rooney, Tana French, Emma Donoghue,
To read more books written by Irish authors, check out our book recommendations page. We’re celebrating Irish literature on St. Patrick’s Day. Join us!
Happy holiday!
