P. W. Joyce's Old Celtic Romances, first published in 1879 and recently re-printed, is one of the first and most influential collections of translations of Irish tales. "The Children of Lir" is perhaps the best-known story in the collection, which leans towards romance and magic rather than heroic battle.

"The Death of Aife's Only Son" is included in Kinsella's translation of the Táin Bó Cúailnge. It is a tragedy worthy of the Greek drama. Cúchulainn is caught up in an inevitable tragedy of his own making. In this tale, unlike in the Táin Bó Cúailnge, a woman's advice represents wisdom and the finest prompting of human love. Emer, Cúchulainn's wife, out of love for him and for his son by another woman, pleads with him to acknowledge...