The Mammoth Book of Irish Romance

INTRODUCTION

Ireland is a land of romance. Pure and simple. And you don’t have to be an expert in Irish lore to appreciate the fantastic opportunities that Ireland offers romance writers: its tumultuous, battle-rife history of clans, territories and kingdoms; its pantheon of heroes, goddesses, saints and magic to rival Rome’s, and its legends of the most fantastical beasts and magical creatures ever recorded. You don’t need, either, to know everything about the Tuatha Dé Danann to appreciate these ancient gods of eire with their beauty, immense strength, and immortality. Irish legend and mythology are full of the ultimate heroes and the most romantic of stories. It is to a great extent in these Celtic cycles, tales and myths that romances — full of heroes, chivalry, courtly love and adventure — were originally born. No wonder popular writers from Tolkein to J. K. Rowling to George Lucas have been seized and inspired by the history of Ireland.

Because Ireland’s history was an oral history until it was recorded by Christian monks in the Middle Ages, you can clearly see where problems might have arisen with an accurate portrayal of Ireland’s wild pagan past! The ancient tribal Ireland of druids and high kings, therefore, is always ripe for reinterpretation. This is why such tales and folklore are constantly rewoven and rewritten; they are always a work in progress, a vibrant recollection of the past, still vital and alive today. It’s also why you’ll find many different interpretations, many different names and dispositions for similar characters.

Here are stories that weave a fiction from existing legend, stories that explore existing myth in greater depth, and yet more stories that stray from established lore entirely with a healthy dose of poetic licence, using Ireland’s constellation of magical creatures in new, exciting ways. And then, of course, here are stories that are simply pure, unabashed, unashamed romance.

And the faery folk seem to have their fingers in most of the trouble and adventure that occurs. Love affairs between mortals and the faery host are put to the test, while the High King of the Daoine Sidhe, Finvarra’s insatiable appetite for mortal women is legendary. Fairy interference — er, help — in mortal life in general is definitely a recurring theme in this collection. But you’ll also be confronted with remnants of Ireland’s Viking past, its legendary warriors, battles fought and won, and the mysterious sea god Lir and his mermaids.

Jenna Maclaine brings Morrigan, the goddess of war, and legendary warrior, Cuchulainn to life as erotic, constantly battling, immortals. And as always we have a few stories that reach out to the wider world of an author’s current series (see, for instance, Margo Maguire’s world of the Druzai). I am also proud to announce the brilliant debut of a brand-new series with a story from Jennifer Ashley presenting her exciting Shifters!

A tumult of styles and themes then, this is a refresher course in Irish history, with a nod to the behemoth that is paranormal romance. Here are some writers with the power to really take you on a ride through a Celtic mythological past, who can definitely hold their own amongst all the vampires, werewolves, shape-shifters and ghosts populating the bestseller lists today.

So why not allow these Irish paranormals — these gancanaghs (ethereal lovers who seduce young women then disappear), alp-luachras (evil, greedy fairies) and Irish High Kings of lore — a little room of their own? Let these writers take you into the lush, romantic, and above all magical heart of an Ireland that is, was and might-have-been.

Trisha Telep