Eilís Dillon (1920–1994)

Best friends Dara and Brendan, growing up together on a small island off the west coast of Ireland, confront the fact that they are soon to leave their home in order to attend high school on the mainland in this poignant children's novel from Eilís Dillon. When the boys discover that Mr. Webb, a retired schoolteacher living in their island fishing community, plans to make his home in isolation, on the nearby uninhabited "Island of Ghosts," they help him with his preparations. Little do they show more realize however, that when they agree to sail with him to the island, in order to help him set up, that they will not see their home for quite some while. Kidnapped by Mr. Webb, who wants them to live on the island, the boys are believed drowned by the people of their own island. Only the boys' sisters, Barbara and Cait, believe that they are still alive, setting out to rescue them...

One of the most celebrated Irish children's authors of the twentieth century, Eilís Dillon wrote fifty books over the course of her career, in both the Irish and English languages. The Island of Ghosts was first published in 1989, four years before Dillon's death. It is an engrossing adventure story, one which explores the idea of the past as something that haunts us in the present. This manifests itself, not just in the actual spirit that the children experience, on the eponymous 'island of ghosts,' but also in the overarching story, and in Mr. Webb's maniacal quest to repopulate one of the abandoned western islands. The theme of the abandonment of the western islands of Ireland and Scotland, over the course of the twentieth century, in one that has been explored in many books, whether for children or adults. Dillon manages to capture both the romantic appeal of the the western islands, as an idea, and the human tragedy of the loss of the communities that once lived on them. In this way, the name "island of ghosts" refers not just to the actual spirit, but to the ghosts of the past - the ghosts of the people who once lived there. This doesn't appear to be one of Dillon's more popular works, but I found it very powerful, and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys thoughtful upper-level middle-grade fiction. show less

A murder mystery set in a residential hotel in the west of Ireland in the 1950s. Reserved thirtysomething George is told he may only have a short time to live, so moves to the hotel of Crane's Court just outside of Galway City. Not long after he arrives, the hotel's obnoxious new owner is found dead. Whodunnit?

I found this to be just okay. Eilís Dillon's cast of quirky characters is fine if stock (though one of them has an unexpectedly macabre quirk indeed). But this is a whodunnit where show more the sleuthing and the solution rely on a certain kind of psychological framing and off-stage sleuthing, and I just didn't find Dillon's characterisation believable here. Is that really how someone would behave? Nor is the apparent narrative approval for statements about how the lower classes are more prone to murder, etc, all that convincing either. show less

A deeply enthralling children's adventure set on and off the Galway coast. A missing father, legendary treasure, hard-bitten rogues, danger on land and on sea, all told with realism and romance, written with beautiful clarity and perfectly-crafted prose, a vivid portrayal of Irish rural life and coastal and village fishing communities and lovely illustrations by Richard Kennedy. Some of the story-telling conventions creak a bit, but the writing raises this book several levels, this is surely show more a classic of children's literature. show less

This collection of twenty short stories for children, some originally conceived as discrete, independent tales, some taken from larger works, was designed, according to the introduction by Eilís Dillon, to introduce young readers to some of the wonderful authors in the Irish tradition, and to encourage them to eventually seek out more from those authors. Selections include:

A Likely Story by Mary Lavin, in which a young boy, repeating the stories of his playfellows to his mother, is always show more answered with the comment that it's "a likely story." So it is that when Packy meets a strange gentleman on Shee hill, a gentleman who claims to have been in the country some 5000 years, he does not tell his mother.

The Breadth of a Whisker by Janet McNeill, which tells of an alchemist and his mouse companion, and how the alchemist kept his word to his murine friend, when he finally made gold.

Eonín by Mary Patton, in which a young boy, living on the big Aran Island off the Galway coast, finds himself a prisoner of the mermaids, until he manages to teach them a song they don't know, thereby winning his freedom.

Christmas by Pádraig Ó Siochfhradha, in which a young boy gets up to some mischief (including getting the family gander drunk!) while his parents are off in Dingle. This was originally published in Irish, as part of the longer 1919 novel, Jimín Mháire Thaidhg.

Bad Blood by Eilís Dillon, in which two neighboring families are engaging in a bitter lawsuit.

The Widow's Daughter by Seumus MacManus, in which a poor Donegal widow's lazy daughter, Nabla, wins herself the king's son as groom.

Gulliver Reaches Lilliput by Jonathan Swift, in which the eponymous hero arrives in the land of miniature people. This excerpt is taken from the classic novel, Gulliver's Travels.

A Stocking Full of Gold by Kathleen Fitzpatrick, in which a young boy named Tom, dying of consumption, is sent to a drier climate with the help of Mr. McKeown's gold. This is an excerpt from The Weans of Rowallan.

The Trout by Seán O'Faoláin, in which a young girl rescues a large trout from a tiny well.

Granny's Wonderful Chair by Frances Browne, in which the pretty Snowflower sets out to find her grandmother, with the aid of their magical, storytelling chair. This is an excerpt from Browne's full-length novel, also entitled Granny's Wonderful Chair, and first published in 1857.

My Little Black Ass by Pádraic Ó Conaire, in which the narrator buys a little black donkey on fair day. Originally published in Irish as part of M'Asal Beag Dubh, and translated by Máirín Ní Dhonnchadha.

Cliona, Fairy Queen of Muskerry by Eileen O'Faoláin, in which the narrator tells of the disaster that came to her cows, after she fenced off Cliona's fairy mound. This is taken from The Little Black Hen.

Neilly and the Fir Tree by John O'Connor, in which a boy, teased for being small, becomes so enraged that he climbs the tallest tree he can find. This is excerpted from Come-Day-Go-Day.

St. Brigid's Feast by Micheál Mac Liammóir, in which naughty little Gráinne runs off into the forest on St. Brigid's Eve, and encounters a group of red-capped fairy dancers. This is taken from the longer work, Faery Nights / Óicheanta Sí: Stories On Ancient Irish Festivals.

First Confession by Frank O'Connor, in which a young boy is prepared for his first confession by the hell-obsessed Mrs. Ryan, and finds the reality far less daunting than he imagined it would be.

After Summer by Maura Laverty, in which a young girl longs for a bicycle. This comes from Laverty's Never No More: The Story of a Lost Village.

Weep for Our Pride by James Plunkett, in which Peter is beaten for not having learned "Lament for the Death of Eoghan Roe" for class, and then beaten again for violence toward the weak, when he fights another boy at school. Oh, the irony...

The China Doll by Polly Devlin, in which Mary-Ellen receives a doll from far-off America, only to have it beheaded by hedge-clippers. This comes from The Far Side of the Lough.

The Unworthy Princess by James Stephens, in which a group of boys, inspired by a fairy-tale, set out to rescue a princess, only to find the object of their chivalry does not want to be helped. Taken from Here Are Ladies.

The Potato Gatherers by Brian Friel, in which two brothers work as potato gatherers for farmer Kelly.

All in all, I enjoyed this collection of stories, which was assigned to me as a text in the course on the history of children's literature I took while getting my masters. I did intend, reading many of these selections, to track down the longer works from which they were taken, or to read more from some of the authors. I have not yet done so, despite the passing of a few years, but I still hope to do so at some point. Recommended to anyone interested in Irish children's fiction, and looking for an introductory sampling. show less