Fairy Legends and Traditions of the South of Ireland. A New and Complete Edition by T. Wright, with Illustrations by Maclise & Green. London: George Allen, 1912. Eighth Edition. Pages, 352. Publisher’s green cloth boards, with gilt title and decoration to front cover and spine. A nice bright copy

Thomas Crofton Croker was a Corkman of the ascendancy class who roamed the southern countryside collecting tales and folklore. He published his collection anonymously in 1825.

The book sold almost 1,000 copies within a week – a bestseller in its day – and in the same year, the brothers Grimm translated it into German, taking some liberties along the way.