Trisha Telep: The Mammoth Book of Irish Romance

Thank you, Da. I’ll write often, and send money. And I’ll come back to visit you.

With his sputtering daughter stomping behind him, Tom’s father left the train. They’d just reached the big round clock when the train whistle blew again. The engine chugged, and Tom took the golden bean from his mouth.

«It wasn’t a dream,» Dolly whispered. «I remember it all now. You were there, Tom. You saved me from the Fairy King.»

«The old woman who guards the well at Tobernalt saved us both, mo chroí. »

«What’s that thing in your hand?» Dolly gently uncurled his fingers. Her ring lay in his palm. Nothing remained of the golden bean.

The train picked up speed. Tom slid the pearl ring on to Dolly’s finger and smiled. One day soon, he’d place a gold ring on her other hand.

Ard Rí

High (or Supreme) King.

A chuisle

My pulse.

A nighean ruadh

Red-haired girl.

Aos si(dhe)

The faerie race ( see also «Sidhe»); singular « Aes si(dhe) ».

Banshee/ Bean sí

Female spirit whose screams herald death. Also called a «washer woman», she’s often seen washing bloody linens at a stream; woman of the fairy mounds.

Berserker

In Viking lore, a warrior who gained the blood-lust of fighting, and charged into battle so fiercely that nothing or no one could stop him. Some say his form even changed into that of a raving beast.

Bog-oak

Ancient wood found buried in peat bogs.

Chainse

A white long-sleeved undertunic of fine linen worn in the early Middle Age.

Chausses

Armour for the legs, usually made from mail.

Colcannon

Irish traditional dish consisting of mashed potatoes and cabbage.

Cohuleen druith

A red cap made of swan feathers that enables merrows ( see entry ) to swim through the ocean.

Compeer

Partner.

Craic

Gossip/chatter.

Dun

Fort; usually covered a whole hilltop with walls protecting many buildings.

Drùth

Harlot.

Éire/Ériu

Ireland.

Fine

Clan.

Gael

Celtic, Gaelic-speaking ethnic group of Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man.

Gardai

The police force of the Republic of Ireland.

Gasún

Child.

Geis

A curse, spell, or incantation.

Guraiceach

A blockhead, oaf.

Imbolc

An ancient Celtic religious festival, celebrated on 1 February to mark the beginning of spring.

Imeacht gan teacht ort

«May you leave without returning».

Irish acre

Unit of measurement historically used in Ireland, slightly larger than a standard acre. One Irish acre equates to 1.62 English acres.

Jig/Reel

Lively Irish/Scottish folk dance. Also refers to the accompanying music.

Leannán Sidhe

Female «faery lover» in Celtic mythology. She seeks out artists and poets, and in return for inspiration, she feeds off their life force.

Lios

Ring fort or enclosure; property belonging to a chieftain or group.

Lir

King of the ocean.

Lughnasa

The Celtic harvest festival named for Lugh, one of the chief gods of the Tuatha Dé Daman.

Màistreàs

Mistress.

Mavourneen

My darling.

Merrow

Mermaid.

Mo chroí/A chroi

My heart.

Nuada Airgethlam

Lord of Tir na Nóg, first king of the Tuatha Dé Danaan.

Og

Irish for young. Tomás Og is «young Tomás».

Ollphéist

Monster.

Pict

An ancient Celtic warrior race.

Publican

Proprietor/Licensee of a public house (pub).

Ráth

A walled enclosure in Irish antiquity.

Sidhe

The people of the Tuatha Dé Danaan (see entry), aka the Fair Folk; Daoine Sidhe; the faerie race (as «sidhe» (lower case) it refers to the mythological underground palaces in which the Sidhe live, aka Fairy Hills); singular «Sidh», a faerie.

Sithen

A fairy mound.

Tiarna an Ama

Lord of time.

Tir fo Thoinn

The Land Beneath the Waves.

Tir na Nóg

The Land of Eternal Youth.

Tuatha Dé Danaan

Mythical Irish race.

Will o’ the wisp

The fabled lights of the fey.

Cat Adams

Cat Adams is the new pen name of USA Today bestselling authors C. T. Adams and Cathy Clamp. The Romantic Times BOOKreviews Career Achievement Award winning paranormal romance and urban fantasy authors live in Texas and Colorado. Their award-winning «Tales of the Sazi» and «Thrall» series for Tor Books will soon be joined by a new urban fantasy series «The Blood Singer», in 2010.

www.catadams.net

Jennifer Ashley

Jennifer Ashley is the USA Today bestselling and RITA-award-winning author of historical romances, paranormal romances and mainstream novels. She also writes award-winning paranormal romances as Allyson James and award-winning historical mysteries as Ashley Gardner. Read more about Shifters and their prides, packs and clans in Pride Mates , by Jennifer Ashley, Book 1 of the Shifters Unbound series.

www.jennifersromances.com

Ciar Cullen

Ciar Cullen is the award-winning author of paranormal romances, fantasies and Irish-American short stories.

www.ciarcullen.com

Claire Delacroix

Bestselling author Claire Delacroix has always loved stories, both telling them and hearing them. She sold her first romance novel — set in the medieval period — The Romance of the Rose in 1992, and has been happily writing ever since. The Beauty , part of her bestselling Bride Quest series, was her first title to land on the New York Times Extended List of Bestselling Books. Claire also writes romances as Claire Cross and as Deborah Cooke.

www.delacroix.net

Dara England

The pen name of Carol Green — a writer of fantasy, paranormal romance, and historical fiction — Dara’s work has appeared in print and electronic format from such publishers as Lyrical Press, Allegory, Art & Prose, and many more. She lives in a small town in Oklahoma with her husband, two children, and a Yorkshire terrier named Ajax.

www.daraenglandauthor.com

Roberta Gellis

Roberta Gellis has been one of the most successful writers of historical fiction of the last few decades, having published more than forty meticulously researched historical novels since 1965. Most recently, Gellis has been writing historical mystery and historical fantasy. Gellis has been the recipient of many awards, including the Silver and Gold Medal Porgy for historical novels from the West Coast Review of Books , the Golden Certificate from Affaire de Coeur, The Romantic Times Award for Best Novel in the Medieval Period (several times) and a Lifetime Achievement Award for Historical Fantasy and Romance Writers of America’s Lifetime Achievement Award.