Seventy-five years after they were first collected by the Irish Folklore Commission, three tales told by Welsh Óg (Michael Welsh/Micheál Breathnach), from south-west Clare, in June 1943, are now appearing in print. These long, complex stories feature an oral version of a late medieval romantic tale and somewhat unusual renditions of well-known international folktales, all told in the English language. Although these tales were intended for a listening audience, what emerges even from reading them is Welsh Óg's distinct and individual narrative style. His voice resonates from the printed page even after the silence of three-quarters of a century.
His obvious linguistic virtuosity as he translated from Irish to English, and his keen enjoyment of the language of the stories evident in his often unusual turn of phrase, all add to the flavour of the tales, and express also his individuality as a person and as a storyteller.
Welsh Óg was a master of dialogue, with a sophisticated appreciation of old-world language and manners. He had the skilled storyteller's ability to strikingly depict the good or evil characteristics of his actors, and the imaginative capacity to transport the listener, even for a while, to an enchanted, marvellous, and an often colourful world, where, eventually, good overcame evil, and everyone could live happily ever after.
