Bláthnaid

Bláthnaid: 56 pp; hardcover; 978-1-913814-56-4

A Tragic Love Story from the Ulster Cycle

The story of Bláthnaid is one of the great stories of  the Ulster Cycle. It tells of the abduction of the beautiful daughter of the king of Man to Slievemish in Kerry, and of the bloodshed that was the result of the love given to her by two heroes.

Indeed, it is still recounted in Kerry that Bláthnaid poured milk into the Finglas river as a sign to the Ulstermen that her huband was sleeping unprotected in the fort.

Beautifully illustrated by Anastasia Melnykova

Darach Ó Scolaí is a writer, playwright, and publisher. His novel An Cléireach won the Oireachtas Prize 2007 and ‘Book of the Year’ 2008, and his edtion of Táin Bó Cuailnge won the Aodán Mac Poilín Memorial Prize 2017 and ‘Book of the Year’ 2018. His latest novel Súil an Daill won the Oireachtas Prize 2019.

Darach Ó Scoláia based this new version on the older versions of the story. The beautiful illustrations are the work of Ukranian artist Anastasia Melnykova.

“The story is told in a style that is both crisp and elegant”

“The drama takes off from the first page … The story is told in a style that is both crisp and elegant, and rich in language while being highly readable … Bláthnaid is a short book, beautifully produced by Leabhar Breac with many evocative illustrations by Ukrainian artist Anastasia Melynkova, in her very individual take on both early Irish and fantasy literature art.{ — Anna Heussaf, Books Ireland

“Tá meascán de phrós agus véarsaí i gceist sa leabhar, ach ós fileata go maith an insint níl mórán de léimt aigne eatarthu, an scéal inste go binn sa chaoi gur éasca é a shamhlú á aithris ó bhéal, rithim na bhfocal dár luascadh ó radharc go radharc.” — Gráinne Ní Mhuilneoir, Tuairisc.ie

Read the review in Books Ireland

Read the review in Tuairisc.ie