The Smartest Man in Ireland

It's a real shame that this book is out of print. It has magic and fairies, a fabulous, flawed hero, a great sense of humor, and you get to read it aloud with a brogue. My five-year-old was mesmerized.

I've read this book to my second graders for the last two years. They just love it, they keep asking when I can read more. It is especially fun to use an Irish accent! The book is not just entertaining... it also has some great moral lessons woven in.

I have really become quite a Mollie Hunter fan. This on is titled THE SMARTEST MAN IN IRELAND and like last many others this book touches heavily on Irish myth and legend.Patrick Kentigern Keenan claims he is the smartest man in Ireland. He might very well be but he wants to prove it. In order to prove that he is as he claims, Patrick attempts to outsmart the fair folk. He begins by trying to trick a leprechaun but does not succeed as well as he would like. Several schemes later he is no closer to proving his case.But then his young son is enchanted by the Fairy Queen and is being held captive. Utilizing his knowledge of legend, Patrick prepares himself for a confrontation on the Fairy's home ground.In the end Patrick not only outsmarts the fair folk, but he neutralizes their power in the land. When the local townsmen set out to disprove his claims they find that he was telling the truth and they are forced to admit that he really is the smartest man in Ireland.A very entertaining and quick read with plenty of good honest Irish lore. It is a pleasure to read a story based on so simple and Irish concept without getting bogged down the way so many modern Celtic fantasies do. THE SMARTEST MAN IN IRELAND was first released in 1962 but has recently been reissued by Magic Carpet Books. So if you like tale of the mischievous wee folk, you should take a look at this book. It's worth it!

If you like the Disney movie "Darby O'Gill and the Little People", you'll love this book. It is actually a collection of short stories about the wee folk, all cleverly woven together into a larger story. Mollie Hunter is great; I also recommend her books "Mermaid Summer" and "A Stranger Came Ashore".