Bound by the wild Atlantic Ocean to the north south and west, and to the east by the Irish Sea, there lies an ever-shifting borderland shared by eagles, otters, seals, dolphins – and man. People have clung to the coast of Ireland for millennia. Ancient ancestors left great stone monuments bewildering to modern imaginations, the ruins of countless castles still hold the power to stir the blood, and centuries-old lighthouses defy physics and invite awe.

Men and women have lived, loved and died in this harsh but bountiful environment. And through it all they have told stories – to explain the world around them, to entertain themselves and to expel despair. Little wonder that our richest folklore and stories come from the rugged coastline of this island.