author

D. R. (David Russell) McAnally

1847–1909

Best known for gathering Irish folklore into a lively 1888 volume, this late-19th-century scholar brought ghosts, fairies, leprechauns, and other figures of popular tradition to a wide audience. His work sits at the meeting point of literary study and storytelling.

1 Audiobook

Irish Wonders The Ghosts, Giants, Pooka, Demons, Leprechawns, Banshees, Fairies, Witches, Widows, Old Maids, and other Marvels of the Emerald Isle

Irish Wonders The Ghosts, Giants, Pooka, Demons, Leprechawns, Banshees, Fairies, Witches, Widows, Old Maids, and other Marvels of the Emerald Isle

by D. R. (David Russell) McAnally

About the author

Born in 1847 and active in American academic life, D. R. McAnally — David Russell McAnally — is identified in library and reference records as a scholar of English literature and as chairman of English literature at the University of Missouri.

His best-known book is Irish Wonders (1888), a spirited collection of tales about ghosts, giants, pookas, demons, leprechauns, banshees, fairies, witches, and other marvels of Irish tradition. The book helped preserve and popularize folklore that had long been passed along by word of mouth, making it appealing both to curious general readers and to anyone interested in myth and legend.

McAnally died in 1909. Although not a household name today, he remains of interest through the lasting life of Irish Wonders and the glimpses his work offers into how 19th-century readers approached folklore, belief, and literary culture.