The Irish Christmas Book by John Killen
Published by The Blackstaff Press in 1985.

The Irish Christmas Book is a selection of close to one hundred pieces of Irish writing about Christmas. The anthology includes poetry and songs, as well as extracts from famous novels, journals, histories and biographies.

Since almost every major Irish writer has written about Christmas, Killen’s rich selection represents a wide range of prominent authors such as Yeats, Behan, Longley, Kavanagh, Joyce, Heaney, Binchy, MacNeice, Kiely, and MacLaverty.
The writings cover the period from the 16^th to the 20^th century, and range from an account from the Annals of the Four Masters of Red Hugh O’Donnell’s escape in Christmas 1590, through a description of Christmas customs in Cork in the 19th century, to John Montague’s poem A Christmas Card.

Illustrated throughout with appealing woodcuts, photographs, and line drawings, this collection (which the publishers describe as a warm, spicy treat of a book) is perfect for dipping into over Christmas and throughout the year.

’Can be read with pleasure anytime of the year...discrimination and taste...close to one hundred selections of prose and poetry with appropriate black and white illustrations throughout and a handsome colored cover’ Boston Irish Reporter

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