Rónán and the Mermaid: A Tale of Old Ireland

An Irish storyteller revisits the little-known legend of the Mermaid Saint in a haunting, beautifully illustrated tale of kindness, music and longing.

Long ago, on the eastern coast of Ireland, a monk from the Abbey of Bangor was collecting driftwood along the shore when he found a boy washed up amid a circle of seals. At first the boy could barely move or speak. But when he regained his strength, he recalled being brought ashore by a lady with long golden hair who sang him to safety and gave him a silver ring. The monks knew the legend of a mermaid who had wandered the coast for three hundred years. Could it possibly have been her?

Inspired by a story told in medieval chronicles of Irish history, debut author Marianne McShane weaves a captivating tale, while Jordi Solano captures the legend’s spare but welcoming abbey on the rocky shore – a setting that makes you believe that if you listen hard enough, you too can hear the mermaid’s song.

With the lyrical style of an expert storyteller, a picture is painted of long ago Ireland, its' legends, its' magic and its' wonder. The graceful language itself weaves a spell full of atmosphere, whisking the reader back in time. The gorgeous illustrations gracing the pages of this picture book give exacting imagery and a genuine sense of time and place, rich in detail, symbolism and a feel of the old; the magical. Evocative, exquisite and beautiful; this one truly brings the legend home. Simply wonderful. Fallen Star Stories Blog
Marianne read an extract and was interviewed on the BBC radio show Your Place and Mine. Your Place and Mine
A contemporary Irish seanchaí, or storyteller, uses a bit of historical text from 558 C.E.—the Annals of the Four Masters—to fashion a story about a wondrous creature from the sea. [...] With this ode to music and mermaids, McShane deftly uses old stories to create a lyrical, satisfying new one. Kirkus review
Featured in an interview with Marianne McShane in The Irish Echo. The Irish Echo
Featured in a piece by Marianne McShane in Books Ireland Magazine. Books Ireland

Marianne McShane is a seanchaí, a traditional Irish storyteller. She grew up on the east coast of Ireland and especially loves to tell folk tales and fairytales from her native land. Ronan and the Mermaid is her first book for children. She lives in Ireland, on the same shore where this story took place. /

Jordi Solano is the illustrator of Beyond the Sixth Extinction by Shawn Sheehy and Swimming with Sharks by Heather Lang. He lives in Spain.

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