The Tain Bo Cuailnge [first edition]

The poet Thomas Kinsella's translation, first published in 1969 in a limited edition by The Dolmen Press, Dublin, is the first attempt to present a 'living version' of the story, complete and unbowdlerized. It is based on the partial texts which survive in two medieval manuscripts, with elements added where necessary from other version. A group of related stories which prepare for the action of the Tain are also included. The translator provides an Introduction and Notes on the Text, a bibliography and a guide to pronunciation. There are three maps, and 31 brush drawings--'shadows thrown by the text'--by the Irish painter Louis le Brocquy.