Samuel Lover

Written by Samuel Lover, an Irish writer, musician and artist; this title features a collection of poems. Including bar-room legends and fireside fables, it has been illustrated by the author.

Based on a historical figure, an Irish leader in the rising of 1641, 'Rory O'More' was first penned by Lover as a ballad, the hero successfully courting Kathleen Bawn, 'soft as the dawn'. This was developed in 1837 into novel form and immediately made Lover's name as an author. The success and appeal of Rory O'More led to its adaptation for the London stage, and the dramatisation ran in the Adelphi theatre for 100 nights. Part contemporary love tale, part social commentary, this evocative work is a classic of its time.

Handy Andy is the most enduringly popular of the novels of Samuel Lover, author, artist and musician. The laughing philosopher of the story is Andy Rooney, a fellow who had 'the most singularly ingenious knack of doing everything the wrong way. More than simply a comic novel, it has been described as a 'pill to purge melancholy'. Lover may be equally remembered as a painter, most notably for his miniature portrait of Paganini, and for his many ballads. There is a wonderful musicality in the language which, combined with the accomplished artist's eye for composition, makes this comic tale of Irish Life a volume to treasure.