The Irish Folklore Centre

Providing a focus for the whole Irish folk tradition

The bad stepmother

This tale is from Patrick Kennedy’s (1866) collection of Wexford stories and was told to him by a young man who was the gardener, ploughman and house-boy to the local reverend.  This theme is ubiquitous; Cinderella and Hansel & Gretel are examples from other countries. While there must be stories of good stepmothers, they are […]