Copyright 1996 by the Board of Regents of the State of Florida Printed in the United States of America on acid-free paper
All rights reserved

Chapter 1, "What Foremothers?" by Nuala Ní Dhomhnaill, is reprinted by permission of
Poetry Ireland Review.

Chapter 4, " 'Humor with a Gender': Somerville and Ross and The Irish R.M.," by James M. Cahalan
, copyright 1993 by the Irish American Cultural Institute of St. Paul, Minnesota, is
reprinted by permission of the editors of hire-Ireland and the Irish American Cultural Insti-
tute.

In chapter 9, lines from "Cathleen" (translated by Paul Muldoon) from The Astrakhan Cloak,
by Nuala Ní Dhomhnaill, and from "The Race" (translated by Derek Mahon), "The Broken
Doll" (translated by John Montague), "Blodewedd" (translated by John Montague), "The Un-
faithful Wife" (translated by Paul Muldoon), and "Oriental Morning" (translated by Michael Hartnett
) from Pharaoh's Daughter, by Nuala Ní Dhomhnaill, are reprinted by permission of
Wake Forest University Press. Lines from "Dúil," "Bradáin," "Máthair," "Labhrann Medb," "Cú
Chulainn I," "Cú Chulainn II," "Agallamh," and "Labhrann an Mhór-Rion" are reprinted by
permission of Nuala Ní Dhomhnaill.

01 00 99 98 97 96 6 5 4 3 2 1

LBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOGING-IN-PUBLICATION DATA

The comic tradition in Irish women writers / [edited by] Theresa O'Connor.
p. cm.

Includes bibliographical references (p.) and index.
ISBN 0-8130-1457-3 (cloth: alk. paper)

1. English literature -- Irish authors -- History and criticism. 2. Humorous stories, English --
Women authors -- History and criticism. 3. Humorous stories, English -- Irish authors --
History and criticism. 4. English wit and humor -- Irish authors -- History and criticism.
5. English literature -- Women authors -- History and criticism. 6. Women and literature --
Ireland -- History. 7. Comic, The, in literature. 8. Ireland -- In literature. I. O'Connor Theresa.
PR8733.C66 1996
823'.0099287-dc20 96-22957

The University Press of Florida is the scholarly publishing agency for the State University
System of Florida, comprised of Florida A - M University, Florida Atlantic University, Florida
International University, Florida State University, University of Central Florida, University of
Florida, University of North Florida, University of South Florida, and University of West Florida.

University Press of Florida, 15 Northwest 15th Street, Gainesville, FL 32611

-iv-