Distributed for University College Dublin Press
An Essay on Irish Bulls
First published in 1802, "An Essay on Irish Bulls" was intended to show the English public the talent and wit of the Irish lower classes. Originally devised by Maria’s father, Richard Lovell Edgeworth, Irish Bulls is an informal philosophic dialogue on the nature of Bulls (logical absurdities) and jokes and jests in general. Published at the time of the Union, the overarching theme is the confusions of identity and the relationship of Irish people to the English. This highly entertaining work has not been published as a single book since the nineteenth century. The editorial material and text for this edition are reproduced from the "Pickering & Chatto Novels" and "Selected Works of Maria Edgeworth", vol. 1. New introduction for this edition is by Jane Desmarais.
Table of Contents
Introduction by Jane Desmarais I Originality of Irish Bulls Examined II Irish Newspapers III The Criminal Law of Bulls and Blunders IV Little Dominick V The Bliss of Ignorance VI ’Thoughts that Breathe and Words that Burn’ VII Practical Bulls VIII The Dublin Shoeblack IX The Hibernian Mendicant X Irish Wit and Eloquence XI The Brogue XII Bath Coach Conversation XIII Bath Coach Conversation XIV The Irish Incognito Conclusion Notes.