Banned and beloved in equal measure, The Midnight Court is a canonical eighteenth-century text widely considered to be one of the greatest comic Irish poems. Despite its simple story line, Merriman's poem addresses a wide range of themes from its satirical treatment of sexuality to its biting social commentary. This volume, the first critical edition, offers readers a fluid translation and five essays that contextualize the poem, making it an ideal text for any student of eighteenth-century Irish literature. Written specifically for the nonspecialist reader, O Conchubhair's edition contains...

Award-winning edition of this outstanding translation of Brian Merriman's eighteenth-century erotic masterpiece. Translated by Frank O'Connor Illustrations by Brian Bourke.