
The King of Ireland's Son
Author: Padraic Colum
Narrator: Gerard Doyle
Unabridged: 6 hr 40 min
Format: Digital Audiobook Download
Publisher: Blackstone Publishing
Published: 08/18/2015
Categories: Children's Fiction, Fairy Tales

Author: Padraic Colum
Narrator: Gerard Doyle
Unabridged: 6 hr 40 min
Format: Digital Audiobook Download
Publisher: Blackstone Publishing
Published: 08/18/2015
Categories: Children's Fiction, Fairy Tales
Padraic Colum (1881–1972) was an Irish poet, playwright, author, a major leader of the Irish Renaissance, and a friend to James Joyce and William Yeats. Well versed in the old Gaelic myths as well as those of other cultures, he wrote a number of books for children that retell these tales. His book The Golden Fleece and the Heroes Who Lived before Achilles was a Newbery Honor Book, and he was awarded the Regina Medal for his distinguished contribution to children’s literature.
Gerard Doyle, a seasoned audio narrator, he has been awarded dozens of AudioFile Earphones Awards, was named a Best Voice in Young Adult Fiction in 2008, and won the prestigious Audie Award for best narration. He was born of Irish parents and raised and educated in England. In Great Britain he has enjoyed an extensive career in both television and repertory theater and toured nationally and internationally with the English Shakespeare Company. He has appeared in London’s West End in the gritty musical The Hired Man. In America he has appeared on Broadway in The Weir and on television in New York Undercover and Law & Order. He has taught drama at Ross School for the several years.
“[A] fascinating tale for children.” New York Times
“Narrator Gerard Doyle captures the oral tradition of the storyteller in Padraic Colum’s Irish folktales so perfectly that the listener will lose all track of time. The principal story follows the King of Ireland’s eldest and wildest son, whose quest takes him to far and distant lands. Doyle easily adapts his tone to match each of the colorful characters encountered in the interwoven tales—the wily and deceptive Little Sage of the Mountain; the quiet eloquence of the Enchanter’s daughter, Fedelma; and the feisty arrogance of the King of the Cats. Doyle’s melodious Irish lilt lends itself so well to storytelling that the production is perfect for bedtime or a road trip.” AudioFile
“‘To make stories read as if they were being told’ has been Padraic Colum’s aim and his achievement…A master storyteller at his best.” Kirkus Reviews, praise for the author