August 5, 1796

 The Ghost Hunter and his Family, was written by Michael Banim (August 5, 1796 to August 30, 1874) ) and published in1833. Our excerpted scene involves an Irish servant girl's discussion with the cat.


..... Mr. Roundhead would allow nothing but mice for [the cat's].. support; but as provisions were scanty on the premises, mice were in proportion scarce; so that but for Ailleen's gentle care, the cat must needs have been a skeleton.

Ailleen smoothed down her pet's back, and thus addressed it:

"Musha, then, pusheen-cat, my darlint, did id ever come to your knowledge what happined to myself this blessed day, of all days in the year,...?"

"Pusheen-cat" mewed softly in reply, and looked up into her benefactors face.

"It's ' no, in throth, Ailleen my cuishla,' you're sayin' to myself," continued Ailleen.

There was another assenting mew.

"Well, then, a-lanna ma-chree, listen to me, an' I'll spake it over to you.....

The cat now gave a soft mew, stretched out its paw, widely extended its claws, and first glanced upward, by way of agreement to Ailleen's proposition, (so, at least, Ailleen was pleased to interpret its language,) set up a continuous contented purr, or, as its mistress styled the sound, a " cooramuck croonaun," andthen half-closing its eyes, seemed pleasedly attentive to the tale it was about to hear.

Ailleen went on talking, [to her] duck-o'-diamonds..


The author of this glimpse of Irish life, in the 19th century, among the servants of humble folk, was Michael Banim. He and his brother John, in their art, intended to do for Ireland what Scott had done for Scotland. Their stated purpose also included:

"To insinuate through fiction the causes of Irish discontent, and to insinuate also, that if crime were consequent on discontent it was no great wonder; the conclusion to be arrived at by the reader, not by insisting on it on the part of the author, but from sympathy with the criminals."

Michael and his brother John, born in Kilkenny, shared their work with each other, for editing. You can share it too at this link.