Animal myths and bizarre human facts

AT Christmas, one finds time to walk and take the air and, perhaps, time to sit at home and read a book.

I’ve recently come across two books that would while away some enjoyable hours, one on our natural history, the other recounting a bizarre episode in marine history that took place off our shores.

Niall Mac Coitir’s Ireland’s Animals, Myths, Legends and Folklore (Collins Press) is beautifully presented, a hardback with full-page watercolours by Gordon D’Arcy, the noted naturalist.