Swept by strong ocean currents and ferocious storms, Rathlin Island is mysterious and hauntingly beautiful. Lying just six miles off the north coast of County Antrim, it is the most northerly inhabited island of Ireland. It was once home to prehistoric hunter-gathers. Its inhabitants have endured Viking raids, medieval massacres, famine and emigration. They have always been farmers, fishermen and seafarers. They are resourceful, independent and proud, and they have always enjoyed a good story. Drawing on Irish and Scottish traditions, Rathlin has a rich folk heritage which may have been all but lost but for one man. Tommy Cecil, most famous for rescuing Sir Richard Branson after his hot-air balloon ditched into the dark swirling waters off Rathlin, was instrumental in saving the island's stories.

Taken from recordings held in Ulster Folk Museum, this unique book brings his stories and those of other islanders to print for the first time.