Gary Blair 
Tall Short Tales 

Storytelling is an art and one I am not sure I have perfected. I learned from a generation long gone as I listened to them spin wild yarns and tell tales purely for enjoyment. Having been raised in a rural part of Northern Ireland, I heard many stories from many people as they met in living rooms, kitchens, bridges and the crossroads that were central to village life. It is a part of the social history of our country that is often forgotten about and certainly eclipsed by the turbulent times we have lived through. The folk of Northern Ireland are generally fond of a laugh and good at telling yarns for enjoyment. I will never be the storyteller of that generation now gone but I hope, with this offering, to at least be making an effort to carry on their tradition. None of my stories are actual events but all spring from an incident or series of incidents I heard about. That was how my forefathers did it; they took a nucleus of an idea, a mere snippet, and built a story around it. I hope you enjoy my attempt to mirror those we loved and lost to the passing of time.