ABSTRACT
William Robert Wills Wilde was a renaissance man in terms of his interests, abilities and achievements. William also had a number of children out of marriage, to whom he was devoted. Even more remarkably, as soon its reputation was secured, Wilde reassigned its purpose, 'for the use and advantage of the afflicted poor of Ireland'. Wilde planned to publish two more volumes of Irish Superstitions, but the material for them was amongst his unfinished papers at his death. Even more remarkably, as soon its reputation was secured, Wilde reassigned its purpose, 'for the use and advantage of the afflicted poor of Ireland'. Irish Popular Superstitions was based on William's tour of Ireland in 1849, when the Famine was still raging in the western counties. He had not been in those parts of the west since 1837, so he was fully aware of the impact of the potato failures.
