The Lore And Lure Of Irish Horror Take a darker tour of The Land of Saints and Scholars. By Rich Johnson · April 1, 2021, 2:05 AM EDT The Hallow. Captured so perfectly by Johnny Cash’s “Forty Shades of Green,” the Emerald Isle is a beautiful land ruptured by turmoil, divided by Empire and sullied by the death of a million. Horror is history – the Great Hunger bringing immigrant survivors to the shores of America during the mid-19th century and with them their heritage – a heady mix of myth, folklore and an untainted belief in the Church. It is no surprise they adapted to frontier life – the wilds of the Irish landscape remain as sparse and spread out as the people. Grey giants, the shape of rolling mountains, are shrouded in heavy mist and when the sun finally presents itself, the coves and pristine sands lend perfect respite for smaller feet. All the while, a prominent smell of turf lingers in the air as distant fields beckon. Eat your heart out, James Joyce.