William Carleton was an Irish author and novelist. He is best known for his book Traits and Stories of the Irish Peasantry, which features ethnic drawings of the traditional Irishman. Carleton's father was a Roman Catholic tenant farmer who supported fourteen children on the same acreage, and Carleton grew up in surroundings similar to those he subsequently depicted in his works. Carleton was immersed in folklore from a young age. His father, who had an amazing memory (he knew the Bible by heart) and, as a native Irish speaker, was well-versed in Irish folklore, told stories by the fireside. Reading the picaresque novel Gil Blas influenced his fluctuating notions about a way of existence. He resolved to see what Fortune had in store for him. He traveled to Killanny, County Louth. For six months, he tutored the family of a farmer named Piers Murphy. After some further tests, he left for Dublin, arriving with two shillings and sixpence in his pocket.
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