But students in the class credit O Cathasaigh, as much as the stories, for the success of the class.
"I would take Tomas' class even if he were teaching contemporary mathematics just to hear his accent and his comments about the Irish people," Hook says. "He always works them in."
Jennifer K. Westhagen '99 also says she appreciates O Cathasaigh's humor-filled lecture style.
"He is really entertaining, a comedian," she says. "I don't ever get bored."
Students say they also appreciate the opportunity, not only to ask questions toward the end of each lecture, but also to interject comments during lecture.
"The professor definitely has an agenda, but he will also stop to take the time to answer questions as they come up," Haig says.
O Cathasaigh says that the interjections are important to keep the level of his lecture appropriate to the students' understanding of the myths.
"If they'd like illumination right away or have something to add, I'll give them the chance," he says.
The professor says he enjoys the laid-back atmosphere which allows students to comment during lectures.
"Well, you don't need to be bold-faced about everything," says O Cathasaigh. "I like to take a reasonably relaxed approach to the class."
Students say they will get more out of this class than just a semester of enjoyment and fulfillment of the Literature & Arts C requirement.
Westhagen says that as a history concentrator, she is encouraged by C-20 to take other courses on Irish history in the future.
"I like the class so much and the professor is so good that I will consider taking classes in the field for history," she says.
Haig, another probable history concentrator, says he would like to pursue the "parallels between the Irish myths and myths around the world."
Charting THE COURSE
Charting the Course is an occasional series of classes at Harvard. A five-part installment will include stories on the following five courses: