The Irish word "Phouka" is sometimes used, as "Pouk", or "Puck", was in Middle English, for the Devil. More usually he is a kind of bogy or bogey-beast, something like the Picktree brag of the North of England, who takes various forms, most usually a horse, but also an eagle or a bat, and is responsible for people falling as well.

Many a wild ride has been suffered on the Phouka's back. It is he who spoils the blackberries after Michaelmas. This is Crofton Croker's view of him (1055: p.127-152).

According to Lady Wilde, however, he was nearer to the brownie or hobgoblin. There is a charming story, "Fairy Help", in her "Ancient Legends of Ireland" in which a young boy, a miller's son, makes friends with Phouka and throws his coat over it as it rushes like a mad bull towards him. Afterwards he sees the Phouka directing six younger ones to thrash his father's corn while the miller's men are asleep. In this form the Phouka is like an old withered man dressed in rags. The boy tells his father and together they watch the phoukas at work through the crack of the door. After this the miller dismisses his men, and all the work of the mill is done by the phoukas. The mill became very prosperous. The boy Phadrig became very fond of the Phouka and night after night he watched him through the keyhole of an empty chest. He became more and more sorry for the Phouka, so old and frail and ragged, and working so hard to keep the idle little phoukas up to their work. At length, out of pure love and gratitude, he bought stuff and had a beautiful coat and breeches made for the Phouka, and laid them out for him to find. The Phouka was delighted with them, but decided that he was too fine to work any more. When he left all the little phoukas ran away, but the mill kept its prosperity, and when Phadrig married a beautiful bride he found a gold cup full of wine on the bridal table. He was sure it came from the Phouka and drank it without fear, and made his bride drink too (1439: p.87-90).

A better-known story is that of "The Phooka of Kildare" (397), in which the brownie-like spirit keeps its animal form of an ass, but describes itself as the ghost of an idle kitchen boy. It too is laid by a gift of clothing, but in this case because it has at length earned a reward by its labours. These stories show the Phouka very near to Robin Goodfellow, or Puck, tricksy, mischievous, practical-joking, but helpful and well-disposed to the human race (1290: p.326-327).