Folklore
Stories and legends from Ireland's past
Oisín was a member of na Fianna, who were a warrior-hunter band in ancient Ireland. One day as they were out hunting, a radiant figure appeared riding towards them on a white horse. Her name was Niamh Chinn Óir. She had come to tell Oisín of a land known as Tír na nÓg (the Land of Youth), a place where people never grew old or died. She also told Oisín that she had fallen in love with him and wanted him to come back to Tír na nÓg with her. Oisín was entranced by her beauty and agreed. He climbed onto the white horse with her and it carried them back across the sea to Tír na nÓg.
In Tír na nÓg, Oisín and Niamh lived in happiness and luxury. The land was a paradise where no one aged, the trees were always in bloom, and music and laughter filled the air. Oisín became beloved in this magical realm, and time seemed to pass in an unbroken stream of joy. After some time, Oisín began to feel the pull of home. He longed to see his father, Fionn, and his companions in the Fianna once more. Niamh was against this and did not want him to return, but Oisín was adamant. Eventually she reluctantly allowed him to return. She gave him the white horse and made him promise one thing: he must never dismount or touch the ground in Ireland, or the spell of Tír na nÓg would break, and he would age all at once.
When Oisín arrived back in Ireland, he found the land much changed. The Fianna were long gone, their stories now legend. The people he encountered spoke of Fionn mac Cumhaill as a figure from the distant past. Heartbroken, Oisín realized that hundreds of years had passed while he was in Tír na nÓg. As he rode through the countryside, he came across a group of men struggling to move a heavy boulder. Ever the heroic warrior, Oisín leaned down from his horse to help them. In doing so, he lost his balance and fell to the ground. The moment he touched the earth, the magic of Tír na nÓg vanished. Oisín aged instantly, becoming a withered old man.
Oisín was later found by Saint Patrick, who listened to his story of Tír na nÓg and the Fianna. Through Oisín’s tales, Patrick learned about the old pagan world of Ireland and its heroes. However, Oisín, filled with grief and longing for his lost companions and the love of Niamh, remained deeply sorrowful.
Lir, a nobleman of the Tuatha Dé Danann (a race similar to gods in
Irish mythology), was married to a kind and beautiful woman named
Aobh, with whom he had four beloved children: Fionnuala, the eldest
daughter, and her three younger brothers, Aodh, and the twins Fiachra
and Conn. The family was the light of Lir’s life, living in happiness
and harmony.
Tragically, Aobh passed away after the birth of the twins, leaving Lir
heartbroken. To provide care and stability for the children, Lir
married Aobh’s sister, Aoife. At first, Aoife appeared to be a loving
stepmother, but as time went on, her heart was consumed by jealousy.
She envied the children for the love and devotion Lir lavished upon
them and resented the strong bond they shared as a family.
Unable to tolerate her jealousy, Aoife plotted a dark and cruel act to rid herself of the children. One day, while traveling with them, she led them to a remote lake. Using her powers as one of the Tuatha Dé Danann, she cast a spell on the children, transforming them into four beautiful white swans. Despite her cruelty, Aoife’s magic was not without limits. The children would retain their human voices and intellect, allowing them to speak and sing. However, the curse bound them to spend 900 years as swans: 300 years on Lough Derravaragh, 300 years on the Sea of Moyle, and 300 years on the waters of Inis Gluaire. Only when they heard the ringing of a Christian church bell would the curse finally be broken. Realizing what she had done, Aoife fled, and the children were left to their fate.
For the first 300 years, the swan-children lived on the tranquil
waters of Lough Derravaragh. Although their swan forms were beautiful
and their voices enchanting, they were haunted by the loss of their
human lives and their father, Lir.
When they moved to the Sea of Moyle, the next phase of their curse was
far more challenging. The icy waters and fierce storms brought
hardship and sorrow, yet the siblings stayed together, supporting one
another with their bond of love and song.
The final 300 years were spent on the waters of Inis Gluaire, an
isolated and desolate place. By now, the world had changed, and the
Tuatha Dé Danann, once gods, had faded into myth. The swan-children
grew lonely as memories of their father and their former lives became
distant.
At long last, the 900 years came to an end. By this time, Christianity had arrived in Ireland, and the children heard the tolling of church bells for the first time. They followed the sound to a nearby monastery, where a kind monk named Saint Mochaomhóg welcomed them. As the curse lifted, the children regained their human forms—but they were no longer the youthful children of Lir. The centuries had caught up with them, and they became frail, aged beings. Their time in the mortal world was brief, but they were finally able to be baptized as Christians before peacefully passing away. Saint Mochaomhóg buried them together, their souls free at last to reunite with their father and mother in the afterlife.
Long ago, it was foretold that a great salmon swimming in the River
Boyne would gain all the knowledge of the world by eating the
hazelnuts that fell into the water from nine sacred hazel trees. These
hazelnuts were said to contain the wisdom of the universe, and the
salmon who consumed them became known as An Bradán Feasa, or the
Salmon of Knowledge.
It was said that whoever first ate a piece of this salmon would gain
all its wisdom and insight, becoming the wisest person in the world.
Many sought this prize, but the salmon remained elusive.
A great poet and sage named Finegas dedicated years of his life to finding and catching the Salmon of Knowledge. He finally succeeded after seven long years of searching along the banks of the River Boyne. Thrilled with his success, Finegas planned to cook and eat the salmon to claim its wisdom for himself. At that time, a young boy named Fionn mac Cumhaill (later to become the great leader of the Fianna) was living under Finegas’ tutelage, learning the ways of poetry, storytelling, and the ancient wisdom of Ireland. Finegas tasked Fionn with cooking the salmon, warning him not to taste even the smallest morsel.
Fionn obediently cooked the salmon over a fire, carefully tending to
it so it would not burn. As he worked, a drop of hot fish oil from the
salmon splashed onto his thumb, burning him. Instinctively, Fionn put
his thumb into his mouth to soothe the pain.
In that moment, all the wisdom of the Salmon of Knowledge flowed into
Fionn. When he brought the cooked fish to Finn Eces, the poet
immediately noticed a change in the boy—there was a newfound light of
understanding in his eyes.
Finn Eces asked Fionn if he had eaten any of the salmon. The boy
explained what had happened, and the poet realized that the prophecy
had been fulfilled. He accepted that the wisdom of the salmon was
destined for Fionn, not himself.
From that day forward, Fionn possessed extraordinary wisdom and insight. Whenever he sought guidance or knowledge, he would place his thumb in his mouth, recalling the moment he tasted the Salmon of Knowledge. This gift helped him grow into a great leader, allowing him to become the renowned warrior-poet and the wise leader of the Fianna, a band of heroic warriors who protected Ireland.