The Fairy Lore of Ireland
The Fairy Lore of Ireland is drawn from a chapter of the "Traces of the Elder Faiths of Ireland: A Folklore Sketch; a Handbook of Irish Pre-Christian Traditions", published in…
Finn McCool and the Creation of Lough Neagh and the Isle of Man
A Fenian legend attributes the formation of this lough to Finn McCool (Fionn Mac Cumhaill), the heroic leader of the Fianna Warriors who, at this later stage of his heroic…
Are Myths Important?
Irish myths have been told around fires and at bedsides for millennia. They tell tales of more ancient times; of heroes and monsters, of extraordinary other-worldy places, triumphant feats of warriors,…
Aengus Óg: The Irish God of Love
Aengus was one of the illustrious and mysterious Tuatha Dé Danann, a mystical race of beings who came to Ireland in the distant past bringing high culture along with them.…
Diarmuid & Grainne, Ireland’s Greatest Love Story
Grainne was the daughter of the High King Cormac MacAirt, her stunning beauty was legendary across the island. Many high ranking nobles and chieftains tried in vain to secure her…
The Dream of Aengus (Aisling Óengus)
Aengus was asleep one night when he saw something like a young girl coming towards the head of his bed, and she was the most beautiful woman in Eriu. He…
Irish Mythology: Na Fianna – An Elite Warrior Guild
The Fianna was made up of many battalions called cathas, each with 3,000 warriors. In peaceful times, the main body of the Fianna was made up of three cathas, or…
12 Name Meanings of Ireland’s Major Rivers
Here are the name meanings for 12 of Ireland's major rivers with a few myths thrown in along the way. River Shannon Abhainn na Sionainne River of Sionann Ireland’s longest…
References to Ogham in An Táin Bó Cúailnge – The Cattle Raid Of Cooley
We find references to Ogham in the Ulster Cycle of Irish Mythology, which recounts the exploits of the famous boy-hero, Setanta, or to give him his heroic name, Cuchullain. In…
Ogham and Irish Mythology
Ogham (pronounced “ohm”, or with a soft g "oh-gham") is an ancient Irish method of writing. It was a special language known only to the initiated and higher classes. A champion…