An Chraobh Airgid
A long curve of pale sand at Ceann Trá after rain, small waves breaking along it, bracken hills lifting out of cloud behind and a lone standing stone on the bank.

Mumu · Munster

Ceann Trá

Ventry · Co. Kerry

The white strand where the Fianna fought the foreigners, and Cael was drowned.

Open it on the full site There it is marked on the map of the five fifths, where the road of a tale can be traced.

A village on a long sandy strand on the Dingle peninsula. Its English name comes from the Irish Fionntrá, “white beach”; officially, in Irish, it is Ceann Trá. In The Colloquy of the Ancients the Fianna march here to fight the foreigners from over the sea, and Cael is drowned on the battle’s last day and buried with Créde on the strand to the south. Near Dunbeg, at Kilvickadownig, a grave is still called his.

In the tales

  • The Colloquy of the Ancients The last two of the Fianna part in tears. One goes into a hill to his mother; the other finds Patrick blessing Fionn’s old fort, and tells him the story of every hill.

See also

  • Cael ua Nemhnainn A young warrior of the Fianna who won Créde with a poem, and was drowned at Ventry.
  • Créde The woman of the síd at Loch Cuire who married Cael, and died of grief beside him.

Sources

Each tale above lists the sources it is retold from. Every source the site draws on is listed on the full site.