The Tales

The Mythological Cycle

The gods of Ireland: their coming, their wars with the Fomorians, and their going into the hills.

The Children of LirOidheadh Chloinne LirA jealous stepmother, a druid’s wand, and four children who must live nine hundred years as swans.12 minutes The Fate of the Children of TuireannOidheadh Chloinne TuireannThree brothers stone Lugh’s father to death. His price sounds small: three apples, a pigskin, a spear, a hound’s whelp, and three shouts on a hill.14 minutes The Dream of AengusAislinge ÓengusoFor a year a girl plays to Aengus in his sleep. When he finds her, she is one of thrice fifty girls on silver chains, and every other year she is a swan.7 minutes The Wooing of ÉtaínTochmarc ÉtaíneA fly on the wind drops into a golden cup and is born again, remembering nothing. A thousand years on, her first husband comes to Tara to play for a kiss.11 minutes

An Rúraíocht

The Ulster Cycle

Emain Macha, Cú Chulainn, Queen Medb and the great cattle raid.

The Boyhood Deeds of Cú ChulainnMacgnímrada Con CulainnA small boy walks alone to Emain Macha, kills a smith’s hound and takes its place, and on a day of prophecy chooses fame over a long life.11 minutes The Exile of the Sons of UisliuLonges mac nUislennDeirdre was reared in secret to be the king’s wife. Then one winter she saw a raven drinking blood on the snow, and chose another man.9 minutes

An Fhiannaíocht

The Fenian Cycle

Fionn mac Cumhaill and the Fianna: hunting, poetry, the wild places and the Otherworld at the edge of them.

The Boyhood Deeds of FionnMacgnímartha FinnA druid and a warrior woman hide a hunted boy in the woods. Years later a poet on the Boyne gives him a salmon to cook, and tells him not to taste it.8 minutes The Pursuit of Diarmuid and GráinneTóraigheacht Dhiarmada agus GhráinnePromised to the ageing Fionn, Gráinne puts the feast to sleep and lays a geis on Diarmuid to take her away. Fionn hunts them for sixteen years.14 minutes Oisín in Tír na nÓgLaoi Oisín i dTír na nÓgNiamh of the Golden Head carries Fionn’s son away to the Land of the Young. Three hundred years go by like three, and then he asks to go home.11 minutes

The Cycles of the Kings

Kings and sovereignty, geasa and the fates they seal.

Cormac and the Silver BranchEchtra Cormaic i Tír TairngiriA grey-haired stranger brings Cormac a silver branch whose music puts every sorrow to sleep. The price: his daughter, his son and his wife.8 minutes

Voyages and Otherworld Adventures

Immrama and echtrai: journeys over the sea and under the hills.

The Voyage of BranImmram BrainMusic puts Bran to sleep, and he wakes beside a silver branch in blossom. He is gone a year, he thinks. At home he is already an old story.7 minutes

Folklore of the Aos Sí

Fireside tales of giants, the good people, and the thorn you do not cut.

Fionn and the Giant’s CausewayFionn agus Clochán na bhFomhórachThe strongest giant in Ireland is coming for Fionn. Fionn’s wife has a plan, a cradle and twenty-one iron griddles.7 minutes The PúcaAn PúcaEvery night, while the servants slept, something came into the kitchen and did all their work for them. Then somebody thanked it.3 minutes