Irish Mythology: A Brief History

by Louise Shannon


The first written records of Irish mythology as we know it were documented as early as the 11th century, however it is almost certain that these myths originate from a time period as archaic, or perhaps even more so, as the Greeks and Romans. Having an Irish parent, I’ve spent much time annually in Ireland, and during that time have learned of and appreciated various elements of Irish culture. Personally, I’ve always felt the fantastical folk legends of Ireland to be the most underrated.
Therefore, in honour of St Patrick’s Day on 17th March, I will outline two of Ireland’s most famous and influential myths.

The Land of the Young
(Irish: Tír na nÓg )

An illustration of Oisín and Niamh
travelling to Tír na nÓg by Stephen Reid
(Wiki Commons)

Many years ago, there lived a man named Oisín. Oisín was the son of Fionn Mac Cumhaill, the legendary leader of the Fianna . The Fianna were a group of warriors sworn to protect the High King of Ireland, and many Irish myths surround Fionn Mac Cumhaill himself. One day on a hunt, Oisín and the Fianna encountered a beautiful golden-haired girl on a white horse. The girl introduced herself as Niamh, the daughter of the King of Tír na nÓg , a land where there is no sorrow and where nobody ages. Oisín falls instantly in love with Niamh and follows her to Tír na nÓg , where he unknowingly spends the next 300 years. Having believed himself to have only spent a few years in the Land of the Young, Oisín begins to miss his life in Ireland. Niamh allows Oisín to return to Ireland on her white horse, but instructs him that he must never dismount the horse, or he’d never again return to Tír na nÓg . Oisín returns to Ireland to find that the Fianna no longer hunt the green hills and his family’s castle derelict. In his efforts to find his father, Oisín stops to help some old men shift a heavy rock. However, he loses his balance and falls from the white horse. Upon hitting the ground Oisín ages the 300 years he spent away from Ireland and learns his father had died centuries before. An old man, Oisín soon dies, but not before sharing his tales of the magical lands of Tír na nÓg. 


In Irish culture, it is traditional to pass the tales from legends and myths down generations orally. The Legend of Tír na nÓg is thought to be origin of this tradition, due to the stories, passed on verbally from Oisín, still present in Ireland today.

The Children of Lir
(Irish: Oidheadh Chloinne Lir )

Statue of the Children of Lir,
Dublin, Ireland (Wiki Commons)

At the rise of the Milesians (the early Irish race), Bodb Derg was chosen to be King of the Tuatha Dé Danann , a supernatural race of Irish deities. Lir, a competitor of Bodb, had felt that he himself should have been the king. Consequently Lir did not swear himself to Bodb, causing much anxiety surrounding Lir’s allegiance. In an attempt to appease Lir, Bodb offered one of his daughters, Aoibh, in marriage. This act had successfully ended the conflict between Lir and Bodb. Aoibh and Lir would have four children - a daughter, Fionnghuala, and three sons, twins Fiachra and Conn, and Aodh - before Aoibh died. Lir greatly mourned Aoibh, but took pride in his children. To continue the peace, Bodb sent another of his daughters, Aoife, to marry Lir. However, Aoife becomes envious of Bodb and Lir’s devotion to the children. In a jealous rage, Aoife took the children to Loch Dairbhreach and casted a spell transforming the children into white swans once in the lake’s water. Lir later searched for his missing children, and found them as swans singing about Aoife’s cruelty. Upon discovery of Aoife’s actions, Bodb cursed Aoife to spend eternity as a demon of the air. The Children of Lir were never again returned to their human form, and Bodb bitterly proclaimed that no swan in Ireland should be harmed. The children would spend several centuries after wandering the lands of Ireland as swans. 

Unlike the countries in the United Kingdom, modern day Ireland does not have an official animal symbol. Nonetheless, many consider the swan to be the animal symbol of Ireland, in homage to the tale of the Children of Lir. 

Pronunciation Guide:

Tír na nÓg - TEE-r NAH n-OH-gue
Oisín - OH-sheen
Fionn Mac Cumhaill - fin mack COOL
Fianna - FEE-uh-nuh
Niamh - NEE-v
Oidheadh Chloinne Lir - oh-ah kh-LOH-na lir (‘kh’ = hard ‘h’ sound)
Bodb Derg - BOH-v d-AR-g
Tuatha Dé Danann - tu-AH-ha day DAH-nan
Aoibh - Eve
Fionnghuala - fin-OO-la
Fiachra - f-EE-KHRAH
Conn - Con
Aodh - Ay (rhymes with ‘day’)

Aoife - EE-fah