Irish History, Culture, Heritage, Language, Mythology
Dervorgilla came from Norway and was a stranger in Ireland. She had listened to so many tales about Cú Chulainn that she decided he would have to be her only love. She left Norway accompanied by her maid alone. To accomplish the journey the both changed into swans and flew to Lough Cuan in Ireland. […]
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According to local legend, the mountain got its name because the devil took a bite out of it. There is a small gap in the mountain between one outcrop of rock (known as the Rock) and another small plateau. The bite the devil allegedly took made this gap. The legend suggests that the devil broke […]
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Fionn mac Cumhaill threw most of the big stones that are littered across the north of Ireland. He was also responsible for creating the Giants Causeway, the Isle of Man and Lough Neagh and gives his name to the Cooley mountains across the Lough. Fionn mac Cumhaill pursued a wild boar across Slieve Foy mountain […]
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The Celtic Festival of Bealtaine/Beltane which marks the beginning of summer in the ancient Celtic calendar is a Cross Quarter Day, half way between the Spring Equinox and the Summer Solstice. While the Bealtaine Festival is now associated with 1st May, the actual astronomical date is a number of days later. The festival was marked […]
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Hy-Brasil was an island which appeared on ancient maps as early as 1325 and into the 1800s. On most maps, it was located roughly 321km (200 miles) off the west coast of Ireland in the North Atlantic Ocean. Its name is derived from Old Irish hy, a variation of í, meaning ‘island’, and brasil, from […]
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Moytura is where the Tuatha Dé Danann began their invasion by taking on the Fir Bolg in a battle for the possession of Ireland. It’s name in Irish is Cath Maighe Tuireadh, meaning ‘Battle of the Plain of Pillar’. The Danann won. Some thirty years later, a second battle of Moytura was fought, this time […]
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Sadhbh’s story, according to Lady Gregory’s Complete Irish Mythology describes how she was cursed by a dark sorcerer of the Tuatha Dé Danann named Fer Doirich. If he couldn’t have her, no-one would. Even better, she would be torn to pieces by hunting hounds. He transformed her into a deer where she lived in the […]
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From its craggy cliffs to its wind-beaten shores, Ireland has long exuded an aura of mystery and magic. Its culture and traditions have been forged from a unique mixture of warrior ballads, clan sagas, fairy tales, and bardic narratives. A magnificent combination of myth, legend, and historic fact embroiders the very fabric of Irish culture. […]
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The gift of the ‘sight’ was highly valued by the Celts. But this gift could cause the possessor great sorrow, especially if he or she foresaw the death of someone close to them. On the other hand, the seer might be able to avert catastrophe after receiving a premonition danger. The most famous see in […]
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In ancient times, the people of Ireland were internationally renowned for their love of law and their intricate justice system. Law was the articulation of fairness and the embodiment of justice, the application of the law to real scenarios was seen as a manifestation of justice in action, an affirmation of the natural harmonising order […]
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