Fintan the ancient
Fintan mac Bóchra, which means ‘Son of the sea’, was also known as ‘Fintan the white haired Ancient’. He was a great mythical seer and sage who lived for 5500 years. He therefore had detailed knowledge of historical events. Fintan is said to have come to Ireland with Cessair (Noah’s granddaughter), two men and fifty-one […]
Tír na nÓg
Tír na nÓg is one of the names for a mysterious realm that An Tuatha Dé Danann fled to after the Milesian invasion. While many of them decided to go underground in the mounds and hills of Ireland, others moved to the island-dwelling of Tír na nÓg or ‘The land eternal youth’. Other […]
The Celtic Year
The ancient Irish didn’t have clocks or calendars like we do today. Instead, they developed their own way of observing time and the turning of the year. The old way of measuring the year was much more in tune with nature than the modern calendar system. They were primarily an agricultural society so good harvests […]
Féth Fíada
The Féth Fíada is a magical mist or veil in Irish mythology, which members of the Tuatha Dé Danann use to enshroud themselves, rendering their presence invisible to human eyes. ‘Féth’ means magical mist and ‘Fíada’ means ‘knower’. The mist is also called ‘ceo draíochta’ meaning magical fog, or ‘ceo druídecta’ meaning druid’s fog. When […]
Solstice and Equinox
To understand the solstices and equinoxes we must first understand the how the seasons happen. To do this we must look some basic concepts about our wonderful planet’s structure. The Earth is round but slightly tilted on its axis. The axis is the invisible line that runs from the north to the south pole. The […]
Eó Mugna
In ancient Ireland, there were five great trees considered by legend to be sacred above all others. They were said to be the guardians of the provinces as there was one in each province. The five trees were said to have been planted by Fintan Mac Bochra or Fintan ‘the white-haired ancient’, from the berries […]
Murmuration of starlings
Starlings are small to medium-size birds that have short tails, pointed heads and glossy black feathers with purple and green streaks. Individually, they look like any other cute little bird flying around looking for food. It’s when they come together in a murmuration that something magical happens. A murmuration of starlings happens when large groups, […]
Conn
Conn is the youngest of the infamous ‘Children of Lir’. He has three older siblings, his sister, Fionnuala, his brother, Aodh and his twin, Fiachra. The story of Conn and his family has been recorded as one of the most tragic and sorrowful tales in Irish mythology. They lived quiet happily for a short time […]
Lugh
Lugh is one of the most prominent members of An Tuatha Dé Danann. He is often referred to as Lugh ‘Samildánach’ meaning equally skilled in many disciplines. He is sometimes called Lugh ‘Lamfada’ meaning Lugh of the long arm, possibly due to his skill with a spear. He is a warrior, a king, a master […]
Lir
According to the Irish mythology, Lir was a fierce warrior and one of the gods of the Tuatha de Danann. He was a powerful god of the sea, although his son, Manannán mac Lir, seems to have taken over his position as sea god and so features more prominently in stories. It is probable that […]
