Irish Mythology

The Mythological Cycle is the first of the Four Cycles to occur chronologically.

A pseudo-historical account of the earliest migrants to Ireland.

Notes and analysis of the legendary migrations to Ireland from Geoffrey Keating's Foras Feasa ar Éireann. 

Notes and analysis of the legendary migrations to Ireland from Geoffrey Keating's Foras Feasa ar Éireann. 

Notes and analysis of the legendary migrations to Ireland from Geoffrey Keating's Foras Feasa ar Éireann. 

Notes and analysis of the legendary migrations to Ireland from Geoffrey Keating's Foras Feasa ar Éireann. 

Notes and analysis of the legendary migrations to Ireland from Geoffrey Keating's Foras Feasa ar Éireann. 

Notes and analysis of the legendary migrations to Ireland from Geoffrey Keating's Foras Feasa ar Éireann. 

From where did this most elusive group originate, What treasures did they bring, Why did they come to Ireland, and What are the reasons gien for their name? 

Were they a race who brought  an advanced culture to Ireland, rich in arts, agricultural science, and higher learning? How did the gods and goddesses of old Ireland become the fairies and demons laater years?

As time went on, the old gods of the heroic sagas become minimised to the level of evil sprites and fairies, much feared by the native Irish.

An old Irish fairy belief held that a family member, usually a child, could be snatched away by the fairies and carried off to the other-world. Sometimes the faeries replaced their stolen victim with one of their own, an imposter, known in Irish folklore as the 'changeling'.

'The Stolen Child' was written by William Butler Yeats in 1889 as part of a collection called The Wanderings of Oisin and Other Poems. The poem is sung from the fairies perspective who seek to woo the 'human child...the the woods and waters wild.'

A story about two central figures from the TDD competing for the Bru called Newgrange to be their own abode.

Place Names and their origins, whether real or fictitious, make up a large part of the materials in this cycle. The Dindshenchus, or Lore of Place Names, gives a compilation of onomastic stories and poems.

Bonus video telling a quaint tale about how the Irish purportedly got their language, and their freckles.

Told in Gaelic with English subtitles.

The Ulster Cycle is so called because it has the men of Ulster, the Ulaid, as its main focus and it is set across regions in the north of Connacht and of Ulster. It tracks the adventures of Cúchullain and his contemporaries.

This remscéla, or foretale, explains what caused the pangs of the Ulstermen.

This remscéla tells how the bulls came into existence and why the quarrel of the Táin is more ancient than the main characters of the plot realise.

This remscéla depicts a chapter from the life of Chonchobhar MacNessa, who was king of Ulaid during the time of Cúchullain. Here we learn why his fellow countryman, the former king Fergus Mac Roich, his fighting alongside Queen Medb against Ulster during the Táin.

This remscéla describes the mysterious events of Cúchullain's birth and how he came to be fostered by the court of Chonobhar MacNessa.

This remscéla is among the most famous of Cúchullain's Boyhood Deeds.

This is an extract from a longer rescéla called Cúchullain's Courtship of Emer.

The Táin is an epic tale full of rich detail, poetic asides, vivid imagery, and imagination. In this lecture, I'll make my best effort to sum up the entire story in under 13 mins!

While this is not a part of the Táin, it is worth including this story to bring the saga of Cúchullain's life to its inevitable end. 

Acallam na Senórach, which means something like the ‘Dialogue of the Sages’, or the ‘Colloquy of the Ancients’, the ‘Discourse of the Elders’,  is a Middle Irish text composed of five 15th and 16th C. manuscripts amounting to over 8,000 lines of prose and poetry, making it the longest surviving work of original medieval Irish literature.

The Fianna was at once a warriors’ training academy and a heroes’ guild. At the core of this great crowd sat Fionn as the central sun with his selected comrades orbiting closest to him. 

Resources for the Fenian Cycle tales

Check out the article to view a rare map of Ireland in the heroic times which I have sourced. Careful examination reveals the traditional territories, haunts, and settings for some of Ireland's great people and myths.

A brief overview of the Cycle of Kings and what to expect in the following videos and materials.

One of the first kings to appear in the Cycle of Kings is Labhraid Loingseach. In this lecture we'll learn about his life and the legend that said he had horse's ears.

I go home,

Cormac Mac Airt was described as "Ireland's Greatest King". This short video paints a portrait of the man's life, reign, and death.

Listen as I share a number of tales relating directly to King Cormac which give a more detailed insight into his life and times, his character as a man and a king, and the strange circumstances surrounding his death.

While he took the high-kingship by walking to the Hill of Tara naked upon the advice of a bird-man from the sid, Conary is probably better known for the tale of his death; a tale called Togail Bruidne Dá Derga, or the Destruction of Da Derga’s Hostel, which tells of his ambush and at the hands of Saxon princes and vengeful lords. 

Niall of the Nine Hostages would be considered more of a mythological fellow were it not for the genes he left behind. His descendants would be the most dominant ruling family for much of Gaelic Ireland's history.

A bonus lecture from my other course "Ancient Ireland Culture and Society" which explains the nature and number of Ireland's Royal Sites.

The Hill of Tara (Cnóc Temhair) was the royal seat of the high-kings of Ireland. Its use as a site is ancient and it is steeped in mythology. Read the full article about the myths, legends, and history of this significant site.

A bonus lecture from my other course "Ancient Ireland Culture and Society" which explains some of the different rituals of inauguration for old Irish kings.

Some free and paid books to take your study even further!

Were the rights of women really so good in ancient Ireland?  If you talk about these subjects with others you will hear this fact repeated often, but is it true? We find the truth is much more complex than it first appears...

Naturally, the contribution of Irish women is to great to sum up in 20 minutes, so in this short video I provide a broad overview of the role of women in early Ireland, drawing from our history and mythologies. 

Learn about the status of women at home and at work, marriage, divorce, and a handful of powerful Irish women and goddesses.

"Mná na hÉireann ¦ Women of Ireland in History, Mythology, and Early Irish Society" was produced from excerpts from my online course "Ancient Ireland: Culture and Society" which has 40 lessons covering a wide range of topics. 

From Geoffrey Keating's Foras Feasa ár Éireann, Foundations of Knowledge on Ireland. 

Bonus videos from "Ancient Ireland Culture & Society" Online Course