The Fate of the Children of Lir

This saga is also known as the second sorrowful tale of storytelling in Irelands Myths and legends and the story happened soon after the battle between the Celts and the Tuatha De Dannan took place. After losing the battle the Tuatha De Dannan disappeared underground, and they choose a new king Bodbh Dearg (Bodbh of the red Hair).

Lir was deeply offended by this but to save any later arguments or fighting Bodbh offered his oldest foster daughter Aobh (Eve) in marriage to Lir. Aobh bore Lir two sets of twins during their marriage, the first set was a boy who they named Aodh and a girl they called Fionnghuala (Fionnuala). The second set of twins two boys were called Fiachra and Conn but while in labour with the two boys Aobh died. Lir was heartbroken this was the second wife he had lost.

A number of years later while Lir was at the house of Bodbh he asked for his second foster daughters hand in marriage. Aoife was just as beautiful as her sister Aobh and Lir by now was madly in love with her.

After marrying Lir things were good between Aoife and the step children but she grew jealous of Lirs love for them and she could not bear to think he could love her sisters children more than her. Aoifes jealousy soon turned into hatred and she began plotting to somehow get rid of the children. She took the children one day to see their grandfather Bodbh but on the way they stopped at lough Derravarragh in county Westmeath and it was there that Aoife turned them into Swans.

The children were shocked and Distraught at what had happened and Fionnghuala asked why they had been set upon and how long they would be in the form of Swans? Aoifes reply was  that they would be transformed back into their human form after a nobleman from the north married a nobleman from the south! the children could not make any sense of this and it did not ease their sorrow.

When Bodbh learned of his daughters evil doings against her sisters children he turned her into a demon wandering the skies forever. The four Swans spent 300 years on lough Derravarragh where it is said the People of the Tuatha De Dannan visited them and beautiful music was played for them, they then flew to the Sea of Moyle between Ireland and Scotland where they spent another 300 years in the cold icy seas. They endured another 300 years of cold and misery around Erris in county mayo until one day a King of Connacht, Lairgnéan married a woman from Munster named Deoch. At last Aoifes evil Spell was broken but the 900 years of exile now took its toll on the children, they were children no more but 3 decrepid old men and a withered old woman. . .