Irish Mythology - the Legend of the Children of Lir

Bodh Dearg was elected King of the Tuatha DeInis Gluaire by a monk named MacCaomhog. The
Dannan much to the chagrin of Lir, his main rival.children were tied together with silver chains to
To appease him, Bodh Dearg sent him one of hisensure that they would always stay together.
daughters, Aoibh, to take as his wife. She boreHowever, Deoch the wife of the King of Leinster
him four children, a girl named Fionnula and threeLairgean demanded that she wanted the swans.
sons Aodh, Fiachra and Conn. Aiobh died, so BodhLairgean attacked the monastery on Inis Gluaire,
Dearg sent another of his daughters, Aoife tohowever during the raid, the chains were broken
marry Lir. Aoife soon became jealous of the loveand the swans transformed into old, withered
that Lir had for his four children so she decided topeople, before they died they each were baptised.
banish them. She turned them into swans, whenAccording to some accounts the site of Lir's
Bodh heard of this he transformed Aoife into ancastle is currently occupied by Tullynally Castle,
air demon for eternity. The children, as swansCo. Westmeath, home of the Earl of Longford,
were forced to spend three hundred years onTullynally is the anglicised form of Tullach na n-eala
Lough Derravaragh, Co. Westmeath; threeor 'hill of the swan'.
hundred years on the Sea of Moyle, lying 
between Co. Antrim and the Mull of Kintyre inRussell Shortt is a travel consultant with Exploring
Scotland and three hundred years on Inis Gluaire,Ireland, the leading specialists in customised,
off the coast of Co. Mayo. After nine hundredprivate escorted tours, escorted coach tours and
years they eventually were granted sanctuary onindependent self drive tours of Ireland.