STORIES
What Is the Story of Tír na nÓg?
Tír na nÓg is best known for the tale of Oisín and Niamh. Oisín was the son of the legendary Fionn Mac Cumhaill – whom you might know better as Finn MacCool in English. Fionn was the leader of the Fianna, and Oisín was, as well as a great warrior like his father, also a great poet. It’s said that the great stories of Foinn’s battles that we know today as an essential part of Irish folklore were passed down through Oisín’s poetry.
One day, when Fionn and Oisín were hunting around the Ring of Kerry, they stopped for a rest on a hillside overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, keeping one eye out for invaders. Soon, in the distance, they saw a white horse approaching them – and on its back was the most beautiful woman Oisín had ever seen, with long golden hair that flowed behind her as she rode.
That woman was, of course, Niamh, a name which translates as “radiance” or “brightness”. She had been watching Fionn and Oisín for some time and had come to earth to make Oisín her husband and bring him back to the Otherworld. Oisín fell in love with Niamh immediately, and although he was sad to be leaving his father and the rest of the Fianna behind, he was excited about a future married to Niamh, who was the very personification of her name.
They rode off together on Niamh’s horse to Tír Na nÓg, where they spent many magical months together. Niamh promised him that Tír Na nÓg was a land of happiness where everyone lived forever and felt no sadness. While this was mostly true, Oisín did miss his homeland and his father, and longed to see him again.
After what seemed to be three years together in the Otherworld, Oisín begged Niamh to let him return to Ireland to see Fionn. She agreed and let him take her magical white horse to return earth-side to see his family. However, she begged him not to get off the horse and never let his feet touch the ground – or he wouldn’t be able to return to Tír Na nÓg.
When Oisín arrived back in Ireland, he didn’t recognize the place, or any of the people. He came across some men struggling to move a rock, and stopped to ask them where he could find Fionn and the Fianna.
The men replied that stories used to be told about the great warrior Fionn, his mighty son Oisín, and the fearsome Fianna – but that was a long time ago, and no one told such tales anymore. It was then that Oisín realized that time slows down in Tír Na nÓg, and rather than three years, it had actually been three hundred since he had last seen his father.
To prove that the stories the men had heard weren’t just tales, Oisín said that any of the Fianna would have been able to pick up the rock with just one hand. He remembered Niamh’s warning about not getting off the horse, so he leaned over to pick up the rock while still mounting the white horse – and fell off.
His feet touched the ground, and he immediately aged 300 years, becoming a frail old man. Niamh’s horse galloped away, knowing that Oisín could never return to Tír Na nÓg and his love, and Oisín died soon after.
The Lady of the Lake
The Lady from the Lake: fairies and marriage
Near Corofin in County Clare, a ruined castle of the O’Quins looks down on Lake Inchiquin. There was a time when there was neither a lake nor a castle, but even in those days, there was a young O’Quin. He was a daring sort of fellow, and when he heard that three mysterious women were said to bathe at night in a well that stood in the valley, he concealed himself nearby and watched them, all unseen. Then, as they left, he leaped from his hiding place and seized the youngest and most beautiful of the three. She pleaded for her freedom, but it was no use. So they came to some sort of agreement, and the mysterious lady became his wife. A fine castle was built, and the two of them lived happily in it with their two children. But the beautiful lady had agreed to the marriage on one condition – young O’Quin was never to invite company to the castle.
Many years passed by, and all was well in the castle and its domain. O’Quin raised a fine breed of horses, and at length, he decided to put one of them in for the races.
The next morning, he went to the races with his horse. The horse won. The same happened the next day, and the next, the horse won first prize. The gentleman was delighted. The people gathered around him, and one of them said that his wife would be proud when she heard the good news.
“She will, if he has a wife at all”, said a second man.
“I have the most beautiful wife in the world”, said the gentleman.
“Show her to us, and we’ll believe you!” The gentleman became angry.
“Come with me, and see her!”, said he.
The men followed him to his door. He had forgotten all about his promise until he saw her standing beside the well with the two children at her side.
He raced towards her to tell her about the races, but he was late. Before he reached her, she jumped into the well along with the children. which bubbled and swirled out of the well towards him. It rose and rose; all the others fled for their lives, not stopping until they had reached the hills. Below them, a placid lake covered all the plain
None of them was seen from that day to this.
