Keeraun Hill, near Banagher in Co. Offaly, IrelandPhoto: Tomás Ó Cárthaigh (c) 2012
They sleep not in peace and quiet
As they did in days of old
Forgotten by us modern folk
Who tell tales of pots of gold
To gullible Americans
Who believe stories that they are told
By folk who count greedily the cash
From the souvenirs they have sold.
Folk who [...]
Posts tagged legend
Restless Sídhe of Keeraun Hill
Keeraun Hill, near Banagher in Co. Offaly, IrelandPhoto: Tomás Ó Cárthaigh (c) 2012
They sleep not in peace and quiet
As they did in days of old
Forgotten by us modern folk
Who tell tales of pots of gold
To gullible Americans
Who believe stories that they are told
By folk who count greedily the cash
From the souvenirs they have sold.
Folk who [...]
Hound for Iraq
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—o0 Introduction 0o–
Those familiar with Irish mythology will know the story of Finn Mc Cool Fionn Mac Cumhaill), who killed a dog that attacked him, and vowed to replace the loss to the owner, giving himself the name of Cu Cullain, or hound of Cullain. When America d [...]
Lady Godiva the Good
Lady Godiva the Good
Decreed that ride through town she would
As sure as that on the ground she stood
Unless her husband ceded
The taxes high that he extracted
For the king that benefited
And made the laws that were enacted
That the kingdom needed
Being of one deep of faith well known
And being the wife of the Lord his own
Her concern to him [...]
The Death of Niall the Third of Irela...
When Niall the Third was of Ireland High King
There came underneath his reign
For the freedom of the clans of Ireland
A time of battle with the Dane
And admist the battles fray
By the Callan rivers bursting banks aflow
A soldier was swept away
To save his life, comrades were sent to go
But quicker then the soldiers proud that he sent
He himse [...]
Snakes All Around Us – The Lege...
Author’s Note: In the October 1, 2006 edition of Sunday Word, an Irish Sunday newspaper, Fr. Brian D’Arcy quoted a tale told by American actor Iron Eyes Cody. It is upon this tale from Iron Eyes Cody that the following story is based.
Once upon a time, as all braves must do, our hero set out to spend time in solitude so that he could fa [...]
The Banshee
I hear the cries of sorrow in the cold night air
I know not if they come for here … or there?
And the more I listen, the less I hear
As fast my heart beats with blood-draining fear…
I see a figure in the moonlight pale
Of a woman: aged and frail:
Crying as if all of hers had died – how could it be -
That as at her the more I look she fades un [...]
The Sleeping Beauty and the Sorry Pri...
“Arise from the eternal dream
Allbeit one of bliss
And walk the world of today”
Said the prince with a kiss
The fair maiden with weary eyes
Slowly and mumbling awoke
“A prince whose mine and beautiful”
Were the first words she spoke.
“I have been asleep”, she said
“For over eight hundred years,
And I [...]
The Growing Wind Hints at Death
A growing wind gusting
The Romany see with a sense of fear
For it is a belief of theirs
That when wind is strong, death is near.
So next time the wind is gusting
And you are standing there
Think of the sick and dying
And for them say a prayer…
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God Baking, Mankind He Made
When God made man some clay He did take
And set in the oven of earth for to bake
So that a perfect man for this world to make
And in it to dwell
The first came out, it was black
So God turned down the heat when he put the mould back
As He thought He burned it, and hadn’t the knack
To make mankind well
The next it came out: oh, what a si [...]
Love of a Lady Liberated Tam Lin
Teas the love of a lady liberated Tam Lin
From the grasp of the Fairy Queen
To spite all the spells she held on to him well
And won his freedom one dark Halloween
If a man should have such luck to see a lady there pluck
From a wood a protected white rose
How man would chance the depth of Romance
To free a man held so captive by spell do you s [...]
Snakes All Around Us
Readers of these pages from Ireland will be familiar with Fr Brian D’Arcy’s “A Little Bit of Religion” column in the Sunday Word, an Irish Sunday newspaper.
In the October 1 2006 edition, Fr Brian quotes a tale told by Native American actor Iron Eyes Cody.
While he tells it to warn of the dangers of drink and drugs, [...]
The Girl Who Loved The Stars
She loved the stars, in bright array
Assembled in the dark night sky
And when young, when not at play
She asked the Shaman why
Could she not be, and shine as them, stars such
And in the sky at night shine
They told her “The moon itself you’d have to touch
If the wish to be a star is thine.”
She climbed a hill, by water’s ed [...]
Legend of the Eclipse
The Legend of the Eclipse
In the days when the Sun was king
And ruled the heavens, the Sky
The Sun god his children told
That soon he was to die
The fire on the Sun they’d have to keep
Or all mankind would perish too
But alas when it came to the task
They quarreled as children do.
“I am the man, the job is mine”
The boy to t [...]
Stalking the White Deer
Bright Moon, she for her lover waits
From the Hunt to her to return
But he has not come with the skin promised
In anguish her heart does burn
He set to seek and hunt the Albino deer
A wedding dress for Bright Moon to make
The bride price set by her father
If she as his wife was to take.
And Blue Jay stalks the White Deer still
With the arrow [...]
How the Clan Eoghanacht Got Their Nam...
From the sea they came open, not sneaking by stealth
And they came for to parley, fosterage for wealth
As silver was spied, and its wealth was understood
And greed it brings war and also spilling of blood
And so a son was given, so they’d not be harmed
Or for harm to cause their hosts, who by him were charmed
Was given three forts, with [...]
He Made the Nails To Crucify Jesus
A Roman soldier to a blacksmith came
Gave his rank, legion and name
And an order of nails to make
To be ready for him on the morrow to take
They were needed for a man to be crucified
Four shall be ready for the morning, the blacksmith replied.
Gypsy Nails at the Crucifixion
And on that night while trying to sleep
He felt wild emotions and lon [...]
