The Children of Lir

Oidheadh Chlainne Lír.The Children of Lir .

Bodb Dearg was elected king of the Tuatha Dé Danann, In order to appease Lir, Bodb gave one of his daughters to marry him, Aoibh. She bore him four children, one girl, Fionnuala, and three sons, Aodh and twins, Fiachra and Conn.

Aoibh died and the children missed their mother terribly and Bodb wanting to keep Lir happy, sent another of his daughters, Aoife , to marry Lir.

Aoife grew jealous of the children's love for each other and their father so she plotted to get rid of the children. On a journey with the children to Bodb's castle, she ordered her servant to kill them but the servant refused. In anger, she tried to do it herself, but didn't have the courage. Instead, she used her magic to turn the children into swans. When Bodb heard of this, he transformed Aoife into an air demon for eternity.

As swans, the children had to spend 300 years on Lough Derravaragh 300 years in the Sea of Moyle, and 300 years on the waters of Irrus Domnann. To end the spell, they would have to be blessed by a monk. While the children were swans, After the children, as swans, spent their long periods in each region, they received sanctuary from MacCaomhog , a monk in Inis Gluaire.

Each child was tied to the other with silver chains to ensure that they would stay together forever. However the wife of the King of Leinster, daughter of the King of Munster, Deoch wanted the swans for her own, so she ordered her husband, Lairgean to attack the monastery and seize the swans. In this attack, the silver chains were broken and the swans transformed into old, withered old people.

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