What comes to mind when you think about Ireland?
Shamrocks? Leprechauns?
The fast flying steps of Riverdance, perhaps?
A castle view? An ancient ruin?
The taste of a pint? A friendly word of welcome?
All good things, these. There is more, however, very much more.
Ireland is a twenty-first century country which also lives with myth, legend, and story in landscapes which engage with and evoke all of these things.
To help you go deeper into the experience of Ireland, come along and learn a bit about exploring Ireland through dark skies, legends, the sea, and music.
People have been looking at the night skies in Ireland back before the days of written stories. From the traces these people left behind it seems they sought wisdom as well a geographic direction, much as people do today.
Outside Ireland’s cities and larger towns, It’s possible to find really dark skies wherever you may be.
There are also places especially dedicated to the study, exploration, and recognition of dark sky over Ireland, with ways to help you explore.
These include the Kerry International Dark Sky Reserve on the Iveragh peninsula and the OM Dark Sky Park in the Sperrin mountains along the border between Derry and Tyrone.
Learn more about where and how to find and explore Ireland’s dark skies in the story at this link.
Legends: you might explore some of those through visiting Ireland’s museums, and its libraries.
You will also find stories connected to specific places as you read and research, as you listen and ask questions.
The landscapes of Louth connect with Meabh, Cuchulain, and The Tain.
Stories pf Bridgid, both Celtic goddess and saint, arise and continue in this area where she (however your take her story) grew up, too.
Rathlin Island connects with the legend of the Children of Lir as well as the story of Robert the Bruce, for another instance of such resonance.
The emerald isle has a hand in more recent legends, too: the landscapes of the mountains of Mourne in County Down were the inspiration C.S. Lewis drew on for the fantastical landscapes in The Chronicles of Narnia.
Parts of the Game of Thrones have been filmed on the island, too.
A search of our archives will reveal stories about the Mournes and at least two places, one well known and one not, connected to the Game of Thrones.
Other resources for Ireland’s legends include
Irish Myths and Legends V 2: Cuchulain and the Red Brach of Ulster, a reissue of a classic by Augusta Lady Gregory, a range of Irish Myth and Folklore courses taught by musician Cathie Ryan (even if she’s not teaching at present the descriptions are worth reading), and Great Irish Legends for Children, which can offer good material for adults, too.
Ireland is a sea borne land. Many of its stories, much of its history, and some of those legends have to do with the sea.
Coasts and cliffs at sea’s edge are places where legend and present day often intersect, too.
The sea has been and continues to be a powerful source of inspiration for Ireland’s writers, visual artists, musicians, and dancers, as well.
Did you know that a storm at sea which led a ship to seek shelter along the coast of Donegal’s Inishowen peninsula in the northwest of the island played a part in inspiring the well known hymn Amazing Grace?
You will find a story about that and other aspects of Inishowen’s history as well as the area’s waterfalls, wildlife, and music in our archives.
if all that intrigues you, have a listen to Muireann Nic Amhloaibh’s collection of six sea focused pieces of music, for which she draws on legend, history, and landscape in her native West Kerry. She has has named it Thar Toinn/Seaborne.
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Of more recent times there are powerful emigration stories of people sailing away to uncertain futures, too.
At times those emigration stories are told in song, as are more mystical and older historical tales of Ireland’s connections to its water bound landscapes.
Ireland’s music is deep, historical, and filled with mystery, too. It also encompasses humor, celebration, and invitation to dance.
To explore these things in the music of Ireland, you might consider
The work of four women who tell varied stories of Ireland through music
Emigration and family tales told through word and guitar
A concert along the Falls Road in Belfast that draws together strands of Ireland’s stories with those of Irish America
Forest. to city, food to art , sport to drama, dance to tech: there are always ways to let your interests lead you in Ireland.
What I’ve pointed you to here is just a beginning. To add to your knowledge of Ireland, follow the links in this piece, have a search in our archives, and stay with us as our stories of Ireland continue.
Photographs by Kerry Dexter.
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