Background:
After a great battle with the Formorians, where most of the Nemedians died, three groups managed to escape, and scattered around the world. One group worked hard to hone their skills and returned to Ireland under the aegis of the goddess Danu. Before their return, they had visited four great cities of the North. Falias, Gorias, Finias and Murias. In each city they added to their knowledge of science and craftsmanship, learning from the greatest sages. From each city they collected a magical treasure. From Falias they got the Lia Fáil, the stone of destiny, which roared when a rightful king took his seat upon it. From Gorias they brought the claíomh solais, or sword of destiny. From Murias came the cauldron of the Daghda, which could feed a host, however large, without ever being emptied. From Finias came the Sleá Bua, a magic spear.

Story of the Tuatha Dé Danaan:
Meanwhile, the Fir bolg had come to Ireland and settled there. A great mist descended on Western Connaught, and when it lifted the Firbolg discovered that a fortified camp had been built. They approached the fortifications, where they were met by a group of beautiful, tall, fair people. They curiously examined each other’s weapons. The weapons of the Tuatha were light, bright and sharp, and the weapons of the Fir bolg were blunt and heavy. They agreed that the two races should divide Ireland equally, and join to defend the territory against all newcomers. They bowed, and exchanged weapons.

The Fir bolg later decided to refuse their offer, and a battle commenced on the plains of Moytura. Nuada, the king of the Tuatha Dé Danann, had his hand cut off, but they were ultimately victorious. They magnanimously allowed the Fir bolg to keep the province of Connaught, while the Tuatha occupied the rest. Because of his blemish, Nuada could no longer rule as king. The warrior Bres was crowned in his place. Bres was only half Tuatha Dé Danaan, his mother being a Formorian. Because of this relationship with them, Bres allowed the Formorians to impose taxes and to oppress the Tuatha Dé Danann. The Tuatha eventually deposed Bres and refused to pay the tribute, and so the Formorians prepared for battle.

Lugh, also of mixed ancestry, arrived at the fort of the Tuatha. He took charge while the Tuatha were kingless, accepted because of his many talents. The Tuatha defeated the Formorians in this epic battle, where Lugh slew the leader of the Formorian, Balor, by smashing his poisonous eye through his forehead. Diancecht made a silver arm for Nuada, who resumed his post as king.

Notable personalities:
Daghdha (father god), Nuada (king of the Tuatha), Lugh (half Tuatha Dé and half Formorian), Brigit (goddess of the hearth, of wisdom and of poetry), Aonghas (love god), Boann (goddess of water and fertility), Diancecht (god of healing), Morrigan (goddess of war and death), Macha (goddess of war and fertility), Ogma (god of eloquence and language).

Overview
Midir was one of the lesser lords of the Tuatha de Danann and is said to be responsible for crafting the rivers and lakes in the Irish countryside.


Stories of Midir
The main story concerning Midir relates to his courtship of the fairy maiden Etain. He took her as his consort, thus enraging his wife Fuamach. Fuamach changed Etain into a butterfly and then raised a wind which scattered her hundreds of miles away. The butterfly was swallowed by a regional queen who was drinking wine one afternoon, and nine months later Etain was reborn as a mortal princess and grew to be as beautiful as she was in her previous life. Meanwhile Midir had been searching throughout the land for the woman he loved. By the time he found and recognized Etain in her new form she had been married to Eochaidh, the King of Ireland. Etain did not remember Midir as he tried to seduce her. After a number of meetings however, she began to remember and love Midir again, but her sense of loyalty to Eochaidh would not allow her to leave him. So Midir presented himself in the court of Eochaidh and challenged the King to a game of chess. The first time he allowed Eochaidh to win and then granted him fifty marvelous horses as his prize. But the next time Midir won and claimed as his prize the right to kiss Etain. Eochaidh was angry but could not disagree. The only stipulation he made was that Midir was to wait one month before coming to claim his prize. When the time came for Midir’s return, Eochaidh had the court surrounded by armed men, and he sat with Etain in the centre of the fort, fully expecting Midir to be unable to penetrate the guard. The fairy king appeared through the roof however, and swept down to Etain and carried her off with him. The two were seen circling the fort of Tara in the likeness of swans. Eochaidh roamed Ireland searching for his lost bride and dug up every fairy fort he came across. Eventually he uncovered the stronghold of Midir, but the fairy lord then sent out fifty maidens all in the likeness of Etain and told Eochaidh if he could chose the correct woman he would have her returned to him. Some versions of the story say that Eochaidh chose a woman who was in fact his own daughter, and thus committed incest. Others say a magic bee settled on the correct Etain, thus enabling Eochaidh to win back his wife.

Conclusion
Apart from this story, Midir remains a shadowy figure. He is strongly associated with birds, often seen in the form of a crane or a swan. He is a single minded character who knows what he wants, and adopts any means to get it. Cunning is evident in his means of outwitting Eochaidh. He also has strong connections to the earth of Ireland, fashioning rivers, lakes and fairy forts. Midir comes from the time when the Tuatha de Danann had been driven underground by the more modern Irish, and represents the more mystic less tangible side of the people.

Background
Manannan is regarded as the overlord of the semi-divine Tuatha de Danann.
As such he is the sea god, since it is the sea which surrounds the island of Eire and protects it from harm.

Stories of Manannan
Manannan is very like the Greek Poseidon in that he is depicted as riding the waves in a horse drawn chariot and wearing a huge cloak that flashes with many colours and catches the light just as the sea does. It is said that all the treasured possessions of the Tuatha de Danann are in Manannan’s care, and that he keeps them in a bag made of the skin of a crane! When his young charge Lugh required assistance on one of his quests Manannan granted him a boat called the Wave Sweeper which obeyed the thought of the person in it and did not require sails or oars. This boat also grew in size to accommodate any number of people necessary. Manannan also owned a horse that could travel with equal ease on land or sea, and a sword known as Freagarach – Answerer – which could penetrate any armour. Manannan was wed to the beautiful fairy woman Fand who was said to be flawless in her beauty. The Irish warrior Cuchulainn fell in love with Fand and the two lived together for a time. Manannan was constantly roaming the countryside overseeing the affairs of his people. However, on seeing him pass by one day, Fand remembered the joy of their first days of life together and regretted her liaison with Cuchulainn. She cried out that she had fallen in Manannan’s esteem, but he came to her and shook his cloak between her and Cuchulainn so that they too forgot each other entirely. Then Fand returned to Manannan’s side and the two roamed the countryside together.

Conclusion
Manannan is closely associated with animals of all sorts. He had a herd of pigs, which were cooked and eaten, and then miraculously regenerated for the same fate the next day. He is depicted as a distinguished white haired man, but like the sea is deemed unknowable in any true sense. Like all the Tuatha de Danann he had a strong magical power, and seems to have been a fair over seer of the affairs of the inhabitants of Ireland at this time.

Overview
Lugh was the son of the beautiful Eithne who was the daughter of Balor of the Evil Eye. Balor imprisoned Eithne in a high tower so that she would never have a son, as it had been prophesised that he would be slain by his own grandson. But, in stealing the great cow called Glas Ghoibhneann from Cian, Balor drew him to his island in search of his property. It was then that Eithne first saw Cian, who she recognised from her dreams. Lugh was thus conceived.

Stories of Lugh
When Lugh was born his grandfather ordered him to be killed. Ignoring the cries of his distraught mother, he was cast to the waves and all believed him to be drowned. However, the woman druid called Birog who had woven magic spells to bring Cian and Eithne together, cast another spell. That spell brought Lugh from the sea into the arms of his father. Lugh was fostered by Taillte daughter of the King of the great plain, and of Echaid the Rough. He was taught all the arts and his skill was so great with a sword and his reach so long and accurate that he acquired the name, Lugh of the Long Arm.
One day when Lugh had grown; at the time when King Nuadhu had been restored to his throne, he arrived at the door of the King’s fort. He asked the doorkeeper to tell the King that he wanted to join his household. The Doorkeeper told Lugh that no one could join the King’s household without a special skill. “I am a builder” said Lugh. “We already have a builder” said the Doorkeeper. “I am a smith, a champion, a harper, a warrior, a poet, a magician, a physician, a cup-bearer and a brazier” said Lugh” “But we already have someone who possesses each of the skills you mention” said the Doorkeeper. “Then do you have someone who is skilled in all these things together” said Lugh. And indeed there was no one so Lugh was admitted to the King’s household.
Before the second battle of Moytura, Nuadhu gave Lugh charge over his army. Lugh identified the special skill of all the leaders of the troops before going into battle. At the battle Lugh killed his grandfather Balor. Balor had lifted his eye with the intention of poisoning all it would behold. Lugh slew his grandfather with a slingshot that he aimed into his Evil Eye. Lugh became the new King of the Tuatha De Danann. He spared the life of Breas, who had connived against them in exchange for agricultural advice. Lúnasa the Irish word for August is called after him.

Conclusion
Lugh the possessor of all the arts was a great King and leader. He is seen as being an inventor of the arts, a guide on the journey , no matter what the road and also having an influence on and association with wealth and prosperity like the Tuatha de Danann generally.

Overview
The Formorians are seen as euhemerised sea deities (or sea pirates) who were plunderers and intimidators of all the invaders of Ireland. They did not settle in Ireland but instead made raids from their impregnable Island Fort of Tory.

This race is often depicted as ugly, dark and demonic, sometimes seen as giants or elves and were witnessed with goat or horse heads or other terrible features. It is also said that they were fearsome creatures with only one eye, one arm and one leg. They exacted taxes from the Irish settlers sometimes cutting off the noses of those who did not pay their dues.

Stories of The Formorians
The Formorians haunted the Partholonians who did battle with them but did not manage to eradicate them. They were themselves, exterminated by a plague leaving the Formorians still powerful. Thirty years later, the Nemedians arrived in Ireland and continued the work of the Partholonians building fortresses, clearing the landscape of forest and bringing forth new lakes. This race was heroic in defeating the Formorians three times, but alas, were themselves defeated by this terrible race in their fourth encounter. This was catastrophic for the Nemedians who then had to pay annual taxes to the Formorians at Samhain injuring their dignity. But the Nemedians make a last brave attempt at battle attacking their almost impregnable tower on Tory Island. They did manage to kill the Formorian King, Conand but alas the rest of the brave Nemedians were slaughtered and scattered around the world; their offspring becoming later invaders of Ireland in the form of the Fir Bolg and the Tuatha De Danann. It was the leader of the Formorians, Balor, who is strongly associated with the Second Battle of Moytura. This was when the Formorians gathered a huge force from Scandinavia and from Ireland for the battle. This ‘Northern’ source obviously has echoes of the later invasions by the Vikings. It was in the Second Battle of Moytura that was an encounter between the ‘evil eyed’ Balor and the ‘many skilled’ Lugh. In an encounter which echoes David and Goliath, Balor was, by a defeated by a stone fired into his eye. The Formorian king, the handsome Breas, survived by agreeing to give agricultural advice.

Conclusion
The Formorians were a malevolent race of sea gods with a ghostly presence that haunted all who attempted to rule or Ireland. They were aggressive in nature and had the power to humiliate. Even though they are generally depicted as ugly, though with exception such as the beautiful Breas. Like the Tuatha they are another supernatural, underworld race.

Overview
The Fir Bolgs were named after what they did in much of their life. They were men (fir) who carried clay in bags (bolg). Enslaved by the Greeks their role was to m ake barren land fertile with the clay. In Ireland, starting from Uisneach they divided the country into five provinces. Possessed Ireland for thirty seven years before being defeated by the Tuatha De Danann in the first Battle of Moytura.

Stories of Fir Bolgs
The origins of the Fir Bolgs, it is said, was from the Nemedians and specifically Semeon, grandson of Nemed who fled to Greece.
As with Nemed in Ireland, the progeny of Semeon increased until they were numbered in the thousands. However, they were enslaved by the Greeks and given the task of carrying bags of clay on bare rocks to make the barren land fertile. It was from this task that they derived their name as ‘bag-men’.
Another story tells of the Greek King who gave them a territory full of poisonous snakes and that it was the Irish clay that they carried that gave them protection.
Either way the Fir Bolgs were a people who knew hardship and oppression.

Eventually, they escaped from Greece and settled in Ireland. Once here their leaders, from the Fir Bolgs, the Failion and the Fir Domhnainn leaders, starting from the exact centre of Ireland, Uisneach, divided Ireland into five provinces.
The word ‘cuige’ (a fifth) is still used for province though since medieval times there have only been five provinces. For some, the fifth province is an important province of the imagination, a province where all can meet. For the Fir Blogs it was an administrative centre. Each province had a King who ruled over smaller Kingships. One was Eochy who married Tailtiu, in whose honour the Tailteann games were held to the mid Twentieth century.

The Fir Bolgs, in Ireland, throw off their former servant role and for thirty seven years they prospered. In the plains and valleys of Ireland they cultivated fields and lived a prosperous life. Eventually, they were defeated by that set of descendents of Nemed that headed North with Beotham to become the Tuatha de Danann. The Tuatha defeated the Fir Bolgs in the first Battle of Moytura.

Conclusion
The Fir Bolgs were a people who knew a cycle of prosperity, defeat and exile and then repeat. They knew slavery and hardship. Essentially they are a highly practical, administratively and organizationally gifted people. They have after all left Ireland with its basic provincial structure.

Overview
Son of Bochra which means sea. He was a great mythical seer and sage who lived for hundreds, some say 5500 years. He thus had detailed knowledge of past events.

Stories of Fintan
Fintan is said to have come to Ireland with Cessair, two men and fifty-one women. They came forty days before the Flood we know from the story of Noah. Fintan had a lady Cessair, who he married.

When the flood fame Fintanw as hidden in the earth in Tul Tuinne, near the River Shannon in Tipperary. He stayed there until the Flood had passed.
In the Flood the other two men died, (and in some stories everyone but Fintan). This left Fintan surrounded by women. In some ways this would be heaven for a man – surrounded by beautiful women. But it wasn’t for Fintan.
He fled some he way only fifteen at the time.

What is remarkable about Fintan is he had the shamanic gift of shape shifting. He transformed variously into a one eyed salmon, and eagle and then a falcon. He was also reputed to be in conversation with a hawk. It is this experience of being animal that be acquired much of his wisdom.

He also garnered much wisdom from the sheer length of time that he lived.
He is said to have witnessed all the major events in the country’s history (somewhat inadvertently!). He observed the battles of Moytura, the epic of Cuchulain and the Tain as well as the reigns of many Kings, until the time of Christianity. He was knowledgeable of the feasts of Ireland, Cattle Raids and Courtships.

His life essentially a coming together of all that an aspiring Bard, Poet or learned map would need to know. Fintan was the role model, an inspirational sage. Fintan was once given fruit by a stranger. When he ate the fruit he was given he was able to transform himself.

Conclusion
Fintan was the first man of Ireland. Remarkably, we, like Finland’s first man, Vainamoinen is a shaman, magician, sage.
Because of all the experience of Shaman, Fintan wise to the history and geography in deed the ancient love of Ireland.

Overview
Eithne was the beautiful daughter of Balor of the Evil Eye who lived in fear of the prophesy of a Druid that said; he would die at the hand of his own grandson.

Stories of Eithne
Balor lived in a shining tower of glass on an island off the coast of Ireland. Beside this, he built another tower for his daughter Eithne. There, she was locked up with twelve women to guard her. Balor’s orders were not only that Eithne must never see a man, but that a man’s name was never to be mentioned in her company.

Eithne grew to be a beautiful woman and although she was a prisoner, she was treated with kindness. The twelve women kept her company and taught her skills but Eithne spent long lonely hours looking out of her window to the sea. And each night she saw a face in her dreams that she did not know in her imprisoned life.
One night two women screamed at the foot of the tower for help. They said that one was a Queen of the Tuatha De Danann who was escaping from a terrible enemy. Eithne’s minders took pity on the women and let them in. But one of these women was a druid called Birog who cast a spell that sent all twelve women to sleep. Then Birog lifted a spell from the woman who accompanied her revealing Cian a man of the Tuatha De Danann who was looking for a valuable cow, stolen from him by Balor. Cian climbed to the top of the tower and found Eithne staring out to sea. He thought she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. Immediately Eithne recognised Cian from her dreams and they fell in love. They made love to each other and Cian wanted to take Eithne with him, but Birog did not have the magic to help them. She was afraid of Balor and swept Cian up in a spell that brought him back to Ireland.

Eithne gave birth to a son called Lugh. He was taken from her and cast into the sea despite her pleading and the weeping of her women.

Conclusion
Eithne is a tragic figure who loses her lover and her son for her father’s protection.

Overview
Cian was a man of the Tuatha De Danann who owned the wonderful cow called Glas Ghoibhneann who never ran dry. Balor tricked Cian to steal the cow. But Cian with the help of the druid Birog found himself on Balor’s island where he slept with Eithne, the imprisoned daughter, and so Lugh was born. Thus enabling the prophecy whereby Balor would die at the hands of his grandson.

Stories of Cian
So many people had tried to steal his cow that Cian was forced to guard her night and day. He attached a halter to her and brought her everywhere. Balor of the Evil Eye, the Formorian King, had often disguised himself to try and seize Cian’s cow.
One day Cian visited his brother Goibhniu at his forge to talk to him about making some new weapons. While he was talking, he left his cow outside in the care of another of his brothers. Balor seized this opportunity by changing himself into a red-headed boy. He told the brother who was minding the cow that Cian and Goibhniu were going to use all the steel to make weapons for themselves and there would be none left when it came to his turn. Cian’s brother left the red-headed boy to mind the cow while he went into the forge to protest. Balor shed his disguise and fled with Cian’s cow.

Cian went to a druid to ask for help in recovering his property but the druid reminded Cian that no one could go near Balor without risking life because of his evil eye. Determined, Cian sought the help he needed from a woman druid called Birog. Birog disguised Cian as a woman and conjured a strong wind to bring them to Balor’s island. It was here that Cian met and fell in love with Balor’s beautiful daughter Eithne. After they made love Cian wanted to save Eithne from her prison tower and take her back to Ireland with him but Birog’s fear of Balor was too great to help him. Instead, she conjured another wind that took Cian away from the island and his beloved.

When Eithne gave birth to their son Lugh, Balor banished the child to the waves with no regard for the pleading of his daughter. And, he thought the child drowned but Birog conjured another wind that carried the baby into the arms of his father. Cian had Lugh fostered by Taillte daughter of the King of the great plain, and of Echaid the Rough, son of Duach and he became a great warrior and King.

Conclusion
Cian was a resourceful member of the Tuatha De Danann. His main role is to have fathered Lugh, master of all arts. Lugh in turn was the ather of Cuculain. In terms of impact and legacy, his male heirs certainly were huge in the Irish myth tradition.