Welcome to my weekly blog,  SATURDAY SESSIONS!

In this blog, for the perusal of all our students, past, present and future, I include an extract from our interactive presentation Course, Ireland and its Culture.

If you wish to ask me any question about the text, by the way, just send me an e-mail at greg@bluefeather.ie

THE FAIRIES  (Part 1)

Ireland's most famous poet, W.B. Yeats, who was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1923, was "absolutely certain"  that the Fairy Kingdom existed.

Fairies are visible only to those who can see them. The word fairy comes from the Latin 'fata', of fate. The Fates were the three women who spun and controlled the webs of life in ancient classical mythology.

There are different theories to explain who or what the fairies are, but basically, they live under the ground or in fairy raths or mounds, where there is no time. They can change shape and size and sometimes they even appear as crows - when they're up to mischief!

Fairy Paths link sites of power (ley lines) around the world. The hawthorn tree is also known as the fairy tree. Fairy rings are circles of inedible fungi, magic circles where fairies meet and dance and sing. Stand on a fairy ring on the night of a full moon and make a wish. Your wish will come true.

A belief in fairies formerly dominated Irish life. Tara was not only the political but also the magical centre of Ireland. Processions of silent spirits march around its grass-grown raths and forts. The good people (fairies) play music throughout the night.

Many people believe that fairies are the spirits of the departed. They are also believed to have inherited the burial mound at Newgrange.

LV

The rush of the rapids;

The heron on the rock,

Patience.

LVI

A clutter of words;

A wig and a cloak,

A barrister.

LVII

Return of the cliff-nests;

Response to erosion,                                                                                                         

Resilience.

Welcome to my weekly blog,  SATURDAY SESSIONS!         

In this blog, for the perusal of all our students, past, present and future, I include an extract from our interactive presentation Course, Ireland and its Culture.

If you wish to ask me any question about the text, by the way, just send me an e-mail at greg@bluefeather.ie

BRENDAN THE NAVIGATOR

Although part of the legendary tradition of Ireland, Brendan was a historical figure who was born in County  Kerry in 484 CE, not long after the death of St. Patrick, and at a time when the Golden Age in Ireland was about to blossom.

Brendan became a priest and established a famous monastery at Clonfert in Co. Galway. He also set up a monastery near Mount Brandon in his native county. On the summit of the 1000-metre-high Mount Brandon are the ruins of a small beehive-shaped chapel from where you can see up to 150 kilometres all around you.

Brendan is said to have seen a huge island far out off the coast of west Kerry from the top of Mount Brandon. (Tír na n-Óg?!) It was this vision which inspired him to go on his famous voyages around the world.

Brendan was very skilled with the coracle, or currach, as it is known in Ireland. This is a boat made from willow wood and animal skin (hide). The hide is tanned in oak bark and softened with butter. A thin coat of tar is painted on it to make it fully waterproof. Fishermen still use currachs in the west of Ireland.

In his currach, Brendan visited Britain, many of the islands off the coast of Scotland, and even Iceland. But his most famous seven-year voyage, recorded in a 9th century manuscript, took him all the way to America.

One story in the manuscript tells us of the time when he disembarked on an island and started to light a fire - only to discover that he was on the back of a whale!

Brendan's ventures were in the typical Celtic tradition of imrama, or learning by wandering; learning was, above all, a nourishment of the human spirit. 

The Old Irish word imrama meant rowing about, but not without a specific direction and not without an aim. Wandering liberated the imagination and inspired great adventures and works of art.

The accounts of his journeys include islands of snow-white birds, sheep as big as cows, volcanoes, and even an empty house in which a feast had been made ready for the wanderers.

In 1973, the explorer Tim Severin, built a currach just like Brendan's and sailed from Kerry to America, proving that Brendan may, indeed, have been the first European to set foot in America.

Welcome to my weekly blog,  SATURDAY SESSIONS!

In this blog, for the perusal of all our students, past, present and future, I include an extract from our interactive presentation Course, Ireland and its Culture.

If you wish to ask me any question about the text, by the way, just send me an e-mail at greg@bluefeather.ie

THE PIRATE QUEEN OF IRELAND

Although she is now part of the legend and folklore tradition of Ireland, the amazing Gráinne Mhaol was an actual historical figure born in County Mayo in the year 1530. Her family, the O'Malleys, was one of the last of the Gaelic aristocracy of the 16th century.

When Gráinne was a child, she wanted to go with her father on a trip to Spain but she was told she couldn't go because (it was a poor excuse!) her long, golden hair would get caught in the ropes. In a fit of anger, she cut her hair short like a boy and from then on was known as Gráinne Mhaol, or 'Bald Gráinne'.

She grew up to know all about ships and sailing from her family and decided to become a pirate, but also a bitter enemy of the conquerors from England.

Henry VIII had declared himself King of Ireland. He was the first King of England to do so as Ireland approached a major turning point in its history.  The country was about to enter four centuries of bloodshed and darkness as an occupied nation.

Henry's troops were blocked by Gráinne from entering Galway Bay. Gráinne and her pirates raided ships and islands around the coast of Ireland and built up a huge fortune.

The Pirate Queen was known for her uncompromising toughness. One day, her ship docked at Howth Harbour and she requested to rest at Howth Castle. The lord of the castle, however, would not open his gates - so she kidnapped one of his sons. In return for his son, the lord had to promise to leave his gate open to visitors and to set an extra place for a visitor at every meal.

That tradition continues up to this very day!

Gráinne Mhaol is an icon of international feminism.

In her early sixties, she decided to confront the Queen of England. She would have been about the same age as Elizabeth 1 at the time and she probably knew that the Queen had a secret admiration for her. After all, Elizabeth's own empire was built on the success of pirates, such as the Queen's good friend, Francis Drake.

Sailing to England and up the River Thames to visit her enemy was a very daring thing to do and many people believed that she would be sent to the Tower of London and executed on the spot.

She sailed along the Thames to the Queen's Palace in Greenwich, past rebels' heads stuck on spikes and the skeletons of executed pirates hanging on chains along the walls of the banks of the river. 

When she was led into Elizabeth's court, she faced the Queen but did not bow. This would normally have been a great insult as the only people excused from bowing were other kings or queens. Gráinne, however, was the Pirate Queen and reserved her right not to bow. The people at the court took a sharp intake of breath, expecting the worst.

But the two women got on famously and sat in front of the fire chatting about their lives. Elizabeth envied Gráinne because the infamous Pirate Queen had sailed the seas and done all the daring deeds of legend that the Queen could only dream of; Elizabeth had never sailed farther than up the river Thames.

The outcome of it all was that Gráinne and her family would be left in peace and all charges against her would be dropped.

Gráinne returned home in triumph.  She is buried on Clare Island off the west coast of Ireland.

Welcome to my weekly blog,  SATURDAY SESSIONS!

In this blog, for the perusal of all our students, past, present and future, I include an extract from our interactive presentation Course, Ireland and its Culture.

If you wish to ask me any question about the text, by the way, just send me an e-mail at greg@bluefeather.ie

                      THE SALMON OF KNOWLEDGE

When Fionn was a child, he loved visiting the poet Finnegas because Finnegas knew all about the plants and the animals and the stars.

In the evenings, Fionn loved sitting by the fire at the home of the poet, listening to all the great stories that he had to tell. Finnegas was an inspiring teacher and in return, Fionn helped him with his household chores.

Fionn's curiosity was insatiable. Sometimes, he would ask questions that Finnegas simply couldn't answer.

Every day, Finnegas would go fishing, but always with the intention of catching the same fish that had eluded him for the past seven years.

That's why Finnegas lived near the Boyne. He had been told by a druid that in a big dark pool near the river there was a salmon which had eaten nine hazelnuts from nine hazel trees surrounding the pool. The fish had thereby acquired all the knowledge of the world. The person who would catch and eat that salmon would be the most knowledgeable person alive.

Fionn would often accompany him and keep him busy with his endless questions while Finnegas patiently waited for the salmon to bite.

Finally, one bright summer's day, Finnegas cried out to Fionn:

'I've caught him! I've caught him, Fionn! I've caught the Salmon of Knowledge!'

He was ecstatic and he and Fionn jumped and danced in glee about the river bank. Then Finnegas prepared a fire, and put the salmon on a spit. He then went off to collect more sticks for the fire and asked Fionn to keep an eye on the fish so that it wouldn't burn. He also told Fionn not to touch the fish under any circumstances.

When he returned with the sticks a short time later, he noticed a change in the child's expression; Fionn's eyes were sparkling like the water of the Boyne.

'Did you touch the salmon? Did you eat some of that fish?' questioned Finnegas in horror at the very thought.

'No!' said the boy. 'Why do you say that?' 

'Did you touch it?' questioned Finnegas.

'No!' said Fionn. 'But when I tried turn it over with the stick, I burnt my thumb.' 

'And then? And then what?' asked Finnegas. 'Then what did you do?'

'I did what anybody would do!' said Fionn.  'I sucked my thumb to soothe it!'

It was then that Finnegas knew that all the knowledge of the salmon had passed into the spirit of the child.

But he also knew that he was witnessing the fulfilment of a prophesy Fionn's father had told him about Fionn, just after the child was born. The prophesy was that the boy would grow up to be the most knowledgeable and wisest man in Ireland.

Finnegas smiled and told Fionn to eat the whole salmon.

After Fionn had eaten it, he told Finnegas that he felt no different from before. Then Finnegas told him to suck his thumb. Fionn sucked his thumb and his eyes sparkled like the waters of the river Boyne.

At that moment, he had no questions because there was nothing he didn't know. Finnegas told him to return to his home now, as he had nothing more to learn. Any time he wanted to know anything about anything, all he had to do was suck his thumb.

'One day soon,' Finnegas joked, 'I'll be knocking at your door in search of a thumb-sucking teacher!'

Fionn grew up to be leader of the legendary Fianna, the Samurai of Ireland. To become a member of the Fianna, one had to perform extraordinarily challenging tasks, such as running barefoot through a forest without breaking a twig, or being stuck in a hole with only a shield to defend yourself from attack. To be a member of the Fianna, you also had to be able to write a poem!

Welcome to my weekly blog,  SATURDAY SESSIONS!

In this blog, for the perusal of all our students, past, present and future, I include an extract from our interactive presentation Course, Ireland and its Culture.

If you wish to ask me any question about the text, by the way, just send me an e-mail at greg@bluefeather.ie

The Love Story of Diarmuid and Gráinne

Gráinne was said to be the most beautiful woman in Ireland.

She was also the daughter of Cormac, the High King of Ireland.

She was courted by Ireland's princes and chieftains - including the famous, but now ageing, chieftain, Fionn MacCumhaill. Fionn wanted the young woman to be his second wife.

He asked her to marry him and she agreed. 

A great feast was set up to celebrate the newly-engaged couple.

It was on that very night that Gráinne met Diarmuid, one of Fionn's best warriors.  She fell in love with him at first sight.  Indeed, Gráinne was prepared to go to any lengths to get her man, so she drugged the entire party.

Soon, they were all fast asleep, everyone except Diarmuid and Gráinne, of course.

With Diarmuid all to herself now, Gráinne confessed her love for him. Diarmuid backed off and refused to accept her love, as he was loyal to his leader Fionn. But Gráinne was very persuasive and before the night was out, Diarmuid had fallen in love with Gráinne.

The two lovers had eloped before anybody was awake.

The next morning, Fionn was furious and he and his men got on their horses and pursued them all over Ireland. Diarmuid and Gráinne hid in caves, woods, hills and mountains, relentlessly pursued by Fionn and the Fianna. Still out of loyalty to Fionn, Diarmuid - although he loved her very much- would not sleep with Gráinne.

One morning, when they were washing in a stream, water splashed up her leg and she teased him that the water was more adventurous than he was!

Friends of Diarmuid in the Fianna all around Ireland secretly helped them to run and survive. The two lovers became very close.

And so the years passed until Gráinne became pregnant with Diarmuid's child. 

One day, out in the wilderness near Sligo, Diarmuid and Gráinne were hiding in the long grass at the edge of a wood, when they heard the sounds of horses in the distance. They kept their heads down and waited in silence until the danger had passed.

Just then, Diarmuid heard a grunt and looking behind him, saw that a wild boar had come out of the wood and was running at high speed towards them. The fearless Diarmuid suddenly panicked, but not only because he was fearful that the boar might injure his beloved Gráinne, now heavily pregnant with their baby; it was because he suddenly remembered being told when he was a child that the only living thing that would ever harm him was a wild boar!

The wild animal charged. Diarmuid threw himself at the boar, wrestled him to the ground and killed him with his sword.  But in the struggle, the boar had gored him in the stomach and as Gráinne watched on in horror, Diarmuid was now bleeding to death. She cried out in sorrow and despair.

Fionn and his men heard the commotion from a distance. They quickly rode up to see the dead boar stretched out in the grass and the fearless Diarmuid, dying in Gráinne's arms.

Gráinne was in despair. But she knew that there was only one man in Ireland who could save her lover and that man was Fionn. Fionn was not only a great warrior but also a healer; if a wounded man drank water from his hands, his wound would be healed.

She implored Fionn to show mercy and save his former friend and great warrior of the Fianna by going to the well and allowing Diarmuid to drink water from his hands.

But Fionn refused, still deeply hurt that his best friend and loyal warrior of the Fianna had kidnapped his bride. Fionn's men begged him to go to the well and reluctantly, he did.

He returned with the water cupped in his hands, but as soon as got to the dying Diarmuid, he let the water slip through his fingers and onto the ground.

Enraged, the Fianna shouted at their leader to save their friend, return to the well and let Diarmuid drink the water from his hands.

Fionn went to the well a second time and for the second time, baulked, as he approached Diarmuid's mouth, the water trickling once again through his fingers and onto the wounded man's chest. The Fianna shouted and wept.

Ossian, the son of Fionn, drew his sword and swore that he would kill him, his own father, if he failed to do his duty and heal Diarmuid with the magic water.

Fionn was shocked and disturbed by this. 

He ran back to the well, the great man himself now in tears. He scooped up the water in his cupped hands and carefully returned with it to heal his young friend. He would now forgive him, he would forgive Gráinne and he would forgive his son for the outburst, and all would be well again.

But alas, it was too late. By the time Fionn arrived back with the water, Diarmuid had died in Gráinne's arms.