One of Ireland’s most famous legends is that of the Children of Lir. The legend is part of the Irish Mythological Cycle and is the story of King Lir, who lived with his wife and four children Fionnuala, Aodh, Fiachra and Conn.



The story tells of the days of the Tuatha De Danann tribe, the Goddess Danu and Lir who was the Lord of the Sea. Lir and his wife Eva had four beautiful children – a son, daughter and twin sons. Tragedy struck when their mother Eva (who was daughter of the High King of Ireland) died and they were still young and needed her love and attention.

King Lir, who was devastated and loved his four children wanted them to have a new mother and married his wife’s sister Aoife.

Aoife, however went on to become jealous, watching the King spending so much time playing with his children and wanted him all to herself. One night, she made a bargain with a druid to use his magic wand and then made her plans while the children were sleeping.

The next morning, on a beautiful summer’s day, Aoife led the children to the lake on the premise of teaching them to swim. When noon came and the day was at its hottest, Aoife noticed a dark cloud coming towards them and began to get worried that her plan would get spoiled. She hurried them all in to the water, used the druid’s wand and cast a spell on the children, one by one turning them in to swans.  

A huge blast of thunder occurred and Aoife disappeared in to the black cloud never to be seen again. However, as the story goes, Aoife had not used the wand to take away the children’s human voices. She had told them that they would be free in 900 years time when Saint Patrick would come to Ireland.

Nine hundred years passed and they spent 300 years on Lake Davra; 300 years on the sea of Moyle and 300 years on the lake isle of Glora. One day came when they heard the distant sound of the first Christian bells and they knew the time had come. They followed the sounds to the house of a Christian called Caomhog and they told him what had happened to them such a long time ago.

People came from all over Ireland to hear the story of the swans who could talk and sing. One day a princess even sent her servants to try and steal these swans for herself, but just as they made the attempt, the time came for them to turn back in to humans and this terrified the potential thieves.

The swans were now again human, but 900 years old. Caomhog baptized them and the bells rang out. Sadly, they died of old age shortly afterwards. However, on the same night that they died, Caomhog dreamt that he saw four beautiful children – a brother and sister and twin brothers, flying over the lake and straight up to heaven.  

He knew then that they were the Children of Lir... and the myth lives on to this very day.