Page 48 - Demo

48 Stephen Dunford: The Journey of The IrIsh
Balor and exacted an éiric, or ransom from his enemies; of Mananán mac Lir, God of the Seas; and of the greatest of all the Tuatha Dé Danann-the Daghdha Mór-the Father God of Irish Mythology. This God whose name means “The Good” was master of all arts and knowl- edge and praisesd as one of the most powerful Gods in the Irish pantheon. Belonging to the Mythological Cycle also are two very sad but beautiful stories, the well known “Children of Lir” and the lesser known “Children of Tuireann”.
The Red Branch Cycle or Ulidian or Ulster Cycle tales concern the kings and heroes who dwelt in the royal fort of Eamhain Mhacha , Navan Fort, in the days of its greatest glories; they also record the exploits of the famed company of warriors known as na Craobhruadh - the ‘Red Branch Knights.’
Now while these stories go all the way back to the time of Queen Macha, who is reputed to have been the founder of Eamhain Mhacha, most of them deal with events which occurred during the reign of Conchubhar Mac Nessa, and feature such luminaries as Conal Cearnach, Cúchulainn, Fergus Mac Roigh, and many others of that famed hero band- Cúchulainn being the most renowned and storied of them all-the supreme warrior of ancient Ireland.
But there is one great tale, one of the finest in the cycle in which Cúchulainn does not figure, that is the famous tale of Déirdre, and the fate of the Children of Uisneach. Entwined with romance and tragedy, the story of Déirdre and the sons of Uisneach is without doubt one of the most famed of all Irish epics and is numbered, along with the already mentioned two sad Mythological Cycle tales, The Children of Lir and The Children of Tuireann, as one of “The Three Sorrows of Story-Telling”-“na Trí Truagha na Scéalaidheachta”. This cycle also contains the famous epic tales, “Táin Bó Cuailnge”, and the “Táin Bó Flidhais” in which are recorded the deeds of Cúchulainn, Ferdia, Queen Meadhbh (Maeve), Flidhais, and Brichiu the ‘Mischief Maker’, amongst many others.
Now the famed Red Branch Knights, or Royal Branch Knights, as they are sometimes referenced, spent many years training in extraordinary feats of arms, alongside which they also learned high ideals, so that they were famed as much for their noble character and chiv- alry, as for their strength and heroism in battle. It is told that though they were fierce as lions when challenged in war they were meek as lambs in times of peace. They were gentle and respectful to women and the weak. They honoured any enemy who fought them a brave, fair fight, and they were merciful to a vanquished foe, and would give him all necessary aid and dress his wounds, before delivering him tenderly back to his own. The ancient chroni-
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