The Children Of Lir - Cruachan

In a time of myth and magic

Lived a man of timeless power

Lir was his name

But his temper had turned sour

He would not be king of the land

Bov Dearg was chosen instead

Lir would pay no tribute to him

And secretly wished he was dead

Alas with time Lir’s wife did lie

And he was full of great sadness

Dearg heard this and sent word to Lir

To meet with him in his palace

When they met they both embraced

Their friendship was made then

Dearg summoned his daughter eve

And told Lir he must marry again

Lir’s love for Eve was as strong as with his first wife

A seed was planted, Fionnula and Aedh were born

But her next child birth would take away her life

Fiachra and Conn, from their mothers stomach were torn

Lir’s sadness knew no bounds —

He cried out to the night

Dearg was there to comfort him

And help him see the light

He had 4 beautiful children

And with time another bride

Eve’s sister Aoife would stay loyal to his side

But Aiofe had a jealous side — a canker in her mind

She moved against the children, love for them she could not find

She took them in her chariot to a lake not far away

And changed them into swans like night time into day

300 years on Derravaragh, so commenced the spell

The children would swim to the shore, their story to tell

300 years on the sea of Moyle, a cruel and bitter place

The children missed their father here, the smile upon his face

In the sea of Moyle the waves did crash

And beat the land with might

The rain fell fierce and the wind blew hard

The swans all feared for their lives

Fionnula was strong and wisest of all

And guarded her brothers from strife

Under her wings they hid from night

And waited for the morning light

Finally the day did come

To leave this terrible sea

300 more years to live as swans

Then they at last would be free

To Inish Gluaire the swans did fly

As fast as they could go

New lands and kingdoms everywhere —

Fionnula did see down below

There they waited, till at last the day did dawn

The spell was ending

They felt themselves transform

They were now ancient

Their youth was gone forever

And as they died

They held hands and went together