2 3 Index Foreword ..................................................................................................................4 1. Dún Finn ................................................................................................................8 2. The Pursuit of Diarmaid and Gráinne ............................................................10 3. The warrior Oisín ............................................................................................... 12 4. Lurigethan, Dún Chlann na Morna and Lag na Féinne ...............................14 5. King Conchobhar Mac Neasa and the Ulster warriors................................ 16 6. Clann Uisnigh or Deirdre of the Sorrows ....................................................... 18 7. Dún Bharraigh (Dun Barry) .............................................................................20 Published by the Heart of the Glens Landscape Partnership Scheme with the support of the Heritage Lottery Fund. 8. Taise of Rathlin and Conghal Cláiringneach ................................................22 9. Rathlin and Cúchulainn ...................................................................................24 Text by Thomas McErlaine and Illustrations by Randall Stephen Hall. 10. The Children of Lir (Clann Lir) .......................................................................26 11. The Battle of Murlough ...................................................................................28 Printed by Impact Printing, Coleraine & Ballycastle. 12. Gobán Saor and his daughter .......................................................................30 13. An Fear Liath (The Grey Man) ........................................................................32 © 2018 14. Carn an Triúir on the summit of Knocklayd ................................................34 The Sí and the fairy landscape ......................................................................36 15. Tiveragh, the fairy hill .....................................................................................38 16. Breen (Bruíon ‘the fairy dwelling’) ............................................................. 40 17. Loughareema, the Vanishing Lake or Fairy Lough ....................................42 18. Giants in the landscape ................................................................................ 44 Acknowledgments Thanks to Fionntán McCarry from the Carey Historical Society who provided some extra information and many of the photos. To Laura Mc Auley and Réamaí Mathers from the Heart of The Glens Landscape Partnership Scheme for their work on this production. 4 5 The Otherworld: A glimpse into the mythological landscape of the Glens of Antrim. The Glens of Antrim once Traditional stories centred into the traditional folklore of the The Fionn tradition is prominently Pans Rocks had the older name of Early Gaelic literature and folklore possessed an outstandingly rich on heroic tales of warriors, Glens and its landscape. Many of represented in The Glens. Fionn Carraig Uisnigh (rock of Uisneach’s paint a picture of a landscape oral tradition, but sadly since the tragic romances, fabulous epic the places you can visit, but not and his Fianna hunted along children). When they landed a where the otherworld of the fairies, demise of the Gaelic language adventures of giants and the fairy all. These magical places in the valleys, woods and mountain tops. trap was sprung by a warrior called the Sí, (pronounced in English as the everyday vernacular of folk or ‘good people’. The folklore is landscape of The Glens of Antrim He had forts in Glenshesk and in Barrach who had a fort at Torr as ‘she’) was never far from the the community, much has been grounded in the ancient literature are steps into ‘another world’. Glenariff, while his son Oisín was Head. surface. The Sí dwelt in magical lost. Other factors such as the of Gaelic Ireland and Scotland and buried in Glenaan. Fionn’s wife, mounds and hills. The location of Early Gaelic literature is extensive Other great characters from early introduction of the National it is fascinating to observe how the ill-fated Gráinne, took refuge these places in the local landscape and has been divided into various Gaelic literature and folklore also Schools system in the 1830s, the great Gaelic stories have been with her lover Diarmuid near Torr were well known and treated with genres based on casts of characters make their appearance in local and more recently the advent woven into this unique landscape. Head. His arch-enemy, the one great reverence and respect. In The that occur together in various tales. mythology. These include Gobán of multiple forms of media eyed Goll Mac Morna and his family, Glens of Antrim the Sí were often The purposes of indigenous stories The two greatest and most popular Saor and his daughter, the Grey have contributed to its decline. are associated with Lurigethan referred to as ‘the good people’ are manifold. On one level, these of these are the Fionn Tradition Man and others. Perhaps most Thankfully important fragments mountain near Cushendall. or ‘the gentry’, as a sign of deep tales provided entertainment and those that are known as the evocatively of all, the hauntingly of this rich oral legacy have respect and sometimes fear. on long winter evenings, but Ulster Cycle. The Fionn Tradition The tales of the Ulster Cycle are tragic story of the Children of Lir, is survived to be recorded and it is on another they were used to centres on the heroic events of also woven into the landscape. intimately associated with the Sea likely that many more are still held make sense of unexplainable Fionn Mac Cumhaill, his Fianna Conchobhar Mac Neasa had a of Moyle and the Glens coastline. within local families, waiting to be happenings, to teach cultural (hunting bands), and his son Oisín, summer palace in Carey just rediscovered. In recent times there Most of the characters in these value, morality, and respect of while the Ulster Cycle focuses on outside Ballycastle. His intended has been a revival in the use of tales have deep ancestry. Some place. Local people and visitors the King of Ulster, Conchobhar Mac bride Deirdre, who ran off with the Gaelic language , a renaissance in like Fionn originated from alike are rediscovering the rich Neasa, and the warriors at his court sons of Uisneach, landed at the traditional music and dance and a pre-Christian gods and were cultural legacy of The Glens of at Eamhain Mhacha (Navan Fort Pans Rock on Carey/Ballycastle renewal in interest in native history. transmuted in literature into Antrim, which is part of the great near Armagh). These narratives Strand when returning from exile It was only going to be a short warriors and poets. Later still these folklore of Gaelic Ireland, Scotland and the characters they portray are in Scotland. Long before salt time before the mythology of our gods often reached a final form in and the Isle of Man. This modest embedded in the landscape of The panning was carried out there, the forebears would begin to reemerge. popular folklore as giants. publication offers a tiny glimpse Glens. 6 8 7 Rathlin Island Site & Stories Fionn Mac Cumhaill and the 1. Dún Finn (Doonfin) - Glenshesk Fionn Tradition 2. Grianán Mór - Torr Fionn was a great warrior, a hunter, a poet, and a seer. Few other 3. Oisín’s Grave (Glenann) Fair Head figures in early Gaelic literature Kenbane Head 4. Lorg Éadain (Lurigethan) - Cushendall/Glenariff rival him in his dominance of the 13 18 Irish and Scottish imaginative 6 10 11 MURLOUGH BAY 5. Cathaoir Rí an Ulaidh - (Carey) landscape. He was the leader of the warrior class, the Fianna. He 6. Carraig Uisnigh - Pans Rock (Carey) Ballycastle 2 7 and his Fianna were associated Ballyvoy Torr Head 5 19 7. Dún Bharraigh - Doonvarry (Torr) with mountains and wilderness, their hunting grounds where they Glentaisie 12Glenshesk 8. Dún Mór - Doonmore (Rathlin) stalked wild boar and stags. Glens 9 14 9 Dún Taise (Glentaisie) of Antrim folklore claimed Fionn as one of their own, and folk tradition Ballypatrick 17 Knocklayde Loughareema 10 Carraig na nEalaí - Swans Rock (Murlough) records that while Fionn and his Forest Fianna hunted all over The Glens 11 Carraig na Fóla and Beann Bhán (Benvan) - Murlough 16 1 they were particularly associated 12 Cill Éanáin (Glenshesk) with Glenshesk, Glenariff, and Armoy Cushendun Glenaan. 13 An Fear Liath - The Grey Man (Fairhead) Glendun Knocknacarry Glencorp 14 Carn an Trúir- The Cairn of Three (KnockLayde) 15 15 Taobh an Ratha - Tiveragh (Cushendall) Glenaan 3 Cushendall 16 Brúíon- Breen - Glenshesk Slieveanorra / RED BAY Orra Head Loughguile Glenballyeamon 17 Loch a’ Mhadhma - Loughareema - (Carey) Slieveanorra Glenariff/Waterfoot 18 Cloch Fhionn Mhic Cumhaill - Fionn Mac Cumhaill’s Trostan 4 Garron Point Forest Stone ( Fairhead/Carey) Corkey Glenariff 19 Mearóga - The Meirogs (Torr) Slievenanee Hunters Point Cargan Clough Mills Glenariff Newtown-Crommelin Forest Park Glenravel Carnlough Clough Martinstown Glenarm 8 9 1. Dún Finn Dún Finn (Fionn’s fort) is located in the townland of that name in Glenshesk. Folklore identifies it as the place from where Fionn hunted the glen with his beloved hound Bran and where, to his eternal regret, killed the dog with a spear throw. One version of the story is that Fionn, in celebration of victory over a Scottish giant, invited the Fear Liath, the fabled Grey Man of Fair Head, to a feast. In preparation for the banquet he and Bran went hunting for deer, but none were caught. Fionn