The Cath Maige Tuired, for a wider audience: Part 7~ The Arrival of the Ildánach

Lugh: Jim Fitzpatrick

The battle of Moytura is better known as the Mythological story cycle. This audio re-telling is especially designed for, but not limited to, a younger audience. In part 7, The Arrival of the Ildánach , the looming dread of invadion by the Fomoire is met by the arrival of a remakable stranger. But will this help?

Discover more about the The Cath Maige Tuired

Notes for this story

This is a slightly shorter chapter, running at around 12 minutes but it is sometimes trick to find natural breaks in what is a continuous narrative.

I haven't named all of Nuada's 'experts' but the meanings of their names are fascinating. Isolde's translations do shed so much light on early medieval society.

Irish mythological and hero tales were not originally written for a young audience. No they were intended for an adult audience gathered together at feasts, Óenachs and to mark special events,. Youngsters may well have been present, may have enjoyed them, but tales weren’t considered as juvenelia.

However they contain so much that younger audiences will enjoy. They are full of adventures and wonders. They have characters, both male and female who show courage, compassion, and comradeship and who demonstrate a sense of wonder, a sense of purpose, and, most definitely a sense of humour.

I tell all of these stories regularly in schools and libraries. I have also recorded them as audio stories and I am happy to share them. Why? Well first they need to be shared. Second, I love audiobooks. As a story teller, I think these stories work best in this format.
Have fun. Chris