The Children of Lir: Four Children Transformed into Swans for 900 Years

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The Children of Lir

Imagine four children transformed into swans and exiled for 900 years. But what awaits you at the end of this legend is even more astonishing…

“The Children of Lir” is one of the most tragic and yet majestic tales in Irish mythology. It belongs to the Tuatha Dé Danann cycle and has been preserved in medieval Irish manuscripts, such as MS Egerton 164. This legend tells of betrayal, exile, spiritual resilience, and the dawn of a new era — Christian Ireland.

The Children of Lir

The Birth of Lir’s Children

In the age when Ireland was ruled by supernatural beings — the Tuatha Dé Danann — there lived Lir, a powerful lord of the sea. He had four children with his wife Aobh: a daughter, Fionnuala, and three sons — Aed, Fiachra, and Conn. After Aobh’s death, Lir married her sister, Aoife. At first kind and caring, Aoife became consumed with jealousy — Lir’s love for his children seemed a threat to her.

Aoife’s Curse

Aoife brought the children to Lake Lough Derravaragh. Pretending they were going for a swim, she ordered her servants to kill them — but they refused. So she cast a spell and transformed the children into four white swans. The curse was to last 900 years: 300 on Lough Derravaragh, 300 on the Straits of Moyle, and 300 on Inishglora Island. Only when the chimes of a new faith — Christianity — rang through the air would they become human again.

Aoife’s Punishment

Aoife returned to Lir and told him the children had died. But Lir sensed something was wrong. He rode to the lake and heard familiar voices — the swans were singing. When the truth came to light, Aoife was punished severely: either turned into a demon or cursed to wander eternally — depending on the version. But one thing is certain: she never returned to human form.

300 Years on Lough Derravaragh

During the first stage of exile, the children still had hope. They sang to the people who came to hear them. Their father Lir was still alive and often visited the lake. But time passed, and Lir grew old and died. Their home was empty, the past forgotten. Only their songs remained — the last echo of memory.

300 Years on the Straits of Moyle

This was the harshest period. The swans were cast into open sea between Ireland and Scotland. Storms, cold, and solitude reigned. Sometimes they lost sight of each other for months. Their songs grew bitter but deep — laments so powerful they could move the hardest heart.

One of the most heartbreaking scenes is a storm that separated the siblings for many years. They believed they had lost one another forever. But fate allowed them to reunite on a rock — aged, weakened, but alive.

300 Years on Inishglora

The final period was peaceful. Inishglora Island became their final refuge. They had no hope of returning to the world of the living. But then… they heard the chime of church bells. It was the sign of a new time. Saint Caomhóg came to the island and heard their story. He baptized them — and the curse was broken.

The children returned to human form, but they were old and frail. They lived a few more days and asked to be buried together: Fionnuala between her brothers, just as they had once slept as children.

The Children of Lir

Legacy of the Legend

The Children of Lir is an allegory — of loss, of changing times, of saying goodbye to magic and welcoming new spirituality. The children became symbols of loyalty, unity, and hope. Their story is one of the unbreakable soul that lives on, even when the body is trapped in the form of a swan.

Their image is immortalized in Dublin’s Garden of Remembrance, as a symbol of Ireland’s rebirth. In the 20th century, this legend inspired writers, musicians, and poets, and became part of Ireland’s national identity. It gained particular prominence during the Irish cultural revival as a symbol of both suffering and hope.