The Children of Lir

Long ago there was a man named Lir. He had four children. Their names were Fionnuala, Aodh, Fiachra and Conn. Lir’s wife died and he got married again. His new wife was called Aoife. At first, she was kind to the children. Then she became cruel because she was jealous.

The Spell

One day, Aoife took the children out to the shores of a lake. She waved a magic wand and put a spell on the children. She changed the children into swans. The spell was to last for nine hundred years. The children were still able to speak and to sing.

Lir’s Sadness

Lir went down to the lake. He heard the swans calling his name. Fionnuala told him what the cruel stepmother had done. Lir was very sad. Aoife’s father got very angry and he changed her into a demon. She flew into the air and was never seen again.

The Church Bell

The swans were lonely and very cold. One day they heard a bell ringing. This was a sign that the spell would soon be over. A priest gave them a blessing and at last they lost their feathers. They turned back into people. They were very old. The priest baptised them and shortly after that, they went to heaven.

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