Bernard Dunne's Mythical Heroes

The story of the boy Setanta who would grow to become an iconic figure in Irish Celtic history. From his magical birth, this programme recounts the story of Setanta’s formative years and remarkable strength and skills to the point where – still a child – he joins the famous Red Branch Knights.

The story of how Cúchulainn got his name and how he became a great warrior while still a teenager. Facing a life or death moment when confronted by Culann’s ferocious hound the young Setanta kills the hound with his sliothar. From this moment on he becomes known as Cúchulainn.

The tale of the Children of Lir – how the children are turned into swans by their jealous stepmother and banished to far flung lakes and islands around our coast for 900 years until, finally the spell is broken by the blessing of a monk and the four children rejoin their parents in the afterlife.

The story of the god Lugh, who returns from exile to lead the Tuatha de Danann in battle against their great enemies, the Formorians. Prophecy had foretold that Balor, the one-eyed giant leader of the Formorians could only be killed by his own grandson. Lugh fulfils that prophecy.

Fionn MacCumhaill is one of the most famous Celtic legends. In this episode, Bernard tells the story of how he tasted the Salmon of Knowledge and became leader of the Fianna.

Oisín, son of Fionn MacCumhaill, fell in love with beautiful Niamh and travelled to the magical Tír na nÓg with her. After what he thought was 3 years he returned to Ireland to discover that it had in fact been 300 years – all that he had known had disappeared and a new Christian Ireland had taken its place.