It’s been seven years today since I published “Liath Luachra: The Swallowed” so I celebrated by creating a brief scene from the woman warrior’s adventures.
I’m still being asked when I intend to do the follow up to Liath Luachra: The Metal Men and the simple answer is “Once the Fionn mac Cumhaill Series is completed”. That’s due to the narrative overlap between the two stories that you may – or may not – have noticed.
Did you know that:
Nope. Me neither.
So what’s actually happening? You might want to read on.
Working in the Irish culture, history and ‘mythology’ sector over the past three decades, I’ve come across some pretty crazy notions and claims on the internet, of which the above are just the tip of the iceberg. Some of the claims made by self-proclaimed internet experts on ‘Irish Mythology’ and/or ‘Celtic Mythology’ can be very amusing but the sheer level of ignorance and intentional misrepresentation of Irish culture (particularly with respect to ‘Irish mythology’) is becoming more and more of a concern.
The key reason it’s a concern is that misrepresentation of Irish culture on such a global scale (the type that occurs over the internet) has the long term effect of diminishing and eroding our culture. In effect, that means that all those sites and all those individuals who post inaccurate or misinformed claims about Irish culture, history, ‘mythology’ etc., are, unfortunately destroying it by a thousand cuts. I don’t believe they’re doing this intentionally (they only know what they think they know) but the long-term impact remains the same.
Much of the main Irish cultural misinformation out there tends to originate from non-Irish writers who use W.B. Yeats as a source of information or who produce fantasy books in the dubious “Celtic Mythology” genre. That said, there’s also plenty of inaccuracies and falsification from mar dhea ‘pagan’ and ‘spiritual’ sites, and from overseas entertainment companies as well.
Fortunately, over the past five or six years, there’s also been an increasing trend of Irish people standing up to criticise and call out the worst offenders. That’s definitely something to be thankful for.
It’s important, therefore, to call out inaccurate cultural representation when you see it. The problem, of course, is that unless you work in academia, cultural studies, or have a very good working knowledge of Irish history and culture, its quite hard to tell when the outrageous claims being made are correct or not.
For that reason, I thought it might be useful to develop a set of basic ‘criteria’ to help work out the authenticity of the Irish/ Gaelic/ Celtic article/ post you’re reading/watching. The criteria are quite simplistic but, hopefully, will go some way to helping you determine if what you’re reading/looking at, is fact or fantasy.
A selection of some of the images I used while writing the character Liath Luachra in ‘Liath Luachra: The Great Wild.’
This particular set from Spanish artist/photographer Lídia Vives was very helpful in that it really captured the savage/feral aspect of the character and it was a good baseline to fall back on whenever I felt I was veering off the ‘character path’.
I’ll be using these for the a follow-up book called Liath Luachra: The Quiet One sometime in 2026.
‘Tristan and Iseult‘ is a medieval romance that was adapted in the 12th century from earlier tales and tells of the illicit love affair between a Cornish warrior called Tristan and an Irishwoman called Iseult (in the stories she’s often described as a ‘princess’ – but that’s really a more modern English concept that didn’t exist in Ireland back then).
While escorting Iseult from Ireland in an arranged marriage with his uncle, Tristan starts an affair with her.
Obviously, the original story – now long lost – was adapted by the 12 century authors and then later absorbed into the Arthurian legends. In those, Tristan gets displaced by the knight Sir Lancelot (who has an illicit affair with Arthur’s wife, Guinevere and Tristan gets demoted to the lesser role of one of King Arthur’s knights.
It seems a bit odd but in March 2025, the United Kingdom’s ‘Royal Mail’ released a stamp featuring the legendary Irish figure, Fionn mac Cumhaill, as part of a series intended to capture legends from different parts of the ‘United Kingdom’.
The Fionn mac Cumhaill image (by artist Adam Simpson) was included in the series to represent Northern Ireland, based on a recent (by Fenian standards) tale around the creation of the Giant’s Causeway. Its presence is clearly part of an inclusive and positive initiative by the Royal Mail (for which, to be fair, they should be praised) however it does reveal some startling British ignorance around Irish/Gaelic culture and the Irish hero.
Fionn mac Cumhaill, for example, is far more connected to the Leinster region than the Ulster region – there’s several centuries of stories, tales and associations supporting that. Ironically, although the ‘Fionn and the Giant’s Causeway’ story was a single tale introduced in the 18th century, the ‘powers that be’ have decided to stick with it above any other local (and Gaelic) creation stories.
It seems that there’s still a bit of maturing needed when it comes to other cultures describing Irish culture.
‘Land of the Ever Young’, a depiction of Tír na nÓg by the English book illustrator Arthur Rackham (from back in 1920).
Rackham was an excellent artist and simply following the terms of reference he was given, but his anglicized, ‘fantasy-type’ representations of Irish culture set a detrimentally false ‘look’ and narrative that we’re still trying to deal with, a hundred years later.
I released a book today (‘FIONN: The Betrayal’) that provides a more authentic version of the Irish mythological hero’s life and adventures. Its currently available in Australiana and New Zealand ebook stores but as the sun moves across the earth, it’ll be released in other jurisdictions as well.
The second-last book in the series, this work brings different plot threads together to expose the key elements behind this mythological story to the full light of day. The truth behind the death of Fionn’s father is explained, Fionn’s heritage is explained, and the traitor undermining the young warrior over the course of his life, is also finally revealed.
All in a maelstrom of violence and political intrigue.
I originally started the FIONN mac Cumhaill Series back in 2014 as a kind of antidote to counter the ‘Celtic Fantasy’ genre’s commercial misrepresentation of Irish history culture. The series includes elements of the Irish language and reintroduces critical Gaelic cultural concepts lost over the course of time. To be honest, given the very strong Gaelic elements, I never really expected it to become as popular as it was.
Thanks to those of you who’ve helped support this work over the last ten years.
It’s interesting for me to look back on some of the older posts and articles on my website (at Irish Imbas Books) and see how my plans and intentions have changed over the years. I recently came across an article dating from seven years back where I’d outlined some of my book plans including
* LIATH LUACHRA: Sons of the Land
* BODHMHALL: The Black Hag
* FIONN: The Salmon of Secret Wisdom
The first of those (LIATH LUACHRA: Sons of the Land) did go ahead and was, indeed, published but it came out under the title ‘LIATH LUACHRA: The Swallowed‘. At the point in time where I wrote that article, I knew the book would have a strong ‘wolf’ element to it. The Irish word for ‘wolf’ is ‘mactíre’ which literally means ‘son of the land,’ so it seemed a logical title at the time. I think I ended up changing the title to ‘The Swallowed’ as this aligned more effectively with the theme of the book.
BODHMHALL: The Black Hag was a book I’d intended to write as a companion novel for ‘Liath Luachra: The Grey One’ but, in the end, many of the elements I’d intended to put in ‘The Black Hag’, ended up in FIONN: The Adversary and it didn’t go ahead.
‘FIONN: The Salmon of Secret Wisdom’ is a book I still intend to write but with the 6th book in the series being released tomorrow (FIONN: The Betrayal), there were obviously some important elements to the story that had to take place first before I could even start my own take on the famous Salmon of Knowledge (and it would be a different take).
Once the FIONN series is finished, I do have plans to start another series with Fionn/Demne which will follow the more established parts of the Fenian narratives.
FIONN: The Betrayal will be released tomorrow (5th April 2025).
The woman warrior Liath Luachra (The Grey One) has never been the easiest person to talk to which means that her interactions with someone as bullish as Crimall (a Clann Baoisnce warrior) often provides some good opportunity for writing dialogue.
In ‘Liath Luachra: The Seeking’, this opportunity is heightened further when Crimall has suspicions around her motives and the woman warrior has secrets of her own she’d rather not talk about.
————————–
‘When we first crossed paths,’ said Crimall. ‘You spoke of your encounter with the díbhearg, of your attempts to release the Clann Baoiscne girls and of the raiders untimely return.’
Liath Luachra eyed him coldly.
‘Yes.’
‘And of killing one raider during your escape.’
Deciding there was nothing worthwhile to say, Liath Luachra said nothing.
‘I have a wrinkle in my head, Grey One. A crease of curiosity that allows me no ease. Perhaps you could smoothen that wrinkle out by satisfying my curiosity.’
‘What is it you wish to know?’
Crimall cleared his throat, briefly adjusting the sword belt around his waist. ‘During your flight from the díbhearg, did any of the raiders speak or shout?’
Liath Luachra felt the hairs rise on the back of her neck. ‘What do you mean?’
‘It’s a simple enough question. Did the raiders say anything of relevance: a name, a destination, some indication of their origin?’
She shook her head.
‘You have no doubts?’ he persisted, regarding her with an expression of mild disbelief. ‘Amid all that bustle and violent activity, the raiders didn’t utter the merest whisper!’
This time, the woman warrior responded with a sour expression. ‘I’ve already told you what I know. The díbhearg warriors barely spoke.’
‘Aaah!’ Crimall exclaimed, grasping onto her words like a drowning man to flotsam. ‘You say they “barely” spoke, which suggests they must have said something, no matter how trivial. What exactly did they say?’
Liath Luachra lips compressed in anger. ‘The only one who spoke was the man I killed, and in truth I heard but a single word. One that, given the events, was difficult to decipher.’
‘Yes, yes. But what was it?’
The woman warrior regarded him coolly then abruptly dropped her head to one-side and opened her mouth, her tongue lolling out.
‘Aaarrgh.’
Straightening her head again, she regarded the Clann Baoiscne man with stony dispassion.
Crimall considered her in frosty silence for the space of several heartbeats. ‘We’ll depart when you give the word,’ he said at last and stiffly walked away.
We’re back in the office this last day or two and, in between writing FIONN 6, I’ve done a small piece on ‘Beacáin Scammalach’ – Cloud Mushroom – you’ll know what that is if you’ve read any of the ‘Liath Luachra’ books.
This article looks at why Liath Luachra uses it, why I’ve included it in the books, and what overall relevance it has. I’ll be making that available for key followers in the next edition of the newsletter. You can find a link to that HERE.
Well, its that time of the year when we can finally finish up and walk away from the desk, hopefully not to return until the new year.
On a personal level, I’ll be glad to see the back of 2024 but, as usual, I remain hopeful for next year.
This Christmas, to celebrate another year of publishing, I’m significantly reducing the price of Book 1 and Book 2 of the Fionn mac Cumhaill Series (now selling at $0.99 and $2.99 respectively). These will be available through all the major bookstores and you can find the links below.
The books will remain at this price until 3 January 2025, when they’ll return to full price (and when I return to the desk).
Thanks to all of you who’ve supported my work over the past year. I wish you and your families a peaceful holiday season.
Brian
KINDLE: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00IIXHX88
KOBO: https://www.kobo.com/…/fionn-defence-of-rath-bladhma-1
APPLE: https://books.apple.com/…/fionn-defence-of…/id840271574
B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/…/fionn…/1118904278…
GOOGLE: https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=XnBjDwAAQBAJ
[Paperback available through Amazon or all good bookshops.]
In the ‘Fionn mac Cumhaill Series’ of books, there’s little love lost between the woman warrior Liath Luachra and Muirne Muncháem, mother of Fionn mac Cumhaill. This little scene from FIONN: The Adversary demonstrates how they have to work to get along to survive the hazards of the Great Wild.
On the southern bank of the river, the warrior Liath Luachra sat contemplating her reflection. The still pool, located to the side of a slow-flowing inlet, mirrored her haggard expression with unsettling accuracy. Her face was gaunt, her eyes framed by black rings, the high cheekbones sharpened by the shaded hollows beneath. The physical evidence from the toll of days of hard running and combat was impossible to ignore. Of more concern however was the worrying sense her internal resilience had also diminished, withered not only by the gruelling journey but the loss of Bodhmhall and Demne.
Her eyes turned to regard the coursing river with a mixture of bitterness and trepidation. A fast-flowing stretch of surging white water, just the sight of it was still enough to make her shiver. Less than a day earlier, she’d barely managed to crawl from its liquid grasp, half-drowned and at the limit of her endurance. Stretched exhausted on the sandy bank, she’d wanted nothing more than to lie there and sleep. Instead, she’d somehow forced herself to her feet and stumbled downriver, combing the bank for Bodhmhall and her nephew.
Several hundred paces later, numb with fatigue, she’d crawled into a cluster of fern inside the treeline, curled into a damp ball and promptly passed out. Later that afternoon, when she’d come to her senses, she felt stiff and cold and far from recovered. Staring up at patches of sky through the breaks in the forest canopy, she could tell from the grey quality of the light that nightfall was closing in. Despite feeling every bruise, every individual cut, scratch and strained muscle, she’d pushed herself off the ground and started searching again.
By the time dusk seeped in, she’d still found no sign of Bodhmhall or Demne although she did locate Muirne Muncháem and Gleor Red Hand. The Lamraighe couple had washed up together on a short mud flat over a thousand paces downriver from where she’d collapsed. Despite the gentle incline up to more solid ground however, they hadn’t progressed beyond the water’s edge.
Gleor, unconscious, had an ashen pallor that matched the hue of his greying beard. The Lamraighe leader’s face bore numerous cuts and bruises and she could see washed out bloodstains on his tunic, although she was unable to tell if they were his.
Muirne – the Flower of Almhu – normally a woman obsessed with her appearance, was sitting dismally in the mud beside him, caked in sludge and filth. Marks in the surface of the mud bank revealed how her attempts to shift her husband towards the bank had been stymied by the stocky weight of his body.
The two women had stared bleakly at one other for several heartbeats, their expressions lacking any warmth. Without a word, the Grey One had abruptly turned her gaze away and started off downriver. Muirne’s despairing pleas had trailed her until, finally, she’d halted and turned sharply to retrace her steps.
Cursing under her breath, she’d helped the Flower of Almhu drag the insensible Gleor up onto the bank and into a small clearing several paces inside the trees. Using her sword – miraculously, still in its scabbard – Liath Luachra had cut some saplings and constructed a rough lean-to in which they’d placed the comatose old man.
Not a single word was exchanged over the entire period the two women worked together. Holding the Lamraighe couple responsible for their predicament, Liath Luachra bore no love for either of them and knew the feeling was mutual. Despite this, when the shelter was complete, she’d crawled inside to sleep beside them, too tired to question why she’d returned to help them.
Too tired to do anything but sleep.
