Once upon a time, in the ancient land of Ireland, there lived a king named Lir. He was a ruler of the Tuatha Dé Danann, a magical race of people. King Lir had four beautiful children: Fionnuala, Aodh, and the twins, Fiachra and Conn. They all lived happily in their father's castle until one sad day when their mother died.

King Lir's heart was filled with sorrow, and he worried about his children growing up. So, he decided to marry again. The High King sent Aoife, his daughter, to be Lir's new wife. Aoife was beautiful, but she had a cold heart.

At first, Aoife pretended to love the children, but soon, she grew jealous of the love King Lir had for them. She wanted all of Lir's attention for herself. So, she hatched a wicked plan to get rid of the children.

One summer's day, Aoife took the children to swim in Lough Derravaragh. While the children played in the water, Aoife used a druid's magic wand and cast a terrible spell on them. In a flash of light, the children vanished, and in their place were four beautiful swans with feathers as white as snow.

Fionnuala, now a swan, spoke with a human voice, "What have you done to us?" Aoife cackled, "I have put a spell on you. You will be swans for 900 years. You will spend 300 years on this lake, 300 on the Sea of Moyle, and 300 on the waters of Inish Glora. Only the sound of a Christian church bell can break the spell."

When the children did not return home, King Lir went searching and found the swans. Fionnuala told him what Aoife had done. Lir was heartbroken and banished Aoife from his kingdom. He spent his days by the lake, talking to his children and listening to their singing.

After 300 years, the children flew to the stormy Sea of Moyle, and then to the warmer waters of Inish Glora. They grew old and tired, but they never lost hope. Then, one day, they heard the sound they had been waiting for—the sound of a Christian church bell.

They swam to shore, where a monk named Caomhog saw the swans turn into four old people. Fionnuala wrapped her arms around her brothers, happy to be human again. Caomhog listened to their sad story and baptized them. Soon after, they passed away from old age and were buried together. In a dream, Caomhog saw the children flying through the clouds, finally reunited with their parents in the afterlife.

The Children of Lir