32. Deirdire of the Sorrows - Part 2

Jenny is back with Part 2 of Deirdire of the Sorrows, an ancient Gaelic tale that has been told in both Ireland and Scotland for countless years. This half sees Deirdire, Naoise, and his two brothers living as fugitives in Scotland. But all good things must come to an end, and all prophecies must be fulfilled…

In Ireland, the story of Deirdre is part of the Ulster Cycle of mythology, but the version that I am telling comes from a fellow named John Macneil, who told it from his home on the Isle of Barra in 1867. The story of Deirdirewas told in Gaelic and taken down by Alexander Carmichael, who later translated it into English and published both versions in 1905. This is the most comprehensive Scottish version of this story on record, and while it differs in some ways from the Irish telling, it’s no less of a cracker!

You can read Alexander Carmichael’s original Gaelic and English translation of it here

Many thanks to Caoimhe Keohane of Wild Anam for helping with the many Irish Gaelic pronunciations in this tale!

This an Irish version of the story of Deirdire of the Sorrows

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