Analysis: the statue of the Children of Lir in the Garden of Remembrance is a reminder of the popular mythological tale
The Garden of Remembrance in the centre of Dublin at Parnell Square is dedicated to the memory of those who gave their lives for the freedom of Ireland. Designed by Dáithí Hanly, it's an open cruciform-shaped pool with mosaics of broken ancient weapons, such as spears and shields, in the water. The weapon in the water symbolises the old Celtic tradition of throwing a selection of firearms into a nearby river at the end of the battle. The garden was officially opened in 1966 on the 50th anniversary of the Easter Rising by President Éamon de Valera.
A magnificent copper bronze statue stands on the stepped area walking through the serene flower beds and the pool to the far end of the garden. The Children of Lir statue was designed by Oisín Kelly and symbolises change, resurrection, rebirth and reincarnation.
The statue is based on the popular mythological tale of the Children of Lir, where four children turned into swans. Aodh, Fiachra, Conn and Fionnula were the children of the King of Lir and Eve and were cursed by their evil stepmother, Aoife, who turned them into swans for 900 years.
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From RTÉ Archives, RTÉ News report on the opening of the Garden of Remembrance in 1966
Aoife was jealous of the children as she believed Lir loved them more than her. She did not want to share the love, thus, planned to get rid of the children. The day King Lir was away, she tricked the children into visiting their grandfather, Bodb Dearg. On their way to the king’s palace, Aoife stopped the chariot and ordered her men to kill the children. But he men refused to commit such a crime being faithful servants to King Lir so Aoife decided to kill the children herself.
On the journey, Aoife stopped the chariot at Lake Derravaragh, the Lake of Oaks, and asked the children if would like a swim to take a break from the long journey and cool down. When the excited children jumped into the water, Aoife cast an evil spell with a druid’s wand. The chanting of dark words changed their bodies, and they screamed as they saw their feet turned into webbed toes, their necks elongated, white quills sprouted from their skin, and their mouth hardened and turned into bills.
Fionnuala begs for mercy and asks Aoife why she hates them because the children have never disobeyed or disrespected her. This question made Aoife think so she granted them a gift of song. As such that their songs will be the melodious songs in the world and will help them keep the loneliness away.
For the first 300 years, the children would remain in Lake Derravaragh, before moving to the Sea of Moyle for the next 300 years and then the Sea of Erris for the last 300 years. The stepmother’s spell would only be broken when "a king from the North marries a queen from the South, and you hear the bell of a new religion ringing."
When Bodb Dearg learned the children had been turned into swans, he punished Aoife, who disappeared into the sky screaming. But nobody could turn the curse away. Lir and Bodb felt helpless and spent days and nights near the lake talking to their children and listening to their songs. Bodb enacted a law to protect the graceful birds from any harm and a similar law remains on the Irish statute book to this very day.
The time on the Sea of Moyle was the most difficult for the swans because of the harsh weather, and they were near to losing their lives many times. Fionnuala did she could to protect her brothers with her enormous wings. Next, they flew to the Sea of Erris, where they could shelter at various inlets and islands off the Mayo coast. The island of Inisglora reminded them of Lake Derravaragh, which became their favourite place. Their singing attracted the birds from the nearby islands of Achill and Aran, due to which today the place is known as the Lake of Birds.
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From RTÉ Archives, coverage of the 1971 dedication ceremony for the Children of Lir statue as part of the commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Anglo Irish Truce
Near the same time, St Patrick replaced the old gods with a new religion and a holy man subsequently came to the lake of birds, longing for human company. The swans started to sing for him. The story of these children had become a legend by then and the holy man knew these were the children of Lir and was not surprised when the swans talked to him.
Every day, the man would pray and continue to build a church before later sitting by the lake and talking to the swans. During this same time, Lairgren, the king of Connacht, went South to Munster to marry a princess. According to Aoife’s prophecy, when a king from the north marries a queen from the south and bells of the new religion will ring, the spell on the children will be broken.
Unaware of King Lairgren’s marriage, as the new church bell chimed and echoed through the air, the swan’s bodies underwent a transformation, much like they had experienced 900 years earlier. The spells had been broken, and the swans felt a change in their bodies. Their neck, mouth, wings, webbed toes and feathers all were gone by the time they came out of the lake to the land.
But time had taken a toll on the children and they were now elderly and frail, tired and worn. The holy man baptised them with reverence and solemnity, and they died in peace. The children were buried with Fionnuala’s arms around them just as she had protected and sheltered her brothers during these 900 years as swans.
The views expressed here are those of the author and do not represent or reflect the views of RTÉ
