Oisín agus Naomh Pádraig

Bhí mac ag Fionn Mac Cumhaill, taoiseach na bhFiann, darbh ainm dó Oisín. Lá dá raibh na Fianna amuigh ag seilg, chonaic siad chucu bean álainn ar mhuin chapaill bháin. B'í Niamh Chinn Óir í. Thug sí grá d'Oisín agus ba mhian léi é a phósadh. Dúirt sí leis teacht léi ar a capall draíochta agus chuaigh siad beirt ag marcaíocht thar muir agus tír gur shroich siad Tír na N-Óg. Sa tír sin ní thagann aois ar éinne: ba thír álainn dhraíochta í.

Tar éis d'Oisin fanacht faoi aoibhneas ar feadh trí céad bliain I dTír na n-Óg ba mhian leis Fionn agus na Fianna a fheiceáil aris. Thug Niamh an capall bán draiochta dó le filleadh ar Éirinn. Chuir sí ar a fhaichill é gan cos a chur ar thalamh, nó dá ndéanfadh, nach bhfillfeadh sé ariamh uirthi.

Gheall Oisín do Niamh go mbeadh sé cúramach agus thug aghaidh ar Éirinn. Tháinig alltacht air nuair a fuair sé amach go raibh cine suarach ina gcónai sa tír agus gur ar éigin a raibh cuimhne ar bith acu ar Fionn agus a lucht leanúna. D'fhiafraigh Oisín díobh cá raibh Oisín agus a chuid fear. D'inis manach dó go raibh siad marbh le trí céad bliain. Níor chreid Oisín é seo. D'iompaigh sé thart ar a chapall agus thug aghaidh ar Ghleann an Smóil.

Ar a bhealach amach as Gleann an Smóil dó, chonaic sé grúpa fear ar chnoc Thamhlachta, agus iad faoi chruatan ag iarraidh mullán mór a árdú ón dtalamh. Thug sé trua dóibh agus thairg cúnamh dóibh. Chuir sé a lámh faoin mhullán agus chuir ag rolláil síos mala an chnoic é. Stáin na fir le h-iontas ar an bhfathach seo. Ba ghearr áfach, gur athraigh an t-iontas ina huafás orthu nuair a thug siad faoi deara an t-athrú a tháinig ar Oisín. Agus é ag cromadh síos chun an mullán a ardú, bhris an diallait a raibh Oisín ina shuí uirthi agus thit sé ar an dtalamh.

Chomh luath agus a rinne sé teagmháil leis an dtalamh tháinig claochlú ar an laoch óg láidir. D'athraigh sé ina sheanfhear críonna caite. Thug na fir Oisín leo go dtí Naomh Pádraig, go bhfeicfidís cad a dhéanfadh sé leis an seanfhear buartha.

Le míle bliain anuas tá na seanchaithe ag baint sult as argóintí na beirte. Tugann Agallamh na Seanórach, mar a thugtar ar an gcaint seo idir Pádraig agus Oisín, léargas dúinn ar an gcoimhlint idir an saol Críostaí agus an saol páganach. Thug an scéal seo inspioráid do go leor scríbhneoirí agus filí, W.B. Yeats ina measc. Scríobhadh síos na scéalta Fiannaíochta a d'inis Oisín do Naomh Pádraig agus coinníodh beo iad I gcomhair na nglúnta a bhí le teacht.

Oisín and St. Patrick

Fionn Mac Cumhail, chief of the Fianna, had a son called Oisín. One day the Fianna were out hunting, when a lady of great beauty approached them. She was Niamh of the Golden Hair. She chose Oisín from among all the Fianna to be her husband. She told him to come with her on her fairy horse, and they rode over the land to the sea and across the waves to the land of Tír na nÓg. In Tír na nÓg you never grew old: it was a beautiful and magical place.

Oisín remained in Tír na nÓg for three years, but he longed to be back with the Fianna. Niamh gave him a fairy horse for his journey home. But she warned Oisín not to let his feet touch earthly ground or he would never return to her.

Oisín promised Niamh that he would be careful and set out for Ireland. To his disgust he found Ireland inhabited by a race of puny folk to whom the names of Fionn and his followers were nothing more than a part of dimly remembered history.

Oisín asked the men where Fionn and his men would be. A monk told him that Fionn and his men had not lived for three hundred years. Oisín could not believe this, so he turned his horse and rode towards Glenasmole.

As he came out of Glenasmole, he saw a group of men on the hill of Tallaght, heaving and sweating, trying to lift a large boulder out of the ground. He took pity on them and offered to help them.

He set his hand under the stone and sent it rolling down the hillside. The men gazed in wonder at this godlike man, but their cheers of praise soon turned to cries of terror as they saw the change in Oisín. In bending over to lift the stone, Oisín had broken his saddle and had fallen to the ground.

The instant he touched the ground the powerful young warrior turned into an old man.

The men brought Oisín to St. Patrick, to see what he could do for the confused old man. Storytellers for a thousand years have delighted in the arguments of the two: the struggle between pagan and Christian; between physical strength and mystical power; has inspired writers and poets, including W. B. Yeats. St. Patrick wrote down the Fianna stories that Oisín gave him and so kept them alive for future generations.