LIR, a chieftain of the Tuatha de Danann tribe married Eva the beautiful daughter of Bov the Red a noble king. They had four children, Conn, Fionnuala, Fiachra and Aodh. Lir's happiness knew no bounds. Then tradgedy struck, Eva died. Lir was heartbroken and he too would have died but for the great love he had for his children.

Some time later, Lir married again. At the beginning their new step-mother Aoife looked after the children with a mother's love. But evil touched her heart and she became insanely jealous of Lir's love for his children. Early one summer's morning when Lir was away hunting, Aoife took the children out in her chariot to visit their grandfather. Stopping at Lough Deravaragh, she led the children to the water to bathe where she cast a spell on them turning them into swans and condemned them to spend 300 years on Lough Derravaragh, where many visitors including their father came to see them.

After the 300 years had expired the swans left and spent a further 300 years on the stormy Sea of Moyle and another 300 years on Inis Glora on the wild Atlantic Ocean. During their final days on Inis Glora word spread to the Children of a holy man named Patrick who had come to Ireland to tell the people about the Christian faith. As one of Patrick's disciples, Kemoc, prayed with them, their white feathers fell away and instead of four graceful white birds, Kemoc saw before him a very old woman and three feeble old men. They were baptised and when they died were buried in the one grave as they had wished. The holy man knelt to say a last prayer at their graveside and as he rose to his feet he saw four beautiful white swans winging their way up into the heavens.

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