Show Notes
Before the festival, there was Tailtiu. A defeated queen clearing a forest by hand so her people could eat, she gave everything to the effort. The festival we now call Lughnasadh was born from the grief and gratitude that followed. In this episode, we trace her story from the earliest surviving Irish texts to how her legacy continues to live on today.
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References A. Stewart Macalister (ed. & trans.), Lebor Gabála Érenn: The Book of the Taking of Ireland (Dublin: Irish Texts Society, 1938–1956). Edward Gwynn (ed. & trans.), The Metrical Dindshenchas (Dublin: Royal Irish Academy, 1903–1935). Shane Hegarty, "Aonach Tailteann: The Great Exhibition of Irish Art in 1922," RTÉ Brainstorm, August 11, 2022. Navan & District Historical Society, "Tailteann / Teltown," accessed July 24, 2026. Judith Shaw, "Tailtiu: Celtic Earth Goddess of Endurance," Feminism and Religion, October 26, 2016. D. A. Binchy, "The Fair of Tailtiu and the Feast of Tara," Ériu 18 (1958): 113–138. "Foster Care and Its Roots in Ancient, Mythological Ireland," IrishCentral, April 27, 2026.
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