Brian O'Sullivan's Blog

The Opening Scene of FIONN: The Stalking Silence

The following is the initial short scene (very short) for FIONN: The Stalking Silence

An exhausted, and heavily pregnant Muirne Múncháem – Muirne of the Slender Neck – makes a hard journey across the Great Wild to the safety of her cousin’s settlement.

Little does she know of the trials that await her.

The Neocolonisation of ‘Oirish Obbits’!

Does anyone remember that Amazon Lord of the Rings series (it might actually still be running – I’m not sure)?

At the time it was released, there was huge anger in Ireland with the portrayal of ‘Hobbits’ as simpletons with Oirish accents. One Irish Times review article hilariously summed the series up as ‘Famine Cosplay’ with the following tagline:

“Rings of Power: The new hobbits are filthy, hungry simpletons with stage-Irish accents. That’s $1bn well spent”

My own review summary was probably a bit more succinct:

“Téigh trasna ort féin, a Amazon!”

The Amazon series is another example of the process known as ‘Neocolonization’ (or Colonization Plus”) – essentially a process where overseas interests try to replace Irish cultural constructs with their own cultural products (like media, technology, and consumer goods). It also happens quite a lot through social media with people who have no idea what they’re talking about, flood the internet with nonsense ‘Irish folklore’ and ‘Irish mythology’.

Over time, this process can erode indigenous Irish culture and displace it with false customs and traditions. This is why it’s so important to call bull**** when it occurs.

Ancient Ireland: In the Scheme of Things

When you’re dealing with ‘Irish mythology’, Irish history, Irish culture and even Irish fiction, one of the more difficult concepts to get across to people is that our ancestors back in the day were not only just as smart as us, but had to adapt to changing influences that challenged their societies.

In contemporary societies, there’s always a general assumption that OUR society is going to continue indefinitely, unlike those that preceded us. There’s also a common, generally unarticulated, belief that we’re far smarter or more advanced simply because ancient societies didn’t have science or believed in a whole bunch of ‘mumbo-jumbo’ religions.

That, of course, is simply untrue. One obvious example of our ancestor’s abilities are the passage tomb clusters spread around Ireland at Brú na Bóinne (Newgrange), Knowth, Loughcrew, etc. These passage tombs were incredibly complex edifices that not only required huge structural design, engineering and architectural ability but social organisational skills and in-depth knowledge of astronomy (not to mention the artistic design skills that can still observed to this day).

Complex edifices like the passage grave clusters required a stable and organised society to build them. In practical terms, for example, it’s estimated that the main passage grave at Brú na Bóinne could have been completed over a sixteen-year period provided there was a well-managed workforce of over four hundred people (who ceased other agricultural activities for two months of every year – probably after the seasonal sowing of crops etc.). Such a workforce, however, could only have existed if they formed part of a much larger, organised, and stable society.

Like many other preceding and subsequent societies, the society that built Brú na Bóinne is now long gone, of course, but the physical remains of their achievements and aspirations still impress us today.

If we look at contemporary Irish society, the only true advantage we have over our ancestors is that we’re more technologically advanced. Unfortunately, technology and science are not effective measures of societal health. Science and technology doesn’t make our human behaviour any better, it simply amplifies the impact of our behaviour – good or bad.

The true problem for societies is that, at heart, humanity doesn’t really change. Many people within our modern-day populations are just as arrogant, just as misinformed, just as selfish, just as power hungry and just as self-destructive as the people within ancient societies.

And, unfortunately, it’s people’s behaviour that decides the longevity of a society.

It’s more than likely that the people who built the passage grave complexes at Brú na Bóinne and Knowth had the same condescending opinion of the people who’d gone before them, as modern day populations have of them. That certainly seems to be a consistent human failing. Nevertheless, it’s interesting to imagine what people will make or our contemporary edifices when they excavate the ruins we’ve left, long after the climate change, societal inequality, religious mania and all those other impacts have wiped us all away.

The Disturbing Truth behind the ‘Irish Werewolf’ Trope

Much of what people see as ‘Irish folklore’ and ‘Irish mythology’ today, is actually a confused muddle of snippets of fact, cultural misinterpretation, Chinese whispers, intentional and unintentional misinformation. Generally speaking, the latter (the misinformation) tends to be disseminated by social media content creators who aren’t Irish but who have an interest in distributing content on ‘Irish’ or ‘Celtic’ mythology).

One of the most popular social-media posts regularly distributed by this group involves the ‘Irish Werewolf Trope’ – a false ‘Irish mythological’ narrative, given undeserved crediblity due to repeated posting. As a general rule however, given the somewhat disturbing source from which this false narrative is sourced, you can take it as fact that anyone who posts about ‘Irish Werewolves’ really has no idea what they’re talking about.

So, lets look at where this strange ‘Irish Werewolf’ trope actually comes from.

Most people are surprised to learn that source of the ‘Irish Werewolf Trope’ can be traced way back in the 12th century, with an individual known as Giraldus Cambrensis (Gerald of Wales). As you can tell from the name, obviously this individual wasn’t Irish.

Born in 1146, Gerald of Wales was the scion of a noble Norman family (he was the son of William Fitz odo de Barry or Barri, one of Wales most powerful Anglo-Norman barons). Like his peers, Gerald had a healthy appreciation for power and for those who wielded it. Driven by ambition, he placed himself in positions associated with powerful men, ceaselessly self-promoted, and worked his way up the social/political ladder until he was appointed archdeacon of Brecon in 1174 (a role he obtained by ‘dobbing in’ the previous archdeacon for having a live-in mistress).

Propelled by this success, Gerald soon managed to inveigle his way into the role of ‘Royal Clerk’ and ‘Chaplain’ to King Henry II. Following the Norman invasions of Ireland (in 1169 and 1171), Gerald secured the prestigious position of accompanying the King’s son (Earl John – later, King John, of Robin Hood fame) on a tour of the conquered lands.

During this exploratory visit to Ireland, to impress his masters, Gerald took it upon himself to commence a propaganda piece known as the Topographia Hibernica (The Topography of Ireland). Even at the time, this document was remarkable not only for its length but for the quite amazing depths of prejudicial description used to portray the native Irish as depraved barbarians.

Published in 1188, Gerald’s propaganda account proved immensely popular in Great Britain with the ruling Norman classes as it’s dehumanisation of the Irish helped justify their invasion and the subsequent treatment of the natives. It’s important not to dismiss the impact of the Topographia Hibernica as ‘old stuff’. Many of the tropes used in this document established stereotypes of the “wild Irish” that continued up to the early modern period (and which, some would argue, continue today).

Surprisingly, despite the fact that the Topographia Hibernica has been discredited for centuries, you’ll still find regular (and uninformed) social-media posts that quote liberally from it, usually out of some lazy and half-baked attempt to produce social media content linked with fantasy beliefs or ‘Celtic Reconstructionist’ ramblings which are then linked – kicking and screaming – to ‘Irish mythology’).

To be fair, reading some of Gerald’s writing is actually quite hilarious from a contemporary viewpoint but the fact that this was a propaganda document written by a non-Irish person and an official government spin-doctor for the Norman government, seems to have flown over the heads of many of the quoting social media posters. As in Geralds’ day, it seems people will still rearrange the facts to suit themselves.

[Most social-media content about ‘Irish mythology’ tends to be created by non-Irish fantasists, new-age religion afficiandos, or ‘Celtic Reconstructionists’ – hence most of it is completely wrong.]

The key section from Gerald’s Topographia Hibernica linked to the ‘Irish Werewolf Trope’ involves a fanciful ‘record’ of some Irish people being ‘part-wolf’ as follows:

Of the prodigies of our times, and first of a wolf which conversed with a priest

I now proceed to relate some wonderful occurrences which have happened within our times. About three years before the arrival of Earl John in Ireland, it chanced that a priest who was journeying from Ulster to Meath, was benighted in a certain wood on the borders of Meath. While, in company with only a young lad, he was watching by a fire which he had kindled under the branches of a spreading tree, lo! A wolf came up to them and immediately addressed them to this effect.

“Rest secure, and be not afraid, for there is no reason you should fear, where no fear is.”

The travellers being struck with astonishment and alarm, the wolf added some orthodox words referring to God. The priest then implored him, and adjured him by Almighty God and faith in the Trinity, not to hurt them, but to inform them what creature it was that in the shape of a beast uttered human words. The wolf, after giving catholic replies to all questions, added at last:

“There are two of us, a man and a woman, natives of Ossory, who, through the curse of one Natalis, saint and abbot, are compelled every seven years to put off the human form, and depart from the dwellings of men. Quitting entirely the human form, we assume that of wolves. At the end of the seven years, if they chance to survive, two others being substituted in their places, they return to their country and their former shape. And now, she who is my partner in this visitation lies dangerously sick not far from hence, and, as she is at the point of death, I beseech you, inspired by divine charity, to give her the consolations of your priestly office.”

At this word, the priest followed the wolf trembling, as he led the way to a tree, at no great distance in the hollow of which he beheld a she-wolf, who under that shape was pouring forth human sighs and groans. On seeing the priest, having saluted him with human courtesy, she gave thanks to God, who in this extremity had vouchsafed to visit her with such consolation. She then received from the priest all the rites duly performed, as far as the last communion. This also she importantly demanded, earnestly supplicating him to complete his good offices by giving her the viaticum. The priest stoutly asserting that he was not provided with it, the he-wolf, who had withdrawn to a short distance, came back and pointed out a small missal-book, containing some consecrated wafers, which the priest carried on his journey, suspended from his neck, under his garment, after the fashion of the country. He then intreated him not to deny them the gift of God, and the aid destined them by Divine Providence; and, to remove all doubt, using his claw for a hand, he tore off the skin of the she-wolf, form the head down to the navel, folding it back. Thus she immediately presented the form of an old woman. The priest, seeing this, and compelled by his fear more than his reason, gave the communion; the recipient having earnestly implored it, and devoutly partaking of it. Immediately afterwards, the he-wolf rolled back the skin and fitted it to its original form.

These rites having been duly, rather than rightly, performed the he-wolf gave them his company during the whole night at their little fire, behaving more like a man than a beast. When morning came, he led them out of the wood, and, leaving the priest to pursue his journey, pointed to him the direct road for a long distance. At his departure, he also gave him many thanks for the benefit he had conferred, promising him still greater returns of gratitude if the Lord should call him back from his present exile, two parts of which he had already completed. At the close of their conversation, the priest inquired of the wolf whether the hostile race which had now landed on the island would continue there for the time to come, and be established in it. To which the wolf replied: –

“For the sins of our nation, and their enormous vices, the anger of the Lord, falling on an evil generation, hath given them into the arms of their enemies. Therefore, as long as this foreign race shall keep the commandments of the Lord, and walk in his ways, it will be secure and invincible; but if, as the downward path to illicit pleasures is easy, and nature is prone to follow vicious examples, this people shall chance, from living among us, to adopt our depraved habits, doubtless they will provoke the divine vengeance on themselves also.”

Naturally, Gerald received additional brownie points from his masters for the final paragraph which essentially suggests the native Irish deserved everything they got (i.e. being invaded) as they were essentially sinful.

As you can see, Gerald of Wales had no particular qualms using complete falsehoods to portray the Irish natives as partly inhuman (something which aligned surprisingly well with the Roman Church who often likened native Irish war parties to ‘wolf bands’). This is something he also did in other sections of the document which describe :

a woman who had a beard, and a hairy crest, and mane on her backan animal who was half-ox, half-mana goat who had intercourse with a native woman Yadda, yadda, yadda.

You get the idea.

Naturally, Gerald received additional brownie points from his political masters for the final paragraph, which essentially suggests the native Irish deserved everything they got (i.e. being invaded) as they were essentially sinful.

I originally came across the Topographia Hibernica some twenty years ago while researching Irish wolves (something I subsequently used for one of my books – Liath Luachra: The Swallowed). Given the disturbing nature and use of the Topographia Hibernica, however, its a bit of a worry to find social-media creators still using this Norman propaganda document (the ‘Mein Kampf’ of its day) to distribute posts on ‘Irish mythology’.

Liath Luachra and Bodhmhall

A scene from a future project called ‘Liath Luachra: The Hungry People’. I had hoped to get this out in 2025 but other projects took precedence and, to be honest, I needed a break from the world of Liath Luachra and Fionn.

This book will follow on from ‘Liath Luachra: The Metal Men’ and brings the ‘Liath Luachra Series’ even closer to the ‘Fionn mac Cumhaill Series’. The book will also cover the developing relationship between Liath Luachra and Bodhmhall.

Meanwhile, it remains interesting to see how my adaptation of the Fionn mac Cumhaill stories has influenced contemporary takes of the Fenian tales. My approach created a homosexual relationship between two of the main protagonists to establish tension with another protagonist (Bodhmhall’s previous partner, Fiacail mac Codhna) in order to add some additional depth and character dimension to the overall story. The characters’ sexuality, of course, was never intended to define them or form a key part of the plot. Oddly enough however, many content creators and social media elements now seem to focus uniquely on this as when interpreting the Fenian narratives.

The Quiet One

‘LIATH LUACHRA: The Quiet One‘ is the follow up to ‘Liath Luachra: The Great Wild‘ and should be available sometime in mid-2026.

This story follows on directly from events in ‘The Great Wild’ with the young woman warrior still struggling to survive the hazards of the Great Wild and the temptation of being swallowed up into it.

In this latest adventure she encouters a lesser known but frightening figure from the ancient Irish stories.

Why you shouldn’t use AI models for information on Irish culture/’mythology’

Every time I return back from Ireland, I have a ‘Battle of the Books’ in terms of permitted baggage weight on international flights. Books, in large quantities, can be quite heavy of course, so I suppose the only good thing is that it acts as something of a natural restriction to excess reading.

The above image shows a selection from the load of reference books (and some fiction) I carried in my bag last time I travelled back overseas from home. This time around, the list is markedly reduced to four books (er … so far) but that doesn’t include the masses of research notes on work I’ve carried out, and the local history books (about 30) I’ve had to photograph as the libraries don’t allow photocopying due to the risk of damage.

After forty years, I now have an extensive cultural library that takes up half my office. Given that some of these are in Irish, and many are not on line – and probably never will be – its a far more dependable source than the internet or AI.

As a general rule, based on my experience to date, I believe that you should never use AI models (ChatGPT, ClaudeAI, Grok, etc.) to source information on ‘Irish Mythology’ – at least for the next few years, or so (although you could possibly say the same for much of the English-language internet). That’s because, at the moment, the AI models pull all their data on Irish culture uniquely from English-language online sources, particularly non-Irish sources such as Wikipedia – renowned for the junk it publishes with respect to Irish (and other) culture.

A few years back, for example, there was a bit of a scandal when it was discovered that of all the Wikipedia entries on Scottish Gaelic (of which there was quite a few) had been entered by an eighteen-year-old American who had absolutely no knowledge of Scottish Gaelic language or culture (although, clearly he had a big interest). The Wikipedia business model does not allow for any realistic vetting of specialist-area material such as culture. As a result, most of what I’ve seen on that platform wrt Irish culture suggests its not a source to be trusted beyond a very basic historical level.

Other information sources for Irish culture used by AI models include blog posts, amateur websites, and social media posts (the latter – Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc. – is probably the absolute worst place to get any kind of accurate information on Irish culture) often published by people who’ve never even been to the country.

If you are intent on using AI models to further your research on Irish culture however, my advice would be to use your prompt to restrict the information sources to information published by Irish universities. These entities are the ultimate experts in this area. That approach will help a little but, even then, the best part of the body of work published by Irish universities is not available online unless you’re willing to pay for it (and, even then, a lot of it is only available in non-digital form).

And that, I suppose, may be the basic rule when it comes to getting accurate and authentic information on Irish culture and ‘mythology’: “You get what you’re willing to pay for.”

And, unfortunately, most of the ‘free’ stuff is junk.

Gállan

We’re spoilt for choice with gállain in Cork and Kerry. This one in the Cousane Pass doesn’t get much press because of it’s isolated location.

Although gállain are usually there to commemorate or mark something, it’s very hard to know what they were intended for. If it was burial-related, for example, does it mark the place where the burial took place or commemorate the person who was buried? Alternatively, its location could simply mark the edge of tribal territory, commemorate an event that took place here or even someone who used to take this route.

So many unanswered questions and, although we can come up with as many theories or interpretations as we want, the truth is we’ll probably never know.

Dancing to the Wrong Music

Very strong portrayals of Gaelic culture in this image (the Tara broach, the tartan, the bodhrán etc.) but, in fact, this is from the Polish ‘Witcher’ Card Game.

The talented artist was Anton Nazarenko but it aligns with Sapkowski’s borrowing of other culture’s constructs. The naming patterns in the Witcher, for example, often include garbled mixings of Gaelic, French etc.

The Cup with Eyes

The last time I was home and strolling down Oliver Plunkett St, I spotted a pretty gruesome piece of contemporary public art on the facade of the historic Exchange Building. I was complaining about it, later, to a friend, only to be gobsmacked when he told me it was a giant-sized replica of a ceramic Bronze Age drinking vessel found during an archaeological dig in Mitchelstown (back in 2004).

The drinking vessel is actually dated to approximately 3800 years old but, more interestingly, it was decorated with facial features (eyes, nose, ears) and feet.

I believe the original is now housed at the National Museum of Ireland but, apparently, you can now buy 3D copies of this strange vessel (as coffee cups) as well.

I’m obviously a snob as I’m still not impressed.