Mother’s Day is just around the corner, and as we at Shamrock Gift get ready to express our love and gratitude for the women who made us who we are today, we’re also remembering those who shaped the culture and heritage of our beloved Emerald Isle. These legendary maternal figures have had a powerful hand in how we Irish understand the concept of motherhood today — and so here, we’ve laid out eight of their fascinating stories for you to mediate on. Who knows? They might just heighten your appreciation for your own Irish mammy that little bit more!

DANU

Also occasionally known as Anu, Danu is thought to have been the figurative mother goddess of the Tuatha Dé Danann, the ancient supernatural race who came to Ireland long before its current mortal population. Indeed, the title of this people literally translates to “People of the Goddess Danu.” The Tuatha Dé Danann were thought to represent the primary deities of pre-Christian Ireland, who eventually underwent a metaphorical transformation into the Good People, or the fairies, elves, and leprechauns that give color to many stories in Irish folklore.

For her own part, Danu is described by mythology expert Charles Squire in his book Celtic Myth and Legend as having “probably represented the earth and its fruitfulness, and one might compare her with the Greek Demeter.” In Greek tradition, Demeter is the mother of Persephone, the springtime goddess stolen away by Hades, the ruler of the underworld. When her child is abducted, Demeter grieves so deeply that the natural world begins to succumb to the cold grip of winter — and so it’s with sound logic that Squire concludes his thoughts on Danu by saying that “all the other gods are, at least by title, her children.”

Interestingly, there are no narratives concerning the exploits of Danu to be found in surviving medieval Irish texts, as there are with many other characters associated with the Tuatha Dé Danann; however, many argue that her origins have links with those of the legendary Welsh mother figure Dôn, which suggests a possible source of inspiration for the first signs of her presence in the Irish mythological landscape.

ERNMAS

As a member of the above-mentioned Tuatha Dé Danann, the goddess-figure Ernmas can be considered either a direct or theoretical descendant of Danu. Perhaps in keeping with the family tradition, Ernmas was viewed as a mother goddess herself — and rightly so, as over the course of her life she gave birth to three trinities of all-important Irish mythological figures. Initially, there was her first set of daughters, the goddesses Ériu, Banba, and Fódla, who served as guardians of the Irish land and people; then, she gave life to the war goddesses, Badb, Macha, and the Morrígan; finally, there came her three sons, Glonn, Gnim and Coscar. Ernmas and her three sets of powerful progeny served as an early example of the magical significance of this number in Irish legendary tradition.

Ernmas is mentioned in both the Lebor Gabála Érenn (“The Book of the Taking of Ireland,” an 11th century collection of poems and prose which claims to detail the story of Ireland from the time of the land’s creation) and Cath Maige Tuired, two texts telling the stories of battles fought by the Tuatha Dé Danann. Ernmas meets her demise during the first battle, when the Fir Bolg (the Tuatha Dé Danann’s distant Grecian relatives) almost overwhelm her people in a battle lasting four days. However, she lives on through the incredible adventures of her nine children, who carry their family legacy with great pride through maybe cycles of Irish legend.

MACHA

If there’s one figure from Irish mythology who faithfully represents the sheer amount of narrative divergences that have appeared over the years, it’s Macha, daughter of Ernmas and sister of Badb and the Morrígan. She appears as several different characters in the Ulster cycle, all associated with land, kingship, war, and horses.

In one instance, Macha is illustrated not as a goddess, but as a mortal woman who was the wife of Cruinniuc, a prominent Ulster farmer. Together, the two of them lived a very private life; in fact, no one even knew that they had married. One day, when Cruinniuc was leaving to attend a festival, a pregnant Macha warned him to tell no one of her presence in their house. She said that if he were to break his promise, she would leave forever. Cruinniuc agreed.

Once at the festival, however, Cruinniuc boasted during a chariot race that his wife could run faster than any of the king’s horses. The king overheard his claim and forced Cruinniuc to prove it on pain of death. The heavily-pregnant Macha was dragged to the festival, where she was forced to race the king’s horses. Indeed, she beat them, but went into labor on the finish line, giving birth to a pair of twins: a boy named Fír (meaning “true”) and a girl named Fial (meaning “modest”). Then, she died — but not before cursing the cruel men of Ulster to become “as weak as a woman in childbirth” in their greatest time of need. This would later come to pass hundreds of years later, when none of the Ulstermen but Cú Chulainn were strong enough to resist the invasion of their province during the Cattle Raid of Cooley.

In Irish mythohistory, the story of Macha’s curse was often pointed to as a demonstration of how the rule of a bad king could lead to disaster for future generations. Just as she could give the gift of life to the world, she could — and certainly would — take it away when wronged.

NESS

In the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology, Ness is a princess and the mother of Conchobar mac Nessa, who would eventually become a powerful king. However, Ness’s story in the run-up to the birth of her son is by no means a simple prelude.

In some versions of her story, Ness was raised not by her father, King Eochaid Sálbuide of the Ulaid, but twelve foster fathers. These men loved her very dearly for her mild-mannered ways and calm rationality, originally calling her by the name of Assa, which translates to “easy, gentle.” One day, when she was on the cusp of adulthood, a druid and member of the Fianna warriors named Cathbad attacked the home where she lived with her guardians. Only Assa was left alive.

The girl turned to her biological father to seek justice, but because no single culprit could be identified as responsible crime, he could do nothing. So, Assa took matters into her own hands: she formed her own band of 27 mercenaries and vowed to avenge the death of her foster fathers. In this time, she became known as Ní-assa, or Ness, meaning “not easy, not gentle.”

For years, Ness hunted Cathbad, and in that time his true plan came to light: one day, he caught Ness unaware and forced her to marry him. Shortly thereafter, she became pregnant by drinking a tiny magical creature from the river Conchobar. She gave birth to her child on the banks of that same river, naming him after it and vowing to help him achieve greatness a greatness far beyond that of his so-called father.

When Conchobar was about seven, the new King of Ulster, Fergus Mac Róich, fell in love with Ness. She agreed to marry him on the condition that he allowed her son to rule for one year, so that she might call her child a king. Foolishly, Fergus agreed, and through the cunning of Ness and Conchobar, he never took the throne again.

DEICHTINE

After the birth of Conchobar, Ness went on to have two more children, Deichtine and Findchóem. Deichtine grew up to be a clever, courageous woman, who proved so skilled in her work with horses that she was entrusted with bringing Conchobar, her king and brother, from place to place as his charioteer.

One day, when a flock of supernatural birds descended upon the kingdom and ravaged the land, Deichtine was called upon to bring the Conchobar and his men out to hunt them. For hours, the group chased the birds without success, until night fell and a heavy snow began to blind their eyes. They sought shelter at the home of a young man, who welcomed them in, despite the condition of his wife, who was in the middle of labor. Eventually, the woman gave birth to a boy, and outside, one of Deichtine’s horses dropped two colts. After all of this excitement, the hunters and their charioteer went to sleep — but when they woke up, everything had changed. They found that they now lay on the snowy ground of Newgrange, and the house, man, and woman had vanished without a trace. Only the baby and two foals remained. Deichtine took them all.

Deichtine loved her foster son with all that she had, but it wasn’t long before he took ill and died. She was heartbroken, and took to drinking her sorrows away. One night, as she did so, a tiny creature jumped from her cup to her mouth — just as had happened to her mother on the banks of the River Conchobar so many years before. As the evening wore on, Deichtine fell asleep, and Lugh, the god of truth, appeared to her in a dream. He told her that it was his house she had stayed in with her fellows that fateful night, and because of the kindness she had shown the needy baby and colts, he had now chosen her to bear his true son. That same child would grow up to become Cú Chulainn, the greatest hero of the Ulster Cycle, if not all of Irish legend entirely!

LIATH LUACHRA & BODMHALL

As demonstrated in the story of compassionate Deichtine, not all great mothers conceive and birth their children by traditional means. In fact, one could argue that they need not conceive and birth them at all. Perhaps one of the most moving stories in this list is of Liath Luachra and Bodhmall, two important players in the The Boyhood Deeds of Fionn, an essential-reading series of stories in the Fenian Cycle of Irish mythology.

When Fionn was little more than a newborn, his father, Cumhal, was murdered by Goll Mac Morna, his rival and fellow Fianna member. Fionn’s mother Muirne was afraid for her son’s safety, and decided that he must be sent away to grow up without fear. Her saviors came in the form of two travelling women — Liath Luachra, or the “Gray of the Reeds,” a fearsome warrior woman, and her companion Bodhmall, a druidess who was also Muirne’s sister.

The pair agreed to take Fionn, rearing him together in secret in the Slieve Bloom Mountains, where they taught him wisdom and strength. Eventually, however, Goll Mac Morna learned of where they had made their home, so the women decided that it was for the best to send the now-adult Fionn to find his own way in the world. Using the skills they had imparted to him, Fionn went on to become the greatest leader that the Fianna had ever seen.

ÁINE

In the final cycle of Irish mythology, the Cycle of the Kings, Áine was the wife of Aillil, the ruler of Leinster and son of Laoghaire Lorc, the high king of Ireland. For many years, she led a happy life, but things changed when king’s wicked brother, Cobhthach, made a bid for the throne. He murdered Laoghaire Lorc in cold blood and poisoned Aillil. Áine and her young son, Labraidh, were spared; however, in a gruesome show of power, Cobhthach forced the little boy to eat the hearts of his father and grandfather. Áine struggled to help her son, but was held fast by two strong men. Labraidh’s pain caused him to become mute.

Despite her son’s affliction, Áine reared him with love and patience, giving him an education fit for a king. Labraidh became widely known and respected for his wisdom, and, in time, he slowly began to speak again, winning the people of Leinster over with his kind tongue and sharp wit. Of course, it wasn’t long before the cruel king became envious of Labraidh’s popularity, and felt threatened by the clever words he spoke. In the interest of his safety, Áine sent Labraidh into exile.

After several years, Labraidh came back, smarter and stronger than ever before. He attacked Cobhtach’s forces for control of Leinster and succeeded. However, try as though he might, he couldn’t trap Cobhtach himself in order to exact revenge for his father and grandfather — and so, Áine, now an old woman, made the ultimate sacrifice for the good of her family. She purposefully lead Cobhtach into a building, around which Labraidh’s men were stationed. In a flash, they set it alight. Both Cobhtach and Áine perished inside, he in horror, she in satisfaction that at long last, her husband’s soul could be at peace. From that day on, Labhraidh ruled Leinster with a kind and honest hand, putting into action the myriad lessons his mother had imparted to him.

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Happy Mother's Day to all the Irish mothers out there! Do you have a favorite Irish mother story from mythology? Let us know in the comments below.

And if you're looking for last minute or belated gifts, check out our handy Mother's Day Gift Guide right here.