The following is a list of known deities
of the ancient pre-Christian Irish, with as much as is known of the function
and family connections. It will be
updated if there’s new info.
Following that list are three more, one
of the mystic realms, one of the high kings of the Tuatha De Danaan, and one of
the Treasures of Ireland.
Abarta, aka Giolla Decair (in human
guise), a trickster deity, and in some tales the alter ego of Lugh Lamfada; associated
with Fionn mac Cumhail
Son of the ruler of Tir Tairngire
Abcann, dwarf poet and musician of the
Tuatha De Danaan
Abhean mac Bec-Felmas, poet of Lugh
Lamfada, harper of the Tuatha De Danaan
Achtland, mortal who
married a man of the Tuatha De Danaan
Aesun, early god of a lost creation
myth whose name means “to be”
Aillen mac Egobail, deity in Mag
Mell, burned Tara every year at Samhain until the arrival of Fionn mac Cumhail
Son of Egobal (Dagda)
Brother of Aine and Fennen
Aine ni Egobail, goddess of summer,
wealth, and sovereignty, midsummer
Daughter of Egobal (Dagda)
Sister of Aillen and Fennen
Airmid ni Dian Cecht, guardian of Dian
Cecht’s secret well of healing
Sister
of Miach, Etan, and Ochtriullach
Anann, aka The Morrigan, supreme
goddess of war, goddess of fertility, cattle, and prosperity; Anann is her
name, The Mor Rioghan, or “Great Queen”, is her title. Sometimes portrayed as a trinity of Macha,
Nemain, and Badb collectively as a single persona, other times these, along
with Fea, are her companions of which she is first, making five in all.
Daughter of Tuireann Delbaeth mac
Ogma and Flidais Foltchain
Mother, by Delbaeth, of Brian,
Iuchar, and Iucharba
Mother of Glon, Gaim, and Coscar
Aobh ni Bodb Dearg
Wife of Lir (1st)
Sister of Aoife
Mother of Fionnuala, Aodh, Fiachra,
Conn of the Hundred Battles
Aoi mac Ollamain, a god of
poetry
Aoife ni Ard Greimme
Wife of Lir (2nd)
Sister of Scathach
Aodh (Aed) mac Lir and Aobh Bodb
Dearg, prince of the Daoine Sidhe and a god of the underworld
Brother of Fionnuala, Fiachra, and
Conn
Ard Greimme, a solar deity
Father of Scatach and Aoife
Arden mac Flidais, cultivator
hero
Badb Catha ni Ernmas, goddess of
fury and battle cries
Wife
of Neit
Banba ni Fiacha and Ernmas,
goddess of the sovereignty of Ireland
Wife
of Ether Mac Cuill
Sister
of Eriu and Fodhla
Be Chuille ni Flidais, sorceress
Bechuma of the Fair Skin,
Wife of Eogan Inbhir
Lover of Gaidiar mac Manannan
Be Teite mac Flidais, cultivator
hero
Beag, goddess of magic wells
Bebhinn, goddess of
childbirth, goddess of the underworld
Sister
of Boann
Bechuma of the Fair Skin, wife of Eogan
Inbir
Beothach mac Iarbonel, progenitor of
the Tuatha De Danaan
Birog, a druidess of the Tuatha de
Danaan
Boann, goddess of the sovereignty of
Leinster
Wife of Nechtan
Sister of Bebhinn
Bodb Dearg mac Dagda, 9th High King, king
of the Sidhe of Munster
Father of Aobh
Brea, minor god of the Tuatha de
Danaan
Bres of the Fomorians, 2nd High King
Son of Elatha of the Fomorians and
Eriu ni Delbaeth
Husband of Brigid and father of
Ruadhan
Brian mac Tuireann and Danand ni
Tuireann, a god of war & fertility
Brother of Iuchar and Iucharba
Brigid ni Dagda, goddess of poetry,
smithing, medicine, arts and crafts, cattle and other livestock, spring, and
fire
One of the trinities,
Maiden-Mother-Crone, all named Brigid
Wife of Bres of the Fomorians
Mother of Ruadan
Mother of Creidne, Luchtaine, and
Giobhniu by Delbaeth mac Ogma
Bui ni Ruadri, wife of Lugh
Lamfada
Sister of Nas
Caer Ibormeith ni Ethal
Wife of Oengus mac Ogma
Foster mother of Diarmuid Ua Duibhne
Cailleach Beara, goddess of the
sovereignty of Mumhan
Cairbre mac Ogma, satirist of
the Tuatha de Danaan
Ce, ard druid of the Tuatha de
Danaan
Cermait mac Dagda
Father of Ethur Mac Cuill, Tether
Mac Cecht, and Cether Mac Greinne
Cethe mac Dian Cecht
Brother of Cian and Cethe
Cether Mac Greinne, joint 8th High King
Husband of Eriu
Cian Scal Balb mac Dian Cecht, killed by the
sons of Tuireann
Husband of Ethniu
Father of Lugh Lamfada
Brother of Cu and Cethe
Cliodhna, goddess of
beauty and the Otherworld, queen of the beansidhes of Deis Mumha
Conn mac Lir and Aobh Bodb
Dearg, aka Conn of the Hundred Battles
Brother of Fionnuala, Aodh, and
Fiachra
Corchen, a snake
goddess
Coscar, son of Ernmas
Creide, fairy queen of the Danu’s Mountains,
or Paps of Anu
Wife of Coll of the Fianna
Creidhe mac Delbaeth and Brigid ni
Dagda, the goldsmith
Brother of Luchtaine and Giobhniu
Crobh Dearg, goddess of the
harvest
Crom Cruach, very ancient
solar and fertility god
Cu mac Dian Cecht
Brother of Cian and Cethe
Dagda mac Elatha and Ethniu, aka
Eochaidh Ollathair, Egobal, Ruad Rofthesa, Samildanach, Cera, Fer Benn, Easal,
Crom Eocha, and Ebron, 5th High King
Brother of Ogma and Lir
Father of Brigid, Bodb Dearg, Midir,
Aine, Cermait, and Aillen
Danu, Mother Goddess of all the Irish
deities
Delbaeth (see Tuireann)
Dian Cecht, the healer,
god of medicine
Father of Cian, Cu, and Cethe
Father of Miach, Airmed, Etan, and Ochtriullach
Dianann ni
Flidais, sorceress
Diarmuid ua
Duibhne
Foster
son of Oengus Og
Husband
of Greinne
Donn (Duibhne) Firinne, lord of the dead,
king of Cnoc Firinne (Knockfierna, Co. Limerick), father of the Irish race
Father of Diarmuid Ua Duibhne
Ecne mac Brian, Iuchar, and Iucharba, god of wisdom
Egobail (see Dagda)
Elcmar, chief steward for the Dagda
Eochaid mac Etarlam
Father of Nuada
Eogan Inbir
Husband of Bechuma of the Fair Skin
Ernmas, mother goddess
Daughter of Etarlam son of Nuada
Mother by Delbaeth mac Ogma of
Fiacha, Indui, and Ollum
Mother by Delbaeth of Badb, Macha,
and Nemain (Morrigan)
Mother by her son Fiacha of Eriu,
Banba, and Fodhla
Mother by Neto son of Indui of Glon,
Gnim, and Coscar
Eriu ni Fiacha and Ernmas,
goddess of the sovereignty of Ireland
Wife of Cether Mac Greinne
Sister of Banba and Fodhla
Etan mac Dian Cecht, poet
Brother of Miach, Airmed, and Ochtriullach
Etarlam mac Nuada
Husband of Ernmas
Ethal Anbuail, king of Sidhe
Uamuin in Connachta
Ethniu ni Balor of the Formorians
Ethur Mac Cuill, joint 8th High King, husband of Banba
Fand ni Flidais, sea goddess
Wife of Manannan
Sister of Li Ban and Oengus
Fea ni Elcmar, goddess of
hate, a war deity
Wife of Nuada
Fennen mac Egobail
Brother of Aillean and Aine
Fiacha mac Delbaeth, 7th High King
Father
by his mother Ernmas of Eriu, Banba, and Fodhla
Fiachra mac Lir and and Aobh
Bodb Dearg
Brother of Fionnuala, Aodh, and Conn
Finvarra, high king of
the Daoine Sidhe, king of the Daoine Sidhe of Connacht, of the Tuatha De Danaan
of Connacht, and of the Dead, ruling from Knockma near Tuam in Co. Galway
Husband of Uonaidh
Fionnuala ni Lir and Aoibh
Sister of Aodh, Fiachra, and Conn
Fleachta, a moon goddess
Flidais Foltchain, shapeshifter, goddess
of wild animals, woodlands, fertility
Wife of Adamair the Ard-ri
Mother of sons Arden and daughters
Be Chuille and Danand
Mother of Nia Segamain
Fodhla ni Fiacha and Ernmas,
goddess of the sovereignty of Ireland
Wife of Tether Mac Cecht
Sister of Banba and Eriu
Fuamnach ni Beothach, witch, 1st wife of Midir
Gaidiar mac Manannan, a sea deity
Lover of Bechuma of the Fair Skin
Glon, son of Ermmas
Gnim, son of Ernmas
Goibhniu mac Delbaeth and Brigid ni
Dagda, the iron smith
Brother of Creidne and Luchtaine
Grian, goddess of the sun
Iuchar mac Tuireann and Danand ni
Tuireann, a god of war & fertility
Brother of Brian and Iucharba
Iucharba mac Tuireann and Danand ni
Tuireann, a god of war & fertility
Brother of Iuchar and Brian
Labraid
Luathlám ar Claideb, king of Mag Mell (one of the afterlifes)
Husband
to Li Ban ni Flidais
Len mac Ban Bolgach mac Bannach, craftsman of
the sidhe of Bodb Dearg
Li Ban ni Flidais
Wife of Labraid Luathlám ar Claideb
Sister of Fand
Lir mac Dagda, sea god
Husband of Aobh ni Bodb Dearg (1)
and Aoife ni Ard Greimme (2)
Father of Manannan, Fionnuala, Aodh,
Fiachra, Conn of the Hundred Battles
Luchtaine mac Delbaeth and Brigid ni
Dagda, the carpenter
Brother of Creidne and Giobhniu
Lugh Lamfada mac Cian and Ethniu, aka Gilla Macair
(in human form), 4th High
King, god of arts and sciences
Husband of Bui ni Ruadri (1) and Nas
ni Ruadri (2)
Father of Ibic and Ebliu
Macha ni Ernmas, war goddess of
horses and of the sovereignty of Ulaidh
Manannan mac Lir, aka Orbsen Mac
Alloid (in human form), 10th High King, god of the sea, drowned in Loch Orbsen/Corrib by Uillin ua Nuada
Medb, goddess of intoxication and of
the sovereignty of Ol nEchmacht/Connacht
Medb Lethderg, goddess of the
sovereignty of Tara
Miach mac Dian Cecht, physician god
Brother of Airmed, Etan, and Ochtriullach
Midir mac Dagda
Husband of Fuamach
Muireartach, sea battle
goddess
Murigen, a lake goddess
Nas ni Ruadri
Wife of Lugh Lamfada
Sister of Bui
Mother of Ibic and Ebliu
Nechtan
Husband of Boann
Neit mac Indu
Husbandof Badb
Nemain, goddess of the frenzied havoc
of war
Wife of Neit
Niamh ni Manannan and Fand, queen
of Tir-nan-Og
Lover of Oisin
Nuada Airgeatlamh mac Eochaid, 1st and 3rd High King
Husband of Fea ni Elcmar
Father of Etarlam
Ochtriullach mac Dian Cecht, healer god
Brother of Miach, Airmed, and Etan
Oengus Og mac Dagda, god of youth
and poetry, son of Dagda and Boann
Husband of Caer ni Ethal
Foster father of Diarmuid Ua Duibhne
Ogma mac Elatan (and Boann),
inventor of the Ogham, god of writing and poetry
Husband of Etain ni Diancecht
Father of Tuireann Delbaeth
Olloman
Father of Aoi
Ruad, a maiden goddess
Connected to Abcan
Ruadan mac Bres (and Brigid)
Attempted assassin of Goibhniu
Scatach ni Ard Greimme, battle goddess
Sister of Aoife
Mother of Uathach
Shoney, god of the North Sea
Sionainn, goddess of the
River Shannon, queen of the well spirits
Granddaughter of Lir
Tailtu, queen of the Fir Bolg
Foster-mother of Lugh
Tether Mac Cecht, joint 8th High King
Husband of Fodhla
Tuireann Delbaeth (“Delbha na Aodh”,
“producer of fire”) mac Ogma*, aka Tuirill Bicreo (in human guise), 6th
High King; god of thunder
Son of Ogma and Etain ni Diancecht
Husband of Ernmas
Father by Ernmas of Anann, Macha,
Badb, Nemain, Fiacha, Indui, and Ollum
Father by Flidais Foltchain of
Danand
Father by his daughter Anann (or
Morrigan) of Brian, Iuchar, and Iucharba (gods of war & fertility)
Father by Brigid ni Dagda (and
Anann) of Creidne, Luchtaine, and Giobhniu
Father by Eriu ni Fiacha of Bres
Before
the rise of the O’Briens made it more convenient for them to claim Dalcassian
roots, the Delbhna tribe of Central Ireland (later four clans in Connacht, three
in Midhe, one in Laighin), claimed descent from Delbaeth mac Ogma.
*As Delbaeth, the myths and legends name him son of Ogma; as Tuireann, they name him son of Oengus. From compiling all the stories together, it is clear the two are the same person.
*As Delbaeth, the myths and legends name him son of Ogma; as Tuireann, they name him son of Oengus. From compiling all the stories together, it is clear the two are the same person.
Uathach ni Scathach, a battle
goddess
Lover of Cuchulain
Uillin ua Nuada
Brother-in-law to Fionn Mac Cumhaill
He
drowned Manannan Mac Lir in the lake which bears the name of the victim, Loch
Orbsen (now Loch Corrib; one of
Manannan’s namse in human form was Orbsen Mac Alloid) and gave his own name
to the adjacent plain west of the lake as Magh Uillin, or Moycullen
Uonaidh, wife of
Finvarra and queen of the Daoine Sidhe of Connacht
* * * * *
Abodes of the
Tuatha De Danaan:
Tir-nan-Og
Emain Ablach
Mag Mell
Sidhe
TÃr na mBeo
UÃ Breasail
Tir
Tairngire
Four Treasures
of the Tuatha De Danaan:
1.
Lia
Fail (Stone of Destiny)
2.
Sleg
(Spear of) Lugh
3.
Cliamh
(Sword of) Nuada
4.
Coire
(Cauldron of) Dagda
High Kings of
the Tuatha De Danaan:
1.
Nuada
Airgeatlamh
2.
Bres
3.
Nuada
Airgeatlam
4.
Lugh
Lamfada
5.
Dagda,
aka Eochaidh Ollathair
6.
Delbaeth
mac Ogma, aka Tuireann
7.
Fiacha
mac Delbath
8.
Cether
Mac Greinne, Ethur Mac Cuill, Tether Mac Cecht
9.
Bodb
Dearg mac Dagda
10.
Manannan
mac Lir
11.
Finvarra,
high king of the Daoine Sidhe from Cnoc Medha near Tuam
Goddesses of War and Battle
1. Anann, the Mor Righean
2. Macha
3. Nemain
4. Badb
5. Fea
Goddesses of War and Battle
1. Anann, the Mor Righean
2. Macha
3. Nemain
4. Badb
5. Fea
Trinities of the
Tuatha De Danaan
Macha-Nemain-Badb
Brigid-Brigid-Brigid (Maiden-Mother-Crone)
Creidne-Luchtaine-Giobhniu
Ethur Mac Cuill-Tether Mac Cecht-Cether Mac Greinne
Eriu-Banba-Fodhla
Brian-Iuchar-Iucharba
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