Irish legend locations

Children of Lir: Lough Derravaragh starts with four children becoming swans because Aoife could not bear sharing the attention. That is not a family argument I want to referee. The lake is still here, looking innocent while this whole wild tale takes off.

Children of Lir: Sea of Moyle sends those swans out between Ireland and Scotland, as if being turned into birds was not trouble enough. Standing on Ballycastle's shore, I can look across their legendary route and be very glad my own travel plans involve dry shoes.

Cú Chulainn and Culann's Hound: Slieve Gullion has a boy, an attacking dog and the strangest job offer in Irish legend. Sétanta kills the hound, then volunteers to guard the smith's house himself. He certainly knew how to make an introduction. Nobody can point to the exact doorstep today.

Fionn MacCumhaill: Giant's Causeway has stone columns, a Scottish giant and a hero whose answer to a challenge was apparently to build a road across the sea. I admire the ambition; I would have looked for a boat. The columns are real. Fionn's roadworks are the legend.

Oengus Óg: Newgrange gives this ancient monument a love story with a very odd ending: he finds Caer as a swan, becomes one himself and flies home with her. I was ready for a romantic walk; Oengus went straight for wings. Fair play to him.

The Cailleach: Carrowmore is a field of ancient tombs with a woman in the stories powerful enough to shape the land around them. I can barely shift one big garden stone. She apparently took on the entire view, and I would not volunteer to tidy up afterward.

The Cailleach: Loughcrew says she made these cairns by dropping stones out of her apron as she leapt from hill to hill. I lose a few coins and get annoyed; she loses a whole skyline. The cairns are real, and that apron is wonderfully outrageous.

The Fir Bolg: Dún Aonghasa has a mighty stone fort and a name tied to their leader Aonghas. If I had a fort named after me, I would be unbearable about it for years. The real walls are impressive enough; the name brings the Fir Bolg tale along for the ride.

Queen Medb: Rathcroghan is where the Táin starts turning a quarrel about a bull into an epic. Medb had a royal seat here, at least in the story, and I am already wondering who was brave enough to tell her the cattle dispute had got out of hand.

The Mórrígan: Oweynagat is called the Cave of Cats, which fooled me into expecting a very ordinary sort of trouble. Then the tale sends the Mórrígan out of it during the Táin. If the cats saw her coming, I bet they made room.

Queen Medb's Cairn: Knocknarea sits high on the mountain, and legend gives it a queen for an occupant. It is an enormous cairn. Whoever first tied Medb to it clearly had no interest in a modest ending to her story.

Lia Fáil: Hill of Tara is a stone with high standards. Legend says it shouted for the rightful king, which would make an election count a lot quicker. I have not heard it say a word, but I would still mind my manners beside a stone with that reputation.

Síonnan and the Salmon: Shannon Pot has a curious woman chasing the Salmon of Wisdom and a pool that responds by overflowing into a river. That is a lot of water for one question. I would take a notebook, but I would keep it well above the edge.

Macha's Curse: Navan Fort tells of a king who made a pregnant goddess race his horses. She won and cursed Ulster's men for his cruelty. I do like a victory, but this king made the very worst choice of opponent. The fort's earthworks are real; the race belongs to legend.

Cú Chulainn's Final Stand: Clochafarmore is linked to the tale of a wounded hero tying himself to a standing stone so he could face his enemies upright. I would have called that impossible, but then this is Cú Chulainn. The stone stands; the last stand is local lore.

Fionn and the Cailleach: Slieve Gullion begins with a lost ring in a lake. Fionn dives for it and comes up an old man, which is a steep price for being helpful. If anyone asks me to fetch jewellery from deep water, I am suddenly busy elsewhere.

Balor of the Evil Eye: Tory Island has a fort named after him and a sea full of enough weather to make any giant blink. Tory's community group keeps his story alive. That Evil Eye must have been useful, but I reckon the Atlantic could stare back harder.

Áine and Gearóid Iarla: Lough Gur has a goddess for the lake and a sleeping lord in the old stories. I thought I was coming to admire water and stones. Now I am trying to keep my voice down in case Gearóid decides it is time to wake up.

Saint Patrick's Fire: Hill of Slane has Patrick lighting his Easter flame before the king's fire on Tara. No wonder the story says Laoghaire was furious. I love a grand entrance, but I might have sent a note first.

Saint Patrick and the Shamrock: Rock of Cashel gives Patrick a tiny plant for a very big idea. Legend puts his first shamrock lesson here. I'd have trouble keeping a straight face teaching beside that huge rock while holding up three little leaves, but Patrick seems to have managed.