These stories would've originally been recited as poetry. Do you know of any sources for the original poems or are they lost?
Discussion
In Michael Wood's documentary series "In Search Of The Trojan War" from the early 80s, he films an old, possibly even blind, Irishman reciting some epic poetry in Gaelic. He was supposedly the last of his kind who could recite it all from memory and from memory he couldn't speak English. It was remarkable to see it captured on film before that era ended.
Man I'm defo chasing up that doc. The oral tradition in Ireland was very VERY strong throughout history. Most people for the large part of our history could not read or write.
I think it's in this episode but the whole six-part series is worth watching if you're into ancient history.
Lady Gregory compiled everything she could during the celtic revival , I feel like most of the sources were verbal recitals of poetry as you say.
Yeah, I've only ever come across prose retellings but there are bits of poetry that survive in the Welsh tradition (Teliesin etc). I always assumed there would be plenty of Irish material but you don't see much around in English. I assume there are political reasons for this.
I come from a Scots family (lots emigrated to Australia in the 1960s) and my grandfather was extremely proud of the little Gaelic he could speak. It pains me that it's been lost in my family.