Before he had sons, or she had brothers he took her, as if she were a son. He got her up at five, to set illegal lines for eel. Crisp and early, behind the veil of morning she remembered her delight, teeming out, her voice, a hoarse screech, her step catching up through deep dew grass. Then by the river, his …
Good Friday, a memoir by Karina Tynan
For Andy Upstairs was home. Sometimes we could see smoke seeping through the floorboards, feel the thump of the jukebox, the thrum of drunken voices. We were used to the noise, always there, the backdrop to every moment of our lives, a constant other world muffled by floorboards and linoleum. Good Friday was the only …
Aislinn, a short story by Karina Tynan
“What’s happening?” “Is the train shaking?” “Oh dear God we’re going into the sea!” “No we’re not.” “Well what was that jolt then.” “We’re stopped, that’s all.” Well we’re nowhere near the platform but the view is fabulous. We’re looking down at the sea and we’re higher than the seagulls and it’s a kind enough …
The Curse of Macha, a retelling by Karina Tynan
Introduction Macha was an Irish Goddess associated with horses and war. The story below tells of how she came in the form of a woman to the house of a widower called Crunchu. She made him promise that he would tell no one about her. But Crunchu didn’t keep the promise and spoke at the …
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Stories of Brigid, Goddess and Saint by Karina Tynan
Introdudion She is Brigid of the *Tuatha Dé Danann, poet and daughter of the *Daghdha, goddess and protector of domestic animals whose feast day is Imbolg, the first day of spring. She is Saint Brigid of Kildare, founder of the church of the oak tree whose feast day is the first day of spring …
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Shaping The Clay: The Myth of the First Lady of Ireland. A Retelling by Karina Tynan
Introduction : The Lady Ceasair was the leader of the first people to come to Ireland. It is said she was the granddaughter of Noah who refused her passage on his Ark because she was not part of a pair. And so, Ceasair made her own journey across many oceans with forty nine women and …
Jack Frost, a Christmas memoir by Karina Tynan
It had a frothy consistency and sticky at the same time. You couldn’t just shake it off if it landed on your duffel coat, but the coat wouldn’t be ruined either. It was called Jack Frost. You could buy it in bags in Woolworth's up on High Street at Christmastime. You’d know they had it …
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The Myth in Short, a poem by Karina Tynan
(for Midir and Etain) Is that it... Love tires consciousness, fortifies the senses So a fly becomes a jewelled thing You can see beyond the blackness To the rainbow colours And the wings are beautiful, aren’t they Such a great work of artistic genius And a fly will never let you forget It’s presence
Genesis, a poem by Karina Tynan
It has been good here in the cracks A lot of fine things have been preserved. Portraits of princes, objet d’art, Quills lacing words and wishes Not to mention the day long wanderings About love. A wish can make a palace shine with life But outside the world is lonely Without the honeyed talk from …
The Earth is Beautiful, a poem by Karina Tynan
The earth is beautiful The earth is terrible. But we know that Don’t we? We don’t own her Though we use her But we know that Don’t we? She can crack and quake. Seismic waves come From deep inside her But we know that Don’t we? When we drill into her. We change her shape …
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