Irish Mythology: Oisín, the Warrior Bard

Northwest of Cushendall and out on the hills of County Antrim is a site known as Ossian’s Grave (Oisín). It is here that the legendary Irish warrior poet is known to be buried. This is history of how he met Niamh, travelled to Tír na nÓg (the land of youth) and returned many years later.
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Filmed in Antrim, September 2023.
If you'd like to support my work, you can do so via Patreon with a monthly subscription or with a one-off payment via Paypal. Your help is greatly appreciated as it aids me with travel costs and entry fees. Links below:
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Music composed by Albert Schofield.
The Jolly Reiver is my project aiming to preserve and promote the forgotten folklore and history of rural Britain and Ireland. Primarily focusing on folklore and legends, you’ll not find me trying to deconstruct these old stories or trying to rationalise them with science and psychology. Instead I will present them as they were always told by our forebears, and leave the conclusions up to you. Videos are filmed on location to show you exactly where these stories took place.

[@Jen999]

This beautiful story made me cry .. and when you put the flowers on the stones marking the Bard's grave .. completeky lost it, I did .. Some day I hope to return to Ireland.. and stand where you did .. Thank you for this⚘☘ Jen999💙

[@TheJollyReiver]

Glad you enjoyed! It’s definitely a magical place!

[@Jen999]

@@TheJollyReiver Indeed it is.. thanks for sharing this :)

[@garywait3231]

A wonderful story, told with sympathy and "great respect". Thanks.

[@TheJollyReiver]

Glad you enjoyed :-)

[@jamesbart86]

Dear Jolly Reiver, What a great story, told with such reverence. I’m sure glad you’re doing so much to preserve the old tales like this, so they aren’t forgotten. One day I hope to visit Ireland, but until then, your channel is the next best thing! Cheers 🍻 Sincerely, J. S. B.

[@TheJollyReiver]

Thanks for your continued support mate!

[@ignachioelsmith9053]

Your respect shines through and carries you. An excellent telling of this tale, with beautiful scenery and images.

[@TheJollyReiver]

Thank you :-)

[@FinnMobber]

I grew up just a half hour drive down the coast from cushendall, it was great being able to hear such stories and then going to the places from them, like Oisin's grave and the giants causeway.

[@TheJollyReiver]

Great place to live!

[@MrSolver100]

What a great story, so many marvellous elements and more importantly fabulously told! Keep them coming Jolly Boy :)

[@TheJollyReiver]

Cheers fella :-)

[@micheleshave323]

I have just now found and subscribed to your channel. I love Celtic and British mythology and am thrilled with what you are doing. Filming on location makes it even better. I an eager to watch more of you videos and hope you continue with this project. The world needs more mythology. Thank you.

[@TheJollyReiver]

Thank you! :-)

[@Story-Voracious66]

Thank you sir, it has been many years since I read of Oisin; such a sad legend. Ireland has such a rich and troubled history, but the Old stories are my favourites. The Dagda and Danu, the great Cattle Run, of Cuchullain and Skathac, Maeve and Alill. The story of Deirdre and her flight, and Naoise the son of Usnach. Any of these legends you care to visit would be truly wonderful. Thank you. ☘️🇦🇺

[@TheJollyReiver]

Glad you’re enjoying! Sadly I’ve left Ireland now and I only have 2 more stories to tell. But I’ll return one day!

[@ladoboyo5452]

Wonderful Reiver. Magically told.

[@lovelyskull3483]

Thank you.

[@TheJollyReiver]

My pleasure :-)

[@LemmingwayArk]

In my opinion this is one of your best works. Please keep doing this great work! I promise you, the Gods are with you, whether you realise it or not!

[@carolescutt2257]

My daughter rerecommended your channel and iam not disappointed, wonderful storytelling and so well presented 🎉🎉

[@TheJollyReiver]

I’m glad you enjoyed! Thank you for the kind words :-)

[@erikafreebird6449]

Well done. Thank you.🙏❣️🌹

[@M500VYN]

I was there last week. The story well told. Many thanks

[@TheJollyReiver]

Excellent!

[@pentegarn1]

Beautiful. I feel this story so deeply its almost like it's my own story.

[@danielmacleod3766]

This channel is fantastic. Great video as always

[@TheJollyReiver]

Thank you :-)

[@spacegirl226]

Oisin's story is one of my favorites! Thank you so much for telling it and making it available for a wider audience.

[@TheJollyReiver]

Glad you enjoyed!

[@connorricketts1323]

thank you for a great story

[@TheJollyReiver]

My pleasure as always!

[@connorricketts1323]

​@@TheJollyReiver definitely a magical place I really love the story's you find us keep it up glad I found this channel your a great storyteller

[@Paganfolklore]

Absolutely wonderful video

[@andrewcairns8266]

Excellent. thoroughly enjoyed this one. well done.

[@gonsonandenschinder]

I love your slight accent

[@MajiSylvamain]

Beautiful video, ❤️👌🐱🐈👍

[@troublekaliman]

Awesome. Thanks very much.

[@TheJollyReiver]

My pleasure :-)

[@E.D1282]

I am so happy I came across your channel, what a great content you're giving us I learned so much thanks to you, and the way you narrate adds a lot to the already beautiful and perfect presentation

[@TheJollyReiver]

Thank you! I’m glad you’re enjoying!

[@E.D1282]

@@TheJollyReiver you’re welcome

[@Free-Bodge79]

Good stuff! 👍💛👊

[@TheJollyReiver]

Thank you!

[@artangel4172]

Hey Great video, thanks! Enchanting! Looking forward for the next!

[@TheJollyReiver]

Glad you enjoyed!

[@artangel4172]

I have a question…Are you planning a video for the Christmas season? 😊Thank You for answering ! All the best!

[@TheJollyReiver]

I might be! Got a huge project coming out soon which will take priority, but hopefully I get time to do a Christmas themed video :-)

[@artangel4172]

@@TheJollyReiver yeah sounds great! Looking forward! Good luck with your project!

[@alecricketts8078]

While in Ireland, try to make a visit at Uisneach and give Marty my regards.

[@aonghusmor333]

as always, a great video! slainte mhath!

[@TheJollyReiver]

thank you!

[@joelpacheco7360]

I enjoy this video, thank you. Could you do videos on banshees? Could you videos on the ancient druids? Thank you.

[@TheJollyReiver]

I’m afraid I’ve left Ireland now sadly. But I’ll return one day!

[@mysticallymerry5523]

Another amazing and moving story of old.🌳 Thanks for your lovely narration. 😊

[@TheJollyReiver]

Thank you :-)

[@crusader2112]

Good story. 👍 Keep up the great work. Peace ✌🏻

[@TheJollyReiver]

Thank you :-)

[@crusader2112]

@@TheJollyReiver Your welcome.

[@user-ws4kl8wc7u]

I know the retellings of old stories change depending on the goals and philosophies of the story tellers, but I was surprised at the ending to this video, mostly because I have always heard this story with a very different conclusion. In the version I know, Oisin and Patrick both get their shots in but in the end came to a sort of measured understanding that there was honor in the old world, but also in the new, and the respect that these two great icons of eras managed to find for the other was a passing of the torch from the age of gods and heroes into the age of God and man. In that version Oisin dies in bittersweet solace with the knowledge that though much is gone, not all is lost. I know another more overtly Catholic-oriented version where it's Patrick who finds Oisin on the side of the road, and instead of days of theological debate, the whole conversation takes place quietly and reverently there in the dirt. Patrick explains the concepts of God and Christianity and Oisin converts before he dies, and is able to go to heaven. I've heard this take told as a sort of way in which the Catholic Irish balanced an identification with the mythology of their ancient ancestors with their own forefather's faith and/or legitimize Christianity as the one true religion. I realize this version has its own bias at play and I hope you won't feel as if I'm trying to cause problems by mentioning it, but it's bittersweet optimism and humanism of this more hopeful ending has always resonated with me. And as a 21st century person, I always appreciated the way that neither party was strawman-ed into shallow villainy. Though there is certainly an agenda at play in these versions, there is a sort of benevolence as well. I believe there's a lot of sentimental and sociological value to those other versions of the story too - for whatever it's worth. But lovely presentation regardless.

[@user-lo1iz8tj1v]

Thank you for expressing, just what I was thinking in such a succinct manner. All the best. :)

[@brandonhollon3010]

Sounds like heaven

[@shelleyrodanisky944]

I just found you! What an amazing Storyteller you are! I absolutely LOVED your compassion, and knowledge! Thank You so much! I am definitely SUBSCRIBED! 💕 from Alberta, Canada.

[@TheJollyReiver]

I’m glad you enjoyed! Thank you :-)

[@dinleyg]

Another great video ! Great history lessons - thank you (*_*)

[@HighFlyingOwlOfMinerva]

Off-topic but can I just say that I love your sweater? It looks very warm and the pattern is just lovely! Where do you buy yours? Now, back on-topic. It does not surprise me one bit that one who adored a foreign desert religion in a place so far away from said Levantine desert acted so brutal and cruel to those who followed the native religion. St. Patrick wasn't as much of a saint as some want to believe he is, and this shows it. Great and lovely video as always!

[@mjrchapin]

Such a marvelous tale. And it certainly does not reflect well on St Patrick's manners.

[@chrislacey8776]

Great to see you in Ireland, just on the pronunciations its "Feeun" for Fionn and "Usheen" for Oisin.

[@desiree6256]

At this present moment in time as we're already in the 5th dimension since a few years ago we personally just want to travel to places such Wales, Ireland, Scotland travel into the underworld and awaken these Historical folklore beings such as King Arthur, Merlin, etc, just as the very few other chosen ones of other cultures we're pretty sure would LOVE TO DO!!!! but with our very Depressive state with these very HORRID pollution levels we personally wouldn't know what spells to say or invoke

[@davidhowe6905]

8:54 'If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went.' (Will Rogers).

[@stephenpmurphy591]

​@osakarose5612 My horses too! Without dogs & cats and other animals how could it be Heaven?

[@voicezful]

I'm totally confused he's buried just up the road from me in Scotland and his grave site is marked on OS maps - historically Fingal is believed to be buried nearby too.

[@maccurtis730]

Now I have second thoughts about going to the future.

[@eric-ty3yn]

Ever do a story about Cuhulan? Storm upon Ulster sorry could never spell his name correctly the hound of Ulster

[@GravesRWFiA]

Maybe someone should point out to the two debaters, that there's a rise in the old ways and the 'new' ways seem to be falling off.

[@user-ze3tq9hf9i]

8:46 "by now they must've overthrow the devil and his demons and are ruling there themselves" Badass.

[@elizabethmcglothlin5406]

A lovely tale and as a pagan I love it!

[@timelordvictorious]

what a sad story .Also Saint Patrick sounds like a arse in that story😂

[@mattmclafferty6265]

Gauranga

[@miriamwells35]

Nice. Where in Ireland is his grave? My dad’s family comes from near Queen Scota’s grave frommwhom Scotland gets it’s name and when I got my DNA tested I was 98% European - Irish and Scots- and 1% African and Middle Eastern. Who knows. Maybe there is some truth to it!

[@tinahale9252]

I can't help but feel a little torn. I have never heard of St Patrick being cruel and mean spirited, and unwelcoming. A true follower of Jesus Christ is not any of those attributes. From a small child i loved all sorts of legends,tales, & mythological stories. You can imagine my surprise when I was given the truth of deep secrets and grand mysteries. There's truth in these stories. The truth is Jesus Christ as well and they are always at odds

[@Irelandforever609]

What if just what if mythology is actually real not this old dribble they give us

[@desiree6256]

UGH!!!! Please bring back our ancient abolished animal hybrid Gods and Goddesses and humanoid Gods and Goddesses BACK ANY DAY instead of this HORRID monotheist single God

[@relaxedhorsebookreading286]

🤣