Four recorded sessions with comprehensive accompanying course notes

Discover the stories, gods and sacred landscapes of Ireland's extraordinary mythological tradition - and learn how to find your way through its mysteries.

Ireland preserves the richest surviving body of native mythology in the Celtic world. Yet it does not come down to us in one simple book. It survives through medieval manuscripts, Christian scribes, learned families, place-lore, folklore and stories shaped and reshaped across many centuries.

In this complete four-session online introduction, author and Mythical Ireland founder Anthony Murphy guides you through that remarkable inheritance. You will encounter the Tuatha Dé Danann, the great mythological cycles, the Book of Invasions, the Irish Otherworld and three of the tradition's most beautiful and important tales. Just as importantly, you will learn how the mythology survived, how scholars interpret it, and why landscape is so essential to understanding it.

The course is fully recorded and available immediately. Learn at your own pace, revisit the sessions whenever you wish, and use the comprehensive course notes to continue your exploration long after the final recording.

What is included

·Four complete recorded teaching sessions with Anthony Murphy

·Comprehensive downloadable course notes of approximately 50 pages

·Immediate access following purchase

·Lifetime access to revisit the recordings at your own pace

·A carefully chosen reading guide for further exploration

·No previous knowledge of Irish mythology required

What you will learn

·Where Ireland's mythological stories were preserved and how much may have been lost

·How the four traditional cycles organise the surviving literature

·How Christian scribes, royal patrons and hereditary learned families shaped the tradition

·How scholars distinguish possible pre-Christian material from medieval interpretation

·How Bóinn, Brú na Bóinne and creation through dismemberment connect myth with landscape

·How the Book of Invasions combined native tradition with biblical and classical history

·Who the principal figures of the Tuatha Dé Danann are and what they represent

·Why the Otherworld and the sídhe are central to Irish mythology and folklore

·How to understand The Wooing of Étaín, The Dream of Oengus and The Second Battle of Moytura

·What the Four Treasures reveal about sovereignty, power, abundance and rightful rule

Inside the four sessions

Session 1: How Irish Mythology Survived

Explore the great medieval manuscripts, what was lost, why Ireland preserves such an extraordinary mythological inheritance, and how the four traditional cycles help us navigate it. This session also examines Christian transmission and the nativist debate: how much older belief can still be heard within the written tradition?

Session 2: Creation, Invasion and the Taking of Ireland

Begin in the sacred landscape of the Boyne with the stories of Bóinn and Máta, then enter the Book of Invasions and its great sequence of arrivals. Discover how native mythology, biblical history, genealogy and political purpose were woven together - and how the Tuatha Dé Danann were transformed within a Christian worldview.

Session 3: The Tuatha Dé Danann and the Otherworld

Meet the Dagda, Brigid, Lugh, Nuadu, the Morrígan, Oengus, Manannán and the divine craftspeople. Follow the arrival of the Milesians and the division of Ireland between the human world and the sídhe, and consider the persistent tradition that the old gods did not disappear but remain present beneath and beyond the visible landscape.

Session 4: Three Great Tales and the Four Treasures

Enter three of the most beautiful and important stories in the tradition: The Wooing of Étaín, The Dream of Oengus and The Second Battle of Moytura. The course concludes with the Four Treasures of the Tuatha Dé Danann and a carefully chosen reading path for continuing your exploration.

Who this course is for

This course is designed for curious newcomers, readers who have encountered Irish mythology only through popular retellings, members of the Irish diaspora seeking a deeper connection with Ireland's cultural inheritance, and anyone who wants a reliable framework for further study. It will also reward those who already know some of the famous stories but want to understand their sources, contexts and deeper meanings.

About your guide

Anthony Murphy is an author, researcher, photographer and the founder of Mythical Ireland. For more than two decades he has explored Ireland's ancient monuments, myths and sacred landscapes through books, articles, talks, tours, photography and film. Living close to Newgrange in the Boyne Valley, Anthony brings together careful research, a deep familiarity with the landscape and an enduring sense of wonder about Ireland's ancient past.

Begin your journey into Ireland's myths and legends today. Purchase the complete recorded course for €129 and receive immediate access to all four sessions and the accompanying course notes.

Frequently asked questions

Is this a live course?

No. This is the complete recorded version of Anthony Murphy's four-session introductory course. You can begin immediately and watch at times that suit you.

Do I need previous knowledge?

No. The course is designed as a comprehensive introduction. It also provides enough depth to reward people who already have some familiarity with Irish mythology.

How do I receive the course?

After purchasing, you will receive a course access guide containing links to all four recordings, together with the complete downloadable course notes.

How long will I have access?

Your access is not time-limited. You may return to the recordings and notes whenever you wish.

Can I download the videos?

The recordings are streamed online. The accompanying notes and access guide can be downloaded for personal study.

Is this the Tuatha Dé Danann live course?

No. This is a broad, self-paced introduction to Ireland's mythological tradition. The live Tuatha Dé Danann course is a separate, specialised exploration with scheduled sessions and live interaction.

May I share the recordings or notes?

No. Purchase provides access for one person for personal educational use. The recordings, links and notes may not be copied, uploaded, redistributed or shared.