Design and Story

Éire from the Goddess Ériu
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Ériu, is one of the most powerful of the Irish Gods and her name is the modern Irish name for Ireland – Éire. Ériu is seen as the protector Goddess of the land, the abundance and the sovereignty of Ireland.

The Tuatha Dé Danann, also known as the people of the Goddess Danu were the supernatural race of beings or Gods who lived in Ireland according to Irish mythology. Danu was the ancient Celtic land Goddess akin to Mother Earth. Ériu was one of a trinity of Goddesses of the Tuatha -the other two being Banbha, and Fodhla.

The Daghda was the great God of the Tuatha Dé Danann; God of the seasons, agriculture, fertility, magic and the Druids. The other great Celtic God was Lugh who is seen by some as the son of the Dagdha. Lugh is associated with the God of Light and Sun and was said to be all powerful and “the One who possesses all the arts” including being a great warrior. The Dagda and Lugh were said to have played a sacred harp with gold and silver strings and encrusted with beautiful jewels in miraculous ways. Their playing of the harp could change the hearts and minds of people be they friends or foes and change the very consciousness of people - see 'Glorious Gaelic Harp' below.

The Tuatha Dé Danann lived in harmony with the land and nature. It is said that they fought the greedy, destructive Formorians whom they defeated in a great battle. It is believed that they in turn were defeated in a great battle – possibly with the Gaels – and went into the underworld via portals or mounds to become the “Sí" or “Sídhe” who were said to be elemental beings akin to fairies, elves or spirits.

Tri Spiral from Newgrange
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The tri spiral is an exact copy through tracing of an ancient carving on the large stone inside and at the back of the ancient temple of Newgrange, one of Éire’s and the planet’s oldest and most sacred places. Newgrange and its two tri spiral stone carvings date to at least 3,200 BC and it is thus older than Stonehenge and older than the oldest of the pyramids in Egypt. At over 5,200 years old - it is one of the world’s oldest symbols.

On the winter solstice - the shortest day of the year in the northern hemisphere - at sunrise the rays of sun would come through the entrance roof box and the shaft of light reaches the stone carving at the back and then slowly the whole temple is beautifully illuminated.

The ceremonial monuments in the Brú na Bóinne valley in the "Royal County" of Meath - Knowth, Dowth and Newgrange - are among the most important ancient sites in the world. They have the largest collection of ancient monuments and art in Europe and they are UNESCO world heritage sites 

People increasingly believe that these incredible feats of engineering could not have been built by stone age farmers as they show advanced knowledge of the movements of planet earth and our life giving Sun.
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To our ancestors, the tri spiral may have represented: Land, Sea & Sky; Past, Present & Future; Mind, Body & Spirit or Father, Mother & Child or the cycle of life.

Some believe the spirals may also represent spiralling energy. We are energetic beings and everything in our multiverse is energy and the spirals may represent this infinite energy and the energy of human beings, Mother Earth and our powerful Sun and multiverse.

Some believe it represents the interconnectedness of all things or Oneness.

Glorious Gaelic Harp
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The Gaelic or Celtic harp was a glorious musical instrument and one of the greatest symbols of the civilised Gaelic world. Today and since gaining Independence, the beautiful ancient harp is the national symbol and emblem of Éire.
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Ireland is the only nation in the world that has a musical instrument as its national emblem. This shows the importance with which the people have always held musicians and the ability of music and sound to change consciousness and unite hearts and minds.

The harp, cruit or cláirseach was likely used throughout much of the island’s and Celtic Europe's history - in battle, ceremony, for relaxation and in celebrations and feasts.

The Gaelic harp was made of oak and had precious metal strings and it was one of the most technologically advanced and extraordinary musical instruments of our world. The beautiful cláirseach reminds us of the sophistication, high culture and civilisation of the Gaelic and Celtic peoples.

The Celtic God of Gods was known as the Dagdha. He is said to have used a harp made of oak and the earliest records regarding the modern version of these beautiful stringed instruments come from the 6th century. Scholars believe that the earlier harps may have had gold and silver strings which likely enhanced the melodious sound and vibration of the Gaelic harp.

In the early 8th century AD, Brehon Irish law stipulated that bards and harp players should sit with the Kings and Queens or the Head of the Clan, the Chieftain or Taoisigh at important banquets and ceremonies. The beautiful vibration of sound inspired (in spirit) people and brought peace and joy to their hearts.

The harp was embraced by both traditions on the island of Eire and is now a symbol of unity and joy. There is a revival in harp playing in Ireland and around the world and annual Harp festivals take place every year now.  Music creates a spiritual energy which unites people in the family and in the community - small and large.
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The Rising Sun
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The rising sun and shining stars through the dark void symbolises consciousness and the dance between the forces of light and darkness. Everything is energy and the frequency of sound and light. The motif celebrates our consciousness, the light and energy of the sun, infinite space and divine intelligence.

It celebrates unity and a new dawn, a new day and new beginnings for Ireland and the world.

The Tree Of Life or An Crann Bethadh
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The Tree Of Life is one of the most beautiful, important and universal symbols that humanity has. It was common to many philosophies and spiritual traditions throughout the world. It is an archetypal symbol of balance, fertility, strength, abundance and unity.

An Crann Bethadh as it was known to the Gaelic Irish and which means Tree of Life or the "Feeding Tree" in ancient Éire. It was seen as vital to the very existence of human beings. Trees were vital to daily life as they provided shelter from rain, storms and sun, wood for housing, utensils, furniture, tools, weapons, essences for medicines and of course fuel for heating and cooking. They depended on trees as they were the home to much of the flora and fauna - the animals, flowers, herbs and bees which provided honey and pollinated the plants from which much of their food came from.
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Ancient Brehon Law or the “law of the land” which may be a few thousand years old and lasted until the early 17th century, saw all the people as stewards of the land. Brehon law protected the trees, land and nature. It stipulated that cutting branches or chopping down a tree would result in having to pay compensation or a fine.
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The Tree of Life symbolised the strength, divine intelligence and abundance of nature. The Éireannach or people of Ireland had deep gratitude and revered nature. They held sacred the immense power of mighty trees such as oaks, yews and ash trees and their huge branches and massive root system that lay beneath the trees and were mini eco systems.

The most sacred of trees was the oak or the ‘dair’ in ancient Gaelic. It is believed that both the word druid and our modern word ‘door’ comes from this ancient Gaelic word. It was seen as the door to heaven or the other world.

The oak tree was revered by the people, the druids who were the spiritual leaders and the queens and kings. It is said that the Tree had four main branches that extended to the North, South, East, and West. It could be cut down but it was so fertile that it always grew back quickly.

The Tree of Life is usually depicted having beautiful sacred geometry. In a balanced symmetry - “as above, so below” - the branches grow wide and high into the Sky and the roots grow deep down into the Earth.

People throughout history saw the Tree of Life as symbolising the power of nature combining to create cycles, balance, harmony and abundance.

The Tree of Life in spiritual and religious texts represents paradise, wisdom, abundance, happiness and the love of God. The Tree of Life and its eternal fruit is promised as a reward to those who transcend selfish base human instincts and the shadow self and live in harmony with each other and nature.

The Tree of Life is common to Judaism and Christianity. It first appears in the Bible in the Book of Genesis as the source of eternal life in the Garden of Eden: “The tree of life was in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.”

In the Book of Proverbs, the Tree of Life is associated with wisdom and with that wisdom comes happiness: "Wisdom is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her, and happy is every one that observe her."

In the Islamic tradition, the sacred tree is known as the "Tree of Immortality" which never decays if it is taken care of and respected - it is used as an example and an ethical way or code of life.

Germanic and Scandinavian peoples had deep respect for trees and a massive world tree. Accounts have survived of Germanic Tribes honouring sacred trees - sacred oak groves, the Sacred tree in Uppsala, the wooden Irminsul pillar and Thor's Oak. In Norse Mythology, sacred apples provide immortality for the gods and Odin became enlightened at a giant ash tree, as did the Buddha in Bodh Gaya in India.

The Mayans believed the sacred tree was a connection to heaven. In ancient Egypt, it was seen as symbolising life, death and rebirth. Taoists in China believed that a Tree of Life was a magical peach tree and that eating a sacred peach from this tree makes one light and strong and could lead to immortality.

Shamanic traditions see the Tree of Life as representing the lower world, middle world and upper world. Many see the Tree of Life as connecting the energy of Mother Earth and Father Sun and the Heavens - the divine feminine and the divine masculine. A beautiful union which connects all forms of creation in the never ending sacred circle or cycle of life.

Our ancestors, like indigenous people today, revered  their environment and their natural world.  They lived in harmony, protected and nurtured their trees, flora and fauna thereby creating healthy and abundant ecosystems for all.