Irish Dads: Celtic fathers and their stories

Stepping out of a long shadow

The quintessential Irish Mother can cast a long shadow - from books to twitter feeds to TV and Movies. But what about ‘himself’? Whether he is known as Dad, Daddy, Da, Pappa, the Old Man, the Aul Fella, or the Big Fella - the Irish Dad deserves some love.

Father’s Day in Ireland

One day he is sure to get some deserved attention is Father’s Day. Here in Ireland, Father's Day is celebrated on the third Sunday in June, and it is a relatively new celebration. But unlike elsewhere, Father’s Day is not an official public holiday in Ireland. Official holiday or not, the Irish have certainly embraced Father’s Day and many households around the country will mark the day this year.

At last count there were over 600,000 dads in Ireland. On Father’s Day, families will gather across Ireland to celebrate their father or father figures. The day is typically marked by shared meals and stories, with a fair amount of homemade cards and gifts to add to their collections of golfballs, socks, ties and novelty mugs!

Stories of Irish Fathers

Although Father’s Day is a relatively new celebration, honoring fathers is by no means a new tradition. A 4000 yr old Babylonian inscription in clay from a son wishing his father "good health and a long life" could be considered a sort of proto-Father’s Day card! And stories and myths that celebrate Fathers and Father figures abound in Irish culture.

A devoted dad

There is the famous Irish story of King Lir, the devoted father who abandons his castle to live by a lake to be near his children after they were cursed by their evil stepmother.

A hero dad

Many people will report their dad as one of their heroes, but the ultimate hero dad in Irish mythology must be Lugh.

Also known as The Celtic God of Light, Lugh was a near unbeatable warrior, talented with a spear or harp. He is credited with teaching the Irish people how to harvest. He also must have shared a few tricks with his son, the most famous of Irish warriors, Cú Chulainn. Lugh reportedly revived his wounded son on the battlefield in the famous The Cattle Raid of Cooley - Táin Bó Cúailnge. With his father's help, Cú Chulainn was able to fight on and eventually win the battle.

The ultimate father

The Dagda, also known as “ochaid Ollathair” or great father, was King of the Tuatha De Danann. The Tuatha De Danann were a supernatural race the Celts believed ruled ancient Ireland. The Dagda was a mythical figure of immense power with the ability to control life and death, the weather, time and the seasons.

He was the ultimate provider. His magical cauldron was said to be bottomless, from which no person left hungry. His children include the Celtic goddess Brigid, and the story goes he is buried at Brú na Bóinne, site of the famous Newgrange.

Happy Father's Day

Irish Dads these days are less fixated on battle than some of their Celtic forbears. But they are still there to support and lend a hand or impart some useful knowledge.

How do you plan to celebrate him this year? You may wish him a Happy Father’s Day in gaelic or present him with a gift that he is sure to treasure forever? Let us know below.

And of course Happy Father’s Day or ​​"Lá na n-Athaireacha Sona" to all you devoted dads out there!