These essays were originally broadcast as a series of Thomas Davis lectures. The authors provide an introduction to the prose tales of ancient Ireland. Through their translations of these heroic sagas, a picture emerges of the worlds of the mythological cycle, with stories of the pre-Christian gods, the Ulster cycle of tales of great warriors, the Fenian cycle of inspiring noble youth, and the kingly cycle in which some historical figures have been vested with the immortality of legend. Contributors to the text include: D.A. Binchy, R.A. Breatnach, James Carney, Nora K. Chadwick, David Greene, Gerard Murphy, M.S. O'Brien, Brian O Cuiv, Mairin O'Daly and E.G. Quin.