The Temple of Danann
salmon spiral clifts of Moher salmon spiral
A sword of light....

 
Lis Ard


  The gloomy mists of history have long hidden the bright glory of ancient Ireland. Centuries of brutal repression shattered her culture and scattered her sons and daughters. Though defeated in body perhaps, her spirit refused surrender. Then, with the turn of the last century, came a stirring. It began in the hearts of such poets as Yeats, Gregory, Carberry and others.
       It quickened the pulses of such Academic minds as Dineen, Rolleston, MacAlister, McManus and more. Slowly the scattered remains of a glorious civilization began to glimmer in feeble light. At our feet is a rich legacy of Law, Honor, and most important of all -Spirituality!
       Today, the mists are beginning to gradually fade. Increased awareness of Ireland's glorious heritage stirs in the hearts of her children. New brilliant minds and seeking spirits have joined the quest. Scholars work diligently to translate Old Irish manuscripts. Linguists study the Old and Middle Irish language with renewed vigor. Folklorists collect and study the tales of long ago with new and deeper insight. Archeologists work with relentless energy in sifting through the sands of time for the treasure that is revealed. From the many sources trickle the slowly, but inevitably growing collection of the fragments of once-again glorious people.
       As we painstakingly sift, collect and piece together the wispy strands of an ancient cloth, we are awed by its complex beauty and durability. In spite of past historical bias, we find a rich heritage of an Honorable, Law-abiding and Spiritual race that left its indelible mark on the modern world.
       Our Goal, within the Temple of Danann, is to continue to reclaim the rich spiritual birthright of our Irish ancestors. If you are one of the scattered children, or if you are simply captivated by things Irish, we bid you welcome. Explore our pages. Perhaps you too might find treasure. Perhaps you might find home.		  

 
The Temple of Danann The Library The Old Religion of Ireland
Clan Ragan

 
  Credits

The photos of the Irish coast of Moher and the Mound at Lis Ard are by Tom Knapp of Lancaster, PA. Travel here for more of his work.

The poem is an exerp from Mo Chraoibhin Cno --my cluster of nuts-- one of the folk names for Ireland. The work is by Ethna Carbery and can be found in its entirety in The Story of the Irish Race written by her husband, Seumas MacManus. An on-line version of her book, The Four Winds of Eirinn contains the poem and many others.