Some years ago, my husband and I took a tour of the Rathcroghan archaeological site in County Roscommon. Rathcroghan was once the scene of great assemblies, where the people of Connacht gathered to feast, bury their important dead, and crown their kings. Our guide spoke in passionate detail about how this settlement was home to famous Iron Age warrior queen, Medb of Connacht. He took us to a sacred mound where kings were inaugurated. Standing up on that hill in the battering wind and rain, we learned more about Medb. Not just the man-eating, cow-stealing villain I had heard about, but also a much-worshipped sovereignty goddess. Up on that hill, I felt like I was meeting her in person. Next, we visited one of the better-known monuments on this landscape, the Cave of the Cats. Our ancestors considered this one of Ireland’s chief portals into the Sídhe, or Otherworld, home of the Irish gods. It was here that another Irish goddess, Morrígan, queen of phantoms, was said to dwell with her monsters. A goddess, again much misunderstood, who had defended Ireland from demon invaders.
I couldn’t understand why I hadn’t heard these stories before. Growing up, I would have loved them. I had a keen interest in Greek mythology but at school was only taught about a few magical Irish women, often portrayed as temptresses or villains in a mortal hero’s story, and never as powerful gods. I wondered how many other gods might exist, in this secret Irish pantheon. And I felt something had been stolen from me.
After that trip I learned that, today, Irish children still know more about Greek gods like Athena and Zeus, who they learn about in school, and Norse gods like Thor and Loki – the heroes of many popular books and Marvel movies – than they do of Éire, our country’s fierce namesake, Dian Cécht, the divine healer, or Bé Chuille, the demon slayer. Irish children deserve to know the stories of Irish gods, preserved for them by their ancestors.
I felt that these ancient tales could not only enrich our cultural identity, but if they were interpreted through a contemporary lens, could be of real benefit to modern children. This conviction inspired me to write about the hidden pantheon of Irish gods. And I wanted to start with the goddesses – who had been most villainised and overlooked.
To sketch out my stories about these authentic Irish goddesses, I drew from over thirty medieval Irish texts, plus works in folklore, Celtic studies, literary critique, and botany – too numerous to list here. From the get-go, I could see the contemporary relevance in their ancient tales, and I knew how I wanted to retell them for today’s young readers. That felt very exciting.
However, I still just wasn’t sure if I had the right to tell these stories. My background was in journalism, and I wrote freelance for the Irish Independent, Irish Times, and other media. Imposter syndrome was holding me back from fully committing myself to the endeavour.
This is where Vanessa O’Loughlin and her writer’s resource – Writing.ie – came in. I saw that Vanessa offered private consultations and this hugely appealed to me because what I needed, before anything else, was a creative counselling session!
Vanessa couldn’t have been more encouraging. Here was a bestselling author (under pen name, Sam Blake) telling me she liked my idea, that it had legs, and that I didn’t need to be a folklorist to write it. She reminded me that these stories didn’t stem from academics, but storytellers. And as a storyteller in my own right, I could offer a new take on an ancient tradition.
So, on I went poring through ancient texts to place myself inside the minds of these goddesses – to shape the stories of a giant who overcame the bullies that body-shamed her; a gender-fluid goddess and Ireland’s first female high king. From mermaids and fashionistas to super-scholars and athletes, I was proud to craft the stories of empowering, inclusive goddesses.
Later in the process, Vanessa gave me advice on structuring the book for publishers and how to put together a submission package for non-fiction. Vanessa even connected me with a published children’s author, Olivia Hope, who kindly peer reviewed my book. Her generous feedback gave me further belief in my writing, and the value of my work.
Soon after, I signed with super-agent Lauren Gardner at the wonderful UK literary agency, Bell Lomax Moreton and following a five-way bidding war, Girls Who Slay Monsters, Daring Tales of Ireland’s Forgotten Goddesses, was bought by HarperCollins Ireland. I couldn’t have hoped to work with a better team. Commissioning editor, Catherine Gough, believed in this book as much as I did, and had an unparalleled vision for the book. Catherine teamed me up with the award-winning illustrator, Shona Shirley Macdonald who created illustrations that portray real, raw feminine power.
And most recently my book, Girls Who Slay Monsters: Daring Tales of Ireland’s Forgotten Goddesses, won a prestigious Irish Book Award.
But it was a long road to get here. Being an aspiring author is a lonely, doubt-ridden existence. So, connecting with authors and industry leaders like Vanessa, in the early stages of a project, for a sense of community and hopefully, some shared belief, can make the difference between giving up along the way or bringing a book to market.
(c) Ellen Ryan
About Girls Who Slay Monsters: Daring Tales of Ireland’s Forgotten Goddesses
Winner of the Specsavers Children’s Book of the Year Award (Senior) at the Irish Book Awards 2022.
Unsung stories from ancient Irish myths re-imagined for nine to twelve-year olds
Have you heard of Eithne the supernatural scholar or Fand the shape-shifting eco-warrior?
What about Bé Mannair, a gender-fluid spy who challenges an entire army, or Bé Binn, a giantess who gets her own back on her bullies?
From mermaids and fashionistas to athletes and farmers, meet goddesses of all shapes and sizes from Ireland’s ancient myths. Stand by their sides as they wield magic, fight monsters, and protect the powerless – and you might discover that you, too, are a force of nature.
Order your copy online here.
