The foray of Queen Meave, and other legends of Ireland's heroic age

The foray of Queen Meave, and other legends of Ireland's heroic age by De Vere is a collection of narrative poems written in the late 19th century. It versifies key tales from Ireland’s Heroic Age—Deirdré and the Sons of Usnach, the Children of Lir, and the Táin Bó Cuailgné—uniting careful antiquarian framing with vivid, dramatic storytelling about figures such as Cuchullain, Queen Meave, Fergus, Conor, and Naisi.

The opening of the volume provides a substantial preface that situates the poems in early Irish tradition, outlining the sources and variants of the Táin Bó Cuailgné, sketching the Ulster Cycle’s heroes and ethos, and reflecting on the transmission of pagan legends through Christian scribes. It contrasts the epic sweep of the Táin with the tragic cast of The Sons of Usnach, touches on the Children of Lir and the Tuatha Dé Danann, compares Irish legend to Scandinavian saga, and urges wider publication of Irish manuscripts. It then opens The Sons of Usnach: Deirdré is born under a dread prophecy; King Conor hides her to claim as queen, but she meets Naisi, they pledge themselves, and with his brothers Ainli and Ardan she flees to Alba, where they hunt, sing, and war before making peace. Later, Conor lures them home through Fergus’s guarantee; a courtier detains Fergus by oath, while Deirdré foresees doom; the brothers reach Emain Macha, refuse Conor’s feast, and take refuge in the Red Branch House, where intrigue and mob assault mount—Levarcam warns them, Conor’s spy confirms Deirdré’s undimmed beauty, Buini betrays them, and Illan fights loyally as the siege begins.