Danu

Danu, Creator Goddess of the Celts and the Natives of the British Isles. She is one that is both Celtic and Irish, this can be seen in the fact that both tribes revere Her in place names. In the UK She has several names, Danu, Anu, but She is One despite the different names.

Due to the fact that Danu is revered by both tribes as Creator Goddess, this points to the fact that both tribes had common ancestors. Now we are talking at least 12000 years ago, if not earlier, before the original tribe split and half moved west to Ireland and Wales, while the other half moved East to become the Celts.

Life, Creator Goddess, Mother Earth, Great Spirit, Prosperity, Shaman. These are Her main governance, although some will also add Fertility, Harvest, Love, Crafts. In Ireland Her main Sacred site is the hills Dá chich Anu (The Paps of Anu), in County Kerry, Ireland.

Parallels can also be drawn between Danu and Tailtiu, the apparently original Mother Earth of Ireland. Sometimes Danu is also confused with Brid.
Morrigan

Morrigan, the Phantom Queen, Goddess of Death, War and Prophesy. Queen of the Shee, the Waling spirits who foretell a Death in the House. Chooser of the Slain. Sometimes She is known as The Morrigan, her Tripler Form. But just because she can transform into a Maid, Mother or Crone does not really alter the fact that Morrigan is still the same Goddess.

I am unsure how much reverence the Celts placed upon her, but the Irish did revere Her. So She may have been created after the original tribal split.

Other areas of governance She has been given are Water Goddess, Fertility Goddess, Goddess of Love. So the Phantom Queen of the Banshee is lovely and caring. I am sure She really appreciates that. Let us have a Quick look at one of the Myths that has survived. She had intercourse with the Dagda, Father of the Gods. And After the act She had to relieve herself, with such superhuman gusto that a river was created. Hmm. Interesting. So She had sex and went to the loo, so now her Bed and toilet are sacred sites, and based on this story she is a water, love and Fertility Goddess. By that count why is the same site not a sacred site of the Dagda? He was there as well. This is intresting only in the fact that Morrigan mated with the Dagda, thus She was not related to Him by Blood, She is not one of the Children of Danu. More likely the opposite Sister of Danu. In truth only part of this was Morrigan, part is from another War Goddess called Medb, who actually took part in the battles, rather than using Magic to influence the outcome.

The Plain of Muirthemne (near Dundalk, Co. Louth) is considered a sacred site because She fought the hero Cuchulainn whilst in the form of an eel, wolf and a red-eared heifer. This story is not the only one in Irish myths which is partly concerned with the ability of shape shifting, which does tie in well with the Irish belief of the Transmigration of the Soul. So Morrigan could shape shift, So why does no-one think that this should be one of the Governances of the Phantom Queen? Because maybe it is so beyond our thought patterns as to be pure fantasy. Yet Shaman throughout the world and ages have professed this. So Shaman and Shape-shifting should be classed as Hers. Even Her ability to transform from Maid to Mother to Crone and back again is Shape-shifting.

Brid

Goddess of the Land, Fertility of Crops, Crafts, and Healing. All of the crafts are Hers, Art, Music, metalworking, weaving, as well as the growing of crops and the raising of Cattle. The Virgin Goddess, where no man can gain admittance to Her main Temple in Kildare. It is said that County Kildare did not exist until She chose it as the Site of Her Main Temple.

Woman from all over Ireland went to Her Temple to ask for help if they were having trouble conceiving. Which points to the fact that the people also believed that Brid was also not just Fertility of Crops but Fertility of all things. She was the most Revered Goddess in Ireland, the original Patron of Ireland, so much so that the Catholic Church amalgamated Her into the Church as a Saint, just to get bums on pews, and then later when the people were settled with the grasp of the Church they revoked her Sainthood, and all but removed Her from the Church.

Another one who is classed as a Triplet, strangely all named Bridget, but these are just different aspects of the same Goddess. Imboc is her festival, pray for the fertility of the land in the coming year. The start of Spring.
Caer Ibormeith

Goddess of Dreams, Sleep, Visions (Kee’yair EE-bore-meeth (as in teeth) ) – Loch Bel Dragon, Newgrange. Another Goddess with the ability to transform herself, usually into a swan, and She also had the ability to teleport herself to another Place. In the story of Óengus She appeared in his room and sung him to sleep each night for 3 nights, not reappearing on the forth night, and then disappearing back to the Loch.

Caer was the Daughter of another God, …., and She was stunningly beautiful and very well gifted in Magic, rivalling that of Her Father. She also played the Harp.

She, if really needed, could be classed has a Moon Goddess.
Suz Leicteiribeoga

Goddess of Rock Music, Song writing and Inspiration. A new modern Goddess created by Danu, Morrigan and Brid. 2nd June is her day, just because.

Airmid

Goddess of Witchcraft and Herbal Lore, Daughter of Dian. Unrivalled in her knowledge of the use of Herbs, and it was her Fathers jealousy which caused the loss of knowledge about the uses of herbs by everyone but Airmid. Her sacred place is that of Her Father, Heapstown Cairn (The Well of Sláine), Co. Sligo.
Dian Cecht

The main God of Healing and Medicine and also a talented Smith, making a fully working silver arm for Nuada. In fact that he was so important to Medicine that the Irish legal tract, “The Judgements of Dain Cecht” lays down the rules regarding the treatment of the wounded, that the attacker must pay the cost, and that every wound, however small, had a price.

He was a jealous God, murdering his Son and mixing up the herbs which his daughter used so that no-one but her will know which herb is used for what purpose.

His sacred place is Heapstone Cairn, (The Well of Sláine), Co. Sligo
Flidais

Goddess of Wild Animals. Not a lot is known about Her, almost next to nothing, but unlike the Hunter type God, All wild animals are under Her protection, rather than all animals. Flidais ties in with the Shaman aspect of the Native Irish, and personally I have not worked with this Goddess as of yet, but sometime soon I will do.

As to sacred sites or dates, I do not know as of this time, but that may change, when I do Work with her, but the really wild places, if any exist still in Ireland, I am sure she could be found. Flidais is as close as the Irish ever got to the Horned God of the Celts, Cernunnos, yet she is Female, where most other Gods of this type in the main Pagan Faiths are male.
Labraid/Midir

God of the Underworld, and of the Ancestors. Bri Leith, County Longford, and also the Isle of Man. Samhain is His day, when we can commute with our Ancestors. This time was treated with great reverence, being one of the Main festivals of the Native Britons. Today it is nothing like it should be. Not much is known about Labraid (La-Braid), or the Underworld, but it is thought that when a person dies, they either go to the Otherworld or to the Underworld. In the Underworld the Kai, or Soul is judged and quite probably sent back to this world in another form, maybe Animal, Human or even Plant. This is the basic essence of the Native Irish belief in the Transmigration of the Soul.
Manannan

God of the Sea and Travel, Water, fishing, and it was Him who would take the chosen to Everisle, the Land of Eternal Youth. In the tale of Bran the Blessed Manannan tries to show Bran and his companions Everisle, when they are lured away. But Bran and company sail away. No-one gets to Everisle unless through him, unless the Fey decide to steal someone who is asleep upon a Fairy mound.

He drove a Chariot across the Seas around Ireland, and many sites are said to be sacred to the God of the Sea, including The Isle of Man, Sea: The Irish Sea, Waves: The Tonns, off Donegal Coast, and his symbol is the Triskele, which is the Flag of the Isle of Man.

It is Him who should have been on the beach during my first Vision, but alas, I am still here to tell the tale.
Ogma

God of Writing, Language and Magic. One of the original “Children” of the Dadga. The originator of the written word and creator of the Ogham, the original written script of the Native Irish. From His mouth to our ears.

The Ogham was said to be based on Latin, but this is pure fantasy and wishful thinking, because the Ogham was added to, to incorporate the Latin alphabet, has the original Ogham language had, for example, no P. A pure Native Irish language written on wooden staves and later on stone obelisks. Found mainly in the South and West of Ireland but as far a field as Scotland and France.
Neit

Irish God of War
Óengus

Irish God of Love – Newgrange

Etain

Irish Goddess of Horses, Healing Fertility Beauty – Brí Léith – County West Meath, Inber Cíchmaine
Dagda

Irish Great God – God of Magic, God of Time, Protector of Crops, Earth god of Life and Death – Uisnech (Tara), Brugh na Boinne (Newgrange) 1st November is said to be his day.

Lugh

Irish God of War, Possibly also a Sun God. Last of a long list of War Leaders of the Tuatha De Danann. As with all War Leaders, His festival is Lughnasadh – Lugh – 1st August where races are held for 2 weeks either side of the day in His honour. The first was Partholon.
Áine

Irish Goddess of Love, Summer, Wealth and Sovereignty. – The hill of Knocking (County Limerick) – Midsummer Night Feast – involving fire and the blessing of the land.
Medb

Irish War Goddess, who took part in battles. She is a Mother and Warrior and is also sometimes confused with Morrigan.

 
Some God/Goddesses are Celtic/Welsh and has such they have not been included within this list The four main ones are Bel – War God of the Celts, Brenwen – Love Goddess of the Welsh, Cernunnos – Horned Hunter God of the Celts, Rhiannon – Fertility and Justice Goddess of the Welsh. The change in the names used by the Native Irish could be due to the changing nature of the Language. Looking back over the last 1000 years, the English language has changed quite a bit, so over 7000 years how much would the Irish language have changed.