The story continues, Medb is determined to take the brown bull of Cooley by force and she gathers her troops to march to Ulster.

We continue this week with the epic story of the cattle raid of Cooley. This one will stretch over a few episodes. Cosy up and enjoy.

We join the bards after they have returned to Éire with their tails between their legs after having spent a year in Scotland - against Guaire's advice - seeking and failing to find the story of the Táin Bó Cúailnge for Marvan.

I spent the weekend in Gort and Kinvara in the beautiful county of Galway, and what do you know, King Guaire's castle is in Kinvara. A little about the Cuckoo Fleadh in Kinvara and then back to the bards.

Seanchán and crew head off to Scotland in search of the Táin Bó Cualigne.

The tides have turned and Seanchán is going to get a taste of his own medicine.

This coming weekend we celebrate Bealtaine, or May day, a sacred fire festival midway between Ostara - the spring equinox and Litha - the summer solstice. Tune in to hear more about this tradition.

The shenanigans of the rock star poets of Ancient Éire continue. This week we see Seanchán getting into it with the mice and with Irusan, the King of Cats.

The shenaigans continue and Guaire knocks it out of the park producing every outrageous desire of the bards - but are they happy? Not on your nelly!

This week I am continuing with Imtheacht na Tromdhaimhe or as I call it, the rock star poets of Ancient Ireland. 

Wait til you hear some of their requests and the hoops that their poor host Guaire had to jump through lest he be satirised for failing!

In ancient times, it was believed that a poet could cause death by satire, so poets and bards were treated with the highest of respect and not a little fear, and boy did they abuse it. They were the rock stars of their day. This is the first of a series from Imtheacht na Tromdhaimhe - The Proceedings of the Great Bardic Institution, published by The Ossianic Society in 1857.