, 1899 Niamh or Niam, in the Irish Fenian Cycle, is the lover or spouse of Oisín, son of Finn mac Cumhail. In the story of Golden-headed Niamh or Golden-haired Niamh, an otherworldly woman who carried away Oisín to live with her in her domain of Tír na nÓg, the Land of Youth. She had two sons and a daughter with Oisín. After more than 300 years of living together, Niamh reluctantly allowed Oisín to visit Ireland, imposing on him a taboo not to touch the ground there, and once he did, he turned old and was unable to go back to see Niamh ever again. In the medieval version, Niamh was a mortal princess of Munster who eloped with Oisín to Ulster but committed suicide when her father's army arrived in pursuit.
Summary
The familiar story of Niamh of Tír na nÓg was described in a poem around 1750 attributed to Mícheál Coimín, and summarized as follows: This entire story of Niamh is told within the frame story of Oisín's dialogue with Saint Patrick.
The only Irish text preserved from the past which contains the story of Oisín and Niamh in Tír na nÓg is the poem LaoiOisín Ar Ṫír Na N-Óg "The Lay of Oisin in the Land of the Youth", composed around 1750 and attributed to Mícheál Coimín. The poem may have been based on lost traditional material, although the opposite may be true, and the poet may have largely invented the story working from very basic hints about Oisin and Caílte's journeys to the fairy mounds, as described in the Acallam na Senórach. It has even been suggested that the folktale the poet borrowed from may not necessarily be Irish, since foreign tales of the same theme are numerous and widespread. The story of Oisín's disappearance to Niamh's fairyland is regarded as one of several tales told to explain why Oisín was not killed in the Battle of Gabhra in which the Fianna were annihilated, and how he lived to tell his tale many centuries later.
Medieval version
In the oldest text, Niamh, daughter of Aengus Tírech, king of Munster, eloped with Oisín to Ulster, spending six weeks there, until the king arrived in pursuit with a great host. She thereby killed herself by burying her face in the ground, alongside thirty women. The spot was named the Well of the Women, and it was on the edge of the Lake of the Red Stag. The account is given in the Acallam na Senórach.
