About the name
- Origin
- Irish
- English version
- Deirdre, Deidre
- Variants
- Deirdire, Derdriu
- Stronghold region
- Ulster
Overview
Tragic heroine of the Ulster Cycle tale 'Longes mac nUislenn' (The Exile of the Sons of Uisliu); foretold to bring ruin upon Ulster, she fled with Naoise but was forced back and died of grief.
The story behind Deirdre
Reared in seclusion to be Conchobhar's bride, Deirdre fell in love with the warrior Naoise and fled with him and his brothers to Scotland; lured back by false guarantees of safety, the brothers were treacherously killed; Deirdre, forced into Conchobhar's bed, killed herself by dashing her head against a rock.
Mythology & legend
Tragic heroine of the Ulster Cycle, foretold to bring ruin to Ulster.
Did you know?
Deirdre's tragedy is one of the 'Three Sorrows of Storytelling' in Irish tradition.
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