Tadg, son of Nuada, was a

druid A druid was a member of the high-ranking priestly class in ancient Celtic cultures. The druids were religious leaders as well as legal authorities, adjudicators, lorekeepers, medical professionals and political advisors. Druids left no wr ...

and the maternal grandfather of Fionn Mac Cumhail in the

Fenian Cycle The Fenian Cycle (), Fianna Cycle or Finn Cycle () is a body of early Irish literature focusing on the exploits of the mythical hero Fionn mac Cumhaill, Finn or Fionn mac Cumhaill and his Kóryos, warrior band the Fianna. Sometimes called the ...

Irish mythology Irish mythology is the body of myths indigenous to the island of Ireland. It was originally Oral tradition, passed down orally in the Prehistoric Ireland, prehistoric era. In the History of Ireland (795–1169), early medieval era, myths were ...

. It is unclear whether his father was the short-lived High King Nuada Necht, the

god In monotheistic belief systems, God is usually viewed as the supreme being, creator, and principal object of faith. In polytheistic belief systems, a god is "a spirit or being believed to have created, or for controlling some part of the un ...

Nuada Airgetlam of the

Tuatha Dé Danann The Tuatha Dé Danann (, meaning "the folk of the goddess Danu"), also known by the earlier name Tuath Dé ("tribe of the gods"), are a supernatural race in Irish mythology. Many of them are thought to represent deities of pre-Christian Gaelic ...

, or another figure of a similar name. Nuada Airgetlam is usually the father of Tadg with a mortal woman. He lived on the hill of Almu. Tadg had a daughter,

Muirne Muirne or Muireann Muncháem ("beautiful neck") was the sister of Uirne and the mother of Fionn mac Cumhail in the Fenian Cycle of Irish mythology. She had many suitors, but her father, the druid Tadg mac Nuadat, had foreseen that her marriage ...

, who was sought after by many suitors, including Cumhal, leader of the

Fianna ''Fianna'' ( , ; singular ''Fian''; ) were small warrior-hunter bands in Gaelic Ireland during the Iron Age and early Middle Ages. A ''fian'' was made up of freeborn young men, often from the Gaelic nobility of Ireland, "who had left fosterage ...

, but he refused them all, having foreseen that his daughter's marriage would result in the loss of his ancestral seat. But Cumhal abducted Muirne, so Tadg appealed to the High King,

Conn of the Hundred Battles Conn Cétchathach (), or Conn of the Hundred Battles, son of Fedlimid Rechtmar, was a legendary High King of Ireland who is claimed to be the ancestor of the Connachta, and through his descendant Niall Noígiallach, the Uí Néill dynasties, w ...

, who outlawed and pursued him. Cumhal was killed in the Battle of Cnucha at the hand of

Goll mac Morna Goll mac Morna (or Goal mac Morn) was a member of the fianna and an uneasy ally of Fionn mac Cumhail in the Fenian Cycle of Irish mythology. He had killed Fionn's father, Cumhal, and taken over the leadership of the fianna, but when Fionn grew up ...

, who took over leadership of the Fianna, but Muirne was already pregnant. Tadg rejected her and ordered his people to burn her, but Conn prevented this and sent Muirne away into the protection of an ally. Muirne's son, Fionn, was born and brought up in secret, and when he grew up he took the leadership of the Fianna from Goll, and demanded satisfaction for his father's death from Tadg, threatening war or single combat if he was refused. Tadg offered him his residence on the hill of Almu, and Fionn accepted. Tadg's other daughter Uirne was transformed into a dog by the queen of Dal n-Araide, and gave birth to two dogs, Bran and Sceólang.

References

* T. P. Cross & C. H. Slover (eds) (1936), ''Ancient Irish Tales'' * James MacKillop (1998), ''Dictionary of Celtic Mythology'' * Fenian Cycle Druids {{europe-myth-stub