“Och, house where we used to see music and playing and the gathering of people!  I think it a great change to see it lonely the way it is to-night.

“The greatness of the hardships we have gone through going from one wave to another of the sea, we never heard of the like of them coming on any other person.

“It is seldom this place had its part with grass and bushes; the man is not living that would know us, it would be a wonder to him to see us here.”

However, the children of Lir stopped that night in their father’s place and their grandfather’s, where they had been reared, and they were singing very sweet music of the Sidhe.  And they rose up early on the morning of the morrow and went to Inis Gluaire, and all the birds of the country gathered near them on Loch na-n Ean, the Lake of the Birds.  And they used to go out to feed every day to the far parts of the country, to Inis Geadh and to Accuill, the place Donn, son of Miled, and his people that were drowned were buried, and to all the western islands of Connacht, and they used to go back to Inis Gluaire every night.

It was about that time it happened them to meet with a young man of good race, and his name was Aibric; and he often took notice of the birds, and their singing was sweet to him and he loved them greatly, and they loved him.  And it is this young man that told the whole story of all that had happened them, and put it in order.

And the story he told of what happened them in the end is this.

It was after the faith of Christ and blessed Patrick came into Ireland, that Saint Mochaomhog came to Inis Gluaire.  And the first night he came to the island, the children of Lir heard the voice of his bell, ringing near them.  And the brothers started up with fright when they heard it “We do not know,” they said, “what is that weak, unpleasing voice we hear.”

“That is the voice of the bell of Mochaomhog,” said Fionnuala; “and it is through that bell,” she said, “you will be set free from pain and from misery.”

They listened to that music of the bell till the matins were done, and then they began to sing the low, sweet music of the Sidhe.

And Mochaomhog was listening to them, and he prayed to God to show him who was singing that music, and it was showed to him that the children of Lir were singing it.  And on the morning of the morrow he went forward to the Lake of the Birds, and he saw the swans before him on the lake, and he went down to them at the brink of the shore.  “Are you the children of Lir?” he said.

“We are indeed,” said they.

“I give thanks to God for that,” said he, “for it is for your sakes I am come to this island beyond any other island, and let you come to land now,” he said, “and give your trust to me, that you may do good deeds and part from your sins.”

They came to the land after that, and they put trust in Mochaomhog, and he brought them to his own dwelling-place, and they used to be hearing Mass with him.  And he got a good smith and bade him make chains of bright silver for them, and he put a chain between Aodh and Fionnuala, and a chain between Conn and Fiachra.  And the four of them were raising his heart and gladdening his mind, and no danger and no distress that was on the swans before put any trouble on them now.