Niamh
In Celtic mythology, Niamh was the daughter of Manannan mac Lir and Queen of Tir na nÓg. She fell in love with Oisín, poet and son of Fionn mac Cumhail, and went to Ireland on her horse, Embarr, to get him. Oisín was a member of the Fianna and, though he fell in love with Niamh and returned with her to Tir na nÓg, he became homesick after what he thought was three years. Niamh let him borrow Embarr, who could run above ground, and made him promise not to touch Irish soil. The three years he spent in Tir na nÓg turned out to be 300 Irish years. Whilst travelling through Ireland, Oisín was asked by some men to help them move a boulder. He tried to help them from his horse, but he fell, and upon touching the ground he instantly became an old man. Meanwhile, Niamh had given birth to his daughter, Plor na mBan. Niamh returned to Ireland to search for him, but he had died. The LÉ Niamh (P52), a ship in the Irish Naval Service, is named after her. Pronunciation: NEE-av or NEEV
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