"All changed, changed utterly: a terrible beauty is born"

This is a statue of the Children of Lir in the Garden of Remembrance in Dublin and this is their legend:

   Lir was the sea-god who lived in a fortress.  After a great battle, there was a split among him and the new ruler named Bodearg.  To make matters worse his wife died. Bordearg felt sorry for him and offered him one of his foster children as a new wife.  Lir immediately set off to pick his bride and make ammends with the new ruler.

   The three girls he had to choose from were all very beautiful in different ways. He chose the eldest daughter Niamh, who had black hair, sparkling eyes and pale white skin. The wedding ceremony took place right there and there was much celebrating in the kingdom.  Lir, then returned home with his wife where they had a blissful married life.  Niamh gave birth to twins, a boy and girl.  The next year she died in giving birth to twin boys.

   The country was devastated. Bodearg offered Lir another of his foster children for a wife.  The middle daughter Aoife had red hair, hazel eyes and creamy skin.  They were married instantly and lived happily for a time. The new ruler was fond of the four children, as was the whole country, and they were much loved and adored by all.

   Aoife became increasingly jealous of her husband's love attention that he bestowed on his children and as her hatred grew, she plotted something terrible to regain Lir's full attention. One day she told the children she was taking them to visit her her father Bodearg at his castle.  Along the way she tried to bribe a charioteer to kill them, but he would not, so they continued on. They halted at the side of Lough Derravaragh, where she encouraged the children to swim.

   As each of the children swam passed, she touched them with a druid rod and cursed them, turning them into swans.  300 years at that lake, 300 years on the Sea of Moyle and 300 on the Western Ocean. She felt guilt almost immediately, but could not undo the spell so she granted each one intelligence and human speech and song.

   The whole country went in search of the missing children.  The charioteer, who also had a druid rod, turned Aoife into a demonic hag, who soared into the sky and was never seen again. One of the children found the father looking for her and explained what happened.  Lir and Bodearg shared their sorrow for three days and decreed no sawn to ever be killed in Ireland.  The people gathered to talk to the swans and listen to their songs.

   When their first 300 years were up they ventured to the Sea of Moyle where life became unpleasant with the wild sea, but they remained together. 300 years later they moved to the Western Ocean and although the waters were less wild, the storms were more harsh.  What's more, en route they were forced to fly over the land they once called home, that now lay in ruins. When at last their 900 years were up they flew home, waiting the sounds of the bell tower that would mean their release.  As the bells pealed, they sang the most beautiful joyous song and eagerly awaited to return to their youthful human forms.  However, when the bells ended and the feathers were shed, there were no youthful creatures, only 900 year old wretches who lived only moments and could make no sounds spare groaning pitifully.