Audio podcast: 'Land of the Ever-Living Ones' author Anthony Murphy interviewed on LMFM radio

The otherworld under the great western ocean

A nice quote from Land of the Ever-Living Ones set against a beautiful backdrop. Feel free to download and share. For more information about my new novella, and my first work of fiction, you can see it on the following websites and pages:

Amazon.com - Buy the new book for Amazon Kindle.

Goodreads - Anthony Murphy author profile.

Facebook - Land of the Ever-Living Ones page.

Blog - The official blog site of Land of the Ever-Living Ones.

'Land of the Ever-Living Ones' a novella and my first work of fiction, published on Amazon Kindle

The cover of my new book.

I'm delighted to report that my first work of fiction, a novella entitled 'Land of the Ever-Living Ones' has just been published on Amazon Kindle and will soon be available in printed format. Inspired by Tír na mBeo, an old Irish name for the otherworld, it is a deeply spiritual and philosophical book which attempts to draw on ancient Irish wisdom and is an uplifting and inspirational work.

Land of the Ever-Living Ones is an extraordinary dialogue between an old man and a young boy that reaches into cosmic and spiritual realms. In one fireside conversation, they explore the universe with discussion about many different things, including natural phenomena, the mysteries of life and the question of what happens to us when we die. The old man (sean-draoi) has gained much knowledge and wisdom during his life, and readily imparts it to the eager young boy, who is full of questions.

Tír na mBeo (Land of the Ever-Living Ones) was an ancient Irish name for the otherworld, the home of deities, spirits and ancestors. It was believed to be a place where there is no sickness or old age and where happiness lasts forever. In this wide-ranging conversation, the man takes the boy on a journey into his own ancestral past, and through lesson, metaphor, story and dream, creates for him a stunning insight into his spiritual existence and his quest for eternity.

The journey is a magical and powerful one, evoking both ecstasy and melancholy, for lost ancestors, for the frailties of mankind, and for the sometimes harsh lessons of worldly life. However, it is an optimistic tale, one that stirs up great aspiration for the eventual destiny of the boy, and for all his kin.  Its central message is one of hope – a reminder that light will always emerge out of the darkness, and that all our struggles on this earth are not in vain.

'Land of the Ever-Living Ones' can be purchased for Amazon Kindle at this link:
http://www.amazon.com/Land-Ever-Living-Ones-Anthony-Murphy-ebook/dp/B00GPMOS0U/

Remember, if you like it, why not post a review on Amazon? Thanks a million.

The story of the slaying of the Mata at Newgrange - is this Ireland's original creation myth?

Some interesting thoughts on the story of the slaying of the monster known as The Mata, which took place at Newgrange. The monster was said to have been torn limb from limb and thrown into the Boyne. Is this Ireland's original creation myth?

A brilliant light appeared . . . going to the otherworld at Newgrange

A short quote from my soon to be released novella 'Land of the Ever-Living Ones', from a sequence where the sean-draoi (wise old man)  recounts an incredible experience that happened to him in Newgrange.

Help get Land of the Ever-Living Ones published

Self-publishing is not for the faint-hearted!! Writing a book is one thing. Editing it and proofing it and designing it for print and eBook formats is an entirely different thing! And then getting it printed and distributed is another matter also. You'd imagine a guy like me, who has been writing professionally for years, and who has been an editor of two different newspapers, would have no problems with all this. The truth is that I think I can write (I'll let you be the judge of that), and I think I can edit, and even design the book and get it ready for print. The one thing I seem unable to do is to raise the finance necessary to get it printed.

It won't cost me anything to upload the book to Amazon for the Kindle reader. Great. But it's a costly business trying to get a physical book printed. So I have come up with an idea. Why not ask my readers and followers and Facebook fans to donate towards this project? If you have a few dollars/euros/pounds (delete/add currency as required!) and would like to help me out, please hit the "donate" button. You can use PayPal or a Visa or credit card. I greatly appreciate anything you can do to help get this project completed.

More information about the book at the link below:
http://www.mythicalireland.com/landoftheeverlivingones/land-of-the-ever-living-ones.html

Coming soon - 'Land of the Ever-Living Ones'

A draft cover of my new novel.

I am glad to report significant progress on getting my next (third) book to print. It is my first foray into the world of fiction, and is a novella called 'Land of the Ever-Living Ones'. I am planning to release LOTELO (as I like to call it) as an eBook on Amazon Kindle, as well as a printed version, in November 2013.

Here is a synopsis of the book: Land of the Ever Living Ones is an extraordinary dialogue between an old man and a young boy that reaches into cosmic and spiritual realms. In one fireside conversation, they sweep the universe with discussion about many different things, including natural phenomena, the mysteries of life and the question of what happens to us when we die. The old man (sean-draoi) has gained much knowledge and wisdom during his life, and readily imparts it to the eager young boy, who is full of questions.

Tír na mBeo (Land of the Ever-Living Ones) was an ancient Irish name for the otherworld, the place to which the soul was believed to have gone after death. In this wide-ranging conversation, the man takes the boy on a journey into his own ancestral past, and through lesson, metaphor, story and dream, creates for him a stunning insight into his spiritual existence and his quest for eternity. The journey is a magical and powerful one, evoking both ecstasy and melancholy, for lost ancestors, for the frailties of mankind, and for the sometimes harsh lessons of worldly life. However, it is an optimistic tale, one that stirs up great hope for the eventual destiny of the boy, and for all his kin.

I will keep you posted about when the book is available to purchase.

New film about remembering our ancient ancestors

This is a short film about communing with ancient ancestors at the 5,000-year-old sacred site of Dowth, a cairn built, according to legend, on the command of the king of Ireland, Bresail. The film is set to the beautiful and haunting music of Pádraigín Ní Uallacháin, from her album 'Songs of the Scribe'. I hope you enjoy it.

Fascinating and precise alignment of Ireland's sacred sites including Newgrange, Hill of Tara and Slane

NEWGRANGE ALIGNMENT

There are some extraordinary alignments of ancient sites in Ireland. Two of these are now documented in new videos on Mythical Ireland.

The first involves Newgrange, perhaps the most famous of Irish monuments, with other sites which sit precisely along the winter solstice axis. You can read about the alignment and watch the video here:

http://www.mythicalireland.com/videos/Fourknocks-Newgrange-alignment-Google-Earth.html

BRIGID'S WAY ALIGNMENT

The recently launched Brigid's Way Celtic Pilgrimage, which followed a route from Faughart in Louth to County Kildare was tracing out the route of a precise alignment of ancient sites discovered by Richard Moore and I during research for our book 'Island of the Setting Sun'. Read more about how this alignment was discovered, and watch a ten-minute video about the discovery at this link:

http://www.mythicalireland.com/Brigids-Way/Brigids-Way-Celtic-Pilgrimage-alignment.html



I have added some pictures from the first day of the pilgrimage here:

http://www.mythicalireland.com/Brigids-Way/Brigids-Way-Celtic-pilgrimage-pictures.html

QUOTE OF THE DAY

"It is good work," cried all the De Danaans, "we will stay and do it, but Brigit must go to Moy Mel and Tir-na-Moe and Tir-nan-Oge and Tir-fo-Tonn, and all the other worlds, for she is the Flame of Delight in every one of them."

"Yes, I must go," said Brigit.

"O Brigit!" said Ogma, "before you go, tie a knot of remembrance in the fringe of your mantle so that you may always remember this place--and tell us, too, by what name we shall call this place."

"Ye shall call it the White Island," said Brigit, "and its other name shall be the Island of Destiny; and its other name shall be Ireland."

From Celtic Wonder Tales, by Ella Young (1910), illustrated by Maud Gonne.

Best wishes from Ireland,
Anthony Murphy,
www.mythicalireland.com
www.newgrangeireland.com

Two forthcoming talks on Newgrange and astronomy

With Imbolc only around the corner, I am delighted to announce that the talks tour for 2013 is about to kick off. I will give my first talk since 'Newgrange: Monument to Immortality' was published next Saturday, February 2nd, in Rostrevor, for the St. Bronagh's School of Celtic Studies. For information on the talk, and for directions to the venue, see the following website: http://celtic-spirituality.net/2013/01/st-bronagh-school-of-celtic-studies-2-february-2013/

On the following Monday, February 4th, I will be giving a talk to the Northern Ireland Amateur Astronomy Society in Ballyclare, Co. Antrim, at 8pm. See information about the venue etc at the NIAAS website here: http://www.eaas.co.uk/cms/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=140%3Afebruary-2013-meeting&catid=3%3Aclub-news-a-events&Itemid=12

The topic will be Newgrange and Ireland's Ancient Astronomers, covering material from both of my books. I will have copies of both Island of the Setting Sun and Newgrange: Monument to Immortality on sale at both of these talks.

New Boyne Valley interactive map launched

A screen shot of the new Boyne Valley interactive map. © Anthony Murphy

A brand new fully interactive map of the Bend of the Boyne (Brú na Bóinne) monument complex has been launched over at Mythical Ireland. The map features many newly discovered monuments and landscape features and other possible ancient structures which heretofore haven't been included on maps of the area.

The map is Flash based and hovering over each site gives information about what type of monument it is and in some cases a bit of the mythology of the site as well. The new Mythical Ireland interactive Boyne Valley map includes exciting features only recently revealed by archaeological imaging techniques such as LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging) and gradiometry.

Included are the Dowth causeway, a suspected raised routeway running from Dowth passage-tomb towards the giant Dowth Henge. Also featured is the Rossnaree enclosure, which was discovered during archaeological digging in 2010. The map can be found on Mythical Ireland.