Tadg, son of Nuada, was a

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

and the maternal grandfather of

Fionn mac Cumhail Fionn mac Cumhaill ( ; Old and mga, Find or ''mac Cumail'' or ''mac Umaill''), often anglicized Finn McCool or MacCool, is a hero in Irish mythology, as well as in later Scottish and Manx folklore. He is leader of the ''Fianna'' bands of ...

in the

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

Irish mythology Irish mythology is the body of myths native to the island of Ireland. It was originally passed down orally in the prehistoric era, being part of ancient Celtic religion. Many myths were later written down in the early medieval era by C ...

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

god In monotheism, monotheistic thought, God is usually viewed as the supreme being, creator deity, creator, and principal object of Faith#Religious views, faith.Richard Swinburne, Swinburne, R.G. "God" in Ted Honderich, Honderich, Ted. (ed)''The Ox ...

Nuada Airgetlam of the

Tuatha Dé Danann The Tuath(a) Dé Danann (, meaning "the folk of the goddess Danu (Irish 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 deity, ...

, 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 lips") 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 Cumhall (earlier Cumall, pronounced roughly "Coo-al" or "Cool") or Cumhall mac Trénmhoir ("son of Trénmór/Tréanmór" meaning "strong-great") is a figure in the Fenian Cycle of Irish mythology, a leader of the fianna and the father of Fionn m ...

, leader of the

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

, 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 (; "of the Hundred Battles"), son of Fedlimid Rechtmar, was a semi-legendary High King of Ireland and the ancestor of the Connachta, and, through his descendant Niall Noígiallach, the Uí Néill dynasties, which dominated Irela ...

, 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 a ...

, 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 Uirne, or Tuirn(e), ("sharp-mouth") was the sister of Muirne and the aunt of Fionn mac Cumhail in the Fenian Cycle of Irish mythology. The daughter of the druid Tadg mac Nuadat Tadg, son of Nuada, was a druid and the maternal grandfather of Fi ...

was transformed into a dog by the queen of Dal n-Araide, and gave birth to two dogs,

Bran and Sceólang Bran and Sceólang ("raven" and "survivor” ) are the hounds of Fionn mac Cumhaill in the Fenian Cycle of Irish mythology. The dogs are described as being mostly white, with purple haunches, a crimson tail, blue feet, and standing as tall as Fio ...

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