At the Gates of Dawn

In early Irish society there existed an honoured group of people called the Filid. They preserved the native stories and they were learned in the magical arts. It is within this ancient tradition that Ella Young (1867-1956) lived her unique and creative life. In the late 1800s Ella began to gather the old tales that had been handed down from family to family for centuries. She lived among the rural folk in the West of Ireland and in the hills south of Dublin. As part of her devotion to Irish culture she learned Gaelic and, as a major contributor to the Celtic Revival, she taught classes in the language and the myths. Ella's spirituality reached deep into the land and into the heart of ancient Ireland. Others have called her a seeress, a druidess, or a witch - the magical name she gave herself was Airmid - the goddess of healing who drew her powers from the fertile green earth. She knew first-hand about the faery folk of Ireland - she heard their music and listened to their stories. Ella was truly blessed - for her life flowed in harmony with her beliefs, her nationalism, and her career as an author and lecturer. This new collection of her writings, edited and introduced by John Matthews and Denise Sallee, is a deeply magical and evocative tribute to Ella's many gifts, featuring some of the best of her poetry and mythical storytelling.