Ist Movement- geantrai.

Daybreak.  March Into Trouble.      Trouble (with a capital T.)      The Power and the Glory. 
The Rocks Remain.    Dusk  Sword of Light     Dark

2nd Movement- goltrai.

Warm Sweet Breath of Love.      Fantasia (My Lagan love)      King of Morning Queen of Day

3rd Movement- suantral.

Sideways to the Sun.     Drive the Cold Winter Away.      Ride to Hell

Produced by Alan O'Duffy and Horslips.  Engineer Alan O’Duffy.  Assistant engineer Robbie McGrath
Recorded and Mixed at Miracle Studios.  Cover Design Charles O'Connor.  Photography Ian Finlay.
Art Eric G. Bannister.  Make up Evelyn Lunney

John Fean.  Guitar, vocals.		Jim Lockhart.  Keyboards, flute, whistles.
Eamon Carr                               Drums, percussion.
	Barry Devlin Bass, vocals.	Charles O'Connor Fiddle, mandolins concertina, vocals.

T H E   B O O K   O F   I N V A S I O N S
(Leabhar Gabhala Eireann)

The Book of Invasions is a twelfth century chronicle of the various pre-Christian  colonisations of Ireland.
The race who occupied the country before our Gaelic ancestors were the Tuatha De Danann
-the Peoples of the Goddess Danann.
While their origins are unclear we do know that the Tuatha were a mystical race,
handsome and learned, elegantly dressed, expert in every art and science and supreme masters of wizardry.

In the Mythological Cycle their place is among the traditions of Immortals. In fact the Tuatha were so magnificent their existence embarrassed scholars who, when transcribing the legends centuries later did not know whether to regard them as men, demons or fallen angels.

Bravest of all peoples their leaders were wizards first and warriors second whose victories were gained more by superior
knowledge and magic than by warfare. The Agatha De Danann occupied the country and lived in relative peace from 3303 Age of the World until the coming of the Milesian warriors in 3500 Age of the World.

After their defeat at the Battle of Tailteann the Tuatha simply vanished from these islands. Tradition and popular belief has it that the Tuatha, through their esoteric powers, became the Sluagh Sidhe (Thc Fairy Host) and, taking their secrets and mysterious arts with them, entered an occult realm where they remain till this day.

A   C E L T I C   S Y M P H O N Y

In the old Ireland there were three principal categories of song, called geantrai, goltrai and suantrai—the joyous strain,
the lamenting strain and the sleep strain. When Lug was proving himself expert in every art before the Tuatha hierarchy his musical contribution was an immaculate performance of the three strains.Later, after the Second Battle of Moytura, Lug and The Dagda (The Good God)  pursue the Formorians who have stolen The Mighty One's harp.When the instrument is located the Dagda bids it come to him.  As it flies to his hands it kills those enemies standing in its path.
Then he plays the three strains and when the opposing host are sleeping,  
from the magic of the suantrai, he departs safely, taking his harp with him.

Ist MOVEMENT- GEANTRAI
WHEN GODS WALKED THE EARTH

"In this way they came, in dark clouds over the air, by might of druidry, and they landedon a mountain in Connaught. Thereafter the Tuatha De Danann brought a darkness over the sun and moon, for a space of three days and three nights.They demanded battle or kingship of the Fir Bolg".

                                                                                                                            The Book of Invasions.

The Fir Bolg, a race very much like the Picts, were then defeated in battle by the Tuatha
at the Plain of the Pillars (Moytura, co. Sligo). De Danann king Nuada lost an arm in the battle
but afterwards he had an artificial limb fitted by Tuatha craftsmen and became known as
Nuada of the Silver Hand.
Nuada also possessed one of four magic talismans brought to Ireland by the Tuatha.
These were The Stone of Fal which would cry out under a lawful king,
The Spear of Lug-to wield it meant victory;
The Sword of Nuada from which no enemy could escape
and The Cauldron of Dagda from which no one ever went hungry.
Many of the Tuatha's major personalities are identifiable with Celtic Gods
known to scholars from other sources. Nuada is probably the Nodens
who was worshipped at the Romano -British temple at Lydney Park, Gloucestershire.
Lug gave his name to various continental towns -Lyons, Leyden and Lausanne among them.
You also find the entire Tuatha cast in the Welsh Mabinogion—Lug as Lleu and Nuada as Nudd.
It wasn't until after the Second Battle of Moytura, and a victory over the loathsome Fomhoire,
ancient enemies of cosmic ordery that the Tuatha were able to live in peace.

The main theme of the first movement is "Ta 'na la" (Literally "It is day")
which started life as a traditional drinking song.
The subsequent tune, developing into the basic "Trouble" riff, is "Bnan Boru's March".
"Daybreak", on its reprise, jostles with "Toss The Feathers"
- a reel which metamorphoses into "Sword of Light".

2nd MOVEMENT-GOLTRAI

THE PURSUIT OF DIARMAID AND GRAINNE

Grainne, a pretty young girl is forced to marry the elderly Fionn mac Cumhaill.
At the wedding feast she drugs all the guests except Fionn's friend Diarmaid,
a warrior and ladies man, whom she places under "geassa" (a sacred magic obligation)
to elope with her. Though he is reluctant to betray his friend, Diarmaid is
compelled to obey. Their wanderings are filled with fantastic adventures and eventually
they become lovers. It takes the god Oenghus to make peace between the rivals and
Diarmaid and Grainne live happily together for years until one day,
while hunting a magic boar with Fionn, Diarmaid is mortally wounded.
Only Fionn has the power to save him but he prefers to take revenge and so Diarmaid dies.
The trio seem to have supernatural origins and it would appear we are witnessing
the rivalry between a younger and an older deity for the possession of a goddess.
It is also possible that this tragic tale was the source of the famous romance
of Tristan and Iseult.

The opening phrase of "My Lagan Love", a northern song, opens the second movement
and is developed in "Fantasia". in contrast a Clare jig, the "Kilfenora"
forms a backdrop to "King of Morning, Queen of Day".

3rd MOVEMENT-SUANTRAI

THE LIVING END

The Tuatha's reign ended when they were defeated by the Sons of Mil at
Tailteann, Co. Meath. The newcomers then divided Ireland in two.
The half that was underground became the Tuatha's and the other half was
given to the Sons of Mil. It has been argued that the Battle of Tailteann could have been
a bloodless affair because Tailteann~ was the site of the Tuatha's games and because
the Milesians are known to have been in awe of the Tuatha's druidic powers.
Their first confrontation was alarming for the Milesians who faced spectres and monsters
conjured by the Tuatha. Honourable in defeat, the Tuatha retired to a hidden world
parallel to ours where life, immortal, goes on as before.

Sian Cois Maigh", a slow air from co. Mayo introduces the third movement
and is then counterpointed with "Sideways to the Sun".
"Dnve the Cold Winter Away" is a Cavalier drinking song culled from the l 7th century
"Playford's Dancing Master"."

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