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The Cailleach and the Comet

In the summer of 2020, the Comet Neowise made a brief visitation to our skies. Here I have illustrated the spirit of the Cailleach watching this celestial body forge its path through the eternity of space while overseeing the age-old cairn at Loughcrew, itself testament to the human fascination with the infinity of our Universe. The Cailleach, the most ancient of the Deities of these parts, was the Goddess of Sovereignty and Winter, who was said to have formed the Cairns at Loughcrew from stones falling from her apron. Her stories are interwoven into the folklore, not only of Ireland, but also of Scotland and the Isle of Man.

Illustration from an original by Margaret McKenna