The Legend
Irish goddess of the River Boyne
Any journey to our artisan distillery, located by the River Boyne, alongside the kingfishers and the herons, instills in the soul a sense of mysticism. Legend has it that the Irish goddess Boann created this river.
Boann is the Irish goddess of the River Boyne, a river in the province of Leinster, Ireland. According to legend she was also the wife of Nechtan, then leader of the Tuatha dé Danann.
Nechtan was a very powerful figure who ruled over vast amounts of land and in particular he ruled over the ancient Well of Segais. Nine sacred hazels of wisdom surround this well, all blooming and fruiting in the same hour. It is told that anybody who feasted on the hazelnuts that fell into the well, or drank its crystal clear waters, would be granted knowledge and a poetic tongue.
One day Boann went walking with her Irish wolfhound, Dabilla and though forbidden to by her husband, she approached the ancient well where she challenged its power by walking around it widdershins, causing the waters to surge up violently and rush down to the sea, thus creating the River Boyne.
In this catastrophe, she was swept along in the rushing waters and lost an arm, leg and eye and ultimately her life, in the flood.
The River Boyne has been known since ancient times and despite its short course, it has huge historical, archaeological and mythical importance, all of which are deeply engrained in Irish culture.
—
SHE CIRCLES THE WELL TWO TIMES IN VAIN, THEN CIRCLES A THIRD TO TEMPT THE SAME. FIVE STREAMS RISE HIGH IN HALLOWED FRIGHT, THE BEAUTY OF WISDOM NOW DIMS HER GOLD LIGHT.Boann and the Well of Segais
From the goddess of the River Boyne, we take our name. From the goodness of the Boyne Valley, we take our pure ingredients.
