or Fionn cycle or Ossianic cycle
Irish tales and ballads centring on the deeds of the legendary Finn MacCumhaill (MacCool) and his war band, the Fianna Éireann.
An elite volunteer corps of warriors and huntsmen skilled in poetry, the Fianna flourished in the 3rd century. Fenian lore attained its greatest popularity 0441; 1200, when its outstanding story, "The Colloquy of the Old Men", was written down. The cycle remains a vital part of Irish folklore and contains many of the country's best-loved folktales.