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Beara: Dark Legends Part One
A ‘Gaelic Noir’ mystery with “Ireland’s Greatest Mythology Detective.’’
In the mist-shrouded landscape of the Beara peninsula, nobody knows much about reclusive historian Muiris (Mos) O’Súilleabháin except that he doesn’t share his secrets freely. Mos, however, has a “sixth sense for history, a unique talent for finding lost things”.
Shunning the bustle of modern society, Mos keeps his colleagues at a distance, until presented with a challenge he simply can’t refuse – uncovering the final resting place of legendary Irish hero, Fionn mac Cumhaill.
Meanwhile, in the quiet solitude of 1960s Beara, retired farmer Diarmuid O’Súilleabháin grapples with his own demons as he finds himself burdened with the care of his traumatized nephew. Delving into the mysteries that surround his brother’s brutal death, Diarmuid uncovers a darkness that threatens to engulf them all.
With two investigations that unravel the fabric of legend, Beara Dark Legends explores a world where ancient myths intertwine seamlessly with modern life.
And a place where boundaries between past and present, between myth and reality, can simply fade away.
Beara: Dark Legends – Part 1 is a gripping tale of mystery and suspense, steeped in the rich tapestry of Irish culture and ‘mythology’. With its Gaelic Noir atmosphere and pulse-pounding thrills, this is not the Ireland you thought you knew.
In the mist-shrouded landscape of the Beara peninsula, nobody knows much about reclusive historian Muiris (Mos) O’Súilleabháin except that he doesn’t share his secrets freely. Mos, however, has a “sixth sense for history, a unique talent for finding lost things”.
Shunning the bustle of modern society, Mos keeps his colleagues at a distance, until presented with a challenge he simply can’t refuse – uncovering the final resting place of legendary Irish hero, Fionn mac Cumhaill.
Meanwhile, in the quiet solitude of 1960s Beara, retired farmer Diarmuid O’Súilleabháin grapples with his own demons as he finds himself burdened with the care of his traumatized nephew. Delving into the mysteries that surround his brother’s brutal death, Diarmuid uncovers a darkness that threatens to engulf them all.
With two investigations that unravel the fabric of legend, Beara Dark Legends explores a world where ancient myths intertwine seamlessly with modern life.
And a place where boundaries between past and present, between myth and reality, can simply fade away.
Beara: Dark Legends – Part 1 is a gripping tale of mystery and suspense, steeped in the rich tapestry of Irish culture and ‘mythology’. With its Gaelic Noir atmosphere and pulse-pounding thrills, this is not the Ireland you thought you knew.
208 pages, Paperback
Published March 31, 2025
About the author
Brian O'Sullivan
31 books110 followersBrian O'Sullivan was born in county Cork, Ireland. On completing a degree at University College Cork, he went on to travel extensively. He is now based in New Zealand with his family but returns to Ireland on a regular basis.
Brian writes fiction that incorporates strong elements of Irish culture, language, history and mythology. These include literary short stories (The Irish Muse collection), mystery thrillers (The Beara Trilogy) and contemporary versions of the Fionn mac Cumhaill/ Fenian legends (The Fionn mac Cumhaill Series and the Irish Woman Warrior Series).
Although he writes predominantly for an Irish audience, Brian's unique style and humour has meant that his books have become firm favorites of readers all around the world.
The sixth book in the the Fionn mac Cumhaill Series (Fionn: The Betrayal) was released in April 2025.
The author is currently working on the next book in the Beara Series.
Brian writes fiction that incorporates strong elements of Irish culture, language, history and mythology. These include literary short stories (The Irish Muse collection), mystery thrillers (The Beara Trilogy) and contemporary versions of the Fionn mac Cumhaill/ Fenian legends (The Fionn mac Cumhaill Series and the Irish Woman Warrior Series).
Although he writes predominantly for an Irish audience, Brian's unique style and humour has meant that his books have become firm favorites of readers all around the world.
The sixth book in the the Fionn mac Cumhaill Series (Fionn: The Betrayal) was released in April 2025.
The author is currently working on the next book in the Beara Series.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
September 23, 2025
I've mostly read O'Sullivan's Irish historical/mythology adventures as I really enjoy them and I've never attempted to read this book (series?) as it seemed a very different genre.
Wow. Did I get that wrong.
The story is a kind of mystery thriller spread over two different timelines, but it still has much to do with mythology. The main character (Mos) is a strange sort of academic who seems to specialise in the Fionn mac Cumhaill legends. As a result, he's hired to find an ancient relic linked to the mythological hero, unaware that there is another murderous academic who's chasing it as well.
Meanwhile, back in the sixties, an old farmer is forced to adopt his nephew who seems to be pursued by an ancient Irish monster (Puca).
I really enjoyed this story, which veers from scary-exciting to 'laugh out loud' funny at times. The only downside is that it finishes abruptly and you have to get book two to finish the story. I'd already done that before I finished Part 1. The book is really that good.
Wow. Did I get that wrong.
The story is a kind of mystery thriller spread over two different timelines, but it still has much to do with mythology. The main character (Mos) is a strange sort of academic who seems to specialise in the Fionn mac Cumhaill legends. As a result, he's hired to find an ancient relic linked to the mythological hero, unaware that there is another murderous academic who's chasing it as well.
Meanwhile, back in the sixties, an old farmer is forced to adopt his nephew who seems to be pursued by an ancient Irish monster (Puca).
I really enjoyed this story, which veers from scary-exciting to 'laugh out loud' funny at times. The only downside is that it finishes abruptly and you have to get book two to finish the story. I'd already done that before I finished Part 1. The book is really that good.
September 22, 2025
A very unusual kind of detective story with a mythological basis set on the rugged Beara peninsula of southern Ireland. The author clearly knows his local history and culture. Some quite beautiful writing is interspersed with snippets of Gaelic but not in a way that's distracting. If anything, it adds to the authenticity of the read.
Overall, the characters are very human and engaging, the dual mysteries are intriguing and the subtle history lesson on the Fenian stories of Fionn mac Cumhaill is informative without being overbearing. Overall, this reads like a slower-paced version of the De Vinci Code but with far more interesting characters and a far more emotional set of mysteries.
I'm just hoping the follow up is just as good.
Overall, the characters are very human and engaging, the dual mysteries are intriguing and the subtle history lesson on the Fenian stories of Fionn mac Cumhaill is informative without being overbearing. Overall, this reads like a slower-paced version of the De Vinci Code but with far more interesting characters and a far more emotional set of mysteries.
I'm just hoping the follow up is just as good.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews