Due to its late centralisation basic cultural forms have changed, but slowly, and as a result this is one of the more important countries in Europe in terms of folklore. Small local communities have until recently relied on their own resources for education and entertainment. This, and the particular taste for style in Irish speech, can be counted as the major reasons for the elaborate nature of our storytelling. Few of the mythological stories of old Irish literature are found in the folklore of recent times, but there are some significant exceptions. Especially notable is the lore concerning the champion, Lugh, who survives the schemes of his tyrant grandfather, Balar 'of the destructive eye', and slays that formidable opponent.
People everywhere love stories of great heroes.
In Ireland, our hero-tales have been reinforced through the centuries by written texts. This is true of all versions of stories from the Ulster Cycle, or 'Ruraiocht', which have been current in folklore. Folk accounts of Fionn Mac Cumhaill are much more varied and numerous, combining tragedy, comedy and simple curiousity. The special popularity of Fionn-lore is due to the simple and catchy form of his adventures and also to the large numbers of late literary texts that focus on him and his warriors. The account of his fugitive youth, and of how he gained prophetic wisdom through tasting a mystical salmon, was known to Irish speakers in every part of the country.