TUATHA  DE  DANANN  were the people of the goddess Dana in Irish mythology.  They were the last generation of gods to rule Ireland before the invasion of the sons of  Milesius, the ancestors of the present-day Irish.

 

The Tuatha De Danann overcame the Fomorii, violent and monstrous sea gods, at the second battle of Magh Tuireadh largely because of their superior magic.  They brought to Ireland four talismans:  the Stone of Fal, which screamed aloud when the rightful king of Ireland placed his foot upon it; the magic sword of Nuada, which was a weapon that could only inflict fatal blows; the spear or sling-shot of the sun god Lugh, which helped bring victory over the Fomorii; and the cauldron belonging to Dagda, father of the gods, which was an inexhaustible pot that was capable of satisfying every appetite.

 

Although the Tuatha De Danann were common to all Celtic peoples, in Ireland they were not entirely lost with the advent of Christianity.  Apart from having their exploits recorded by the monks who wrote down the Irish sagas, the Tuatha De Danann took up residence underground as the fairies.  On the ancient Celtic feast of Samhain, celebrated on the last day of October (our Halloween) to mark the new year, they were believed to allow mortals to enter their realm.