Why all about deirdre ?

about me

Why would anyone spend time creating a website about absolutely nothing but the name Deirdre? I do not want to color inside the lines, I want to run with scissors, make faces that might freeze my face, splash around in the rain puddles and ... my name is Deirdre.

Actually, this "project" is the result of research into the Irish/Celtic/Gaelic name and the legend of Deirdre of the Sorrows. It was a story I and my best friend, (believe it or not - also a Deirdre) had heard bits and pieces of for many years. We were never quite sure of the real story and being the absolute internet geek that I am, I set out to discover as much as I could about the our namesake and the Legend of Deirdre. As my online research progressed, I discovered there were several variations of the old myth but they all shared the same common theme. A beautiful woman, promised in marriage to a King, hopelessly in love with another man and ending quite tragically. The heroine of a tragic Irish legend. Deirdre, the betrothed of the king of Ulster, eloped with one of the three sons of Uisneach. All three sons were slain by the king and his henchmen while Deirdre was unharmed and left to mourn them. Two well known writers have based works upon this legend - William Butler Yeats in "Deirdre", and J. M. Synge in "Deirdre of the Sorrows".

Why mother named me Deirdre?

I am unsure if my mother knew of the legend when she named me. I have spent several years asking her WHY she chose a name for me that quite literally translates to sorrow. She has yet to give me a coherent answer. It's not that I dislike my name, in fact it is quite the contrary - I was just confused about the origin. This site is to help other Deirdres understand the legacy of the name and laugh at the many ways our name is mispronounced and misspelled. I've seen the list of alternate names mother had selected for me ... I'd much rather be a Deirdre than Bebe. There is no Legend of Bebe.