The piece is written for a storyteller and a singer, the "O Iriu" chorus is a chant of invocation.

It is night. We sit about the fire, the mead flows freely. The soft sound of a drum begins...

Seanachie:

...And so it was that Míl and his people came out of the Eastern end of the world, and they travelled many long months until they came to Spain.

And Íth, the brother of Míl built on the Iberian shore a tower, where he loved to sit.

And one dimming, clear, chill winter evening, in a vision above the horizon, Íth saw a green, bright, speckled land, rich with pasture and wet with warm rain and flowing springs.

And Íth took ship on a voyage across the wide, ranging sea, and after many months he came to the land of his vision, the sacred land of Ireland.

And the Tuatha de Danann greeted Íth, and made him welcome, and he marvelled at the great, green, beautiful fruitfulness of their land, and they began to mutter in jealousy of this stranger.

And the wives of Bres - Fódla, Banba and Iriu - were Goddesses, wise women and seeresses, and they told the Children of Danu that because of Íth, the land of Ireland would be lost to them, and the de Danann rose up against Íth and his men and slaughtered them for fear of the loss of Ireland.

And the Sons of Míl knew that Íth had been slain, and the Sons of Míl and the sons of Íth - their Judge, Aimirgen; Donn, their King; the mighty warriors Eber and Iremon and Ir - took nine ships with their bright, terrible, fearful company to avenge the blood of their kin...

1. From far across the Eastern sea
   Beyond the land of Spain
   Nine ships out of the sun did sail
   Nine champions, the Sons of Míl
   To Ireland they came
2. Fair Aimirgen, the eldest son
   Had magics, Fili skills
   His brother Donn in jealousy
   For conquest thirsted mightily
   His warrior's heart did rage
3. Nine ships made landfall in the North
   On Ireland's green shore
   Bright Danu's kin had conquered here
   Had slaughtered Íth in rising fear
   That Ireland he'd take

1. Three Goddesses the men did meet
   Upon the wooded hills
   Met Fódla, Banba, Iriu
   Each asked "O Aimirgen, will you
   Call this land after me?"
2. They met MacCecht, called Son of Plow
   MacColl the Hazel-tree
   MacGrianne, Son of bright Day-star
   They cried "You break the rules of war,
   Give judgment, Aimirgen"
3. Then Airmirgen agreed to judge
   Donn shook his spear in rage
   "My judgment's made, and I will take
   Our ships upon the sea's deep wake
   Back to the Ninth Wave"

1. Donn climbed upon his ship's tall mast
   For Ireland to see
   Ír he had in madness slain
   And cursed now he raged in pain
   His foundering ship was lost
2. Then Aimirgen prepared a spell
   The Druid winds to still
   Three times around the island went
   Because of Druid enchantment
   Then Aimirgen did sing
3. Above the rising Druid winds
   On over pounding waves
   The Song of Aimirgen did climb
   Against dread magic, Fili's rhymes
   Upon the Ninth Wave

Ailiu iath nErend
Ermach muir mothuch
Mothach sliagh sreathach
Srethach coill ciothach
Ciothach ab essach
Eassach loch lionmar
Liondmar tor tioprav Tiopra tuath aenaigh
Aenach righ Temra
Teamair tor tuatha
Tuatha mac Míled
Míledh long, libern
Libern ard, Ere
Ere ard, diclass
Dichteal rogaeth
Ro gaes ban Breisi
Breisi, ban Buaigni
Be abdal Ere
Eremhon ortus
Ír, Eber ailsius
Ailiu iath nErenn

(translation)

I invoke the land of Ireland
Much-coursed be the fertile sea
Fertile be the fruit-strewn mountain
Fruit-strewn be the showery wood
Showery be the river of waterfalls
Of waterfalls be the lake of deep pools
Deep-pooled be the hilltop well
A well of tribes be the assembly
An assembly of kings be Temair
Temair be a hill of the tribes
The tribes of the sons of Míl
Of Míl of the ships, the barks
Let the lofty bark be Ireland
Lofty Ireland, darkly sung
An incantation of great cunning
The great cunning of the wives of Bres
The wives of Bres, of Buaigne;
The great lady Ireland
Eremon hath conquered her
Ír, Eber have invoked for her
I invoke the land of Ireland