King Lir had four children with his first wife who passed away. He remarried a woman named Aoife, who grew jealous of the love Lir had for his children. One day, Aoife took the children swimming and used her magic to turn them into swans. They were cursed to spend 300 years on one lake, 300 years on one sea, and 300 years on another sea, until they heard the sound of a Christian bell. After 900 years and much hardship, the children finally heard the bell and were turned back into humans.