Born into the Boland family in Co. Tipperary of 1869, Bridget met and married Michael Cleary in August, 1887. Let Cillian Murphy read you a bedtime story ... *Editor's Note: This column first appeared in the October 14 edition of the Irish Voice newspaper, sister publication to IrishCentral. Children of Lir. There is well-known Irish nursery rhyme that’s sung: “Are you a witch, or are you a fairy / Or are you the wife of Michael Cleary?” The story of the woman in question, however, is far from the stuff of children’s bedtime stories. Even today, children still hear of some of these stories in school or in Irish fairytale books. We’ve picked out a few of our favourite Irish folklore stories that have been passed down for centuries. The Children of Lir is a well known legend that can be recounted by ay Irish school child and most adults too.