Sacrificial Aspects of The Myth
Richard Kearney (1988, p. 218) suggests that the Kathleen Ni Houlihan myth represents the view that the blood sacrifice of heroes is needed to free and redeem Ireland. At the same time, these heroic sacrificial martyrs are rewarded by being "remembered for ever" (Kearney, p. 218). This nationalist sacrificial mythology can be tied to pagan concepts of "seasonal rejuvenation" and the sacrificial aspects of Christianity in the Crucifixion and tradition of martyrdom (Kearney, p. 220). This use of sacrificial martyrdom can also be seen in various hunger strike used by Irish Republican Army prisoners in the 1980s and other periods (Kearney, ch. 11).
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