Song of the Sea

On the remote island, Conor and Bronagh raise their two children, Ben and Saoirse. Bronagh disappears after Saoirse is born, seemingly dying in childbirth. Six years pass, leaving the lighthouse family to adjust to a quieter rhythm with Saoirse mute and Ben protective.

Conor and Saoirse share a tender, quiet bond as the sea beyond the lighthouse hums with memory. Ben grows protective and wary of his little sister, testing boundaries and claiming Cú as his constant companion. Life remains intimate, precarious, and deeply rooted in the home they have built.

Saoirse's birthday marks a turning point when Granny visits and casts doubt on the lighthouse as a place for children. A seashell gifted by their mother draws Saoirse to a white sealskin coat hidden in Conor's closet. When she slips into the coat, she becomes a selkie and slips toward the sea, leaving Ben and Conor frightened. Granny discovers her on the seashore, and Conor locks the coat away before hurling it into the depths; the family is removed to Dublin.

During the journey from Granny’s mainland home to Dublin, Ben sketches a map of the route to reunite their fractured family. Cú remains behind at the lighthouse, his loyalty a quiet thread through the upheaval.

On the eve of Samhain, the siblings slip away from Granny’s house to return for Cú. The coat’s power threads them toward the sea, and their bond keeps them moving through a perilous night.

A trio of daoine sí abduct Saoirse and drag her to a hidden lair beneath a bushy roundabout. They hope she can wear the coat and sing her way back to their homeworld, but Macha’s watchful owls draw danger. The owls strike the shelter, and the trio is turned to stone while Ben and Saoirse manage to escape.

The escape unfolds as the trio slips toward the lighthouse and the coat’s former resting place. Cú answers the call and swims across the strait to rejoin them. Ben and Saoirse press on, their perilous journey underscored by the looming threat of pursuit.

In the rain-drenched hours, Ben and Saoirse take shelter in a remote hut, where Saoirse sinks into a holy well. Ben becomes separated and finds himself in a cave where the Great Seanachaí awaits with a tale of ancient grief. The sage reveals how Mac Lir’s heartbreak could flood the world and why Macha hides her feelings in glass jars.

A flashback reveals Bronagh’s secret selkie life, returning to the sea so Saoirse could be born safely. Ben witnesses Bronagh sacrifice her own safety for her child and begins to understand Macha’s grief-driven actions.

Ben tracks Saoirse to an attic, apologizes for his failures as a brother, and urges her to sing again. Saoirse’s song shatters the jars imprisoning Macha’s feelings, softening the witch’s heart. With Macha’s emotions released, the trio—aided by two spectral hounds—plans to return to the lighthouse and restore balance.

Bronagh reappears to offer Saoirse the choice to stay or depart with her. Saoirse chooses to stay, embracing both human and magical heritage and removing the coat to seal the rift between worlds. Bronagh bids a tender farewell and returns to the currents she knows so well.

The family rebuilds a fragile balance, honoring Saoirse’s two worlds and finding a quiet, shared rhythm again. About a year later, Ben’s birthday arrives and they celebrate with the seals, rekindling their closeness and the courage to listen to the sea.