A
What is Ben's father's job and where does he live?
Conor, a lighthouse keeper, lives on an island with his son Ben, his pregnant wife Bronagh, and their Old English Sheepdog Cú in 1980s Ireland.
What happens to Ben's mother Bronagh one night?
Bronagh disappears late one night, presumably dying after giving birth to a daughter named Saoirse.
What is the situation six years later?
Six years later, Conor is broken, Saoirse is mute, and Ben is hostile toward Saoirse, blaming her for Bronagh's disappearance.
Who visits them on Saoirse's birthday and what's her opinion about the lighthouse?
On Saoirse's birthday, they are visited by their grandmother, who regards the lighthouse as an unfit place to raise the children.
What story does Ben scare Saoirse with?
That night, Ben scares Saoirse with a story of Mac Lir and his mother Macha, the Owl Witch, who stole his feelings and turned him to stone.
Who and what is a selkie?
Later, Saoirse plays a seashell horn given to Ben by their mother, leading her to a white sealskin coat in Conor's closet. She puts on the coat and walks to a group of seals in the sea, revealing herself as a selkie.
In Celtic and Norse mythology, selkies are mythological beings capable of therianthropy, changing from seal to human form by shedding their skin. They are found in folktales and mythology originating from the Northern Isles of Scotland.
What happens on Halloween?
On Halloween, Saoirse plays Ben's seashell, alerting the Faeries called "Na Daoine Sídhe" to her. She and Ben attempt to go home, but encounter the Faeries, who hope she will allow them to return to the Tír na nÓg. However, they are attacked by Macha's owls, turning the Faeries to stone. The siblings flee the spot and take a country bus, and run into Cú, who had followed them.
Why is Saoirse growing ill and what do they do to cure her?
However, Saoirse is growing ill, due to not having her seal coat and being away from the ocean. They come across a holy well into which Saoirse dives into. Ben follows her and meets the Great Seanachaí
What do they learn from the Great Seanachaí?
the Great Seanachaí: they learn Saoirse was kidnapped by Macha, and she is mute because she needs the coat and will soon die if she does not get it back. He gives Ben one of his hairs that will lead him to Macha. As he follows the hair, it shows him that Bronagh – a selkie herself – was forced to return to the ocean on the night of Saoirse's birth, leaving her husband and children behind.
Who speaks out to warn Ben to avoid the jars, tell him to be careful and brave, and wish him good luck?
Since Ben found the truth, the walls of hair open, showing him a way out and to the house. The Faeries who turned to stone speak out to warn Ben to avoid the jars, tell him to be careful and brave, and wish him good luck.
What is Macha determined to do and why?
Ben then meets Macha, who explains that when Mac Lir suffered from a broken heart, she turned him into an island near their home. She is determined to do likewise for everyone, even herself, to spare them pain
Where does Conor attempt to take Saoirse to?
Ben manages to rescue Saoirse, giving Macha back her feelings and allowing her to recognize that taking away feelings doesn't help. She helps to fly them back home along with two Faerie dogs, and Conor attempts to take Saoirse to a hospital.
Why does Ben dive into the sea and how does he do it?
Ben dives into the sea in search of Saoirse's coat and recovers it with the seals’ help.
How does Saoirse get her voice and what happens next?
After Conor brings him on the boat, Saoirse's coat is put on her, and her voice surprises Ben and Conor. Saoirse's coat changes her into a little seal. Ben rides on her back and his father rides on another seal's back to Mac Lir's island.
How does Saoirse restore her health?
The group is then washed up on Mac Lir's island, but Saoirse's health is not fully restored. Ben tries to get Saoirse to sing, and she eventually sings the Song of the Sea. The song causes Saoirse's health to be fully restored, along with the faeries and spirits whom Macha had turned to stone, and opens the way to Tír na nÓg.
Who appears to take Saoirse to Tír na nÓg with her?
Bronagh appears to take Saoirse to Tír na nÓg with her, but Ben and Conor plead to let Saoirse stay with them, because she's all they have.
Why does the choice rest with Saoirse?
Since she is half-human, the choice rests with Saoirse, who elects to remain behind with her father and brother, even though it means giving up her selkie powers and becoming fully human, if Bronagh takes Saoirse's coat to untangle their worlds.
What happens to Bronagh?
Accepting her daughter's decision, Bronagh takes her coat. Conor tells Bronagh that he loves her so much, and they kiss. Ben asks Bronagh to stay as well, but she is unable to and tells him to remember her in his stories and songs and that she'll always love him, before kissing her son's forehead.
Where does Granny finally arrive and what news does she hear?
After a tearful farewell, Ben and his family happily return home to their island, where Granny finally arrives, and Conor tells her he's now well enough to take care of the children.
What happens in a mid-credits scene?
In a mid-credits scene, the family is shown happily painting a mural of their home, Bronagh, and the Faeries; celebrating Ben's birthday; and Ben and Saoirse, now closer than ever, go swimming with Cú and the seals in the ocean.