The Dublin premiere of Siamsa Tire's Clann Lir at the Civic Theatre, Tallaght on Monday received prolonged and enthusiastic applause and deservedly so. It has taken two years to arrive from Tralee but, despite the smaller stage which forced the scaled-down sweet-toned musicians into the front row of the auditorium and slightly limited the movement of the chorus, the story of the four children turned into swans by their jealous stepmother was just as moving and exciting at a second viewing.

Once again I was enchanted by the way the chorus created the wooded shores and the surface of Lake Derravaragh. The choreography by Mary Nunan and the Core Group created the intimate body language and dialogue, expressed by the feet, between Lir and his children, repetition of which instantly identified each swan. Above all I loved the combination of Irish traditional footwork and the arm and body movements of contemporary dance which so beautifully suggested the swan's agitated flutterings, their steady wingbeat in flight formation and their battling against storms over the Sea of Moyle. Anne Herbert's Fionnuala and Jonathan Kelliher, Honor Hurley and Justin Walsh as Aedh, Fiachra and Conn made utterly believable swans and the four children who played the same characters at the beginning and end of their lives were admirable. Michael Murphy played an endearing Lir and Sinead Nolan was a sinuous and scheming stepmother.

The singers providing the voices of the dancers were all excellent, Ben Hennessy's Ogham-inscribed stones again became rocks and a dolmen, symbolising celtic Pearly Gates and again Jimmy McDonnell's lighting was both dramatic and helpful in transformation sequences. Oliver Hurley, artistic director and one of the original swans, can be proud of his company.

Continues until Saturday (for bookings tel: 01-4627477).

Clann Lir then plays at the Everyman Palace, Cork, March 19th-24th and Town Hall Theatre, Galway, 29th-31st.