Dearg-diulais are vampires that take the form of a stunning woman to lure man and feed on them by sucking their blood. This vampire creature is a part of the Irish folktales that usually haunt sad places to look for heartbroken men. The legend of dearg-diulai varies depending on the region. In Waterford they believe that the dearg-diulai seduces men and then sucks their blood while in Antrim a dearg diulai is a name given to a troubled spirit who cannot find peace at the afterlife, she was able to find a beautiful woman and eventually took control of her body. This creature is also popular in Country Kerry as a woman that haunts a certain road. There is a story about a certain drunken man who encountered this creature, but instead of running he blessed the dearg-diulai and prayed for her soul. The creature was released from her curse and finally found peace.
There is also a story about a male dearg-diulai. The story is about a town leader that was so cruel to his people. Abhartach cruelty spread throughout the other land and Cathan who was the chieftain of the next town decided to slay him. Cathan was successful in getting rid of the vile ruler and Abhartach was buried upright which is based on the Celtic tradition. But not long after his death, he rose from his grave and attacked the villagers and drank their blood. Cathan killed him for the second time. But Abhartach returned from the living again, but this time Cathan killed him with a sword made out of yew, which was believed to be embedded with magical powers to repel the elements of the undead. The villagers decided to bury him upside down. His casket was also covered with mountain ash that possesses the same magical power as the yew. No more disturbances were recorded after that time.
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Dearg diulai is also called as Deamhain fhola, Dearg Diliat, Dearg Dul, Deamhan, etc. The legend of dearg diulai may be derived from the Celtic warriors who drank their blood. According to Celtic myths, one does not transform into this creature all of a sudden. It is said to be a result from a continuous eating of human as a food.
