History Of Ireland Part 3 of 6
XXIII.
When they had expelled the Tuatha De Danann, and brought Ireland under their own sway, Eibhear and Eireamhon divided the country between them; and, according to some historians, the division made between them was this: Eireamhon to have the northern half from the Boyne and from the Srubh Broin northwards, and Eibhear from the same boundary southwards to Tonn Cliodhna. Thus does the seancha speak of this division— Eireamhon and noble Eibhear, is the beginning of the poem:
On the northern side, an event without sorrow,
Eireamhon took sovereignty
From the Srubh Broin, noble the division,
Over every tribe to Boyne.
Eibhear, the prosperous son of Milidh,
Possessed the excellent southern half
He obtained from the Boyne, strong the division,
To the wave of Geanann's daughter.
Now, five of the principal leaders of the host of the sons of Milidh went with Eireamhon to his division, and received territory from him; and each of them built a stronghold in his own portion of the territory. The five leaders who went with Eireamhon are Aimhirgin, Goistean, Seadgha, Sobhairce, and Suirghe. Here follow the royal forts that were built by Eireamhon and by his five leaders. In the first place he himself built Raith Beitheach in Airgeadros, on the brink of the Feoir in Osruighe. Then Aimhirgin built Turloch of Innbhear Mor; Sobhairce built Dun Sobhairce; Seadgha built Dun Deilginse in the territory of Cuala; Gostean built Cathair Nair; Suirghe built Dun Eadair.
The following are the five who went with Eibhear, namely, Caicher, Manntan, En, Oige, and Fulman, and each of them similarly built a fort. First, Eibhear himself built Raith Eoamhain, in Laigheanmhagh; Caicher built Dun Inn, in the west of Ireland; Manntan built the stronghold of Carraig Bladhruidhe; En son of Oige built the fort of Ard Suird, and Fulman the fort of Carraig Feadha.
From Eibhear to Adam there were thirty-five generations, as the poet says:
With good upbringing, fifteen
And twenty generations,
The tribe of brave men lavish of herds
Up from Eibhear to Adam.
Other seanchas are of opinion that the division of Ireland made by Eibhear and Eireamhon was this: Eibhear to have the two provinces of Munster; Eireamhon the province of Connaught and the province of Leinster; and Eibhear son of Ir, son of Milidh, and others of the leaders who came with the sons of Milidh, to have the province of Uster; and the cantred of Corca Laighdhe, in south Munster, they gave to Lughaidh son of Ioth, the son of their grandfather's brother. This opinion I am the more disposed to accept as true, as it was in Leinster that Eireamhon's chief stronghold was situated, namely, Raith Beitheach in Airgeadros beside the Feoir, and also because the descendants of Eibhear originally settled in Munster, the descendants of Eireamhon in Connaught and Leinster, and the descendants of Rudhruidhe son of Sithrighe, who sprang from Eibhear son of Ir, son of Milidh, in Ulster. It is from this Rudhruidhe that the name Clann Rudhruidhe is given to the real Ultonians, and to every section of their descendants who went into each others provinces to seize upon land and to make conquests, such as the coming of the children of Rudhruidhe to Leinster to wit, the descendants of Conall Cearnach to Laoighis, and the descendants of Fearghus son of Rogh to Conmhaicne of Connaught, and to Corca Moruadh and Ciarraidhe in Munster and the family of Duibhidhir of the race of Cairbre Cluitheachar son of Cuchorb of the progeny of Labhraidh Loingseach, and the family of Rian of the race of Cathaoir Mor, who came from Leinster to Munster. It was long after this division which Eibhear and Eireamhon made of Ireland that these tribes went from their own territories into other districts in Ireland. It is also well known that it was in the time of Muireadhach Tireach that the three Collas with their kinsmen left Connaught to win conquests from the Ultonians, and wrested by force from them a large portion of the province of Ulster, namely, Modhairn, Ui Mac Uais and Ui Chriomhthainn; and many of their descendants hold possession of these to-day, as Raghnall son of Samhairle, Earl of Antrim, or Aondrom, descended from Colla Uais; Mag Uidhir Mag Mhathghamhna and O Hannluain descended from Colla Da Chrioch.
In the time of Cormac son of Art, also, the Deisigh, a tribe of the race of Eireamhon, came to Munster and acquired territory there. And it was while Fiachaidh Muilleathan son of Eoghan Mor, son of Oilill Olum, was king of Munster, that Cairbre Musc, a nobleman of the race of Eireamhon, brought a poem to Fiachaidh, and obtained all the land that lies between Slighe Dhala, that is, Bealach Mor Osruighe and Cnoc Aine Cliach, as a reward for his poem, as we read in the Book of ArdMacha; and it is from this Cairbre Musc that the name Muscruidhe Tire is given to the two Ormonds. And soon after this, some of the race of Eibhear came to Connaught, namely, the descendants of Cormac Gaileang, that is, the Gaileanga and the Luighni, of whom are O Headhra and O Gadhra in the northern half. And so it was with every family and tribe who migrated to another district in Ireland, it was not because of the division made by
Eibhear and Eireamhon they migrated; and hence I consider the last-mentioned opinion correct; for it is not likely that it was in the portion which fell to Eibhear in which Airgeadros is situated that Eireamhon would build his first royal fort, that is, Raith Beitheach in Airgeadros. Hence I think that it was in his own portion he built it, and that therefore the province of Leinster belonged to Eireamhon's portion, as the last opinion states.
A learned poet and a melodious harper, the name of the poet being Cir son of Cis, and that of the harper Onaoi, were amongst those who came with the sons of Milidh to Ireland. And Eibhear said that he should have them, while Eireamhon maintained that they should be his. Now the arrangement made between them was to share them with one another by casting lots for them, and the musician fell by lot to Eibhear and the poet to Eireamhon. And as a setting forth of this contest are the following stanzas from the Psalter of Cashel:
They cast lots fairly
For the noble poetic pair,
So that to the man from the south fell
The correct dextrous harper;
To the man from the north fell, too,
The poet of great powers;
And hence came sway
Over honour and learning,
String-harmony of music, beauty, quickness,
In the south arid lower part of Ireland:
Thus shall it be for evermore,
As is recorded in the seanchus.
There came to Ireland with the sons of Milidh twenty-four slaves who cleared twenty-four plains from wood after they had come into the country; and it is from themselves these plains are named. Here are the names of these men: Aidhne, Ai, Asal, Meidhe, Morbha, Midhe, Cuibh, Cliu, Ceara, Reir, Slan, Leighe, Lithfe, Line, Lighean, Trea, Dula, Adhar, Airiu, Deise, Deala, Fea, Feimhean, and Seara; and these names are precisely the names of these plains in Ireland at this day.
Moreover, Tea daughter of Lughaidh son of Ioth, the wife of Eireamhon, got a fortress built for herself in Liathdhruim which is now called Teamhair; and it is from Tea daughter of Lughaidh that this hill is called Teamhair, that is, the mur or house of Tea.
The sons of Milidh ruled Ireland jointly for a year, when a dispute arose between them about the possession of the three best hills in Ireland, namely, Druim Clasaigh in the territory of Maine, Druim Beitheach in Maonmhaigh, and Druim Finghin in Connaught. On that occasion a battle was fought between Eibhear and Eireamhon in Ui Failghe at Bru Bhriodain, at a pass between two plains in the district of Geisill. Eibhear was defeated in that battle; and he himself was slain, together with three leaders of his followers, namely, Suirghe, Sobhairce, and Goistean. The poet treats of this event, setting forth the cause of the dispute, as follows:
Banbha without grief shared
Eibhear and Eireamhon,
Till pride seized their wives,
A year without foray, without war.
The wife of Eibhear of the battles said
That unless she owned the fair Druim Clasach,
Druim Beithech, Druim Finghin bright
She would not remain a night in Erin.
Eibhear fell, great the man,
By Eireamhon son of Milidh;
He got his death-wound in the land of Geisill
In the morning on Magh Smearthoin.
The poet Tanuidhe, agreeing with the same statement, speaks thus:
Ye bards of renowned Banbha,
Know ye, or can ye tell,
Why the great battle was fought
Against Eibhear by Eireamhon?
I myself will tell you that—
The reason why he comnitted the fratricide,
Because of three low-lying hills,
The best that were in Erin:
Druim Finghin, fair Druim Clasaigh,
Druim Beitheach in Connaught;
In struggling for these, not bright the tale,
This slaughter was wrought, O bards.
XXIV.
Of the kings of the children of Milidh before the Faith and of the length of their sovereignty in Ireland as follows.
Eireamhon, after being a year in the joint sovereignty of Ireland with Eibhear, held the full sovereignty for fourteen years after Eibhear was slain in the Battle of Airgeadros, according to some seanchas, as this stanza says:
Fourteen years, I know it,
Did Eireamhon hold chief sovereignty
After the Battle of Airgeadros with valour,
Where Eibhear fell outright.
However, the common opinion of seanchas is, that it was not in the Battle of Airgeadros that Eibhear was slain, but in the Battle of Geisill, as we have stated above. It was in the time of Eireamhon that the following events took place. The Battle of Cuil Caicheir, a year after the death of Eibhear, it was there that Caicher, leader of the followers of Eibhear, fell by Aimhirgin son of Milidh; a year after that Aimhirgin was slain by Eireamhon in the Battle of Bile Theineadh in Cuil Breagh; and in that year also the nine Brosnas of Eile and the three Uinnses of Ui nOiliolla burst over land in Ireland. The third year after that Fulman and Manntan, two leaders of the followers of Eibhear, feIl by Eireamhon in the Battle of Breoghan in Freamhainn. Eight lakes burst over land in Ireland in the reign of Eireamhon, namely, Loch Cime, Magh Sreing being the name of the plain over which the lake burst, Loch Buadhaigh, Loch Bagha, Loch Rein, Loch Fionnmhaighe, Loch Greine, Loch Riach, Magh Maoin being the name of the plain over which it burst; Lough Da Chaoch in Leinster, and Loch Laogh in Ulster. The fourth year after this, Un, En, and Eatan were slain by Eireamhon in the Battle of Comhruire in Meath, and their graves were made there. In the same year the three Sucas burst over land in Connaught.
Some seanchas assert that it was Eireamhon who portioned the five provinces of Ireland among some of the leaders who were with him after the death of Eibhear. First he gave the province of Leinster to Criomhthann Sciathbheal of the Domhnanncha, a noble of the relicts of the Fir Bolg. He gave, moreover, the two provinces of Munster to the four sons of Eibhear, to wit, Er, Orba, Fearon, and Feargna. He gave besides the province of Connaught to Un son of Oige and to Eatan, two leaders who had come with him from Spain. Similarly he left the province of Ulster to Eibhear son of Ir, his own brother's son.
It was in the reign of Eireamhon also that the Cruithnigh, or Picts, a tribe who came from Thrace, arrived in Ireland; and according to Cormac son of Cuileannan, in his Psaltair, the reason of their leaving Thrace was that Policornus, king of Thrace, designed to force a beautiful marriageable daughter of Gud, chief of the Cruithnigh, while these latter were at free quarters in the country. When, however, Gud and his Cruithnigh suspected that the king was about toforce the maiden, they slew him, and accordingly quitted the country, and went from country to country till they reached France, where they were quartered and got lands from the king of the French, and there they built a city called Pictavium, from the Picts or Cruithnigh who built it. And when the king of the French heard of the fame of the maiden's beauty, he sought to have her as a concubine. When Gud heard this, he fled with all his people to Ireland with the maiden; and while they were on the sea the maiden died in their midst; and they themselves afterwards put into port at Innbhear Slainghe. Beda agrees with this, except that he says that it was in the north of Ireland they landed, in the first chapter of the first book of the History of the Saxon Church, where he says: The Pictish race came from Scythia, as is stated, in a small fleet of long vessels over the ocean and being driven by the force or blowing of the winds outside all the boundaries of Britain, came to Ireland; and on finding the Scotic race before them, they asked for a place of abode there for themselves, but obtained it not. {Contigit gentem Pictorum de Scythia (ut perhibent) longis navibus non multis oceanum ingressam, circumagente flatu ventorum, extra fines omnes Britanniae Hiberniam pervenisse, eiusque septemtrionales oras intrasse, atque inventa ibi gente Scotorum sibi quoque in partibus illius sedes petiisse nec impetrare potuisse.}’’
However, it was not in the north of Ireland they landed, but at the mouth of Innbhear Slainghe in the harbour of Loch Garman, as we have said. And Criomhthann Sciathbheal, who held the sovereignty of Leinster from Eireamhon at that time, came to meet them there, and entered into friendship with them.
The leaders of that fleet were Gud and his son Cathluan; and the reason why Criomhthann entered into friendship with them was because some British nobles, who were called Tuatha Fiodhgha, were making conquests in the Fotharta on either side of the mouth of the Slaney. Such were these people that the weapons of every one of them were poisoned, so that, be the wound inflicted by them small or great, no remedy whatever availed the wounded man, but he must die. Criomhthann heard that there was a skilful druid called Trostan amongst the Cruithnigh who could furnish himself and his people with an antidote against the poison with which the weapons of the Tuatha Fiodhgha were wont to be charged; and he asked Triostan what remedy he should use against the poison of the weapons of those people we have mentioned. ‘Get thrice fifty white homless cows milked,’ said Trostan, ‘and let the milk got from them be placed in a hollow in the middle of the plain in which you are wont to meet them in battle, and offer them battle on that same plain; and let each one of your followers who shall have been wounded by them go to the hollow and bathe, and he will be healed from the venom of the poison.’ Criomhthann did as the druid had advised, and fought the Battle of Ard Leamhnachta against the Tuatha Fiodhgha. He defeated and executed great slaughter on them in that place. From this event, and from the battle which took place, the battle has been called the Battle of Ard Leamhnachta ever since. And in proof of this account the poet has composed the following historic poem:
Ard Leamhnachta in the southern country
Each noble and bard may inquire
Whence is derived the name of the land
Which it has borne from the time of Criomhthann;
Criomhthann Sciaithbheal it was who fought,
To prevent the slaughter of his warriors,
Protecting them from the sharp poison of the weapons
Of the hateful, horrid giants.
Six of the Cruithnigh, God so ordained,
Came from the land of Thrace,
Soilen, Ulpia, Neachtain the noble,
Aonghus, Leathan, and Trostan.
God granted them, through might
To heal them from the sharp poison of the wounds,
And to protect them from the bitter venom of the weapons
Of the powerful, very fierce giants.
The true knowledge obtained for them
By the druid of the Cruithnigh, at once, was
That thrice fifty homless cows of the plain
Be milked in one deep hollow.
The battle was pressingly fought
Around the hollow where the new milk was,
And the battle went strongly against
The giants of high Banbha.
Now as to the Cruithnigh, that is, Gud and his son Cathluan, they resolved to invade Leinster; and when Eireamhon heard this, he assembled a numerous army, and went to meet them. When the Cruithnigh saw that they were not strong enough to fight Eireamhon, they entered into peace and friendship with him. Eireamhon told them that there was a country to the north-east of Ireland, and bade them go and occupy it. Then, according to Beda, in the first chapter of the first book of the History of Sacsa, the Cruithnigh asked Eireamhon to give them some of the noble marriageable ladies he had with him, some of the wives of the leaders who had come with him from Spain, and whose husbands were slain; and they bound themselves by the sun and moon that the possession of the kingdom of Cruitheantuath, which is now called Alba, should be held by right of the female rather than by that of the male progeny to the end of the world. Upon these conditions Eireamhon gave them three women, namely, the wife of Breas, the wife of Buas, and the wife of Buaidhne; and Cathluan, who was their supreme leader, took one of these women to wife; and after that they proceeded to Cruitheantuath; and Cathluan conquered that country, and was the first king of Alba of the race of the Cruithnigh. There were seventy kings of the Cruithnigh or Picts on the throne of Alba after him, as we read in the Psalter of Cashel in the poem beginning: All ye learned of Alba. Thus it speaks on this matter:
The Cruithnigh seized it after that,
When they had come from the land of Erin;
Ten and sixty very noble kings
Of those ruled the land of the Cruithnigh.
Cathluan, the first of these kings,
I will tell you briefly;
The last king of them was
The stout champion Constantin.
But Trostan the Druid and the five other Cruithnigh mentioned in the above poem, remained in Ireland after Cathluan, and got lands from Eireamhon in the Plain of Breagh in Meath. The fourteenth year after the death of Eibhear, Eireamhon died in Airgeadros at Raith Beitheach, beside the Feoir, and there he was buried. The same year the river called the Eithne burst over land in Ui Neill; and the river called Freaghobhal burst over land between Dal nAruidhe and Dal Riada.
XXV.
The three sons of Eireamhon held the sovereignty of Ireland after him three years. These were Muimhne, Luighne, and Laighne. They held the sovereignty jointly for three years till the death of Muimhne in Magh Cruachan, and till Luighne and Laighne were slain by the sons of Eibhear in the Battle of Ard Ladhrann.
The four sons of Eibhear, Er, Orba, Fearon, and Feargna, held the sovereignty of Ireland a part of a year, when they were slain by Irial Faidh son of Eireamhon, to avenge his two brothers Luighne and Laighne.
Irial Faidh son of Eireamhon held the sovereignty of Ireland ten years, for his three elder brothers had no issue. Besides, when Irial had assumed the sovereignty and attained to greatness and power, he slew Eibhear's four sons—namely, Er, Orba, Fearon, Feargna—to avenge his two brothers who had been killed by them.
Sixteen plains were freed from wood in Ireland in the reign of Irial. The following are their names :—Magh Reichead in Laoighis; Magh Neiliu in Leinster; Magh Comair, Magh Seiliu in Uibh Néill; Magh Sanais i Connaught; Magh nlnis, in Ulster; Magh Midhe; Magh Luinge in Ciannachta; Magh Teacht in Ui Mac Uais; Magh Fearnmhuighe in Oirghialla; Magh Foithin in the west; Magh Cobha in Ui Eachach; Magh Cuma in Ui Neill; Magh Cuile Feadha, Magh Riada, Magh nAirbhrioch, in Fotharta Airhbrioch, in Leinster.
Irial Faidh son of Eireamhon built seven royal forts in Ireland in his time, namely, Raith Ciombaoith in Eamhain; Raith Croichne in Magh Inis; Raith Bachaill in Lothama; Raith Coincheadha in Seimhne; Raith Mothaigh in Deagh-charbad; Raith Buireach in Sleachta; Raith Lochaid in Glascharn.
The year after that the three rivers called the three Fionns burst over land in Ulster. The following year Irial won four battles. The first battle was the Battle of Ard Ionmhaith in Teathbha, where Stime son of Dubh, son of Fomhor fell; the second battle was the Battle of Teannmhagh, which Irial fought against the Fomoraigh, where the Fomorian king, who was called Echtghe Ethcheann, fell; the third battle was the Battle of Lochmhagh, where Lughroth son of Mogh Feibhis fell; the fourth battle was the Battle of Cuil Marta, where he defeated the four sons of Eibhear. Hence, and to narrate these events, is the poem which begins with this stanza:
Irial, the youngest of the children,
Son of the king of Fodhla of curled hair,
King of Sliabh Mis, king of Macha,
Won four hard battles.
The second next year after this Irial Faidh son of Eireamhon died at Magh Muaidhe, and was buried there.
Eithrial son of Irial Faidh, son of Eireamhon, held the sovereignty of Ireland for twenty years. In the time of this Eithrial seven plains were cleared of wood in Ireland, namely, Teannmhagh in Connaught; Magh Lioghat and Magh mBealaigh in Ui Tuirtre; Magh Geisill in Ui Failghe; Magh Ochtair in Leinster; Lochmhagh in Connaught; Magh Rath in Ui Eachach; and after he had been twenty years on the throne of Ireland he was slain by Conmhaol son of Eibhear in the Battle of Raoire in Leinster.
Conmhaol son of Eibhear held the sovereignty of Ireland thirty years; and he was the first king of Ireland of the race of Eibhear. Now this Conmhaol defeated the descendants of Eireamhon in twenty-five battles. The following are nine of these battles: to wit, the Battle of Ucha; the Battle of Cnucha; the Battle of Eile; the Battle of Sliabh Beatha; and the Battle of Geisill, where Palap son of Eireamhon fell; the Battle of Sliabh Modhairn, where Samhra son of Ionbhoth fell; the Battle of Loch Lein, where Mughroth fell; the Battle of Beirre; and the Battle of Aonach Macha, where Conmhaol himself fell by Eibhear son of Tighearnmhas of the race of Eireamhon; and he was buried on the south side of Aonach Macha in the place which is called Conmhaol's Mound at this day.
Tighearnmhas son of Follach, son of Eithrial, son of Irial Faidh, son of Eireamhon, held the sovereignty of Ireland fifty years, or according to others sixty years; and this monarch won twenty-seven battles over the descendants of Eibhear, namely, the Battle of Eille, in which Rochorb son of Gollan fell, and the Battle of Cumar, the Battle of Magh Teacht, the Battle of Lochmhagh, in which fell Deighiarna son of Goll son of Gollan, the Battle of Cuil Ard in Magh Inis, the Battle of Cuil Fraochain, the Battle of Athghart in Seimhne, the Battle of Ard Niadh in Connaught, and the Battle of Carn Fearadhaigh, in which Fearadhach son of Rochorb, son of Gollan, fell, the Battle of Cluain Cuasa in Teathbha, the Battle of Comhnuidhe in Tuath Eibhe, the Battle of Cluain Muirisc in the north of Breithfne, the Battle of Cuil Fabhair on Earbhus, and seven battles in Lughlachta on Loch Lughdhach in one day, and the two battles of Cuil in Airgeadros, and the Battle of Reibh, where the greater part of the descendants of Eibhear were slain by Tighearnmhas.
The year after that nine lakes burst over land in Ireland, namely, Loch Cé, and it was over Magh Sulchair it burst; Loch Aillinne in Connaught; Loch n-Iairn, Loch n-Uair, Loch Saighlionn, Loch Gabhair in Meath and in Breagh; Loch Feabhail in Tir Eoghain, over Feabhal of the son of Lodan it burst, and Magh Fuinnsighe is the name of the plain over which the lake came; Dubhloch of Ard Ciannachta and Loch Da Bhaill in Oirghialla, and the three black rivers of Ireland, namely, Fobhna, Toronn, and Callonn.
It is the same Tighearnmhas who first found a mine of gold in Ireland; and Uchadan was the name of the artificer who used to refine the gold for him; and it was in Fotharta east of Lithfe he used to smelt it. It was in the time of Tighearnmhas that clothes were first dyed purple, blue, and green in Ireland. It was also in his time that embroidery, fringes, and filigree were first put on mantles in Ireland. It was he in the same way that introduced into Ireland the custom of having but one colour in the dress of a slave, two colours in the dress of a peasant, three in the dress of a soldier or young lord, four in the dress of a brughaidh, five in the dress of a district chief, six in the dress of an ollamh and in the dress of a king or queen. And it was at Magh Sleacht that Tighearnmhas himself died and three quarters of the men of Ireland with him on the eve of Samhain while they were in the act of worshipping Crom Cruaidh, the chief idol of Ireland. For it was this Tighearnmhas who first instituted the worship of Crom Cruaidh (as Zoroastres did in Greece) about a hundred years after they had come to Ireland; and it was from the prostrations of the men of Ireland before this idol that that plain in Breithfne is called Magh Sleacht. Some seanchas state that Ireland was seven years without a king after the death of Tighearnmhas at the convention of Magh Sleacht, and that it was Eochaidh Faobharghlas son of Conmhaol who held the sovereignty of Ireland after him. But they are in error in this; for the Reim Rioghruidhe states that it was Eochaidh Eadghothach of the race of Lughaidh son of Ioth who held it.
Eochaidh Eadghothach son of Daire, son of Conghal, son of Eadhaman, son of Mal, son of Luighaidh, son of Ioth, son of Breoghan, son of Bratha, held the sovereignty of Ireland four years, and he fell by Cearmna son of Eibric. Cearmna and Sobhairce, two sons of Eibric son of Eibhear, son of Ir, son of Milidh of Spain, held the sovereignty of Ireland forty years, and were the first Ultonian kings of Ireland; and they divided the sovereignty of Ireland between them; and the boundary of this division extended from Innbhear Colpa at Droichead Atha to Luimneach of Munster. Sobhairce obtained the northern part, and built a dun on his own division, namely, Dun Sobhairce. Cearmna obtained the southern division, and built a dun beside the southern sea, namely, Dun Cearmna; and it is now called Dun Mic Padraig in the Courcys' country. Sobhairce fell by Eochaidh Meann, son of a Fomorian king. Cearmna fell by Eochaidh Faobharghlas son of Conmhaol in the Battle of Dun Cearmna.
Eochaidh Faobharghlas son of Conmhaol, son of Eibhear Fionn, son of Milidh of Spain, held the sovereignty of Ireland twenty years. He was called Eochaidh Faobharghlas, for his two spears were bluish-green and sharp-edged; and it was he who defeated the race of Eireamhon in the following battles, namely, the Battle of Luachair Deaghaidh in Desmond; the Battle of Fosadh Da Ghort; the Battle of Cumar na dTri nUisce; the Battle of Tuaim Dreagan in Breithfne; and the Battle of Drom Liathain. He cleared seven plains from wood in Ireland, namely, Magh Smeathrach, in Ui Failghe; Magh Laighne and Magh Luirg in Connaught; Magh Leamhna, Magh n-Ionair, Magh Fubhna, and Magh Da Ghabhal, in Oirghialla. And this Eochaidh fell by Fiachaidh Labhruinne son of Smiorghull, son of Eanbhoth, son of Tighearnmhas, in the Battle of Carman.
Fiachaidh Labhruinne son of Smiorghull, son of Eanbhoth, son of Tighearnmhas, son of Follach, son of Eithrial, son of Irial Faidh, son of Eireamhon, held the sovereignty of Ireland twenty-four years, or, according to others, thirty-seven years; and he was called Fiachaidh Labhruinne, for in his time Innbhear Labhruinne burst over land in Ireland; and it was in his time the three following rivers burst forth namely, Innbhear Fleisce, Innbhear Mainge, and Innbhear Labhruinne, from which he is named Fiachaidh Labhruinne. It was in his time also that Loch Eirne burst over land, and Magh Geanainn is the name of the plain over which it came.
It was the son of this Fiachaidh, namely, Aonghus Ollbhuadhach, who defeated the Cruithnigh and the old Britons who were in Alba in several battles, and who first placed Alba under the full sway of the Gaels, though from the time of Eireamhon son of Milidh the Gaels claimed a tribute from them (the Albanians). About two hundred and fifty years after the sons of Milidh came to Ireland, Alba was brought under sway and tribute by Aonghus Ollbhuadhach son of Fiachaidh Labhruinne; and this Fiachaidh Labhruinne fought four battles against the race of Eibhear, namely, the Battle of Fairrge, the Battle of Gallach, the Battle of Sliabh Feimhion, and the Battle of Sliabh Bealgadain, in which he himself fell by Eochaidh Mumho son of Mo Febhis.
Eochaid Mumho son of Mo Febhis, son of Eochaid Faobharglas, son of Conmhaol, son of Eibhear Fionn, son of Milidh of Spain, held the sovereignty of Ireland twentyone years; and he fell by Aonghus Olmucaidh in the Battle of Cliu.
XXVI.
Aonghus Olmucaidh son of Fiachaidh Labhruinne, son of Smiorgull, son of Eanbhoth, son of Tighearnmhas, son of Follach, son of Eithrial, son of Irial Faidh, son of Eireamhon, held the sovereignty of Ireland eighteen years, and according to others twenty-one years. He was called Olmucaidh from the word oll, that is great, and muca, hogs, since he had the largest hogs that were in Ireland in his time; and it was he who fought the following battles: The Battle of Cleire; the Battle of Sliabh Cailge, where Baiscionn fell; and the Battle of Magh Einsciath in Connaught; and the Battle of Glaise Fraochain, where Fraochan Faidh fell; and fifty battles against the Cruithnigh and the Fir Bolg, and the inhabitants of the Orcades. Three lakes burst forth in his time—Loch Einbheithe in Oirghialla, Loch Sailgheadain, and Loch Gasain in Magh Luirg. It was in his time that the following plains were cleared of woods, namely: Magh Glinne Dearcon in Cineal Conaill; Magh n-Einsciath in Leinster; Magh Cuile Caol in Boghaine; Aolmhagh in Callruidhe; Magh Mucruimhe in Connaught; Magh Luachra Deaghaidh, and Magh Archaill in Ciarraidhe Luachra. And it was in the Battle of Sliabh Cua that Aonghus Olmucaidh was slain by Eanna son of Neachtain, a Munsterman; and others say that it was Eanna Airgthioch who slew him in the Battle of Carman; and this latter opinion is the more probable, according to the poem which begins, Aonghus Olmucaidh died. And moreover the Reim Rioghruidhe agrees with the same opinion.
Eanna Airgthioch son of Eochaidh Mumho, son of Mo Feibhis, son of Eochaidh Faobharghlas, son of Conmhaol, son of Eibhear Fionn, son of Milidh of Spain, held the sovereignty of Ireland twenty-seven years; and it was he who, at Airgeadros, first made silver shields in Ireland; and he bestowed them on the men of Ireland; and he fell in the Battle of Raighne by Roitheachtaigh son of Maon, son of Aonghus Olmucaidh.
Roitheachtaigh son of Maon, son of Aonghus Olmucaidh, son of Fiachaidh Labhruinne, son of Smiorgholl, son of Eanbhoth, son of Tighearnmhas, son of Follach, son of Eithrial, son of Irial Faidh, son of Eireamhon, held the sovereignty of Ireland twenty-five years; and this Roitheachtaigh fell by Seadna son of Art, son of Airtre, at Raith Cruachan.
Seadna son of Art, son of Airtre, son of Eibric, son of Eibhear, son of Ir, held the sovereignty of Ireland five years; and he was slain by his own son on the coming of 'a black fleet' to Cruachain.
Fiachaidh Fionscothach son of Seadna, son of Art, son of Airtre, son of Eibric, son of Eibhear, son of Ir, son of Milidh of Spain, held the sovereignty of Ireland twenty years; and he was called Fiachaidh Fionscothach, for in his time there were wine flowers that used to be pressed into goblets; and this Fiachaidh was slain by Muineamhon son of Cas Clothach.
Muineamhon son of Cas Clothach, son of Fear Arda, son of Roitheachtaigh, son of Rossa, son of Glas, son of Nuadha, son of Eochaidh Faobharghlas, son of Conmhaol, son of Eibhear Fionn, held the sovereignty of Ireland five years; and this Muineamhon was the first to decree that collars or chains of gold should be worn round the neck by the nobles in Ireland; and he died of the plague at Magh Aidhne.
Ailldeargoid son of Muineamhon, son of Cas Clothach, son of Fear Arda, son of Roitheachtaigh, son of Rossa, son of Glas, son of Nuadha Deaghlaimh, son of Eochaidh Faobharghlas, son of Conmhaol, son of Eibhear Fionn, son of Milidh, held the sovereignty of Ireland seven years; and it was in his time that gold rings were first put on the fingers of the nobles in Ireland; and he was slain by Ollamh Fodla in the Battle of Tara.
Ollamh Fodla son of Fiachaidh Fionscothach, son of Seadna, son of Art, son of Airtre, son of Eibric, son of Eibhear, son of Ir, son of Milidh of Spain, held the sovereignty of Ireland thirty years, and died in his house. He was called Ollamh Fodla, as he was an ollamh in wisdom and in knowledge for the establishing of laws and regulations in Ireland in his time; and it was he first established the Feis of Tara, as the poet says:
Ollamh Fodla of furious valour
Built the hall of ollamhs;
The first noble king, happy his reign,
Who assembled the Feis of Tara.
Now the Feis of Tara was a great general assembly like a parliament, in which the nobles and the ollamhs of Ireland used to meet at Tara every third year at Samhain, where they were wont to lay down and to renew rules and laws, and to approve the annals and records of Ireland. There, too, it was arranged that each of the nobles of Ireland should have a seat according to his rank and title. There, also, a seat was arranged for every leader that commanded the soldiery who were in the service of the kings and the lords of Ireland. It was also the custom at the Feis of Tara to put to death anyone who committed violence or robbery, who struck another or who assaulted another with arms, while neither the king himself nor anyone else had power to pardon him such a deed. It was also their custom to pass six days in feasting together before the sitting of the assembly, namely, three days before Samhain and three days after it, making peace and entering into friendly alliances with each other. In the following historical poem Eochaidh Eolach describes the customs that were in vogue at the Feis of Tara:
The Feis of Tara every third year,
For the fulfilment of laws and rules,
Was convened at that time mightily
By the noble kings of Erin.
Cathaoir of many alliances assembled
The beauteous Feis of Royal Tara;
There came to him, it was a pleasure,
The men of Ireland to one place.
Three days before Samhain, according to custom,
Three days thereafter, good the practice,
Did that high-spirited company
Pass in constant feasting, a week.
Robbery, personal wounding,
Were forbidden them all that time;
Assault at arms, cutting,
Proceedings by litigation:
Whoever did any of these thing
Was a wicked culprit of much venom
Redeeming gold would not be accepted from him,
But his life was at once forfeit.
Fionnachta son of Ollamh Fodla, son of Fiachaidh Fionscothach, son of Seadna, son of Art, son of Airtre, son of Eibric, son of Eibhear, son of Ir, son of Milidh, held the sovereignty of Ireland twenty years; and he was called Fionnachta, that is, Finshneachta, because it rained showers of wine-snow in his reign; and he died in Magh Inis.
Slanoll son of Ollamh Fodla, son of Fiachaidh Fionscothach, son of Seadna, son of Art, son of Airtre, son of Eibric, son of Eibhear, son of Ir, son of Milidh, held the sovereignty of Ireland fifteen years; and he was called Slanoll, for oll means great, and everyone in Ireland had great health during his reign, for none of the men of Ireland suffered from plague or disease in his reign. And it was in the banqueting-hall at Tara that he died; and others say that the disease that seized him is unknown.
Geidhe Ollghothach son of Ollamh Fodla, son of Fiachaidh Fionscothach, son of Seadna, son of Art, son of Airtre, son of Eibric, son of Eibhear, son of Ir, son of Milidh, held the sovereignty of Ireland seventeen years; and he is called Ollghothach, for great was the voice of everyone in Ireland in his reign. And he was slain by Fiachaidh son of Fionnachta.
Fiachaidh son of Fionnachta, son of Ollamh Fodla, son of Fiachaidh Fionscothach, son of Seadna, son of Art, son of Airtre, son of Eibric, son of Eibhear, son of Ir, son of Milidh, held the sovereignty of Ireland thirty years; and he fell by Bearnghal son of Geidhe Ollghothach.
Bearnghal son of Geidhe Ollghothach, son of Ollamh Fodla, son of Fiachaidh Fionscothach, son of Seadna, son of Art, son of Airtre, son of Eibric, son of Ir, son of Milidh, held the sovereignty of Ireland twelve years; and he fell by Oilill son of Slanoll.
Oilill son of Slanoll, son of Ollamh Fodla, son of Fiachaidh Fionscothach, son of Seadna, son of Art, son of Airtre, son of Eibric, son of Eibhear, son of Milidh, held the sovereignty of Ireland sixteen years, and he fell by Sioma son of Dian.
Sioma Saoghlach son of Dian, son of Roitheachtaigh, son of Maon, son of Aonghus Olmucaidh, son of Fiachaidh Labhruinne, son of Smiorghull, son of Eanbhoth, son of Tighearnmhas, son of Follach, son of Eithrial, son of Irial Faidh, son of Eireamhon, held the sovereignty of Ireland twenty-one years; and he was called Sioma Saoghlach, from the length of life granted to him above his contemporaries; and he fell by Roitheachtaigh son of Roan, in Aillinn, as says the poem beginning, Noble Eire, island of kings:
Sioma passed in govemment
The length of thrice seven noble years;
The cutting off of Sioma with slaughter
Was in Aillinn by Roitheachtaigh.
Roitheachtaigh son of Roan, son of Failbhe, son of Cas Ceadchaingneach, son of Ailldeargoid, son of Muineamhon, son of Cas Clothach, son of Fear Arda, son of Roitheachtaigh, son of Rossa, son of Glas, son of Nuadha Deaghlaimh, son of Eochaidh Faobharghlas, son of Conmhaol, son of Eibhear Fionn, son of Milidh of Spain, held the sovereignty of Ireland seven years; and he was burned by a flash of lightning in Dun Sobhairce.
Eilim son of Roitheachtaigh, son of Roan, son of Failbhe, son of Cas Ceadchaingneach, son of Ailldeargoid, son of Muineamhon, son of Cas Clothach, son of Fear Arda, son of Roitheachtaigh, son of Rossa, son of Glas, son of Nuadha Deaghlaimh, son of Eochaidh Faobharghlas, son of Conmhaol, son of Eibhear Fionn, son of Milidh, held the sovereignty of Ireland one year, till he fell by Giallchaidh son of Oilill Olchaoin.
Giallchaidh son of Oilill Olchaoin, son of Sioma Saoghlach, son of Dian, son of Roitheachtaigh, son of Maon, son of Aonghus Olmucaidb, son of Fiachaidh Labhruinne, son of Smiorghull, son of Eanbhoth, son of Tighearnmhas, son of Follach, son of Eithrial, son of Irial Faidh, son of Eireamhon, held the sovereignty of Ireland nine years; and he fell in Magh Muaidhe by Art Imleach.
Art Imleach son of Eilim, son of Roitheachtaigh, son of Roan, son of Failbhe, son of Cas Ceadchaingneach, son of Ailldeargoid, son of Muinemhon, son of Cas Clothach, son of Fear Arda, son of Roitheachtaigh, son of Rossa, son of Glas, son of Nuadha Deaghlaimh, son of Eochaidh Faobharghlas, son of Conmhaol, son of Eibhear Fionn, son of Milidh, held the sovereignty of Ireland twenty-two years; and he fell by Nuadha Fionn Fail.
Nuadha Fionn Fail son of Giallchaidh, son of Oilill Olchaoin, son of Sioma Saoghlach of the race of Eireamhon, held the sovereignty of Ireland twenty years, or according to others sixty years, till he fell by Breisrigh son of Art Imleach.
Breisrigh son of Art Imleach, son of Eilim, son of Roitheachtaigh, son of Roan, son of Failbhe, son of Cas Ceadchaingneach, son of Ailldeargoid, son of Muineamhon of the race of Eibhear, held the sovereignty of Ireland nine years; and in that time he defeated the Fomorians in several battles; and he himself fell at last by Eochaidh Apthach at Carn Connluain.
Eochaidh Apthach son of Fionn, son of Oilill, son of Flann Ruadh, son of Rothlan, son of Mairtine, son of Sithcheann, son of Riaghlan, son of Eoinbhric, son of Lughaidh, son of Ioth, son of Breoghan, held the sovereignty of Ireland one year; and he was called Eochaidh Apthach because of the number who died in Ireland in his time; for the plague or other disease seized upon the men of Ireland each month, from which many of them died; hence the name Eochaidh Apthach clung to him; for apthach means 'fatal'; and he himself fell by Fionn son of Bratha.
Fionn son of Bratha, son of Labhraidh, son of Cairbre, son of Ollamh Fodla, son of Fiachaidh Fionscothach, son of Seadna, son of Art, son of Airtre, son of Eibric, son of Eibhear, son of Ir, son of Milidh, held the sovereignty of Ireland twenty years, or according to others thirty years; and he fell by Seadna Ionnarraidh.
Seadna Ionnarraidh son of Breisrigh, son of Art Imleach of the race of Eibhear, held the sovereignty of Ireland twenty years; and he is called Seadna Ionnarraidh, that is, Seadna of the Wages, for he is tbe first king who gave pay to fighting men in Ireland; for ionnarraidh means wages. And his limbs were torn asunder by Simeon Breac, and so he died.
Simeon Breac son of Aodhan Glas, son of Nuadha Fionn Fail, son of Giallchaidh, son of Oilill Olchaoin, son of Sioma Saoghlach of the race of Eireamhon, held the sovereignty of Ireland six years, till he fell by Duach Fionn to avenge his father, and the tearing asunder of him which he had done.
Duach Fionn son of Seadna Ionnarraidh, son of Breisrigh, son of Art Imlioch of the race of Eibhear, held the sovereignty of Ireland five years; and he fell by Muiredhach Bolgrach. Muiredhach Bolgrach son of Simeon Breac, son of Aodhan Glas, son of Nuadha Fionn Fail, son of Giallchadh, son of Oilill Olchaoin, son of Siorna Saoghalach, of the race of Eireamhon, held the sovereignty of Ireland four years; and he fell by Eanna Dearg son of Duach Fionn.
Eanna Dearg son of Duach Fionn, son of Seadna Ionnarraidh, son of Breisrigh, son of Art Imleach of the race of Eibhear, held the sovereignty of Ireland twelve years; he was called Eanna Dearg, for his oineach, that is his countenance, was red. It was in his time that, at Airgeadros, money was first coined in Ireland. And he died of the plague on Sliab Mis, and a large multitude with him.
XXVII.
Lughaidh Iardhonn son of Eanna Dearg, son of Duach Fionn, son of Seadna Ionnarraidh, son of Breisrigh, son of Art Imleach of the race of Eibhear, held the sovereignty of Ireland nine years. He was called Lughaidh Iardhonn, for iardhonn means 'dark-brown'; hence through his dark-brown locks he got the name Lughaidh Iardhonn; and he was slain by Siorlamh at Raith Clochair.
Siorlamh son of Fionn, son of Bratha, son of Labhraidh, son of Cairbre, son of Ollamh Fodla of the race of Ir, son of Milidh, held the sovereignty of Ireland sixteen years. He is called Siorlamh, for síor means 'long'; and he had long hands, for when in a standing posture his hands reached the ground; and he was slain by Eochaidh Uaircheas.
Eochaidh Uaircheas son of Lughaidh Iardhonn, son of Eanna Dearg, son of Duach Fionn, son of Seadna Ionnarraidh, son of Breisrigh, son of Art Imleach of the race of Eibhear, held the sovereignty of Ireland twelve years. He was called Eochaidh Uaircheas, for he used to have bare canoes for a fleet, and ceasa means 'canoes' or 'coctaoi'; and as he was two years on sea in exile from Ireland, he used to put a party of his followers in these canoes to plunder the borders of every country he passed by, and to bring the booty in these canoes to the fleet; and it was from these canoes that the name Eochaidh Uaircheas clung to him; and he fell by Eochaidh Fiadhmhuine and by Conuing Beigeaglach.
Eochaidh Fiadhmhuine and Conuing Beigeaglach, two sons of Duach Teamhrach son of Muireadhach Bolgrach, son of Simeon Breac, son of Aodhan Glas, son of Nuadha Fionn Fail, son of Giallchaidh, son of Oilill Olchaoin, son of Siorna Saoghlach of the race of Eireamhon, held conjointly the sovereignty of Ireland five years. Eochaidh Fiadhmhuine was so called, for he used to hunt and chase amidst thickets or in woods; and this Eochaidh fell by Lughaidh Laimhdheargh son of Eochaidh Uaircheas.
Lughaidh Laimhdhearg son of Eochaidh Uaircheas, son of Lughaidh Iardhonn, son of Eanna Dearg, son of Duach Fionn, son of Seadna Ionnarraidh, son of Breisrigh, son of Art Imleach of the race of Eibhear, held the sovereignty of Ireland seven years. He was called Lughaidh Laimhdhearg, as there was a red ti or spot on his hand; and he fell by Conuing Beigeaglach.
Conuing Beigeaglach son of Duach Teamhrach, son of Muireadhach Bolgrach, son of Simeon Breac, son of Aodhan Glas, son of Nuadha Fionn Fail, son of Giallchaidh, son of Oilill Olchaoin son of Siorna Saoghlach of the race of Eireamhon, held the sovereignty of Ireland ten years. He is called Conuing Beigeaglach, for he never felt a qualm of fear in battle or contest, and, moreover, he was a brave man in an onslaught; and hence the poet composed this stanza:
Conuing of the fights of the bright spears,
Who never quailed before wight,
Passed a decade ruling over each Half
Till Art son of Lughaidh slew him.
Art son of Lughaidh Laimhdhearg, son of Eochaidh Uaircheas, son of Lughaidh Iardhonn, son of Eanna Dearg, son of Duach Fionn, son of Seadna Ionnarraidh, son of Breisrigh, son of Art Imleach of the race of Eibhear, held the sovereignty of Ireland six years; and he fell by Duach Laghrach son of Fiachaidh Tolgrach and by Fiachaidh himself.
Fiachaidh Tolgrach son of Muireadhach Bolgrach, son of Simeon Breac, son of Aodhan Glas, son of Nuadha Fionn Fail, son of Giallchaidh, son of Oilill Olchaoin, son of Siorna Saoghlach of the race of Eireamhon, held the sovereignty of Ireland seven years; and he fell by Oilill Fionn.
Oilill Fionn son of Art, son of Lughaidh Laimhdhearg, son of Eochaidh Uaircheas, son of Lughaidh Iardhonn, son of Eanna Dearg, son of Duach Fionn, son of Seadna Ionnarraidh, son of Breisrigh, son of Art Imleach of the race of Eibhear, held the sovereignty of Ireland nine years; and he fell by Argeadmhar and by Fiachaidh and by Duach son of Fiachaidh.
Eochaidh son of Oilill Fionn, son of Art, son of Lughaidh Laimhdhearg, son of Eochaidh Uaircheas of the race of Eibhear, held the sovereignty of Ireland seven years; and he did not yield the kingdom to Argeadmhar, but made peace with Duach Lagrach; and Duach slew him at a meeting.
Airgeadmhar, son of Siorlamh, son of Fionn, son of Bratha, son of Labhraidh, son of Cairbre, son of Ollamh Fodla of the race of Ir son of Milidh, held the sovereignty of Ireland twenty-three years, or according to others thirty-eight years; and he fell by Duach Laghrach and by Lughaidh Laighdhe.
Duach Laghrach, son of Fiachaidh Tolgrach, son of Muireadhach Bolgrach, son of Simeon Breac, son of Aodhan Glas, son of Nuadha Fionn Fail, son of Giallchaidh of the race of Eireamhon, held the sovereignty of Ireland ten years. He was called Duach Laghrach, for ladhgra is the same as luathagra, 'swift retribution'; and he used to give respite to no one who had committed injustice, but exacted retribution from such on the spot, and hence he was called by the name of Duach Laghrach.
Lughaidh Laighdhe son of Eochaidh, son of Oilill Fionn, son of Art, son of Lughaidh Laimhdhearg, son of Eochaidh Uaircheas of the race of Eibhear, held the sovereignty of Ireland seven years; and he fell by Aodh Ruadh, son of Badharn. The Coir Anmann states that this Lughaidh was one of the five Lughaidhs, the children of Daire Doimhtheach. The same book relates that a certain druid revealed prophetically to Daire Doimhtheach that he would have a son who would be called Lughaidh who would obtain the sovereignty of Ireland; and after this five sons were born to him in succession, and he called each of them Lughaidh. When the sons grew up, Daire had recourse to the same druid, and asked him which of the five Lughaidhs would get the sovereignty of Ireland. ‘Go to-morrow to Taillte,’ said the druid, ‘with thy five sons, and there will come to-morrow a beautiful fawn into the fair, and everyone, and thy children with the rest, will run in pursuit of it, and whichever of thy children shall outrun the fawn and kill it will be king of Ireland.’ The fawn came into the fair on the morrow; and the men of Ireland and the children of Daire pursued it till they reached Beann Eadair. A druidical mist separated the sons of Daire from the men of Ireland. The sons of Daire proceeded to hunt the fawn from thence to Dal Maschorb of Leinster, and Lughaidh Laighdhe overtook and slew it; and it was from that fawn that he was called Lughaidh Laighdhe, that is, Lughaidh Laoghdha.
Of this Lughaidh there is a curious romantic story, in which it is said that, when he was engaged in hunting in a desert place, he met a hideous hag who wore a magic mask; that he went into her bed, and took off her magic mask, and dreamt that she would be a beautiful young lady thereafter; and by this hag, with whom Lughaidh lay, Ireland is allegorically meant, for at first he endured toil and torment on her account, but afterwards enjoyed pleasure and delight.
Although the Coir Anmann states that Lughaidh Laighdhe was a son of Daire Doimhtheach, I do not think that this is the Lughaidh Laighdhe the Coir Anmann refers to who was king of Ireland, notwithstanding that the druids foretold that Lughaid Laighdhe son of Daire Doimhtheach would become king of Ireland.
Aodh Ruadh son of Badharn, son of Airgeadmhar, son of Siorlamh, son of Fionn, son of Bratha, son of Labhraidh, son of Cairbre, son of Ollamh Fodla of the race of Ir son of Milidh, held the sovereignty of Ireland twenty-one years; and he was drowned at Eas Ruaidh.
Diothorba son of Deaman, son of Airgeadmhar, son of Siorlamh, son of Fionn, son of Bratha, son of Labhraidh son of Cairbre, son of Ollamh Fodla of the race of Ir son of Milidh, held the sovereignty of Ireland twenty-one years; and he fell in Corann by the Cuans, that is Cuan Mara, Cuan Muighe, and Cuan Sleibhe.
Ciombaoth son of Fionntan, son of Airgeadmhar, son of Siorlamh, son of Fionn, son of Bratha, son of Labhraidh, son of Cairbre, son of Ollamh Fodla of the race of Ir son of Milidh, held the sovereignty of Ireland twenty years, or according to others twenty-eight years; and he died of the plague in Eamhain Mhacha.
XXVIII.
Macha Mhongruadh, daughter of Aodh Ruadh son of Badharn, son of Airgedmhar, son of Siorlamh, son of Fionn, son of Bratha, son of Labhraidh, son of Cairbre, son of Ollamh Fodla, held the sovereignty of Ireland seven years, till Reachtaidh Righdhearg slew her. And it was in her time that Eamhain Mhacha was built. Now the reason why it is called Eamhain Mhacha is this: three kings out of Ulster held the sovereignty of Ireland, namely, Aodh Ruadh son of Badharn, from whom is named Eas Ruaidh, and Diothorba son of Deaman of Uisneach in Meath, and Ciombaoth son of Fionntan from Fionnabhair; and it was with this Ciombaoth that Ughaine Mor son of Eochaidh Buadhach was brought up. And each of these kings reigned seven years in succession, until each had held the sovereignty of Ireland thrice. And the first of them to die was Aodh Ruadh; and he left no issue but one daughter named Macha. Macha demanded the sovereignty in her turn after her father's death; and Diothorba and his children said that they would not cede sovereignty to a woman; and a battle was fought between themselves and Macha; and Macha triumphed over them in that battle, and held the sovereignty of Ireland seven years; and Diothorba died and left five sons, namely, Baoth, Bedach, Bras, Uallach, and Borbchas. These demanded the sovereignty of Ireland for themselves, as it was held by their ancestors before them. Macha said she would only give them battle for the sovereignty. A battle was fought between them, and Macha defeated them. The children of Diothorba fled for safety to dark and intricate woods; and Macha took Ciombaoth son of Fionntan as her husband, and made him leader of her warriors, and went herself in pursuit of the sons of Diothorba in the guise of a leper, having rubbed her body with the dough of rye, and found them in an intricate forest in Burenn, cooking a wild boar. The sons of Diothorba asked news of her, and gave her a portion of the meat. She told them all the news she had.
And then one of the men said that the leper had a beautiful eye, and that he desired to lie with her. Thereupon he and Macha retired into the recesses of the wood, and Macha bound this man and left him there, and returned to the rest. And they questioned her, ‘Where didst thou leave the man who went with thee?’ said they. ‘I know not,’ said she; ‘but I think he feels ashamed to come into your presence after embracing a leper.’ ‘It is not a shame,’ said they, ‘since we will do the same thing.’ Thus she went into the wood with each of them in turn; and she bound them all, and so took them bound together before the men of Ulster at Eamhain; and she asked the Ulster nobles what she should do with them. They all said with one accord that they should be put to death. ‘That is not just,’ said Macha, ‘for that would be contrary to law; but let them be made slaves of and let the task be imposed on them of building a fort for me which shall be the capital of the province for ever.’ Thereupon Macha undid the gold bodkin that was in the mantle on her breast, and with it measured the site of the fort which the sons of Diothorba were obliged to build. Now, the fort is called Eamhain eo being a word for 'a bodkin', while muin means 'the neck', and hence the fort is called Eamhain, that is, eo mhuin. Or, it is called Eamhain from Eamhain Mhacha, that is, the wife of Cronn son of Adhnaman. Now this woman was forced against her will to run with the horses of Conchubhar, king of Ulster; and she, though pregnant, outran them; and at the end of the race she gave birth to a son and a daughter; and she cursed the men of Ulster, whence they were visited with the pangs of labour; and these pangs continued to afflict them during nine reigns, that is, from Conchubhar to the reign of Mal son of Rochruidhe. Eamhain accordingly is the same as amhaon, amh denying that it was but one, it being two, Macha gave birth to on that occasion. And hence it was called Eamhain Mhacha, according to this opinion. After this, Macha Mhongruadh was slain by Reachtaidh Righdhearg.
Reachtaidh Righdhearg son of Lughaidh Laighdhe, son of Eochaidh, son of Oilill Fionn, son of Art, son of Lughaidh Laimhdhearg, son of Eochaidh Uaircheas of the race of Eibhear, held the sovereignty of Ireland twenty years. He was called Reachtaidh Righdhearg from his having a red fore-arm, that is, the end of a red fore-arm; and he was slain by Ughaine Mor to avenge his foster-mother.
Ughaine Mor son of Eochaidh Buadhach, son of Duach Laghrach, son of Fiachaidh Tolgrach, son of Muireadhach Bolgrach, son of Simeon Breac, son of Aodhan Glas, son of Nuadha Fionn Fail, son of Giallchaidh, son of Oilill Olchaoin, son of Siorna Saoghlach of the race of Eireamhon, held the sovereignty of Ireland thirty years, or according to others forty years. He was called Ughaine Mor, as his reign was great, since he held sway over the islands of western Europe; and this Ughaine had twenty-five children, namely twenty-two sons and three daughters. When these children grew up, each of them had a special retinue; and when they went on free circuit round Ireland, where one of the sons stayed at night, another son stayed on the morrow. Thus they went on in succession, so that wherever they directed their steps they exhausted all the food and provisions in the district. And when the men of Ireland observed this, they went to complain of this injury to Ughaine, the king. And it was mutually agreed on to divide Ireland into twenty-five parts, and to give each of these children his own part, and not to permit any one of them to be a burden to another's portion. Hence some poet composed this stanza:
Ughaine the proud, the noble,
Whose victorious dwelling was Banbha,
His children divided rightly
Erin into twenty-five portions.
And it was according to these divisions that rents and duties used to be paid to every king who reigned in Ireland for three hundred years, that is, from the time of Ughaine to the time of the provincials who lived when Eochaidh Feidlioch was king of Ireland, as the poet says in this quatrain:
Three hundred years lasting the reproach,
Until the provincials arose,
Five without faith in their hearts,
Shared between them Ughaine's Erin.
It was Eochaidh Feidhlioch who divided the provinces of Ireland amongst the following. He gave the province of Ulster to Fearghus son of Leide; he gave the province of Leinster to Rossa son of Fearghus Fairrge; he gave the two provinces of Munster to Tighearnach Teidbheannach son of Luchta, and to Deaghaidh son of Sin; similarly he gave the province of Connaught to three, namely, to Fidhic son of Feig, to Eochaidh Allad, and to Tinne son of Connraidh, as we shall hereafter set forth when we are treating of Eochaidh Feidhleach's own reign. Still this division of Ireland among the children of Ughaine held good until the children of Ughaine had died without issue, except two, namely, Cobhthach Caol mBreagh and Laoghaire Lorc, from whom come all that survive of the race of Eireamhon. And Ughaine Mor himself was slain by Badhbhchaidh son of Eachaidh Buadhach his own brother in Tealach an Choscair. But Badhbhchaidh held the sovereignty of Ireland only a day and a half when he was slain by Laoghaire Lorc to avenge his father.
XXIX.
Laoghaire Lorc son of Ughaine Mor, son of Eochaidh Buadhach, son of Duach Laghrach, son of Fiachaidh Tolgrach, son of Muireadhach Bolgrach, son of Simeon Breac, son of Aodan Glas, son of Nuadha Fionn Fail, son of Giallchaidh, son of Oilill Olchaoin, son of Siorna Saoghalach of the race of Eireamhon, held the sovereignty of Ireland two years. Ceasair Chruthach, daughter of the king of the French, wife of Ughaine Mor, was the mother of Laoghaire Lorc and Cobhthach Caol mBreagh. And he was called Laoghaire Lorc, for lorc means 'murder of a kinsman'; and Laoghaire treacherously slew Badhbhchaid, son of Eachaidh Buadhach, whence he got the name Laoghaire Lorc. Cobhthach Caol mBreagh, his own brother, slew Laoghaire Lorc at Dionn Riogh on the brink of the Bearbha.
It happened that Cobhthach Caol mBreagh had been pining through envy of Laoghaire Lorc on account of his holding the sovereignty of Ireland; and when Laoghaire heard that he was sick, he came with an armed force to visit him. When Cobhthach saw him, he said it was sad that his brother always had a suspicion of him and would not come into his presence without an escort. ‘Not so,’ said Laoghaire; ‘I will come peacefully into thy presence the next time unattended by an armed escort.’ Thereupon, Laoghaire bade farewell to Cobhthach. Now Cobhthach took the advice of a druid who was with him as to how he could lay hold on his kinsman to kill him. ‘What thou hast to do,’ said the druid, ‘is to feign death, and go into a bier as a corpse, and to send word of this to Laoghaire; and he will come to thee with only a small escort; and when he will come into thy presence, he will lie on thy body lamenting thee, and do thou stab him in the abdomen with a dirk, and thus kill him.’ When Cobhthach had in this manner finished the killing of Laoghaire, he slew also Oilill Aine son of Laoghaire; and he recovered his health after he had done these deeds. He also commanded a young lad whose name was Maon, the son of Oilill Aine, to be brought into his presence, and made him eat a portion of his father's and grandfather's hearts, and to swallow a mouse with its tail. But the child lost his speech from the disgust he felt, and when he became speechless Cobhthach let him go. The child proceeded to Corca Dhuibhne, where he resided for a time with Scoiriath, who was king of that country, and thence went to France with a party of nine, though some seanchas say that it was to the country of Armenia he went. And the party who accompanied him declared that he was heir to the kingdom of Ireland; and from this it came to pass that the king of the French made him leader of his household guards; and he became very successful, and so was much talked about, and his fame was great in Ireland; and consequently many Irishmen followed him to France. And he remained there a long time of his life.
Cobhthach Caol mBreagh son of Ughaine Mor, son of Eachaidh Buadhach of the race of Eireamhon, held the sovereignty of Ireland thirty years, or, according to others, fifty years. Ceasair Chruthach, daughter of the king of the French, was his mother. He was called Cobhthach Caol mBreagh, for a severe disease afflicted him through envying his brother Laoghaire Lorc, who was king of Ireland before him, so that he got into decline, and his blood and flesh melted away, so that he was thin; and Magh Breagh is the name of the place in which he lay sick, and hence he was called Caol mBreagh; and this Cobhthach was slain by Labhraidh Loingseach, son of Oilill Aine, at Dionn Riogh, on the eve of greater Christmas, to avenge his father and grandfather whom he had slain. On this some poet composed this stanza:
Labhraidh Loinseach, sufficient his army,
He slew Cobhthach in Dionn Riogh;
With the lance-armed host beyond the sea-water,
It was from these that the Lagenians were named.
Labhraidh Loingseach son of Oilill Aine, son of Laoghaire Lorc, son of Ughaine Mor of the race of Eireamhon, held the sovereignty of Ireland ten years; and he fell by Meilge son of Cobhthach Caol mBreagh. And the way in which he was allured from France to Ireland was that Moiriath daughter of Scoiriath, king of the territory of Feara Morc in west Munster, conceived a violent passion for him on account of the greatness of his name and fame. She equipped Craiftine the harper, a musician who was in Ireland at the time, that he might go after him to France with many love-presents, together with a love-lay in which she set forth the intensity of her passion for Maon; and when Craiftine arrived in France, he played a very sweet tune on his harp when he came to where Maon was, and sang the love-lay which Moiriath daughter of Scoiriath had composed for Maon. He was so delighted with Craiftine's playing that he said he considered the song and the tune melodious; and when his followers and Craiftine had heard this, they besought the king of the French to give him an auxiliary force so that he might go and regain his own territory; and the king gave him a fleetful, that is, two thousand two hundred, and they put out to sea; and no tidings whatever are given of them till they put into harbour at Loch Garman; and when they came ashore, they learned that Cobhthach Caol mBreagh was in Dionn Riogh and many of the Irish nobles with him, and thereupon they marched day and night, and attacked his fortress, and slew Cobhthach together with these nobles. It was then that a druid who was in the fortress inquired who had executed that slaughter. ‘The mariner’ (An loingseach), replied the man outside. ‘Does the mariner speak?’ asked the druid. ‘He speaks’ (Labhraidh), said the other. And hence the name Labhraidh Loingseach clung to Maon ever since. And it was he who first made in Ireland spears with broad greenish blue heads; for laighne means spears having wide green-blue iron heads; and from these spears the name Laighin is given to the people of the province of Gailian, which is now called the province of Leinster. And the poet proves this, and sets forth the number of the host which came with Labhraidh Loingseach from France, in the following stanza:
Two hundred and twenty hundred foreigners,
With broad spears they came over;
From these spears without flaw
The Leinstermen are called Laighin.
Now when Labhraidh Loingseach had slain Cobhthach Caol mBreagh, and had taken possession of Ireland, he went along with Craiftine to visit Moiriath daughter of Scoiriath, king of the territory of Feara Morc, the lady-love who sent Craiftine to France to visit him. Labhraidh married her, and she was his queen during life.
Now the reason why Maon who was called Labhraidh Loingseach went to France was his relation to the king of the French. For a daughter of the king of the French called Ceasair Chruthach was the wife of Ughaine Mor and mother of his children, namely, Laoghaire Lorc and Cobhthach Caol mBreagh; and Labhradh Loingseach is a son's son to that Laoghaire Lorc. And it was on account of his relation to the French that he sought their protection.
Another reason why he went to France rather than to another country is that there was a special friendly understanding between the Leinstermen and the French. Indeed every province in Ireland had formed a special friendly alliance beyond the sea, as the alliance between clann Neill and the Albanians, between the Munstermen and the Saxons, between the Ultonians and the Spanish, between the people of Connaught and the Welsh, as John son of Torna O Maolchonaire, chief professor of seanchus in Ireland, says in the following stanzas:
Each is allied to its like,
Though they be not of the same stock;
The Ui Néill and the Albanians;
The Saxons and the Munstermen;
The Ultonians and the Spaniards,
The battle-stay of every district;
The Connaughtmen and the Welsh;
The Leinstermen allied to the French.
From this alliance between the provinces and the abovenamed countries they became mutually assimilated in manners according to their friendship and affection for one another. Know, O reader, that all true Leinstermen that survive of the race of Eireamhon are descended from this Labhraidh Loingseach, except O Nuallain who sprang from Cobhthach Caol mBreagh. The following are the principal families that sprang from the Leinstermen, namely, O Conchubhar Failghe with his family branches, O Caomhanaigh, O Tuathalaigh, O Branaigh, Mac Giolla Phadraig, O Duinn, O Diomasaigh, O Duibhidhir, muinntear Riain, and every branch that sprang from these families. It was from Cathaoir Mor that most of the Leinster families sprang. But it was not from him that Mac Giolla Phadraig sprang, since Mac Giolla Phadraig and himself separated in pedigree from one another at Breasal Breac son of Fiachaidh Foibhric, the fourteenth ancestor from Cathaoir upwards. Now this Breasal had two sons, namely, Lughaidh Loithfhionn and Connla; and the province of Leinster was divided between these two: thus Lughaidh and his descendants obtained from the Bearbha eastward, and Connla and his descendants from the Bearbha westwards. These sons and these divisions are set forth in the following stanza from the poem which begins, The sacred history of the saints of Inis Fail:
Lughaidh and Connla without vexation,
Two sons of Breasal Breac the noble;
The Ossorians sprang from Connla of the wounds,
Lughaidh is ancestor of the Lagenians.
From Lughaidh also sprang O Duibhidhir; and they separated from Cathaoir in pedigree at the fifth ancestor from Cathaoir upwards. Now, Cathaoir Mor was son of Feidhlimidh Fiorurghlas, son of Cormac Gealta Gaoth, son of Nia Corb, son of Cu Chorb. And a son of this Cu Chorb was Cairbre Cluithiochair, from whom is O Dubhidhir; and from Nathi son of Criomhthann, son of Eanna Cinnsealach, the seventh in descent from Cathaoir Mor, came muinntear Riain.
Now, the second son of Ughaine Mor who had issue was Cobhthach Caol mBreagh. From him sprang all the race of Conn, both the descendants of Fiachaidh Sraibhtheine and of Eochaidh Doimhlen, and every other branch that sprang from Conn, as we shall set down hereafter in the genealogy of the sons of Milidh.
XXX
We read of Labhraidh Loingseach that his ears were like those of a horse; and hence, he used to kill on the spot everyone who cut his hair, lest he or anyone else might be aware of this blemish. Now he was wont to have his hair cropped every year, that is, to have cut off the part of his hair that grew below his ears. It was necessary to cast lots to determine who should crop the king each year, since it was his wont to put to death everyone who cropped him. Now it happened that the lot fell on the only son of a widow who approached the close of her life, and who lived near the king's stronghold. And when she heard that the lot had fallen on her son, she came and besought the king not to put her only son to death, seeing he was her sole offspring. The king promised her that he would not put her son to death, provided he kept secret what he should see, and made it known to no one till death. And when the youth had cropped the king, the burden of that secret so oppressed his body that he was obliged to lie in the bed of sickness, and that no medicine availed him. When he had lain long in a wasting condition, a skilful druid came to visit him, and told his mother that the cause of his sickness was the burden of a secret, and that he would not be well till he revealed his secret to some thing; and he directed him, since he was bound not to tell his secret to a person, to go to a place where four roads met, and to turn to his right and to address the first tree he met, and to tell his secret to it. The first tree he met was a large willow, and he disclosed his secret to it. Thereupon the burden of pain that was on his body vanished; and he was healed instantly as he returned to his mother's house. Soon after this, however, it happened that Craiftine's harp got broken, and he went to seek the material for a harp, and came upon the very willow to which the widow's son had revealed the secret, and from it he took the material for his harp and when the harp was made and set to tune, as Craiftine played upon it all who listened imagined that it sang, ‘Da o phill ar Labhraidh Lorc,’ that is, Labraidh Loingseach, meaning, 'Two horse's ears on Labhraidh Lorc'; and as often as he played on that harp, it was understood to sing the same thing. And when the king heard this story, he repented of having put so many people to death to conceal that deformity of his, and openly exhibited his ears to the household, and never afterwards concealed them. I think this part of the story is a romantic tale rather than history. This Labhraidh fell by Meilge son of Cobhthach Caol mBreagh.
Meilge Molbhthach son of Cobhthach Caol mBreagh son of Ughaine Mor of the race of Eireamhon, held the sovereignty of Ireland seven years; and he fell by Mogh Corb son of Cobhthach Caomh.
Mogh Corb son of Cobhthach Caomh, son of Reachthaidh Ridhearg, son of Lughaidh Laighdhe, son of Eochaidh, son of Oilill Fionn, son of Art, son of Lugaidh Lamhdhearg, son of Eochaidh Uaircheas of the race of Eibhear, held the sovereignty of Ireland seven years. He was called Mogh Corb, because, as his son was one day in a chariot, a portion of the chariot got broken, and Mogh Corb repaired it, and through having done this service for his son whose name was Corb he was called Mogh Corb. He fell by Aonghus Ollamh.
Aonghus Ollamh son of Oilill, son of Labhraidh Loingseach, son of Oilill Aine, son of Laoghaire Lorc, son of Ughaine Mor of the race of Eireamhon held the sovereignty of Ireland eighteen years, and fell by Iarainnghleo son of Meilge.
Iarainnghleo Fathach son of Meilge Molbhthach, son of Cobhthach Caol mBreagh, son of Ughaine Mor of the race of Eireamhon, held the sovereignty of Ireland seven years; and he was called Iarainnghleo Fathach because he was wise, skilful, accomplished; and at length he fell by Fear Corb son of Mogh Corb.
Fear Corb son of Mogh Corb, son of Cobhthach Caomh, son of Reachtaidh Righdhearg of the race of Eibhear, held the sovereignty of Ireland eleven years; and he fell by Connla son of Iarainnghleo Fathach.
Connla Cruaidhchealgach son of Iarainnghleo Fathach, son of Meilge Molbhthach, son of Cobhthach Caol mBreagh, son of Ughaine Mor of the race of Eireamhon, held the sovereignty four years; and he fell at Tara.
Oilill Caisfhiaclach son of Connla Cruaidhchealgach, son of Iarainnghleo Fathach, son of Meilge Molbhthach, son of Cobhthach Caol mBreagh, son of Ughaine Mor of the race of Eireamhon, held the sovereignty of Ireland twenty-five years, till he fell by Adhamair Foltchaoin.
Adhamair Foltchaoin son of Fear Corb, son of Mogh Corb, son of Cobhthach Caomh, son of Reachtaidh Righdhearg of the race of Eibhear, held the sovereignty of Ireland five years; and fell by Eochadh Foiltleathan.
Eochaidh Foiltleathan son of Oilill Caisfhiaclach, son of Connla Cruaidhchealgach, son of Iarainnghleo Fathach, son of Meilge Molbhthach, son of Cobhthach Caol, son of Ughaine Mor of the race of Eireamhon, held the sovereignty of Ireland eleven years, and fell by Fearghus Fortamhail.
Fearghus Fortamhail son of Breasal Breac, son of Aonghus Gaileann, son of Oilill Bracan, son of Labhraidh Loingseach, son of Oilill Aine, son of Laoghaire Lorc, son of Ughaine Mor of the race of Eireamhon, held the sovereignty of Ireland twelve years; and he was called Fearghus Fortamhail, for he was warlike, strong, vigorous in his own time; and he fell by Aonghus Tuirbheach.
Aonghus Tuirbheach son of Eochaidh Foiltleathan, son of Oilill Caisfhiaclach, son of Connla Cruaidhchealgach, son of Iarainnghleo Fathach, son of Meilge Molbhthach, son of Cobhthach Caol mBreagh, son of Ughaine Mor of the race of Eireamhon, held the sovereignty of Ireland thirty years, or, according to others, sixty years; and he was called Aonghus Tuirbheach, for he felt ashamed (tuirbheach) of the son he had by his own daughter through drunkenness. This son was called Fiachaidh Fear Mara; and he was called Fiachaidh Fear Mara because he was abandoned, being put on the sea in a canoe with precious valuables around him, such as befitted the son of a king; and fishermen came upon him and brought him ashore, and put him to nurse. Aonghus Tuirbheach had also a son by his wedded wife, and his name was Eanna Aighneach, and from him came the entire race of Conn; and Aonghus Tuirbheach himself was slain at Tara; and it is from his having been slain at Tara that he is called Aonghus Tuirbheach Teamhrach.
Conall Collamhrach son of Eidirsceol Teamhrach, son of Eochaidh Foiltleathan, son of Oilill Caisfhiaclach, son of Connla Cruaidhchealgach, son of Iarainnghleo Fathach, son of Meilge Molbhthach, son of Cobhthach Caol mBreagh, son of Ughaine Mor, held the sovereignty of Ireland five years, and fell by Nia Seaghamain.
Nia Seaghamain son of Adhamair Foltchaoin, son of Fear Corb, son of Mogh Corb, son of Cobhthach Caomh, son of Reachtaidh Righdhearg of the race of Eibhear, held the sovereignty of Ireland seven years; and he was called Nia Seaghamain, that is, seachmhaoineach 'surpassing in wealth', as his wealth far exceeded that of all others, for the wild does used to come and yield their milk kindly like any cow in his reign in Ireland through the magic of his mother, whose name was Fliodhais; and this Nia Seaghamain fell by Eanna Aighneach.
Eanna Aighneach son of Aonghus Tuirbheach Teamhrach, son of Eochaidh Foiltleathan, son of Oilill Caisfhiaclach, son of Connla Cruaidhchealgach, son of Iarainnghleo Fathach, son of Meilge Molbhthach, son of Cobhthach Caol mBreagh, son of Ughaine Mor of the race of Eireamhon, held the sovereignty of Ireland twenty-eight years. He was called Eanna Aighneach, for aighneach is the same as ogh oineach, that is, 'perfect generosity', for he used to give away whatever came to his hand; and he fell by Criomhthann Coscrach.
Criomhthann Coscrach son of Feidhlimidh Foirthriun, son of Fearghus Fortamhail, son of Breasal Breac, son of Aonghus Gaileann, son of Oilill Bracan, son of Labhraidh Loingseach, son of Oilill Aine, son of Laoghaire Lorc, son of Ughaine Mor of the race of Eireamhon, held the sovereignty of Ireland seven years. He is called Criomhthann Coscrach from the frequency with which he was victorious in slaughter and contest in every battle in which he was engaged; and he fell by Rudhruighe son of Sithrighe.
Rudruighe son of Sithrighe, son of Dubh, son of Fomhor, son of Airgheadmhar, son of Siorlamh, son of Fionn, son of Bratha, son of Labhraidh, son of Cairbre, son of Ollamh Fodla of the race of Ir son of Mileadh, held the sovereignty of Ireland thirty years, or, according to others, seventy years; and he died of the plague at Airgeadros.
Ionnadmhar son of Nia Seaghamain, son of Adhamair Foltchaoin, son of Fear Corb, son of Mogh Corb, son of Cobhthach Caomh, son of Reachtaidh Righdhearg of the race of Eibhear, held the sovereignty of Ireland three years; and he fell by Breasal Boidhiobhadh.
Breasal Boidhiobhadh son of Rudhruighe, son of Sithrighe, son of Dubh, son of Fomhor, son of Airgeadmhar, son of Siorlamh of the race of Ir son of Milidh, held the sovereignty of Ireland eleven years. He was called Breasal Boidhiobhadh, for a great cow-plague occurred in Ireland in his time. This Breasal fell by Lughaidh Luaighne.
Lughaidh Luaighne son of Ionnadmhar, son of Nia Seaghamain, son of Adhamair Foltchaoin, son of Fear Corb, son of Mogh Corb, son of Cobhthach Caomh, son of Reachtaidh Righdhearg of the race of Eibhear, held the sovereignty of Ireland five years, and fell by Conghal Clairingneach.
Conghal Clairingneach son of Rudhruighe, son of Sithrighe, son of Dubh, son of Fomhor, son of Airgeadmhar, son of Siorlamh of the race of Ir son of Milidh, held the sovereignty of Ireland fifteen years, and fell by Duach Dallta Deaghaidh.
XXXI.
Duach Dallta Deaghaidh son of Cairbre Lusc, son of Lughaidh Luaighne, son of Ionnadmhar, son of Nia Seaghamain, son of Adhamair Foltchaoin, son of Fear Corb, son of Mogh Corb, son of Cobhtbach Caomh, son of Reachtaidh Righdhearg of the race of Eibhear, held, the sovereignty of Ireland ten years. He was called Duach Dallta Deaghaidh, for Cairbre Lusc had two sons, namely Duach and Deaghaidh, and they disputed the sovereignty of Ireland with one another, for each of these sons, was a fit person for the kingship as regards shape, make, action, and valour. But Deaghaidh, the youngest of the sons, sought to supplant his elder brother Duach. When Duach perceived this, he sent messengers for his brother Deaghaidh; and Deaghaidh came to the place where Duach was; and when he came into his presence, Duach seized him, and took out his eyes, so that he was really a blind man; hence the name Duach Dallta Deaghaidh, Duach who blinded Deaghaidh, clung to him. To set forth this deed some poet composed this stanza:
Deaghaidh was seized in his house
By Duach, by his brother;
And blinded by violence was
This Deaghaidh, though sorry was the deed.
This Duach fell by Fachtna Fathach son of Cas. Fachtna Fathach son of Cas, son of Rudhruighe, son of Sithrighe, son of Dubh, son of Fomhor, son of Airgeadmhar, son of Siorlamh of the race of Ir son of Milidh, held the sovereignty of Ireland sixteen years; and he fell by Eochaidh Feidhlioch.
Eochaidh Feidhlioch son of Fionn, son of Fionnlogh, son of Roighnen Ruadh, son of Easaman Eamhna, son of Blathacht, son of Labhraidh Lorc, son of Eanna Aighneach, son of Aonghus Tuirbheach Teamhrach, son of Eochaidh Foiltleathan, son of Oilill Caisfhiaclach, son of Connla Cruaidhchealgach, son of Iarainnghleo Fathach, son of Meilge Molbhthach, son of Cobhthach Caol mBreagh, son of Ughaine Mor of the race of Eireamhon, held the sovereignty of Ireland twelve years. Benia daughter of Crioinhthann was mother of Eochaidh Feidhlioch. He was called Eochaidh Feidhlioch, for he suffered long from sighing, for feidhil means long, and uch means 'a sigh', hence Feidhlioch means 'a long sigh'. For his heart was never without a sigh since he slew his sons in the Battle of Drom Criaidh until his own death. These three sons were called the three Finneamhnas. And they were called Eamhna, from the word amhaon, denying that any one of them was born alone, they being all born together. And Cloithfhionn daughter of Eochaidh Uichtleathan, wife of Eochaidh Feidhlioch, was their mother, and she gave birth to them together. Their names were Breas and Nar and Lothar. And this Eochaidh Feidhlioch it was who first divided Ireland into provinces and instituted provincials. For he divided the province of Connaught into three parts, between three, namely, Fidheac son of Feig, Eochaidh Allad, Tinne son of Connraidh. He gave to Fidheac Fir na Craoibhe, from Fidheac to Luimneach; he gave to Eochaidh Allad Iorrus Domhnann, from Gaillimh to Dubh, and to Drobhaois; he gave to Tinne son of Connraidh, Magh Sainbh and Seantuatha Taidhean, from Fidheac to Teamhair Bhrogha Niadh; he gave, moreover, the province of Ulster to Fearghus son of Leide; he gave the province of Leinster to Rossa son of Fearghus Fairrge; he gave the two provinces of Munster to Tighearnach Teadbhannach and to Deaghaidh; so that he brought all Ireland under his own sway and rule during his reign.
After this, however, Eochaidh went into Connaught; and the three kings and the people of the three divisions of Connaught came to meet him. Eochaidh asked of them the site of a royal fortress for himself in Connaught. Eochaidh Allad and Fidheac said they would not grant him this, and that they preferred to send him his rent and dues to Tara. Tinne son of Connraidh, however, the third king, consented to Eochaidh's having the site of a fortress. Eochaidh gave his own daughter Meadhbh to wife to Tinne; and they formed a friendly alliance with one another. Eochaidh Feidhlioch inquired of his druids where he should build the fortress; and they told him to build it at Druim na nDruadh, which is called Cruachain. The fort was then begun by the Gamhanruidh from Iorrus Domhnann; and they made the rampart of that fort of Eochaidh in one day, as the poet says:
He enjoined on the tribe of Domhnann, in one day
To make and shape the rampart;
The king of Fail of the feasts gave not
Pay to the men for the work.
A residence was then built within it; and Eochaidh gave the kingdom of Connaught to Tinne son of Connraidh, and gave him his own daughter, Meadhbh, in marriage. After this Tinne slew Eochaidh Allad, and gave the kingdom of Domhnann to Oilill Fionn. Now Meadhbh gave the government of Raith Eochach to Crochain Croidhearg, her own mother; and it is from this Crochain that the name Cruachain is now given to Raith Cruachan, as the poet says in this quatrain:
Druim na nDruadh and Tulach Oichne,
And then Raith Eochach was it called;
Raith Cruachan from Crochain Croidhearg,
Who sped great wrath on the plain.
Meadhbh continued for a long time afterwards to be the wife of Tinne son of Connraidh, till he fell at Tara by the hand of Monuidhir, who was called Mac Ceacht. Now Meadhbh held for ten years the sovereignty of Connaught after Tinne without living with any man publicly, but living privately with whatever man pleased her fancy. After this Meadhbh took for her husband Oilill Mor son of Rossa Ruadh, a Leinsterman. Mada Muirisc, a Connaughtwoman, was his mother. And Meadbh bore to Oilill seven sons, namely, the seven Maines. And it was Conall Cearnach who when at Cruachain, in his old age, slew Oilill by a cast of a javelin; and the men of Connaught followed and slew him to avenge that deed.
There were war and strife for a long time between the people of Connaught and those of Ulster while Meadhbh held sway over Connaught, and Conchubhar was king of Ulster. And in order that thou mayest know, O reader, the cause of the enmity that existed between them, I shall set down here how the children of Uisneach were slain in violation of the guarantee or protection of Fearghus son of Rogh, of Cormac Conluingeas, and of Dubthach Daol Uladh. The pith of the story is briefly as follows.
XXXII.
One day Conchubhar, king of Ulster, went to partake of a feast to the house of Feidhlimidh son of Dall, storyteller to Conchubhar. In the course of that feast the wife of Feidhlimidh gave birth to a beautiful daughter; and Cathbhadh the druid, who was present at the assembly on that occasion, foreboded and foretold of this daughter that great misfortune and mischief would befall the province on her account. When the warriors heard this, they sought to put her to death on the spot. ‘By no means,’ said Conchubhar; ‘but I will take her and put her to nurse so that she may become my wife.’ Deirdre was the name that Cathbhadh the druid gave her. Conchubhar placed her in a dwelling apart, with a tutor and a nurse to bring her up; and no one in the province was permitted to go into her presence but her tutor, her nurse, and Conchubhar's censorious woman, who was called Leabharcham. She continued under these regulations until she was marriageable, and until she excelled the women of the time in beauty. One snowy day it chanced that her tutor killed a calf to prepare food for her; and when the calf's blood was shed on the snow, a raven began to drink it. And when Deirdre observed this, she said to Leabharcham that she would like to have a husband having the three colours she beheld, namely, his hair of the colour of the raven, his cheek of the colour of the calf's blood, and his skin of the colour of the snow. ‘Such a man is in the household with Conchubhar; he is called Naoise, son of Uisneach.’ ‘Then,’ said she, ‘I beseech thee, O Leabharcham, send him to speak to me in secret’; and Leabharcham informed Naoise of this. Thereupon Naoise came secretly to visit Deirdre, who revealed to him how greatly she loved him, and besought him to elope with her from Conchubhar. Naoise consented to this with reluctance, as he feared Conchubhar. Himself and his two brothers Ainle and Ardan, having Deirdre and thrice fifty warriors with them, proceeded to Alba, where they were maintained in service by the king of Alba till he was informed of Deirdre's beauty, and asked her for his wife. Naoise and his brothers became enraged at this, and fled with Deirdre from Alba to an island in the sea, having previously had many conflicts with the king's party. Now when the story ran in Ulster that the sons of Uisneach were in this sad plight, many of the nobles of the province said to Conchubhar that it was a pity that the sons of Uisneach should be in exile on account of a wicked woman, and that they should be sent for and brought back to the country. Conchubhar consented to this at the request of the nobles; and he gave Fearghus son of Rogh, Dubhthach Daol Uladh, and Cormac Corluingeas as sureties that he would act towards them in good faith. Upon these conditions, Fearghus son of Rogh sent his own son Fiachaidh to the children of Uisneach; and he brought them and their followers to Ireland, and Deirdre with them; and no tidings whatever of them are related till they reached the green of Eamhain.
On the green they were met by Eoghan son of Durrthacht, prince of Fearnmhagh, accompanied by a large host with intent to deal treacherously with the children of Uisneach at the direction of Conchubhar; and when the childrcn of Uisneach arrived, Eoghan went to bid Naoise welcome, and in welcoming him thrust a spear through him. When Fiachaidh son of Fearghus saw this, he sprang between Eoghan and Naoise; and Eoghan dealt his second thrust at Fiachaidh, and slew him, together with Naoise; and forthwith Eoghan and his host fell upon the children of Uisneach, and slew them, and made dreadful slaughter upon their followers.
Now when Fearghus and Dubhthach heard that the children of Uisneach had been slain in violation of their guarantee, they proceeded to Eamhain, and came into conflict with the party of Conchubhar, and they slew Maine son of Conchubhar, together with three hundred warriors of his followers. They burned and plundered Eamhain, and put Conchubhar's women to death; and they and Cormac Conluingeas assembled their supporters from all sides; and their host at that time numbered three thousand warriors; and they thence marched into Connaught to Meadhbh and to Oilill, where they found welcome and were taken into service. When they had arrived there, there was no night that they did not send parties of plunderers to ravage and burn Ulster. They continued to act thus till they ravaged the district of Cuailgne—a deed from which sprang much mischief and contention between the two provinces; and in this manner they passed seven years without an hour's truce between them. Within that time Fearghus knew Meadhbh, and she conceived of him, and bore him three sons at one birth, namely, Ciar, and Corc, and Conmhac, as the poet says:
Meadhbh conceived in fair Crunchain
Of Fearghus, who deserved not reproach,
And brought forth triplets faultless, strong,
Ciar and Corc and Conmhac.
From this Ciar is named Ciarraidhe in Munster, and O Conchubhair Ciarraidhe is of his progeny. From Corc is named Corca Moruadh; and from Conmhac is named every Conmhaicne in Connaught; and whoever reads the poem composed by Lughair, Oilill's poet, beginning, The children of Fearghus, children beyond all, he will plainly find that these three sons of Meadhbh wielded great power and authority in Connaught and in Munster. This is proved by the territories that are named from them in these two provinces.
Now as to Deirdre, who gave rise to the events we have narrated, she remained with Conchubhar a year after the slaying of the children of Uisneach; and little though it be to raise her head or let a smile cross her lips, she did not do it during that time. When Conchubhar saw that neither sport nor kindness had any effect on her, and neither merriment nor pleasure raised her spirits, he sent for Eoghan son of Durrthacht, prince of Fearnmhagh; and when Eoghan had come into his presence, he said to Deirdre that, since he himself was unable to turn away her mind from her sorrow, she must pass another space of time with Eoghan; and she was thereupon placed behind Eoghan in his chariot. Conchubhar went to accompany them; and as they went along, she cast glances of rage at Eoghan in front of her and at Conchubhar behind her; for there were no two on earth she hated more than these. And when Conchubhar perceived her glancing by turns at himself and Eoghan, he said to her in jest, ‘Deirdre,’ said he, ‘thy glancing at me and at Eoghan is the glancing of a sheep between two rams.’ When Deirdre heard this, she started at the words, and sprang lightly from the chariot; and her head struck against a ledge of rock that stood before her on the ground. Her head was broken into fragments, and her brain straightway issued forth. Thus was brought about the banishinent of Fearghus son of Rogh, and of Cormac Conluingeas son of Conchubhar, of Dubhthach Daol Uladh, and the death of Deirdre.
As it was in the time of Conchubhar and the heroes that Meadhbh held the sovereignty of Connaught, and as she lived ten years after the death of Tinne son of Connraidh, her first husband, and for eighty years after that was the wife of Oilill Mor, and lived eight years unmarried after the death of Oilill till she was slain by Forbhuidhe son of Conchubhar, we shall briefly set down here the manner of death and some account of the more celebrated of the heroes who lived in the time of Meadhbh.
XXXIII.
Here follows a first brief summary of the adventure which led to the death of Conchubhar.
Now at that time, in order to incite champions to be brave in conflict, it was customary to give a champion's prize as a token of victory to him who proved the stronger in single combat, and who vanquished his adversary in the field of valour. From this custom there arose a contest for the champion's prize between Conall Cearnach, and Cuchulainn and Laoghaire Buadhach in Eamhain. And Conall asked for the brain of Meisceadhra, a stout Leinster champion whom he had himself slain in single combat; and when the brain of that valiant man was exhibited, Laoghaire and Cuchulainn ceased from their contest with Conall, as they judged that neither of them had ever done so great a deed of bravery or valour. It was the custom at that time that when any champion slew in battle another champion of great fame, he took the brain out of his head and mixed it with lime, so that he had it in the shape of a hard round ball to show at meetings and public assemblies as a trophy of valour. And when two jesters whom Conchubhar kept noticed how highly everyone prized the brain, they stole it the next day from Conchubhar's Craobhdhearg. Now there were three dwellings in Eamhain in Conchubhar's time, namely, Broin Bhearg and Craobh Dhearg and Craobh Ruaidh. In the first house were their wounded; and it was called Broin Bhearg, because the wounded who were in it felt sorrow and distress from the piercing pain of the wounds, and of the distempers from which they suffered therein. In the second house, which was cahed Craobh Dhearg, were kept in safety the arms and precious valuables; and accordingly Meisceadhra's brain was placed there for security as any other precious valuable. The third house that Conchubhar had was called the Craobh Ruaidh. It was in it himself and all his warriors used to be served.
As to the two jesters, having carried off the brain of Meisceadhra from the Craobh Dhearg as we have said, they went on the green of Eamhain, and set to bandying the brain from hand to hand like a ball, when a fierce wolf of evil to the Ultonians, to wit, Ceat son of Magha, a valiant Connaughtman, came and coaxed the brain of Meisceadhra from the jesters, and took it with him to Connaught; and as often as he went to battle or contend against the Ultonians he was wont to have the brain of Meisceadhra at his girdle in the hope of bringing disaster on the Ultonians. For it was foretold that Meisceadhra would avenge himself on the Ultoinans after his death; and he thought it was by means of the brain this prophecy would be fulfilled. Whence Ceat was wont to carry the brain of Meisceadhra about with him in the hope of slaying some one of the nobles of Ulster with it. Now Ceat, accompanied by a large host, went to plunder Ulster, and carried off a large herd of cattle from Feara Rois in Ulster; and he was pursued by a large force of Ultoinans; and the men of Connaught flocked eastward to assist Ceat, and Conchubhar went westward to help the Ultonians. And when Ceat heard that Conchubhar was in pursuit, he sent word to the women of Connaught who were on a hill watching the two hosts asking them to entice Conchubhar to visit them, as he was a jovial, affable man, for the Ultonians would not permit him to take part in the battle against the men of Connaught.
Now when Conchubhar heard that the women wished to see him, he set out alone from the height on which he was to visit them; while Ceat, on the other hand, went secretly and got into the midst of the women waiting in readiness to kill Conchubhar. When, therefore, Conchubhar was approaching the women, Ceat arose and arranged the brain of Meisceadhra in his sling to slay Conchubhar. But when the latter saw Ceat he retreated to the midst of his own people; and as he was proceeding to Doire Da Bhaoth, Ceat hurled the brain of Meisceadhra after him from his sling, and struck him on the crown; and his brain-pan was broken by that cast, and the brain of Meisceadhra clung to his skull; and thereupon his followers came up to protect him against Ceat. They then sent for Finghin Faithliaigh; and when he arrived, he said that if that ball were extracted from his head he would instantly die. ‘We had rather,’ said they all, ‘that our king should have a blemish than that he should die.’ Finghin cured him, and then told him not to get into a passion, to avoid sexual intercourse, to avoid riding on horseback, to abstain from violent exertion—otherwise, that by the repelling motion of his own brain, he would hurl the ball from his head and die.
He was seven years in this state up to the Friday on which Christ was crucified, according to some seanchas. And when he saw the unwonted transformation of the elements and the darkening of the sun with the moon full, he inquired of Bacrach, a Leinster druid who was with him, what was the cause of that unwonted change in the luminaries of heaven and earth. ‘It is that Jesus Christ the Son of God is being put to death now by the Jews,’ replied the druid. ‘That is a pity,’ said Conchubhar; ‘and if I were present, I would slay all that are around my King putting Him to death.’ And with that he drew forth his sword, and went into an oak-wood hard by, and set to cutting and felling it, saying that, if he were amongst the Jews, he would treat them in the same way; and through the strength of the fury that seized him the ball bounded from his head, and a portion of his brain followed it, and with that he died. Coill Lamhruidhe in Feara Rois is the name of that wood-thicket.
After Conchubhar's death, the kingdom of Ulster was offered to whoever should carry his body to Eamhain without resting. A servant of Conchubnar's named Ceann Bearroide was present, and in the hope of obtaining the kingdom, took up the body stoutly and carried it to Ardachadh, in Sliabh Fuaid, but there his heart broke and he died. And this event has given rise to the saw which says that one seeks the kingdom of Ceann Bearroide when one aspires ambitiously to a rank which it is beyond his power to attain.
But though authors relate this story of Conchubhar, alleging that he was a contemporary of Christ, still, according to the truth of history, Christ was not born for a long time after Conchubhar; and the truth of this story is that Bacrach, a Leinster druid, foretold through prophecy that Christ the Prophesied One, the Son of God, would be conceived, that He would assume a body, and that the jews would put Him to death; and through Him the human race would be delivered from the tyranny of the evil one. And when Conchubhar heard this, he became enraged as we have said; and through sympathy with Christ, he set to cut down the wood of Lamhruidhe as if the trees were the Jews; and he died of that effort. And if anyone should deem it strange that Bacrach or any other druid, being Pagan, should foretell the death of Christ, how was it more fitting for the Sybils, who were Pagans, to have foretold Christ before His birth than for Bacrach or any of his kind? Hence the story is not to be thus discredited.
XXXIV
Of the death of Ceat son of Magha, as follows.
This Ceat was a valiant man and during his life he was an enemy and constant plunderer ofthe Ultonians. On a certain day this Ceat proceeded to Ulster to wreak vengeance as was his wont; and there was heavy snow at that time; and as he was returning with the heads of three warriors whom he had slain on that expedition, Conall Cearnach pursued him and seized him at Ath Ceit. They fought; and Ceat fell in the conflict; and Conall was severely wounded, and lapsed into a trance on the spot after he had lost a large quantity of blood. Thereupon Bealchu of Breithfne, a Connaught champion, came to the place of conflict, where he found Ceat dead and Conall on the point of death, and said that it was well these two wolves who had caused the ruin of Ireland were in so sad a plight. ‘That is true,’ said Conall; ‘and in retribution for all the injury I have inflicted on Connaught do thou kill me.’ Now he said this because he would give the kingdom of Ireland that some other warrior should wound him so that a single Connaught warrior should not have the renown of slaying him. ‘I will not slay thee,’ said Bealchu, ‘since the plight thou art in is almost as bad as death. However, I will take thee with me and apply remedies to thee; and if thou recoverest from thy wounds, I will fight thee in single combat, so that I may avenge on thee all the injury and affliction thou hast brought on Connaught.’ Thereupon he placed him in a litter and took him to his own house, and there applied remedies to him, until is wounds were healed.
But when Bealchu saw that Conall was recovering and his natural strength growing in him once more, he became afraid of him, and arranged for three warriors, his own sons, to slay him treacherously in bed by night. But Conall got a hint of this treacherous conspiracy; and on the night for which it was arranged that the sons should come to commit the murder, Conall said to Bealchu that he must exchange beds with him, else he would kill him. And accordingly Bealchu lay against his will in Conall's bed, and Conall lay in Bealchu's bed. And those three warriors, the sons of Bealchu, came to the bed in which Conall used to be and slew their father in mistake for Conall. Now when Conall observed that they had slain their father in mistake for himself, he sprang upon them and killed all three, and beheaded them and their father; and on the following day he took their heads to Eamhain in triumph, and in commemoration of this deed is the following quatrain from the seanchus:
Among the feats of Conall Cearnach
Was the sack of Manainn, the spoiling of slaves,
And the slaying of the three sons of Bealchu of Breithfne,
After he had slain Lughaidh son of three hounds.
So far the murder of Ceat son of Magha and of Bealchu of Breithfne and his three sons. And there are many great deeds besides this that might be laid to the credit of Conall which we shall leave untold on this occasion.
Of the event which led to the death of Fearghus son of Rogh, as follows.
When Fearghus was in banishment in Connaught, it happened that he was with Oilill and Meadhbh in Magh Ai, where they had a dwelling-fortress; and one day, when they went out to the shore of a lake that was near the lios, Oilill asked Fearghus to go and swim in the lake, and Fearghus did so. Now while Fearghus was swimming, Meadhbh was seized by a desire of swimming with him; and when she had gone into the lake with Fearghus, Oilill grew jealous; and he ordered a kinsman of his called Lughaidh Dalleigheas who was with him to cast a spear at Fearghus which pierced him through the breast; and Fearghus came ashore on account of the wound caused by that cast, and extracted the spear from his body, and cast it in the direction of Oilill; and it pierced a greyhound that was near his chariot, and thereupon Fearghus fell and died, and was buried on the shore of the same lake. It was this Fearghus who slew Fiachna son of Conchubbar, and the champion Geirrgheann son of Mollaidh, and Eoghan son of Durrthacht, king of Fearnmhuighe, and many heroes and warriors besides whom we shall not mention here. It was he also who carried off the great spoil from Ulster which caused much mischief and discord between Connaughtmen and Ulstermen, so that the dubhloingeas that went with Fearghus into exile from Ulster remained seven years in Connaught, or according to others ten years, spoiling and plundering Ulster on account of the death of the sons of Uisneach, while the Ulstermen were in the same way making an onslaught on them and on the men of Connaught on account of the spoil that Fearghus took from them, as well as every other injury which the dubhloingeas—: that is, the exile host who went with Fearghus to Connaught—and the men of Connaught themselves had done them; so that the injury and damage they inflicted on one another were so great that books have been written about them which it would be tedious to mention, and would take too long to describe here.
The cause which led to the death of Laoghaire Buadhach, as follows.
Conchubhar had a poet called Aodh son of Ainneann, who carried on an intrigue with Maghain, Conchubhar's wife; and when Conchubhar discovered this, the judgment he passed on the poet was that he be drowned in Loch Laoghaire; and at the king's command a company went with him to drown him. And when Laoghaire Buadhach's steward saw this, he went to Laoghaire and said that there was no place in Ireland where the poet could be drowned but at his own door. Thereupon Laoghaire leaped out, and his poll struck against the upper door-post of the house, and his skull was broken; after this he made a sudden onslaught on the company, and slew them, and rescued the poet; and he himself died on the spot. Such was the end of Laoghaire Buadhach.
XXXV.
The cause of the death of Meadhbh of Cruachain, as follows.
When Oilill had been slain by Conall Cearnach, Meadhbh went to Inis Clothrann on Lough Ribh to live; and while she resided there, she was under an obligation to bathe every morning in the well which was at the entrance to the island. And when Forbuidhe son of Conchubhar heard this, he visited the well one day alone, and with a line measured from the brink of the well to the other side of the lake, and took the measure with him to Ulster, and practised thus: he inserted two poles in the ground, and tied an end of the line to each pole, and placed an apple on one of the poles, and stood himself at the other pole, and kept constantly firing from his sling at the apple that was on the top of the pole till he struck it. This exercise he practised until he had grown so dexterous that he would miss no aim at the apple. Soon after this there was a meeting of the people of Ulster and Connaught at both sides of the Shannon at Inis Clothrann; and Forbuidhe came there from the east with the Ulster gathering. And one morning while he was there, he saw Meadhbh bathing, as was her wont, in the fore-mentioned well; and with that he fixed a stone in his sling and hurled it at her, and struck her in the forehead, so that she died on the spot, having been ninety-eight years on the throne of Connaught, as we have said above.
Thus far we have digressed into accounts of the heroes who were contemporaries of Meadhbh. We shall now return to Eochaidh Feidhlioch. Now, Eochaidh had three sons and three daughters, namely, Breas and Nar and Lothar, the three sons, and Eithne Uathach, Clothra, and Meadhbh Cruachan, the three daughters, as the poet says in this quatrain:
Three daughters had Eochaidh Feidhlioch,
Fame on a lofty seat:
Eithne Uathach, fair Meadhbh of Cruachain,
And Clothra.
We shall come back again to Conchubhar, and set down here part of his story. His mother was the daughter of Eochaidh Salbhuidhe of Connaught, who was cahed Neasa, and he was named from her. And his father was Fachtna Fathach son of Cas, son of Rudhruighe of the race of Ir son of Milidh; and when the provincial kings were demanding to have the boundaries of each separate province fixed, Cairbre Nia Fear, king of Leinster, in consideration of getting Conchubhar's daughter in marriage, ceded to Ulster the tract of land that extends from Loch an Chuighidh in Breagh and from Tara to the sea; and this tract consists of three cantons, as the poet says:
In the division of Erin into fifths,
Between two seas, great the permission,
Three cantons with his portion
Took Conchubhar, no small, narrow tract.
The lady through whom he gained this increase was named Feidhlim Nuachrothach; and through force of passion she eloped with Conall Cearnach from the king of Leinster.
As to Conchubhar he had twenty-one sons; and in a fit of drunkenness he committed incest with his own mother, and she bore him Cormac Conluingeas. Now, Cormac is the same as Corbmac, an incestuous son; for it was through corbadh or incest that Cormac was the offspring of Conchubhar by his own mother, whose name was Neasa. And in punishment of this misdeed all his sons died without issue except three, namely, Beanna, from whom Beanntraighe is named; Lanna, from whom Lannraidhe is named; and Glaisne, from whom Glasraidhe is named. But there is no one to-day in Ireland descended from these.
It was this Conchubhar son, of Fachtna Fathach and his kinsmen that fought the Battle of Aonach Macha against Dabhall Dianbhuilleach son of the monarch of Lochloinn. An innumerable host accompanied the son of the king of Lochlainn on that occasion on an expedinon to invade Ireland. It was in the province of Ulster they landed, and after that they proceeded to Magh Macha. The clan Rudhruighe rallied round Conchubhar against the foreigners, and gave them battle. Then Geanann Gruadhsholus son of Cathbhadh said to his followers: ‘Your host is small, O men of Ulster,’ he said, ‘and ye are all young and beardless. What shall we do, then?’ said they all. ‘Well,’ said Geanann, ‘bring with you a large quantity of grey wool, and bind fast the wool to your faces, so that the foreigners may hate and fear you all the more for this, as if you were chosen warriors.’ All those who were amhulchach, that is, those who had not beards, followed the advice of Geanann. The battle was afterwards fought, and the foreigners were defeated, and they were slaughtered there; and it was from this Battle of Aonach Macha that they were called Ulaidh or Ulstermen.
The death of Conlach son of Cuchulainn, as follows.
It was thus his death was brought about: Cuchulainn went to learn feats of valour to Scathach, a female champion that lived in Alba; and there was a fair lady in Scotland at that time cahed Aoife daughter of Airdgheim, who cherished a longing affection for Cuchulainn because of his great fame; and she came to visit him; and they had intercourse with one another, and she conceived a son. Now, when Cuchulainn proceeding to Ireland after having learned the feats of agility from Scathach, he paid a farewell visit to Aoife, and gave her an ornasc, that is, a chain of gold, and told her to keep it till her son should be fit for service; and when he would be fit for service, to send the chain with him to himself, as a sure token by which to know him; or, according to others, it was a gold ring, and he told her to send his son to visit him to Ireland as soon as he should be so strong that his finger would fill the ring. Furthermore he imposed three restrictions on the son before his coming to Ireland. The first restriction was that he should not give way to any hero or champion in the world; the second restriction that he should not give his name through fear to any warrior in the world; the third restriction that he should not refuse single combat to any man on earth, however strong. Now, when this youth grew up and waxed strong, and when he had learned exercises of valour and championship from Scathach, the instructress of champions, he set out for Ireland to visit Cuchulainn, his father; and when the youth reached land, Conchubhar and the nobles of Ulster were before him Tracht Eise; and Conchubhar sent a champion cahed Cuinnire to get an account of himself from him; and when he came into the youth's presence, he asked his name. ‘I tell my name to no warrior on earth,’ said Conlaoch. Then Cuinnire went back to Conchubhar, and made known to him this answer. Thereupon Cuchulainn went to get an account from him, but received only the same answer from Conlaoch; and they engaged in a bloody encounter, and Conlaoch was overpowering Cuchulainn, great as had been his valour and strength in every battle up to that time, so that he was forced to go to the nearest ford and direct Laogh son of Rian Gabhra to get ready the ga bolg for him, which he sent through Conlaoch's body; and it was thus he died.
XXXVI.
Know, O reader, that if I were to relate here how Cuchulainn fell by the sons of Cailitin, and Fear Diadh son of Damhan by Cuchulainn, and the death of the seven Maines sons of Oilill Mor and of Meadhbh, and of many other stout heroes who are not mentioned here, a long narrative would be needed concerning them. But if thou wishest to get a lengthy account of them, read Brisleach Mhuighe Muirtheimhne; Oidhidh na gCuradh; or Tain Bo Cuailgne; or Tain Bo Reaghamain; or Deargruathar Chonaill Cheamaigh; or Feis Eamhnan; pr Tain Bo Fliodhais; or similar tales which are now to be seen in Ireland; and thou shalt find therein a copious account of the above-mentioned persons and of many other champions and warriors of their history and adventures.
Nevertheless I think I should not omit mention of Curaoi son of Daire here but should set down the cause of his as he was a valiant man, and a contemporary of Conchubhar and of the heroes. Morann Mhanannach was mother of Curaoi son of Daire, as the poet says in this quatrain:
Morann Mhanannach of honour pure,
Daughter of Ir son of Uinnseach,
Sister of Eochaidh Eachbheoil was she,
Mother of Curaoi son of Daire.
There were three orders of champions in Ireland at the same time; and there lived neither before their time nor ever since a body of the sons of Milidh who were bigger, stronger, braver, more skilled, more intrepid on the field of battle, and in exercises of valour and bravery than they; for the Fian of Leinster were not to be compared with them. The first order of these were the champions of the Craobh Ruadh under Conchubhar; the second order the Gamhanruidh of Iorras Domhnonn under Oilill Fionn; and the third order clanna Deaghaidh under Curaoi son, of Daire in west Munster.
It was thus that the death of Curaoi came about. The champions of the Craobh Ruadh went on an expedition to pillage an island in the ocean near Alba called Manainn, where where was much gold and silver and wealth of various kinds, and many precious valuables besides; and the lord of the island had a comely, marriageable daughter who surpased the women of her time in form and beauty. Her name was Blanaid. And when Curaoi heard that the champions were setting out on that expedition, he put on a disguise by magic, and went with the party; and when they were about to plunder the island in the guise of jugglers they apprehended great difficulty in seizing on the dun which was in the island in which was Blanaid, and all the precious valuables of the island, both on account of its strength and of the great skill in magic of those who were defending it. Then Curaoi, who was disguised as a man with a grey cloak, said that if he got his choice of the valuables in the dun he would capture it for them. Cuchulainn promised him this; and thereupon they attacked the dun with the man in the grey cloak at their head. He stopped the magic wheel that was in motion at the door of the fortress, and enabled all to enter; and they plundered the aun, and took from it Blanaid and all the precious valuables it contained. They thence set out for Ireland and reached Eamhain, and as they were dividing the valuables, the man in the grey cloak asked for the valuable he should choose as was promise to him. ‘Thou shalt have it,’ said Cuchulainn. ‘Well, then,’ said he, ‘Blanaid is my choice of the valuables.’ ‘Thou mayst have thy choice of the other valuables excepting only Blanaid.’ ‘I will not accept any but her,’ said the man of the grey coat. Thereupon Curaoi sought an opportunity of carring off Blanaid, and, seizing her unperceived, he bore her off in an enchanted mask. When Cuchulainn noticed that the lady was missing, he concluded that it was Curaoi who carried her off, and he pursued them by direct route to Munster, and overtook them at Solchoid; and the champions grappled with one another and engaged in strong, valorous wrestling and Cuchulainn was brought to the ground by Curaoi, who inflicted on him the binding of the five smalls, and left him there a bound captive, having cut off his hair with his sword; and, leaving Cuchulainn bound as we have said, he took Blanaid with him to west Munster. But after this Laogh son of Rian of Gabhra came and unbound Cuchulainn; and they proceeded thence to the north of Ulster, and settled down beside Beanna Boirche for a year without coming to a meeting of the men of Ulster until Cuchulainn's hair grew and at the end of that year Chuchulainn happened to be on Beanna Boirche and he saw a large flock of black birds coming southwards from the surface of the ocean; and when they reached land he pursued them, and slew with his sling, by the exercise called taithbheim or 'return-stroke', a bird out of each country, till he killed the last black bird of them at Sruibh Broin in west Munster; and as he was returning eastwards, he found Blanaid alone beside Fionnghlaise in Ciarraidhe, where Curaoi's dwelling-fortress stood, at that time. A conversation then took place between them, and she made known to him that there was not on the face of the earth a man loved more than him, and asked him to come on the following Samhain with a full host and carry her off by fraud or force, and that he might the more easily do this, she would bring about that Curaoi should at that time have but few warriors and attendants. Cuchulainn promised to come to fetch her at that time. Thereupon he bade her farewell, and proceeded to Ulster, and gave Conchubhar an account of the incident.
As to Blanaid, she told Curaoi that he ought to build a stone fortress for himself which would excel all the royal fortresses of Ireland, and that the way in which that could be done was to send the clanna Deaghaidh to collect and bring together all the large stones that were standing in Ireland for the purpose of making a stone fortress for himself. And Blanaid's object in this was that clanna Deaghaidh might be scattered through the distant regions of Ireland far from Curaoi when Cuchulainn should come to carry her off. Now when Cuchulainn heard that clanna Deaghaidh were thus dispersed throughout Irelnd, he set out secretly from Ulster with an army, and no tidings are recorded of him till he reached the oak wood that lay beside Curaoi's fortress; and when he arrived there, he sent word privately to Blanaid that he was there with army; and the sign she sent him was that she would steal Curaoi's sword and thereupon pour a vat of new milk that was in the lios into the stream which was flowing from the homestead through the wood in which Cuchulainn was. Not long after he was informed of this token he saw the stream become white from the milk, and with that they attacked the fortress and sprang upon Curaoi in the lios and slew him alone and unarmed as he was. And the river referred to was called Fionnghlaise, through its having become white from the milk.
Curaoi's poet, who was cahed Feircheirtne, went after Blanaid to Ulster in the hope of getting an opportunity of slaying her to avenge Curaoi; and on reaching Ulster he found Conchubhar and Cuchulainn and Blanaid, with a large assembly round them, at Ceann Beara point; and when the poet saw Blanaid standing there on the brink of a precipice, he went towards, her and twined his arms round her and cast himself and herself suddenly down the precipice, and thus they were both killed.
XXXVII.
Eochaidh Airiomh son of Fionn, son of Fionnlogha, son of Roighnen Ruadh, son of Easamhan Eamhna, son of Blathacht, son of Labhraidh Lorc, son of Eanna Aighneach, son of Aonghus Tuirbheach Teamhrach, son of Eochaidh Foiltleathan, son of Oilill Caisfhiaclach, son of Connla Cruaidhchealgach, son of Iarainnghleo Fathach, son of Meilge Molbthach, son of Cobhthach Caol mBreagh, son of Ughaine Mor of the race of Eireamhon, held the sovereignty of Ireland twelve years. He was called Eochaidh Airiomh because it was he who first dug a cave in Ireland. Now Airiomh is the same as ar uaimhe, that is, 'the ploughing or digging of a cave'; and finally this Eochaidh fell by Siodhmall in Freamhainn Teathbha.
Eidirsceol son of Eoghan, son of Oilill, son of Iar, son of Deaghaidh, son of Sin, son of Roisin, son of Triun, son of Roithriun, son of Airndil, son of Maine, son of Forga, son of Fearadhach, son of Oilill Erann, son of Fiachaidh Fear Mara, son of Aonghus Tuirbheach Teamhrach, son of Eochaidh Foiltleathan, son of Oilill Caisfhiaclach, son of Connla Cruaidhchealgach, son of Iarannghleo Fathach, son of Meilge Molbhthach, son of Cobhthach Caol mBreagh, son of Ughaine Mor of the race of Eireamhon, held the sovereignty of Ireland six years, and he fell by Nuadha Neacht in Aillinn.
Nuadha Neacht son of Seadna Siothbhac, son of Lughaidh Loithfhionn, son of Breasal Breac, son of Fiachaidh Foibhric, son of Oilill Glas, son of Fearadhach Foghlas, son of Nuada Fullon, son of Ealloit, son of Art, son of Mogh Art, son of Criomhthann Coscrach, son of Fearadhach Fionn, son of Feilimidh Foirthriun, son of Fearghus Fortamhail, son of Breasal Breoghaman, son of Aonghus Ollamh, son of Oilill Bracan, son of Labhraidh Loingseach, son of Oilill Aine, son of Laoghaire Lorc, son of Ughaine Mor of the race of Eireamhon, held the sovereignty of Ireland half a year. He was called Nuadha Neacht, from the word nix, that is, 'snow'; for the whiteness of his skin was likened to snow. And this Nuadha fell by Conaire Mor son of Eidirsceol.
Conaire Mor son of Eidirsceol, son of Eoghan, son of Oilill, son of Iar, son of Deaghaidh, son of Sin, son of Roisin, son of Triun, son of Roithriun, son of Airndil, son of Maine, son of Forga, son of Fearadhach, son of Oilill Erann, son of Fiachaidh Fear Mara, son of Aonghus Tuirbheach Teamhrach of the race of Eireamhon, held the sovereignty of Ireland thirty years, or, according to others, seventy years.
This Conaire Mor was the first who exacted from the Leinstermen the eiric of his father, Eidirsceol. The following exacted the same eiric from the Leinstermen, namely, Oilill Olom, Eoghan son of Oilill, Fiachaidh Muilleathan, Oilill Flann Beag, Lughaidh son of Oilill Flann Beag, and Corc son of Lughaidh. The amount of this eiric was three hundred white cows, three hundred mantles, three hundred hogs, and three hundred golden swords; and they joined Osruighe with Munster, that is, from Gabhran to Grian Airbh beside Moin Eile; and they gave all the elements as guarantee that they would pay that eiric for ever, as the seancha says in this stanza:
Osruighe from Gabhran to Grian
Was joined, on account of Eidirsceol's eiric,
With Munster, select her choice,
It was Conaire who made the agreement.
Understand, O reader, that the Earna of Munster, and the Dal Riada of Alba, are descendants of this Conaire, and that it was in the time of Duach Dallta Deaghaidh that the Earna came to Munster; and according to Cormac, in his Psalter, it was the clanna Rudhruighe who banished them to Munster after they had defeated them in eight battles; and they acquired great power in Munster after that from the time of Duach Dallta Deaghaidh to the time of Mogh Nuadhat; so that, according to the Book of Munster, they drove the race of Eibhear back to the territory of Ui Rathach to the borders and the islands of west Munster, having acquired the sovereignty of the region for themselves, which they held up to the time of Mogh Nuadhat, by whom they were expelled; and finally this Conaire Mor fell in Bruighean Da Bhearg by Aingceal Caoch son of the king of Britain.
Lughaidh Riabh nDearg son of the three Finneamhas son of Eochaidh Feidhlioch, son of Fionn, son of Fionnlogha, son of Roighnen Ruadh, son of Easamhan Eamhna, son of Blathacht, son of Labhraidh Lorc, son of Eanna Aighneach, son of Aonghus. Tuirbheach Teamhrach of the race of Eireamhon, held the sovereignty of Ireland twenty years, or, according to others, twenty-six years. Dearbhorgaill daughter of Fargall, king of Lochloinn, was wife of Lughaidh Riabh nDearg. He was called Lughaidh Riabh nDearg because there was a red circle round his neck, and another circle round his waist; for he was the offspring, in their drunkenness, of the three Fionns by their sister who was called Clothra daughter of Eochaidh Feidhlioch; and as a setting forth of this deed is the following historical stanza from which it will be understood that it was this Clothra who bore Lughaidh Riabh nDearg to her brothers that also bore Criomhthann Nia Nar to this same Lughaidh who was her own son. Here is the stanza:
Lughaidh Riabh nDearg to fair Criomhthann
Was father and was brother;
And Clothra of the comely form
Was grandmother to her son.
At that time it was believed that what was above the upper circle of Lughaidh Riabh nDearg resembled the one of the youths who was called Nar, and that what was between the two circles resembled Breas, and that what was below the waist resembled Lotar. This Lughaidh died by falling on his sword, which cut him through. Conchubhar Abhradhruadh son of Fionn File, son of Rossa Ruadh, son of Fearghus Fairrge, son of Nuadha Neacht, son of Seadna Siothbhac, son of Lughaidh Loithfhionn, son of Breasal Breac, son of Fiachaidh Foibhric, son of Oilill Glas, son of Fearadhach Foghlas, son of Nuadha Fullon, son of Ealloit, son of Art, son of Mogh Airt, son of Criomhthann Coscrach, son of Feilimidh Foirthriun, son of Fearghus Fortamhail, son of Breasal Breoghaman, son of Aonghus Ollamh, son of Oilill Bracan, son of Labhraidh Loingseach, son of Oilill Aine, son of Laoghaire Lorc, son of Ughaine Mor of the race of Eireamhon, held the sovereignty of Ireland one year. And he was called Conchubhar Abhradhruadh because he had red eyelashes; and in the end he fell by Criomhthann Nia Nar.
XXXVIII.
Criomhthann Nia Nar son of Lughaidh Riabh nDearg, son of the three Finneamhnas, son of Eochaidh Feidhlioch, son of Fionn, son of Fionnlogha, son of Roighnen Ruadh, son of Easamhan Eamhna, son of Blathacht, son of Laoghaire Lorc, son of Eanna Aighneach, son of Aonghus Tuirbheach Teamhrach of the race of Eireamhon, held the sovereignty of Ireland sixteen years. He was called Criomhthann Nia Nar, for nia is the same as 'champion' or 'brave man'; and he was called Nar, 'ashamed', for he felt ashamed of being the offspring of his brother and mother. It was in the twelfth year of the reign of Criomhthann Nia Nar that Christ was born. This Criomhthann met his death by a fall from his horse, soon after which he expired.
Fearadhach Fionn Feachtnach son of Criomhthann Nia Nar, son of Lughaidh Riabh nDearg, son of the three Finneamhnas, son of Eochaidh Feidhlioch of the race of Eireamhon, heid the sovereignty of Ireland twenty years. Nar Tuathchuach daughter of Loch son of Daire of Cruitheantuaith was the mother of Fearadhach Feachtnach. He was called Fearadhach Feachtnach because justice and truth maintained in Ireland in his time. For feachtnach means 'truthful'. It was in his reign that Morann son of Maon lived, the just judg who possessed the Morann collar; and one of the virtues of this collar was that whoever wore it round his neck while delivering an unjust judgment the collar would close in tightly on his neck till he delivered a just judgment. It behaved similarly as regards one who came to give false testimony until he had confessed the truth. From this collar comes the old saw that is, when one orders that Morann's collar be round the neck of one giving evidence so that he might tell the truth and Fearadhach Feachtnach died in Liath Druim.
Fiatach Fionn, a quo the Dal bhFiatach, son of Daire, son of Dluthach, son of Deitsin, son of Eochaidh, son of Sin, son of Roisin, son of Triun, son of Roithriun, son of Airndil, son of Maine, son of Forga, son of Fearadhach, son of Oilill Earann, son of Fiachaidh Fear Mara, son of Aonghus Tuirbheach Teamhrach of the race of Eireamhon, held the sovereignty of Ireland three years; and he fell by Fiachaidh Fionnoladh.
Fiachaidh Fionnoladh son of Fearadhach Fionn Feachtnach, son of Criomhthann Nia Nar, son of Lughaidh Riabh nDearg, son of the three Finneamhnas, son of Eochaidh Feidhlioch of the race of Eireamhon, held the sovereignty of Ireland twenty-seven years. He is called Fiachaidh Fionnoladh, for oladh is a name for a cow, and most of the cows of Ireland were white (fionn) in his time; hence he was called Fiachaidh Fionnoladh. Know that, according to Stowe's Chronicle, there were Scots residing in Aiba in the year of the Lord 73, very soon after Fiachaidh Fionnoladh held the sovereignty of Ireland, and that was before Cairbre Riada lived. And this Fiachaidh was treacherously slain by the rustic tribes of Ireland.
Cairbre Chinn Chait son of Dubhthach, son of Rudhruighe, son of Diochun Uairiodhnach, son of Tat Teadhmannach, son of Luaighne Laidhcinn, son of Oiris Eachlonnach, son of Earndolbh, son of Rionnal Dagharmagh, son of the king of Lochloinn, who came with Labhraidh Loingseach to the fortress of Tuaim Teannbhaoth, and others say that he was of the Fir Bolg, assumed the sovereignty of Ireland; he reigned five years, and died of the plague. And he was called Cairbre Chinn Chait because his ears were like the ears of a cat, as the poet says in this stanza:
Thus was Cairbre the hardy,
Who ruled Ireland south and north:
Two cat's ears on his fair head,
Cats fur upon his ears.
Cairbre obtained the sovereignty of Ireland in this manner. The serfs or rustic tribes of all Ireland devised a treacherous plot against the king and the nobles of the country; and they resolved to carry out this plot by getting ready a feast to be given to the kings and the nobles of Ireland; and the place in which that feast was given was Magh Cru in Connaught; and they were three years preparing it, and during that time they set apart a third of their crops with a view to the feast; and the free tribes of Ireland came to partake of it; and with them came three kings, namely, Fiachaidh Fionnoladh, king of Ireland, whose wife was Eithne daughter of the king of Alba; Feig sonof Fidheic Caoch, king of Munster, whose wife was Beartha daughter of Goirtniad, king of Britain; Breasal son of Firb, king of Ulster, whose wife was the daughter of the king of Sacsa; her name was Aine, and her father's name was Cainneall. The rustic tribes had three chiefs, namely, Monach, Buan, and Cairbre Caitcheann; and this Cairbre was chief of them all. They had been partaking of the feast for nine days when at length the rustic tribes sprang upon the free tribes of Ireland and slew them, so that they all fell by them on the spot, except the three unborn children who were in the wombs of the three wives of the three kings we have mentioned. Now the women fled to Alba, and there gave birth to three sons, namely, Tuathal Teachtmhar, Tiobraide Tireach, and Corb Olom. As to Ireland great famine and failure of crops and much adversity came upon that country. And this continued to be her lot till the three sons of the three kings they had treacherously slain were able to bear arms. And when the men of Ireland heard that the three sons of these kings were living, they sent envoys to them asking them to assume the sovereignty which their ancestors had held before them; and they gave the sun and moon as surety or guarantee that they would yield them obedience and be faithful to them evermore. Upon this the youths came, and accepted the inheritance of their fathers; and this brought back again her usual prosperity to Ireland. And Cairbre Chinn Chait died of the plague.
Eilim son of Connra, son of Rossa Ruadh, son of Rudhruighe, son of Sithrighe, son of Dubh, son of Fomhor, son of Airgeadmhar, son of Siorlamh, son of Fionn, son of Bratha, son of Labhraidh, son of Cairbre, son of Ollamh Fodla of the race of Ir son of Milidh, held the sovereignty of Ireland twenty years; and he fell by Tuathal Teachtmhar in the Battle of Aichill.
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