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IRISH    TEXTS    SOCIETY 

comaNN  nq  sgRibeaNN  gae&ilge 


VOL.     V 


1902 


CAiuKeim 

conSAit  ciAminsnig 

MARTIAL  CAREER  OF 
CONGHAL    CLAlRINGHNEACH 

EDITED  FOR  THE  FIRST  TIME, 


WITH 


translation,  Introduction,  0otrs,  ano  ^Iossaru, 


BY 

PATRICK  M.  MAC  SWEENEY,  M.A. 

CHANCELLOR'S   GOLD  MEDALLIST   FOR   ENGLISH   PROSE,    ROYAL  UNIVERSITY   OF 

IRELAND;    AND 

PROFESSOR   OF   MODERN   LITERATURE   IN   HOLY  CROSS   COLLEGE, 

CLONLIFFE,   DUBLIN 

s<  °ih      Ik 


PUBLISHED    FOR   THE   IRISH    TEXTS    SOCIETY 

BY  DAVID  MUTT,  57-59,  LONG  ACRE,  LONDON 

1904 


I  ?  - 

/  •--  -r 


5 


PR.NTED   AT   1Mb 


By    PONSONBY    &    GIBBS. 


PREFACE. 

T  N  the  past  no  race  was  more  ready  than  the  Irish  to  give 
ear  to  the  stories  and  legends  of  old.  With  certain 
limitations,  that  is  still  true  of  those  who  are  privileged  to 
be  the  custodians  of  our  native  spoken  tongue  ;  but,  un- 
fortunately, cut  off,  as  they  have  been,  from  all  adequate 
opportunities  of  developing  their  native  culture,  they  have 
got  out  of  touch,  more  and  more,  with  the  great  literary 
tradition  which  should  be  their  peculiar  possession.  Of  those 
who  have  lost  their  native  language,  the  majority  have  settled 
down  in  the  literary  territories  of  the  stranger,  and,  till  but 
lately,  seemed  little  disposed  to  return  home  again.  To 
remedy  this  sad  state  of  the  national  mind  has  been  the 
glorious  work  which  the  men  of  the  Gaelic  movement  have 
set  themselves  to  accomplish.  Were  their  efforts  to  cease 
even  now,  they  would  leave  an  indelible  impress  on  the 
national  mind  of  Ireland.  But  those  efforts  are  not  ceasing, 
and  shall  not  cease.  The  intellectual  exiles  are  returning  to 
the  old  home  of  native  culture,  to  enrich  it,  perhaps,  with  the 
spoils  gathered  in  foreign  literary  lands.  Like  our  hero 
Conghal,  we  shall  have  no  objection  to  raiding  our  neighbours 
for  literary  spoil  ;  but,  having  done  so,  let  us,  like  him,  weary 
for  the  return  to  the  beloved  homeland,  to  lay  at  the  feet  of 
our  mother  Erin  the  results  of  intellectual  achievement ;  and 
let  us,  when  in  enforced  exile,  re-echo  with  him  those  great 


vi  PREFACE. 

sentiments  which  express  the  pent-up  longing  of  a  true  Irish 
heart — 

lonirmiti  cin  An  cirt  ut>  cia|\ 

t)l/A1t)  50  Tl -10m At)  A  tlglALt- 

ej\e  50  n-iomA-o  a  pone 
1nce  at-  Ait  liom  rjeic  atiocc. 

'  Dear  is  yonder  land  in  the  west, 
Ulster  of  the  many  hostages  ! 
Ireland  of  the  many  strongholds 
In  it  I  long  to  be  to-night.' 

To  those  who  have  never  wandered  in  exile,  and  to  those 
who  have  returned,  I  offer  this  brilliant  product  of  the  Irish 
File's  art. 

It  only  remains  for  me  to  return  my  sincere  thanks  to 
those  who  have  taken  a  practical  interest  in  the  publication  of 
the  C&ic|ieim.  To  Dr.  Kuno  Meyer  I  am  indebted  not  alone 
for  help  in  the  present  case,  but  for  kind  encouragement  in 
the  past.  To  the  Rev.  J.  Valentine,  B.A.,  and  Mr.  Constantine 
Curran,  B.A.,  I  return  my  sincere  thanks  for  help  generously 
given,  as  well  as  to  Mr.  Osborne  Bergin,  B.A.,  who  took  a 
kindly  interest  in  this  work  from  the  beginning.  Like  the 
other  editors  of  the  publications  of  the  Irish  Texts  Society, 
I  desire  to  acknowledge  my  indebtedness  to  the  energetic 
interest  which  the  Hon.  Secretary,  Miss  Hull,  has  displayed 
in  the  production  of  this  book.  Finally,  I  wish  to  record  my 
sense  of  the  care  bestowed  upon  the  printing  of  the  volume 
by  the  staff  of  the  Dublin  University  Press. 

PATRICK  M.  MAC  SWEENEY. 

Holy  Cross  College,  Clonliffe,  Dublin, 
Nov  em  her,   1 904 . 


CONTENTS. 


Introduction  : — 

General  Remarks,     . 
.    The  CAitneim, 

Critical  Study  of  the  CAitneim, 
Literary  Study  of  the  Text,     . 
The  Manuscript,       .  ... 

Grammatical  Analysis, 
The  Verbal  System, 
Manuscript  Pagination,    . 
Synopsis  of  CAitneim, 

Text  and  Translation  of  CAiunemi, 

Additional  Notes, 

Glossary,        .... 

Index  of  Names  of  Persons, 

Index  of  Names  of  Places, 

Index  to  Foot-Notes,  . 

Addenda  et  Corrigenda,     . 


xi 

xvii 

xxix 

xxxvi 

xxxviii 

xliii 

lxiv 

lxv 

"nemi,     . 

I 

. 

193 

. 

209 

. 

223 

•            •             • 

226 

. 

229 

. 

232 

INTRODUCTION. 


GENERAL  REMARKS. 

The  greatest  of  the  Tales  of  the  C^ob  1lti^-6  deal  with  the 
hero  Cuchulainn,  the  Irish  Hercules.  Unlike  the  popular 
epics  of  other  countries,  such  as  the  Homeric  Poems,  the 
Nlbelungen  Lied,  or  Beowulf,  our  early  Irish  Epos  is  in  prose. 
This  fact  had  an  important  influence  on  its  growth,  in  giving 
to  it  a  freer  scope  for  the  development  of  collateral  sagas 
which  were  to  deal  with  tribal  heroes  of  less  striking  per- 
sonality than  that  of  Cuchulainn.  He  is,  no  doubt,  "  heros 
fortissimus  Scotorum  "  ;  but.  like  the  national  heroes  of  Xorse 
Saga,  his  supremacy  "in  feats  of  valour  and  dexterity"  is  but 
emphasised  by  the  worth  of  those  with  whom  he  competed. 
The  growth  of  epic  legend  reveals  a  uniform  tendency,  which 
might  be  expressed  adequately  enough  by  the  well-worn 
phrase,  "the  survival  of  the  fittest."  The  hero  of  the  dominant 
tribe  tends  to  appropriate  to  himself  the  qualities  and  virtues 
of  his  conquered  brethren  ;  and  the  result  is  a  conglomerate  of 
virtues  sufficient  to  satisfy  the  most  inordinate  appetite  for 
heroic  perfection.  An  interesting  feature,  however,  of  Irish 
Epic  is  the  variety  and  number  of  the  minor  sagas  dealing 
with  heroes  of  the  second  grade.  The  fact  is  a  testimony  to 
the  individuality  and  independence  of  the  tribal  communities. 
How  far  we  can  recreate  the  tribal  history  of  Ireland  from  the 
data  afforded  us  by  the  Epic  Literature  has  yet  to  be  seen. 
No  systematic  attempt  has   been  made   to  co-ordinate  the 

b 


x  INTRODUCTION. 

historic  facts  which  undoubtedly  lie  hidden  in  our  great 
literary  romances.  The  solution  of  the  problems  connected 
with  them  will  depend  upon  a  thorough  examination  of  the 
growth  of  the  various  tales,  and  a  comparison  not  only  of 
their  language,  but  of  the  treatment  of  the  different  characters 
with  which  they  deal.  We  may  also  hope  that  a  more 
thorough  comparative  study  of  the  antiquarian  monuments 
scattered  over  the  face  of  our  land  will  bring  the  same  support 
to  the  traditions  embedded  in  our  literary  remains  that  the 
archaeological  discoveries  in  the  domain  of  Roman  and  Greek 
Antiquities  have  brought  to  the  traditions  of  their  respective 
literatures.  In  addition  to  the  manuscript  tradition,  we  have, 
as  Commendatore  Boni  remarked  to  me,  the  yet  unopened 
book  of  monument  tradition  which  lies  sealed  in  the  mound) 
the  rath,  the  tumulus,  and  megalithic  monuments  to  be  met 
with  in  almost  every  townland  in  Ireland.  The  two  lines  of 
investigation  are  closely  intertwined  ;  they  must  be  followed 
out  together  and  correlated,  and  the  results  are  likely  to  be 
as  striking  as  those  which  are  revolutionising  our  views  as  to 
the  reliability  of  the  early  legendary  traditions  of  Greece  and 
Rome.  The  sceptical  attitude  of  a  Niebuhr,  or  the  more 
restrained  one  of  a  Mommsen,  will  be  replaced  by  the  construc- 
tive tendencies  of  the  Modern  School  of  Classical  Archaeology. 
If  our  remains,  literary  and  archaeological,  are  investigated  in 
this  sense,  there  can  be  little  doubt  but  that  a  most  interesting 
chapter  shall  have  been  added  to  the  history  of  Early  Western 
European  civilisation.  It  is  in  view  of  this  development  that, 
in  part,  I  offer  this  first  edition  of  the  Caithreim  Conghail. 

To  the  archaeological  specialist,  of  course,  it  belongs  to 
supply  us  with  criteria  drawn  from  his  science,  which  would 
enable  us,  on  that  score  at  least,  to  date  approximately  the 
subject-matter  of  our  saga.  From  all  sides  as  yet  help  is 
needed  ;  a  linguistic  editor  cannot  be  expected  to  make  an 
"  excursus  "  into  the  domain  of  archaeology  in  order  to  cor- 
relate its  facts.    Unfortunately,  owing  to  the  want  of  system- 


the  cAiuneim.  xi 

atic  study  of  our  language,  the  two  departments  have  been 
divorced,  with  consequent  loss  to  each.  How  small  would  be 
the  progress  made  in  the  discussion  of  the  antiquarian  remains 
of  the  Forum  or  the  Acropolis  were  it  not  accompanied  by 
a  continuous  correlation  and  comparison  with  the  evidence 
drawn  from  Greek  and  Roman  Literature. 


The  CvMtRenn. 

The  founding  of  Emania  is  to  be  taken  as  marking  the 
rise  of  a  tribal  community  in  Ulster  into  a  position  of  political 
importance.  With  the  growth  of  tribal  independence  there 
also  grew  up  a  literary  tradition  based  upon  tribal  myths  and 
customs.  Such  must  have  been  the  beginning  of  the  litera- 
ture which  set  itself  to  glorify  the  Clann  Rury  and  its  heroes 
The  rise  of  Emania,  the  development  of  Ultonian  powei 
brought  the  northern  clann  into  conflict  with  the  other  tribal 
communities,  and,  above  all,  into  conflict  with  that  one  which 
claimed  and  exercised  a  hegemony  over  the  rest,  that  of  the 
Ardrigh  at  Tara.  In  this  stress  of  competition  between  the 
early  tribes,  which  has  its  counterpart  in  the  early  history  of 
all  races,  as,  for  example,  in  the  so-called  Heptarchy  in 
England,  or,  better  still,  in  the  early  struggle  of  the  Latin 
tribes  against  their  neighbours,  is  to  be  found  the  political 
motive  underlying  the  Early  Irish  Romances  and  Sagas. 

The  Tain  Bo  Cuailgne  points  emphatically  to  the  hostile 
relations  existing  between  the  Ulster  and  Connaught  tribal 
communities.  The  story  of  Conghal  points  as  emphatically 
to  strained  relations  between  Tara  and  Emania.  This  point 
of  view  suggests  to  us  an  answer  to  the  question  :  "  What 
place  do  romances  like  those  of  Conghal  Clairinghneach  hold 
in  the  Red  Branch  Cycle?"  To  answer  such  a  question  we 
have  to  distinguish  between  those  sagas  which  have  a  political 

b  2 


xii  INTRODUCTION. 

import  and  those  which  have  not ;  between  those  which 
represent,  for  example,  the  raids  of  one  tribe  upon  another, 
such  as  the  Tain,  and  those  which  seem  to  be  simple,  spon- 
taneousya«T  d 'esprit  of  seanchaidhe  or  file.  To  the  latter  class 
belong  works  such  as  the  Adventures  or  Eachtra  of  Teig,  son 
of  Cian,  or  the  Voyage  of  Snedgus  and  mac  Riaghla,  or  the 
Voyage  of  Maeildun.  It  is  to  the  former  class  our  story 
belongs ;  and  with  that  type  we  have  more  particularly  to  deal 
here. 

Whatever  may  have  been  the  date  of  the  final  redaction 
of  our  story,  it  is  clear  that  the  traditions  upon  which  it  is 
based  relate  to  a  period  of  revolt  against  the  claims  of  the 
Ardrigh  over  Ulster.  Chronologically  the  saga  belongs  to  the 
pre-Cuchulainn  stage  of  the  Red  Branch  Cycle.  A  reference 
to  Gilla-Coemain's  poem,  quoted  in  Add.  Notes  to  p.  2,  at  the 
end,  will  show  the  regnal  sequence  which  ascribes  Conghal's 
reign  to  the  year  177  B.C.  As  I  have  pointed  out  elsewhere, 
the  regnal  sequence  is  not  disturbed  by  the  fact  that  in  the 
Synchronisms,  ascribed  to  Flann  of  Monasterboice,  in  the 
Book  of  Ballymote,  his  "floruit"  is  given  as  B.C.  Si— 5 1 .  The 
discrepancy  is  accounted  for  by  the  fact  that  the  attempt  to 
harmonise  the  traditional  regnal  sequences  with  Biblical  and 
classical  chronology  was  bound  to  lead  to  different  results 
according  to  the  starting-point  taken.  The  important  thing, 
however,  is  that,  though  the  chronology  may  be  wrong,  the 
sequence  may  be  right.  I  would  adduce  in  support  of  this 
the  peculiar  fact  that,  though  the  redactor  of  our  tale  must 
have  been  acquainted  with  the  chronology  of  Gilla-Coemain's 
poem,  as  is  evidenced  by  the  quotation  at  the  end,  which  is 
based  upon  that  chronology,  the  relation  of  Conghal  to  such 
well-known  heroes  of  the  Red  Branch  Cycle  as  Fergus 
mac  Rosa,  Conall  Cearnach,  and  Cet  mac  Maghach,  tends 
to  support  the  date  of  the  synchronisms  as  the  more  correct 
one.  The  following  regnal  sequences  from  Gilla-Coemain's 
poem,  and  from  the  synchronisms  {vide  Todd  Lect.,  vol.  xii., 


THE  CMUUeim.  xiii 

ed.  Mac  Carthy),  illustrate  our  remarks.     The  dates  in  some 
cases  are  approximate  "  floruits." 

GILLA-COEMAIX  (LL.). 

Kings  of  Ireland. 

(Regnal  Dates  those  of  Initial  Years.) 


B.C. 

I92 

Lughaidh  Luaighne. 

177 

Congal  Clairingneach. 

162 

Duach  dalta  Deaghaidh. 

153 

Fachtna  Fathach. 

137 

Eocho  Feidlech. 

"5 

Eocho  Bithe  (or  Airem). 

no 

Eterscel. 

105 

Xuada  Xecht. 

105 

Comure  (seventy  years). 

Interregnum  of  five  years. 

30 

Lugaid  Sriabhnderg. 

4 

Conchobar. 

3 

Crimthand. 

BALLYMOTE  SYNCHRONISMS  (p.  12  b). 

(MacCarthy,  <B'  Text.) 

(Regnal  Dates  those  of  Final  Years.) 

Kings  of  Ireland.  Kings  of  Ulster. 

B.C. 
89  . . .    Lughaidh  Luaighne.  Fiach,  son  of  Fiadcu. 

Conghal  Clairingneach  (f). 

81-51     Conghal  Clairingneach.  I  "  __ 

/"n       Vi"\  Findchad,  son  of  Bac. 

*  '"  '  Conchobar  Mael. 

t-    1  .      ,.  .,      ,  /  Cormac,  son  of  Laitech. 

( Fachtna  r  athach.  i     r  „Ar 

5»-44  { E0Chaidh  Feidlech.  ^^Z  °'  T- 

\  Eochaidh  Airem  m.  Dane. 

42     Eochaidh  Airem.  Eochaidh  Salbuidhe. 

34     Eterscel.  Fergus  mac  Leide. 

(Initial  year  42  B.C.) 

27     Nuada  Necht. 

27     Conaire  Mor.  Conchobar. 


xiv  INTRODUCTION. 

I  give  further  lists  for  comparison  from  the  Book  of 
Ballymote  (MacCarthy,  'A'  Text,  p.  9),  Tighearnach,  and 
Four  Masters  in  appended  footnote.1 

We  see,  therefore,  at  a  glance  that  the  sequence  in  these 
lists  is  the  same.  There  is  some  confusion  in  the  case  of 
Eocho  Bithe  in  Gilla-Coemain's  poem,  for  which  we  have 
Eochaidh  Airem  in  the  synchronisms.  However,  Eocho 
Airem  is  the  variant  for  Eocho  Bithe  of  LL.  in  the  Ballymote 
copy  of  the  poem  ;  and  this  may  be  due  to  the  influence  of  the 
Ballymote  synchronisms  on  the  regnal  sequence  of  the  poem. 

It  is  clear,  then,  that  we  have  in  the  synchronisms  a 
more  rational  chronological  basis  for  our  saga  than  in  Gilla- 
Coemain's  poem.  By  no  effort  could  Conghal's  date  of 
177  B.C.  in  the  latter  be  made  to  tally  with  the  accepted  dates 

1  Ballymote  Synchronisms  (p.  9),  (MacCarthy — A  Text). 

Kin%s  of  E  amain. 

[Regnal  Dates  those  of  Initial  Years.') 

B.C.  B.C. 

307  Cimbaeth  mac  Findtain.  117  Fiach  mac  Fiadhcon. 

279  Eochaidh  Ollachair.  72  Findcadh  mac  Baic. 

259  Uamancenn  mac  Coraind.  72  (?)  Conchobar  Mael. 

239  Conchobar  Rod  mac  Catair.  60  Cormac  Loighthe. 

209  Fiacha  mac  Feidlimhthe.  32  Mochtai  mac  Murchoradh. 

193  Daire  mac  Forgo.  29  Eochaidh  (Airem)  mac  Daire. 

122  Enna  mac  Roethech.  24  Eochaidh  Salbuidhi. 

Following  on  this,  we  have  Eochaidh  Salbhuide's  death  synchronised  with 
the  fourteenth  year  of  Octavius  Caesar ;  and  with  the  fifteenth  year  of  Octavius 
Augustus  is  synchronised  the  beginning  of  Conchobar  mac  Nessa's  reign.  The 
'  A '  Tract  has,  therefore,  no  mention  of  Fergus  mac  Leide,  and  thus  differs 
from  the  '  B  '  Tract,  as  seen  by  regnal  list  therefrom.  As  Dr.  MacCarthy  has 
shown,  the  '  A  '  and  '  B '  Tracts  are  the  substantial  sources  of  the  pre-Christian 
portion  of  Tighearnach.  The  following  regnal  sequence  from  Stokes'  "Tighear- 
nach "  [Revue  Celtique,  vol.  xvi.)  includes  Fergus  mac  Leide,  and  shows  that 
Tighearnach's  list  is  a  composite  of  the  two : — Fiac  mac  Fiadchon,  Findchad 
mac  Baicci,  Conchobar  Mael  mac  Fuithi,  Cormac  Laidich,  Mochta  mac  Mur- 
chorad,  Euchu  mac  Dare,  Euchu  Salbude  mac  Loch,  Fergus  mac  Leti,  Conchobar 
mac  Nessa.  Tt  is  about  time  that  works  purporting  to  be  authoritative  should 
cease  ascribing  to  Tighearnach  the  opinion  as  to  the  uncertainty  of  Irish  annals 
before  the  reign  of  Cimbaeth,  which  he  simply  transcribed  from  the  '  A  '  Tract. 
To   this    tract   is   also  due  his    fundamental   synchronism  of  the  first  year  of 


THE    CA1UtieiTTI.  xv 

of  Fergus  mac  Leide,  Fergus  mac  Rosa,  Cet  mac  Maghach, 
Eochaidh  Salbhuidhe,  and  Bricne  (Bricriu).  The  supposed 
date  of  the  Cuchulainn  Cycle  must  have  been  well  known  to 
at  least  the  principal  redactor  of  the  tale;  and  it  is  improbable 
that  he  should  have  taken  the  poem  of  Gilla-Coemain  as  the 
basis  of  his  recension.  I  believe,  therefore,  that  the  quotation 
at  the  end  of  the  C&ic|\eim  from  the  poem  is  in  illustration 
of  the  saga,  apart  from  the  chronology,  and  that  it  and  the 
poem  had  nothing  to  do  with  suggesting  the  subject-matter 
of  the  saga.  I  believe  the  saga,  as  regards  the  grouping  of 
the  characters,  to  be  independent  of  the  Biblicised  regnal 
chronology,  and  to  be  an  independent  witness  to  the  native 
sequences. 

We  have   no   reason   to   doubt  the  tradition  of  a   revolt 


Cimbaeth  with  the  eighteenth  of  Ptolemy.  As  in  the  case  of  the  Fotir  Masters. 
Tigheamach's  lists  are  to  be  considered  in  the  nature  of  a  synthetic  judgment, 
based  upon  a  combination  of  documents,  many  of  which  have  been  lost.  For 
this  reason  he  has  a  value  partially  independent  of  the  extant  sources.  I  regret 
that  considerations  of  space  forbid  me  to  discuss  further  the  interesting  problems 
raised  by  these  Tracts.  I  have  given,  however,  sufficient  to  illustrate  the  matter 
in  hand. 

The  Four  Masters. 
Kings  of  Ireland. 

A.M.  A.M. 

4881  Xia  Sedhamain.  5032  Duach  dalta  Deadhadh. 

4888  Enna  Aighneach.  5042  Fachtna  Fathach. 

4908  Crimthann  Cosgrach.  5058  Eochaidh  Feidhlech. 

4912  Rudhraighe.  5070  Eochaidh  Aireamh. 
4982  Innatmar,  son  of  Xia  Sedhamain.      5085  Ederscel. 

4991  Breasal  Boidhiobhadh.  5080  Xuadha  Xecht. 

5002  Lughaidh  Luaighne.  5091  Conaire  Mor. 

5016  (Lughaidh  slain  by  Conghal.)  5101    'Five  years'  Interregnum.) 

5017  Conghal  Clairingneach.  5166  Lughaidh  Sriabhnderg. 
5031   (Conghal  slain  by  Duach.) 

Whilst  I  am  aware  that  the  Four  Masters  have  not  an  independent  authority, 
none  the  less  their  list  is  the  result  of  a  synthetic  judgment,  based  not  alone  upon 
the  historical  documents  known  to  us,  but  also  upon  ones  which  have  been  lost, 
as  well  as,  we  may  presume,  upon  an  historical  tradition,  of  which  they  were,  in 
all  probability,  the  last  authoritative  custodians. 


xvi  INTRODUCTION. 

associated  with  the  name  of  Conghal  Clairinghneach  against 
the  Ardrigh  in  the  first  century  B.C. ;  but  the  rise  of  the  saga 
itself  synchronised  probably  with  the  struggles  between  the 
provincial  rulers  for  the  kingship  of  Ireland  in  the  eleventh 
and  twelfth  centuries,  the  age  of  the  "  kings  with  opposition." l 
Our  present  tale  is  but  one  of  a  great  number  concerning 
Conghal  which  have  disappeared.  We  have  on  this  point 
the  testimony  of  the  Annals  of  Clonmacnoise,  which  say: — 
"  He  (Conghal)  did  many  notable  acts  of  chivalry,  as  there 
are  volumes  of  history  written  of  his  hardiness  and  manhood." 
It  was  the  political  situation  in  the  eleventh  and  twelfth 
centuries  that  fostered  the  growth  of  the  Conghal  saga.  There 
is  nothing  strange  in  this.  An  excellent  parallel  is  afforded 
by  the  great  French  epic,  the  "  Chanson  de  Roland."  The 
struggles  of  Christendom  against  the  Saracen  found  its  finest 
epic  exposition  in  the  glorified  personality  of  Roland.  In  the 
age  when  the  Conghal  saga  was  in  process  of  formation  the 
French  Carolingian  saga  was  receiving  its  final  form  ;  and  we 
have  in  the  latter  an  interesting  example  of  how  a  partly 
historical  episode  may  be  bent  under  changed  conditions  to 
serve  a  new  purpose.  As  is  well  known,  the  original  and 
obscure  Roland  of  Charlemagne's  days  was  not  cut  off  by 
Saracens,  but  by  Gascons  at  Roncevaux.  What  was  wanted, 
however,  in  the  eleventh  century  was  not  the  glorification  of  a 
hero  fighting  against  those  of  his  own  faith,  but  of  a  hero  who 
would  embody  the  spirit  of  the  Crusaders  in  their  attack  upon 
the  hated  Infidel.  Hence  we  have,  as  a  result,  the  hero  who 
was,  in  fact,  the  victim  of  an  ambush  laid  by  those  of  his  own 
faith,  raised  to  the  position  of  the  martial  representative  of 
western  Christendom  in  its  attack  upon  the  Pagan  horde  that 

1  Though  Conghal  has  reason  to  revolt  against  Fergus  mac  Lede  as  well  as 
against  the  King  of  Tara,  Lughaidh  Luaighne,  the  animus  o(  the  tale  is  obviously 
diverted  from  Fergus  to  Lughaidh.  Any  attack  on  the  Ultonians  is  deprecated, 
and  the  guilt  is  laid  at  the  door  of  the  King  of  Tara.  For  specific  evidence  of 
this,  vide  the  following  passages :— pp.  15, 11.  13-15  ;  51,  11.  15-17  ;  99. 11.  28-31  ; 
ioi,U.i-i8;  171,11.13-15;   181,11.12-29;   183,  11.  3-8  ;   187,11.4-11,29-33. 


CRITICAL  STUDY  OF  THE  CAIUIienn.      xvii 

pressed  in  upon  it.  And  so  in  the  Conghal  saga  we  have  the 
spirit  of  a  later  age  reflected  in  a  past  historical  tradition, 
without,  however,  a  distortion  of  the  historical  character  of  the 
saga.  There  was  no  necessity  for  it,  for  the  general  spirit  of 
the  saga  was  in  thorough  sympathy  with  that  of  the  eleventh 
and  twelfth  centuries. 


Critical  Study  of  the  CAiuneim. 

In  shaping  his  story  the  Irish  seanchaidhe  did  not  hesitate 
to  press  into  his  service  the  available  material  to  hand.  His 
primary  object  was  to  tell  a  story  with  or  without  a  purpose. 
Critical  harmonising  of  his  material  was  not  to  be  thought  of. 
The  most  that  could  be  expected  of  him  was  to  smooth  over 
abrupt  transitions,  and  remove,  as  far  as  possible,  apparent 
incongruities.  Of  this,  as  we  shall  see,  we  have  excellent 
examples  in  the  C^icpeim.  A  reference  to  the  Analysis  of 
Contents  will  show  that  the  saga  is  composed  of  five  striking 
divisions,  which  I  shall  call  respectively — the  Emain-Tara 
episode,  the  Rathlin  episode,  the  Lochlann  or  Over-sea  epi- 
sode, the  Arthur  episode,  and  the  Oj^&in  bfunjjne  boi|\ce, 
or  '  Harrying  of  Bruighen  Boirche '  episode.  Taking  these 
episodes  as  they  occur,  it  is  not  hard  to  see  that  in  the  Emain- 
Tara  episode  (Part  I.)  we  have  the  nucleus  of  the  original 
Conghal  tradition.  The  hero  has  not  yet  outgrown  his  native 
surroundings.  The  events  are  confined  to  Ireland  ;  and  the 
archaeological  trappings,  such  as  chariots,  &c,  point  to  an 
early  tradition.  The  form  is  that  of  the  well-known  tales  of 
the  Cuchulainn  Cycle.  As  to  the  matter,  there  is,  of  course, 
always  the  possibility  of  assuming  it  to  be  the  outcome  of  the 
imagination  of  a  seanchaidhe  working  on  the  material  of 
other  sagas.  But  the  acceptance  of  that  position  would  go 
to  prove  too  much;  and  strong  positive  evidence  would  be 
required  before  receiving  it.  In  the  Emain-Tara  episode  we 
have  a  body  of  individualised  tradition  which,  whilst  modified 


xviii  INTRODUCTION. 

no  doubt  in  transmission,  has  come  down  to  us  from  the  so- 
called  pre-historic  period.  Further, it  must  not  be  too  readily 
assumed  that  the  similarity  in  the  descriptions  of  Emain,  of 
Tara,  of  the  personal  appearance  of  the  warriors,  of  their 
manner  of  waging  fights,  nor  yet  the  use  of  stock-proverbs 
and  literary  chevilles,  or  tags,  goes  to  prove  that  the  under- 
lying tradition  is  artificial.  Strong  individualistic  style  was 
unknown  in  these  days.  The  simple  historic  fact  had  from 
the  nature  of  the  case  to  be  enveloped  in  the  traditional 
literary  form.  Again,  this  similarity  in  expression  had  its 
counterpart  in  similarity  of  custom.  We  may  be  sure,  for 
instance,  that  the  Irish  warriors  for  hundreds  of  years  adopted 
the  same  system  of  seating-arrangement  in  their  drinking- 
halls.  This  is  so  well  known  that  it  is  scarcely  necessary  to 
recall  it.  Like  the  warriors  in  the  Norse  sagas  and  in  Beowulf* 
the  Irish  warriors  ranged  themselves  in  order  of  precedence 
on  the  benches  in  the  rush-strewn  hall.  There  were  no  great 
changes  in  fashions  in  those  days ;  and  so  we  find  repeated  in 
our  sagas  with  almost  tiresome  monotony  the  descriptions  of 
such  things  as  the  seating  of  the  warriors.  But  the  monotony 
is  the  monotony  of  fact,  rather  than  of  borrowing. 

I  have  said  above  that  the  events  in  Part  I.  are  confined 
to  Ireland.  They  are,  furthermore,  confined  to  practically 
the  north-east  part  of  it,  embracing  the  country  stretching 
from  Tara  to  the  Boyne,  from  the  Boyne  to  Armagh  (Emain), 
from  Armagh  to  Coleraine,  and  from  Coleraine  to  the  Bann 
mouth  and  Dunseverick — in  fact,  the  country  lying  along 
what  must  have  then  been  the  great  highway  from  Tara  to 
Emain  (Armagh),  and  thence  to  the  sea-coast  at  the  Bann 
mouth.  Along  this  line  we  have  the  three  chief  residences 
of  Tara,  Emania,  and  Dun  da  Beann  (Mount  Sandel,  near 
Coleraine).  Part  I.,  though  containing  the  simple  historical 
tradition  concerning  Conghal,  seems  to  have  a  double  element 
in  it.  It  appears  to  me  that  in  the  introduction  of  Fergus 
mac  Rosa  (p.  34),  and  the  episodes  connected  with  him,  a  new 


CRITICAL  STUDY  OF  THE  CA1Ctteini.       xix 

stratum  of  incident  appears.  In  the  Aroe-6  pejtgtifA  rmc  tei-oe 
(Death  of  Fergus  mac  Leide),  published  in  '•'  Silva  Gadelica," 
we  have  a  reference  to  Fergus  mac  Rosa  (Eng.  Tr.,  p.  285). 
There  Fergus  mac  Leide,  when  dying,  prophesies  that  Fergus 
mac  Rosa  is  to  succeed  him  as  a  fitting  lord  to  receive  his 
sword.  Here  Fergus  mac  Leide  and  Fergus  mac  Rosa  are 
contemporaries,  quarrel,  and  Fergus  mac  Rosa  joins  the  rebel- 
lious Conghal.  It  is  to  be  noted  that  Fergus  mac  Rosa  is  not 
amongst  those  mentioned  as  being  at  Emain  on  p.  4  of  our 
Text.  He  is  first  introduced  to  us  on  Fergus  mac  Leide's 
return  to  Emain  from  Tara.  Here  we  have  the  juncture  of 
the  Fergus  mac  Rosa  stratum  with  that  of  Conghal,  which  leads 
up  to  the  incident  of  the  Destruction  of  Dun  da  Beann,  and 
the'  Battle  of  Aonach  Tuaighe.  The  destruction  of  Dun  da 
Beann  is  not  essentially  connected  with  the  Conghal  incidents  ; 
but  it  is  skilfully  worked  into  them  by  the  insulting  reply 
which  Xiall  Niamhglonnach  sends  to  Fergus  mac  Rosa  whilst 
in  the  company  of  Conghal  {vide  pp.  47-51).  In  the  Battle  of 
Aonach  Tuaighe  the  two  streams  of  incident  are  merged. 

The  order  of  the  episodes  in  our  Text  is  as  follows : — 
Part  I.,  the  Emain-Tara  episode  ;  Part  II.,  the  Rathlin 
episode  ;  Part  III.,  the  Lochlann  episode,  Arthur  episode, 
and  Destruction  of  Bruighen  Boirche  episode.  We  have  dis- 
cussed the  characteristics  of  the  Emain-Tara  episode  ;  and,  for 
reasons  presently  to  be  seen,  we  shall  now  proceed  to  discuss 
the  last  episode  of  all,  that  of  Bruighen  Boirche.  The  link 
between  this  episode  and  the  Arthur  episode  which  precedes 
it  is  supplied  by  the  incidents  narrated  on  pp.  166-7.  which 
bring  Conghal  back  to  Ireland  to  find  his  enemy,  Fergus  mac 
Leide,  in  the  house  of  Eochaidh  Salbhuidhe  at  tDjun^e^n 
uoi|\ce.  Then  follows  the  Opg^m  fojuujne  Uoi|\ce,  or 
'  Harrying  of  Bruighen  Boirche.' 

In  the  list  of  Tales  which  formed  the  equipment  of  an 
ollamh,  to  be  found  in  the  Book  of  Leinster  {circa  A.D.  11 50), 
p.  190a  of  facsimile,  we  have  the  entry  of  an  Oj^Mn  C.\upc 


xx  INTRODUCTION. 

boi^ce.  O'Curry  published  this  list  in  the  Appendix  to 
"  MS.  Materials,"  p.  591,  and  appended  to  the  above  entry  the 
following  remark  : — "  This  tale  (the  Oji^&in)  must  be  a  part 
of  the  Triumphs  of  Conghal  Clairingnach.  Of  the  last- 
mentioned  piece  there  is  a  copy  in  the  MS.  classed  H  and  S, 
No.  205,  R.I. A.  [i.e.,  23  H.  1  c,  Academy  classification)." 
M.  D'Arbois  de  Jubainville  in  his  "  Essai  d'un  Catalogue," 
page  85,  speaking  of  the  C&.ic^eini  Conj^il  Ct&iinnjrnj;, 
says : — "  Elle  semble  etre  un  developpement  moderne  de  la 
piece  intitulee  O^ahi  C&c|i&ch  t)oir\che."  A  critical  study 
of  the  text  shows  that  neither  of  these  statements  can  stand. 
In  the  first  place,  it  is  utterly  improbable  that  the  whole 
C.MC|Aeim,  covering  191  pp.  (text  and  translation),  is  a  develop- 
ment of  an  incident  brought  in  at  the  end,  and  occupy- 
ing only  21  pp.  (text  and  translation).  Furthermore,  the 
relation  of  the  O^Ain  episode  to  the  others  shows  that  there 
is  not  a  question  of  development  from,  but  of  assimilation  to, 
the  other  Conghal  episodes. 

O'Curry  seems  to  think  that  the  Book  of  Leinster  O^g&in 
was  part  of  an  older  version  of  the  CMcr>eim  Cong&it.  Of 
course  he  did  not  mean  part  of  our  present  version,  with  which 
he  was  well  acquainted.  O'Curry's  position  would  be  this — 
that  at  the  time  the  LL.  list  was  drawn  up  there  was  a 
CxMC]\eim  Coh^-mL  containing  the  O^^in,  and  that  this  latter 
formed  one  of  the  great  tales  to  be  learned  by  every  ollamh. 
The  0|\5&in  was  well  known.  It  is  to  be  found  in  the  list  in 
LL.  and  T.C.D.,  H.  3,  17  ;  and  in  the  list  in  Bodleian  Rawl. 
B.  512  ;  Brit.  Museum,  Harleian  5280;  and  23  N.  10,  R.I. A. 

Could  it  be  possible,  then,  that  the  O^&in,  so  well  known 
from  the  twelfth  century  onwards,  could  have  formed  a  mere 
part  of  the  CMcrienn  of  which  there  is  no  mention  whatever  r 
The  solution  of  the  problem  does  not  lie  in  that  direction. 
Returning  for  a  moment  to  the  Bruighen  Boirche  episode,  we 
find  that  it  has  this  in  common  with  the  Emain-Tara  one,  that 
its  venue  is  in  Ireland,  in  the  Mourne  mountains  and  district. 


CRITICAL  STUDY  OF  THE  CAlttteitn.       xxi 

This  gives  it  a  claim  to  earliness  of  date,  similar  to  that  made 
for  the  Emain-Tara  episode.  To  that  claim  there  can  be  no 
objection  in  general,  in  view  of  the  known  fact  of  its  existence, 
in  some  form  or  other,  in  the  twelfth  century.  But  the  ques- 
tion is  as  to  the  form.  Is  this  short  episode  in  our  text  a 
full  representative  of  the  well-known  0^500 n  of  the  twelfth 
century  ?  I  believe  not.  I  believe  it  to  be  a  modernised 
synopsis  of  the  older  version,  which  itself  was  an  independent 
tale,  and  that  it  is  an  addition  to  the  earliest  Conghal  saga. 
I  shall  return  to  this  point  in  summarising. 

Having  discussed  so  far  the  last  episode,  I  shall  now  deal 
with  the  others,  taking  the  order  of  the  text.  After  the  Emain- 
Tara  episode,  to  which  belongs  the  sub-episode  of  Xiall 
Xiamhglonnach,  comes  the  Rathlin  episode,  Part  II.  (pp.  70- 
101).  This  episode  attracted  the  attention  of  two  learned  Irish 
historians  and  antiquaries,  the  Rev.  George  Hill,  author  of  the 
"  History  of  the  MacDonnells  of  Antrim,"  and  the  Right  Rev. 
Monsignor  O'Laverty,  P.P.,  of  Holywood,  Co.  Down,  and 
author  of  a  "  History  of  the  Diocese  of  Down  and  Connor  " 
(4  vols.).  An  English  translation  of  it  is  given  by  the  Rev. 
G.  Hill  in  the  Appendix  to  his  work.  I  find,  however,  no 
mention  of  the  translator  ;  but  the  translation  gives  the  sub- 
stance of  the  episode  with  sufficient  accuracy,  though  with 
mistranslations  of  individual  words.  Monsignor  O'Laverty 
has  given  a  synopsis  of  the  episode  in  dealing  with  Rathlin  in 
his  History,  vol.  iv.,  pp.  380-384.  Both  these  writers  were 
struck  by  the  remarkable  fidelity  of  this  episode  to  the 
topography  of  Rathlin.  In  the  additional  notes  to  p.  101, 
I  have  quoted  the  remarks  of  Monsignor  O'Laverty.  The 
Rev.  George  Hill  writes  in  the  same  sense,  and  surmises  as 
to  the  historic  truth  of  the  narrative. 

The  link  between  the  Emain-Tara  episode  and  this  one  is 
indirect.  After  the  Battle  of  Aonach  Tuaighe,  we  have,  in 
par.  xxvii.,  the  customary7  bind  or  link  in  which  the  pie 
suggests  the  journey  over  sea,  and  thus  prepares  the  way  for 


xxii  INTRODUCTION. 

the  Lochlann  episode.  Between  the  two  we  have  the  Rathlin 
episode  interpolated.  To  bring  about  a  connexion  between 
Conghal  and  King  Donn  (or  Rigdonn)  recourse  is  had  to  a 
supposed  bond  of  marriage  between  Conghal  and  King  Donn's 
daughter  at  the  first  council  in  Emania,  though  of  this  there  is 
no  mention  in  Part  I.  If  we  eliminate  Part  II.,  and  join  the 
passage  ending  with  eioip  -|\,MriA.c  7  -|\u^-6cIa]\ac,  p.  68,  to 
the  words  ^-oub^i^c  [Con^&L]  ^e  11-^  iiiuinci|A,  p.  101,  we 
have  a  perfectly  harmonious  narrative. 

The  Rathlin  episode,  Part  II.,  evidently  contains  a  tra- 
ditional account  of  an  attack  upon  Rathlin.  This  account  has 
been  recast  and  reset  by  some  one  thoroughly  familiar  with 
the  island.  As  Monsignor  O'Laverty  says — "  Whoever  wrote 
the  tale  must  have  resided  in  Rathlin."  Here  we  have  a  clue 
to  the  home  of,  at  least,  the  last  redactor  of  our  saga.  There 
is  no  doubt,  I  think,  that  the  whole  C^ic|\eim  was  brought 
together  by  an  Ulsterman  and  in  the  interest  of  the  Ulster 
party  at  one  time  or  other.  I  believe  there  is  further  little 
doubt  that  the  last  chief  redactor  of  the  C^iq\eim  lived  in 
Rathlin  or  its  neighbourhood,  and  that  Part  II.,  or  the  Rathlin 
incident,  represents  the  embodiment  by  him  of  a  new  episode 
in  the  C.MU]\eim.  This  accounts  for  its  peculiar  relation  to  the 
other  episodes  noted  above.  Whatever  may  be  said  of  King 
Donn,  the  apocryphal  character  of  Nabgodon  mac  ioruaith, 
king  of  the  mythical  land  of  Uardha,  the  land  of  the  cold,  is 
certain.  Nabgodon  mac  Ioruaith  is  simply  the  early  Irish  form 
of  Nabuchodonosor,  son  of  Herod.  Outside  of  Conghal's  fol- 
lowers the  names  are  suggestively  vague.  We  have  Nabgodon, 
a  Biblical  one  ;  Uardha,  a  mythical  land  ;  bebit),  a  probable 
mistake  for  the  common  namebebiiro;  T)o|ni5l&n  (Clean-fist), 
and  Rigdonn  (Brown-wrist),  and  Taise  Taoibhgeal,  a  name  of 
quite  common  occurrence  in  the  sagas.  A  conglomerate  of 
artificial  names  to  which  the  historical  ones  of  the  Emain- 
Tara  episode  have  been  wedded.  I  think  it  is  clear  that 
the  episode  was    introduced   by  the    last  principal   redactor 


CRITICAL  STUDY  OF  THE  CvMUUemi.     xxiii 

of  the  C^icr»eini  in  illustration  of  the  topography  of  his 
native  district.  This  sufficiently  accounts  for  its  wonderful 
fidelity  to  that  topography,  and  the  graphic  character  of  the 
narrative. 

In  Part  III.  we  have  the  last  three  episodes — the  Lochlann 
episode,  the  Arthur  episode,  and  the  Bruighen  Boirche  episode. 
As  we  should  expect,  the  Rathlin  episode  ends  abruptly 
(p.  101)  ;  and  the  Lochlann  one  is  introduced  by  the  bald 
phrase — "1omcur"&.  Con^csil  -mru-pce^-p  ^onn  1'ce^t  oite  " — 
notwithstanding  the  elaborate  anticipation  of  it  in  Part  I. 
Further,  we  have  the  phrase — "  1j~  leiy  vo  uinc  n^bg^oon 
tn^c  1orvu&i-6,  ju  n^  h-tla>j\"6&" — interpolated  on  p.  102  to  give 
colour  of  connexion  with  Part  II.  After  that  the  Rathlin 
episode  disappears  from  the  tale. 

The  Lochlann  episode  seems  then  to  have  been  originally 
connected  with  Part  I.  It  is  quite  in  the  manner  of  the  Post- 
Norse  additions  to  our  early  tales.  The  result  of  the  Xorse 
invasions  of  Ireland  was  to  familiarise  the  people  with  the 
stories  of  the  Norseman's  sea-journeys  and  raids.  They  inter- 
married amongst  the  Irish,  as  is  evidenced  by  the  frequent 
occurrence  of  Norse  names,  such  as  /-Vmlaffand  Harold  (Aralt), 
in  our  Post-Norse  genealogies.  Irishmen  were  not  unfamiliar 
with  their  language,  and  borrowed  certain  words  from  them, 
as,  for  example,  the  words  fciujvpm&nn,  '  a  steersman  or  pilot,' 
and  &c&rir,oiT),  '  an  anchor,'  which  occurs  in  our  own  text 
(v.  Glossary).  The  result  is  that  there  is  scarcely  a  tale  in  our 
great  Middle  Irish  MSS.  but  contains  a  reference  to  Lochlann. 
Strange  and  weird  stories  passed  amongst  our  people  of  these 
fierce  foreigners  from  over  the  sea,  and  gradually  there  was 
added  to  the  local  feats  of  the  heroes  of  the  Cuchulainn 
Cycle  that  of  a  journey  to  Lochlann  in  quest  of  booty  and 
adventure.  Such  is  the  origin  of  the  anachronism  of  intro- 
ducing a  journey  to  Lochlann  into  a  tale  about  a  hero  who 
lived  in  the  first  century  B.C.  The  question  as  to  the  original 
meaning  of  Lochlann  does  not  touch  the  argument,  for  there 


xxiv  INTRODUCTION. 

can  be  no  doubt  of  its  equation  to  the  home  of  the  Norseman 
in  the  present  case. 

As  we  have  seen,  then,  the  Lochlann  episode  is  accounted 
for  by  the  influence  of  the  post-Norse  literature.  Into  this 
episode  there  is  worked  some  of  the  stock-in-trade  of  the 
seanchaidhe,  such  as  the  Mountain  of  Fire,  the  Chain  Feat, 
the  Three  Brothers  Incident,  the  Fight  with  the  Wolves 
(oncom),  and  the  Magic  Birds;  and  these  being  exhausted, 
we  arrive  at  the  Arthur  episode  (p.  150). 

The  introduction  of  the  British  Arthur  into  Early  Irish 
literature  seems,  as  far  as  we  know,  due  to  direct  inter- 
course between  Briton  and  Celt,  and  to  the  knowledge  of 
the  works  of  Nennius  amongst  the  Irish.  Of  the  Historia 
Britonum  of  Nennius,  Irish  versions  are  to  be  found  in  the 
Book  of  Ballymote;  H.  3.  17,  T.C.D. ;  Book  of  Lecan,  Book  of 
Hy-Many,  and  Leabhar  na  h-Uidhre.  The  Leabhar  na 
h-Uidhre  fragment  has  been  edited  by  Rev.  Dr.  Hogan,  S.J.,  in 
the  Todd  Lectures,  vol.  vi. ;  and  an  edition  based  on  the  whole 
set  was  published  by  Todd  for  the  Irish  Archaeological  Society. 
It  is  not  certain  that  the  name  is  primarily  derived  from  that 
of  King  Arthur.  Other  and  earlier  Arthurs  may  have  con- 
tributed to  Spreading  the  name.  The  solution  of  the  question 
belongs  to  the  Arthurian  problem;  and  we  have  not  time  or 
space  to  discuss  it  here.  I  have  given  in  Additional  Notes 
references  to  a  number  of  Arthurs  in  Irish  sagas,  which  are 
sufficient  to  show  how  the  name  spread.  Whether  we  are 
to  take  Arthur  mac  Iubhair  as  meant  for  Arthur,  son  of 
Uther  Pendragon,  or  not,  we  have  little  means  of  deciding. 
If  we  did,  the  anachronism  it  would  create  could  be  explained 
in  the  same  way  as  that  connected  with  Lochlann,  to  which 
we  have  already  referred.  However  that  may  be,  the  Arthur 
episode,  as  here  developed,  contains  the  popular  folk-tale  of 
the  mysterious  birth  of  a  hero,  and  his  ultimate  recognition 
by  his  father.  In  this  case  the  seanchaidhe  boldly  adopts  the 
name  of  the  famous  son  of  Conn  Ceclcathach,  Art  Aoinfhear 


CRITICAL  STUDY  OF  THE  CAltHeiTTI.      xxv 

(or  the  Lonely),  as  that  of  the  son  of  Arthur,  the  reason 
being,  we  may  presume,  the  connexion  between  the  sounds  of 
'  Art '  and  '  Arthur.'    In  fact,  on  p.  156  we  have  Art  Aonfnear 
dubbed  Arthur  Aoinfhear,  though  elsewhere  Art  Aonfhear. 
The  incident  of  the  hosteller's  three  sons  who  wished  to  pass 
as  sons  of  the  King  of  Britain  has  an  excellent  parallel  in  the 
similar  tale  of  the  King  of  Britain's  son  to  be  found  in  the 
Feast  of  Dun  na  n-Gedh,  ed.  by  O'Donovan,  Irish  Archaeo- 
logical Society.     The  tale  describes  the  journey  of  Conghal 
Claen  in  Britain,  the  discovery  by  the  King  of  Britain  of  his 
own    son,    Conan   Rod,   and   the   confounding   of  the   three 
warriors,  who  desired  to  pass  off  as  his  real  sons  (pp.  65-75). 
The  link  between  the  Lochlann  episode  and  the  Arthur  one 
is  supplied  by  the  homeward  journey  of  Conghal.    What  more 
natural  than  that  his  journey  homeward  should  bring  him  to 
Mull,  and  Islay,  and  Cantyre,  and  thence  into  Xorth  British 
territory !     In  connexion  with  this  latter  district  it  is  well  to 
note  that  the  Arthur  saga  is  connected  topographically  with 
two  districts — (1)  the  north-western  Brythonic  district,  cover- 
ing   the   western    half  of  southern    Scotland,    and   northern 
England  ;  (2)   south-west  Britain  (the  romantic   element    of 
the   legend  being   located   in   South   Wales  as  early  as  the 
eighth  century).     It  is  with  the  former  district   our  Arthur 
episode  deals.    An  interesting  account  and  suggested  solution 
of  the  relation  of  the  Arthur  saga  to  Irish  literature  is  to  be 
found  in  Mr.  Alfred  Xutt's  Essay  on  "  The  Celtic  Doctrine  of 
of  Re-Birth,"  pp.  22-37.   The  scientific  solution  of  the  problem 
which  it  raises  can  scarcely  be  reached  till  the  chief  or  all  the 
passages  in  our  sagas  are  brought  together  and  compared.     I 
trust  that  our  text  may  not  be  without  value  for  the  study  of 
that  much-discussed  question.     We  see,  therefore,   what  are 
the  general  sources  of  the  Arthur  episode,  the  introduction  of 
which  into  any  saga  that  grew  up  between  the  years  noo  and 
1600  need   cause   no  surprise.      Xor  did   it   offer  any  topo- 
graphical difficulty  in  relation  to  the  Lochlann  episode,  for  as 

c 


xxvi  INTRODUCTION. 

we  have  seen,  it  harmonised  admirably  with  the  well-known 
Viking  track  down  the  coast  of  Scotland,  North  Britain  and 
Ulster.  The  link  which  binds  the  Lochlann  episode  to  the 
Arthur  one  is  obvious. 

We  have  already  discussed  the  relation  of  the  last  episode, 
the  OjAjAin  biun^ne  boi]\ce,  to  the  Emain-Tara  one.  We  saw 
how  much  they  had  in  common  with  one  another,  that  they 
were,  in  fact,  indigenous,  springing  out  of  the  traditions  derived 
from  the  Pre-historic  Period.  We  have  now  only  to  consider 
its  relations  to  the  Arthur  episode.  Topographically  no  diffi- 
culty offered  itself  in  linking  the  Arthur  episode  to  the  Bruighen 
Boirche  one.  Our  hero,  having  reached  North  Britain  on  his 
homeward  journey,  had  no  difficulty  in  landing  conveniently 
near  Benn  Boirche !  The  link  is  then  supplied  by  his  asking 
where  is  Fergus  mac  Lede,  his  enemy ;  and  finding  him  in 
Bruighen  Boirche,  he  proceeds  to  attack  it.  Then  follows  the 
0]\gxMn  D|\ui5ne  fooi^ce,  or  '  Harrying  of  Bruighen  Boirche.' 
As  we  have  seen,  the  original  0]\5<\m  was  an  independent 
tale,  and  I  may  be  permitted  to  hazard  here  an  opinion  as  to 
the  use  made  of  it  in  the  present  text.  There  are  four  lead- 
ing characters  to  take  into  account,  viz.,  Conghal,  Fergus 
mac  Lede,  Art  Aoinfhear,  and  Boirche  Casurlach.  In  what 
relation  do  they  stand  to  the  lost  Or^^m,  and  to  the  present 
version  ?  I  believe  the  original  0|\5&m  did  contain  a  reference 
to  Conghal  Clairinghneach,  and  that  on  that  account  it  passed 
into  the  composite  Conghal  saga  by  assimilation.  Boirche 
Casurlach  essentially  belongs  to  the  lost  Opg&m.  As  to 
Fergus  mac  Lede  we  have  no  means,  so  far  as  I  can  see,  of 
deciding,  though  his  use  in  the  link-episode  suggests  artifi- 
ciality. As  to  Art  Aoinfhear  I  think  there  is  no  doubt  but 
that  he  is  an  intrusion  from  the  present  Arthur  episode.  Not 
alone  that,  but  the  slaying  of  Boirche  has  been  cleverly  trans- 
ferred to  his  shoulders  instead  of  Conghal's,  possibly  in  dislike 
of  laying  to  Conghal's  account  the  slaying  of  a  fellow- Ulster- 
man.     Having  performed  this  feat,  it  is  not  to  be  wondered  at 


CRITICAL  STUDY  OF  THE  CAltReim.    xxvii 

that  he  suddenly  disappears  out  of  the  tale  in  the  middle  of 
the  fight.  Conghal  says  to  him  :  "  Success  and  blessing,  and 
proceed  forthwith  to  your  own  country  !  "  (p.  175;.  A  few 
lines  further  on  we  are  assured  that  "  he  (Art  Aoinfhear) 
assumed  the  kingship  of  Britain  afterwards,  so  that  in  that  way 
Conghal  is  contemporary  with  Art  Aoinfhear."  The  necessity 
for  the  synchronism  is  obvious.  As  to  Torna  macTinne 
King  of  the  Saxons,  who  is  carried  over  from  the  last  episode, 
he  is  disposed  of  by  the  famous  Leinster  King  Mesgedra,  and 
a  poem  composed  in  honour  of  the  event !  'par.  lxvii.).  The 
tale  finishes  with  Conghal's  journey  to  Tara  against  Lughaidh 
Luaighne,  and  the  slaying  of  the  latter  by  Conghal.  This 
incident  is  supported  by  the  annalistic  accounts,  and  by  the 
poem  of  Gilla-Coemain  {vide  Add.  Note  to  p.  2).  Conghal  ends 
his  career  by  becoming  King  of  Ireland,  and  pardoning  Fergus 
mac  Lede,  whose  death  by  the  sea-monster  is  narrated  in  the 
tale  Ait>et)  jrej^uj^,  published' in  "  Silva  Gadelica." 

I  shall  now  sum  up  the  results  of  this  rapid  analysis  of 
our  saga.  In  connexion  with  Conghal  there  are  found  in  our 
text  two  distinct  traditional  historical  "nuclei  " — the  Conghal- 
Lughaidh  Luaighne  tradition,  and  the  Conghal-Boirche  Casur- 
lach  tradition.  These  were  at  first  independent  of  one  another, 
the  latter  being  the  earliest  to  be  reduced  to  writing,  and  was 
contained  in  the  lost  Ojij^in  CcsC]\^c  Doi]\che  referred  to 
above.  The  Conghal-Lughaidh  Luaighne  tradition  came 
into  prominence  in  a  time  of  conflict  between  Tara  and 
Ulster,  and  is  to  be  regarded  as  in  the  nature  of  a  political 
pamphlet.  It  formed  the  "  nucleus  "  of  the  present  C«Mcj\eim 
by  developing  the  additional  episodes  of  Lochlann  and  Arthur. 
To  the  Arthur  episode  was  joined  a  synopsis  of  the  lost 
Op5&in  C^sc]\ovC  Ooi|\che,  with  the  modifications  we  have 
suggested  above.  The  last  chief  redactor  of  the  tale  added 
the  Rathlin  episode  in  illustration  of  the  topography  of  his 
native  district. 

I   may  end  this  analysis  by  quoting  the  following  words 

c  2 


xxviii  INTRODUCTION. 

of  Mr.  Alfred  Nutt  in  his  Essay  (pp.  130-131),  attached  to  the 
"  Voyage  of  Bran,"  edited  by  Dr.  Kuno  Meyer,  on  the  difficulty 
of  dating  Irish  Romance  :  "  The  reader  has  now,  I  trust,  some 
idea  how  difficult  and  complex  a  task  it  is  to  assign  any  parti- 
cular portion  of  the  Irish  mythic  or  heroic  corpus  to  the  age 
when  it  first  passed  from  the  oral  into  the  written  form,  to 
determine  how  far  the  extant  text  represents  that  original, 
what,  if  any,  have  been  the  modifications  it  has  undergone, 
and  what  the  cause  of  these  modifications.  The  annalistic 
framework  cannot  be  taken  as  an  unerring  guide.  To  cite  one 
instance.  Stories  are  told  of  kings  assigned  by  the  annals  to 
periods  long  antedating  the  era  of  Conchobar  and  Cuchulainn, 
which  are  manifestly  far  more  modern  in  tone  and  style  than 
the  chief  tales  of  the  Ultonian  Cycle.  Indeed,  the  past  history 
of  the  land  would  seem  at  one  time,  and  by  one  school  of 
writers,  to  have  been  looked  upon  as  a  convenient  frame  in 
which  to  insert  numbers  of  floating  folk-tales.  But  the 
Ultonian  Cycle  must  before  then  have  assumed  definite  shape  ; 
it  is,  in  tone  and  temper,  like  all  other  great  heroic  sagas, 
essentially  tragic,  and  contrasts  strongly  with  the  playful  and 
fanciful  romance  of  so  much  else  in  Irish  story-telling.  Yet 
the  guidance  of  the  annals  cannot  be  lightly  thrust  aside  as 
worthless.  I  have  noted  the  fact  that  whilst  the  marvellous 
is  as  prominent  in  the  sixth-  and  seventh-century  kings'  lives 
as  it  is  in  those  of  earlier  monarchs,  yet  it  is  Christian  and  not 
Pagan  in  character.  This  cannot  be  set  down  to  design,  and 
can  only  arise  from  the  fact  that  some  stories,  at  least,  were 
told  about  Pagan  kings  before  Christianity  came  to  Ireland, 
and  were  too  firmly  attached  to  them  to  be  passed  over." 


LITERARY  STUDY  OF  THE  TEXT.        xxix 


Literary  Study  of  the  Text. 

In  the  analysis  which  I  have  given  of  the  C^ic^eim,  I 
should  by  no  means  wish  to  be  taken  as  in  any  way  mini- 
mising the  artistic  effect  of  the  story  as  a  whole.  One  thing 
the  Irish  seanchaidhe  or  file  could  do  supremely  well,  and 
that  was — tell  a  story.  From  childhood  he  was  accustomed 
to  hear  them  ;  not  a  winter's  evening  passed  over  without  some 
new  effort  of  the  seanchaidhe's  art  being  revealed  to  him;  and 
when  he  came  of  age  to  adopt  the  profession  himself,  he  was 
already  well  on  the  road  to  perfection.  The  art  and  its  prac- 
tice are  not  yet  dead  in  Ireland.  A  few  years  ago,  cycling 
along  a  mountain  road  in  Muskerry,  I  chanced  on  a  group  of 
stalwart  young  men,  and  asked  whither  they  were  going. 
They  told  me  they  were  going  "  sgoruidheacht-ing,"  which 
meant  that  their  destination  was  beside  some  turf-fire  in  a 
farmer's  house  to  pass  the  evening  in  story-telling  and  other 
forms  of  amusement.  With  the  passing  away  of  political 
independence,  however,  the  memory  of  the  old  martial  heroes 
of  the  race  tends  to  become  faded,  and  the  element  of  folk- 
lore and  mere  humour  to  increase.  When  the  Conghal  saga 
was  composed,  the  nation  was  full  of  buoyant  political  aspira- 
tion, and  its  intense  military  spirit  is  reflected  in  the  sagas 
which  it  then  resuscitated.  From  the  point  of  view,  therefore, 
which  the  seanchaidhe  set  before  him,  I  think  the  CMC]\eim  is 
a  work  of  high  perfection.  The  incidents  are  full  of  dramatic 
force,  and  are  so  correlated  as  to  sustain  interest  to  the  end. 
When  we  yield  our  imaginations  to  it,  free  from  the  bias  and 
predilections  of  the  almost  morbidly  introspective  literature  of 
to-day,  we  are  conscious  of  a  certain  simple  robustness  of 
imagery  which  possesses  a  singular  charm  of  its  own.  The 
scenes  at  Emain  and  Tara  seem  to  me  especially  to  excel  in 
dramatic  motive.      The   situation    created  by  the  choice  of 


xxx  INTRODUCTION. 

Fionnabair  forms  the  spring  of  the  whole  action,  and  the  scene 
between  her  father  and  herself  at  the  Heroes'  Well  stands  out 
with  cameo-like  clearness.  Beside  this  picture  we  may  place 
the  companion  one  of  the  death  of  Craobh,  with  the  highly- 
chivalrous  note  introduced  by  the  action  of  Fergus. 

No  reader  of  the  story  can  complain  of  its  want  of  incident- 
One  of  the  characteristics  which  make  the  C^ic}ieim  a  splendid 
representative  of  our  early  epic  literature  is  the  embodiment  in 
it  of  so  many  different  genres.  From  the  severe  simplicity 
of  the  Emain-Tara  episode,  we  pass  to  the  richer  colouring  of 
the  Rathlin  one.  For  this  quality  few  passages  in  our  litera- 
ture will  stand  beside  that  which  describes  the  night  attack  on 
Rathlin.  The  gleam  of  the  lights  over  the  dark  waves  that 
seethe  round  the  turbulent  Brecan's  Caldron,  the  lapping  of 
the  waves  against  the  prows  of  the  on-coming  ships  of  Nab- 
godon,  the  heedless  mirth  of  the  warriors  whose  shields  and 
spears  hang  above  them  in  the  drinking-hall,  the  exit  of 
Fergus  to  meet  the  approaching  foe,  attain  in  the  simplest  way 
the  effects  of  painting.  It  seems  to  me  as  if  we  had  in  this 
episode  the  introduction  of  that  subjective  note  that  is  so 
strong  a  mark  of  modern  literature.  We  feel  in  it  something 
of  the  emotional  personality  of  the  writer.  It  is  a  kind  of 
earnest  of  what  the  epic  literature  would  have  developed  into 
had  it  continued. 

In  his  appeal  to  his  audience  the  Irish  seanchaidhe  could 
never  neglect  the  wonderland  of  Folk-lore.  Whatever  be  the 
grand  names  and  theories  modern  folk  may  weave  about  it, 
the  folk-lore  of  the  world  finds  its  ultimate  sustenance  in  the 
child-like  imagination  of  those  who  have  not  a  scientific  or 
real  explanation  to  offer  of  the  mysteries  of  the  universe. 
They  have  not,  for  example,  reduced  the  conception  of  the 
vastness  of  space  to  the  terms  of  a  philosophic  formula.  It 
still  remains  in  the  region  of  feeling  and  of  imagination,  and 
finds  its  concrete  expression  in  the  weird  and  eerie  feeling 
awakened  by  such  incidents  as  those  to  be  met  with  in  the 


LITERARY  STUDY  OF  THE  TEXT.        xxxi 

over-sea  episodes  in  Lochlann.  To  the  early  Irish,  as  to  other 
peoples,  the  lands  beyond  the  sea  were  the  homes  of  wonder- 
land and  of  magic  ;  they  saw  in  them  a  ready  fatherland  for 
the  mysterious  creations  of  their  imaginations,  of  such  things 
as  the  mountain  of  fire,  the  magic  birds,  the  giant  warriors, 
the  wondrous  sea-monsters  ;  and  these,  having  found  a  local 
habitation,  were  brought  within  the  circle  of  heroic  doings  of 
the  early  epic  heroes.  And  so  we  have  them  in  this  CMCf\eim 
of  Conghal.  Yet  here  they  are  merged  in  the  forms  of  the 
historic  saga,  and  are  penetrated  with  something  of  its  spirit. 
We  feel  that  we  are  not  altogether  in  the  cloud-lands  of 
pure  fancy.  Both  sides  gain.  The  historic  or  quasi-historic 
element  is  lightened  by  its  fusion  with  the  purely  imaginative 
and  wonderful,  whilst  the  latter  elicits  more  credence  than 
modern  readers  would  otherwise  be  inclined  to  give  it. 

The  result  in  our  saga  is  a  composite  yet  artistic  whole. 
As  we  reach  the  Arthur  episode,  as  we  draw  near  home,  the 
wonderful  is  less  in  evidence,  and  finally  we  are  left  again  on 
the  terra  jirma  of  historic  tradition  in  the  episodes  dealing 
with  the  harrying  of  Bruighen  Boirche  and  the  death  of 
Lughaidh. 

Among  the  characters  two  great  heroic  figures  stand  out 
— Conghal,  our  hero,  and  Fergus  mac  Rosa,  or  mac  Roy.  The 
treatment  of  the  character  of  Fergus  mac  Rosa  evidently 
offered  some  difficulty  to  the  author  of  our  tale.  Fergus 
mac  Rosa,  as  we  know,  bulks  largely  in  the  whole  Cuchulainn 
cycle  of  saga,  whilst  Conghal,  outside  of  the  present  CMCj\eiin> 
has  no  place  therein.  How  could  the  lesser  satellite  shine 
beside  the  greater  sun  r  One  way  out  of  the  difficulty  was  to 
represent  the  sun  of  Fergus  as  not  having  yet  risen.  When 
Niall  Xiamhglonnach  has  the  hardihood  to  proclaim  vengeance 
on  Fergus,  our  author  interjects  apologetically — "  For  his 
[Fergus  mac  Rosa's]  deeds  of  valour  were  not  known  even  up 
to  that."  Throughout  we  have  a  continuous  insistence  on  the 
greatness  of  Fergus.     We  have  on  p.  34  the  tribute  paid  him  ; 


xxxii  INTRODUCTION. 

on  p.  38  we  are  told  that  Conghal  always  addressed  Fergus 
as  "  Great  King."  To  him  is  devoted  the  whole  episode  of 
the  destruction  of  Dun  da  Beann  ;  and  in  the  Battle  of  Aonach 
Tuaighe  he  shares  the  honours  with  Conghal.  Again,  in  the 
Rathlin  episode  the  first  defence  of  that  island  is  ascribed  to 
Fergus,  aided  by  Muiredach  Mor,  son  of  the  King  of  Scot- 
land, the  introduction  of  the  latter  being  a  compliment  to  the 
redactor's  kinsmen  over  on  the  Scotch  coast.  As  in  the 
episode  of  Craobh,  the  chivalry  of  Fergus  is  thrown  into  relief 
so  here  his  modesty  is  shown  in  the  splendid  climax  which 
describes  his  return  to  the  drinking-hall  after  the  defence  of 
the  island  : — 7  c.Mi;5<yo,6.-p  ipn  mbfiuijpn  &}"  &  h-&icLe  7  r>o 
cogb&'o&rv  -\  n-A/pma.  UA,i]~oib  7  -oo  jun-ocoA.^  in&  n-iornyo.Mb 
■pe-11'i  i&n  pn  7  r>i|A  cormn&oi'opoi:  ha  h-eucc<\  •00  nmnet)A|i  toi|\> 
"  And  after  that  they  came  into  the  hostel,  and  placed  their 
arms  above  them,  and  sat  them  down  in  their  own  places  ; 
and  they  boasted  not,  indeed,  of  the  deeds  they  had  done." 
In  the  Lochlann  episode,  Fergus  is  introduced  to  us  at 
the  very  beginning  (p.  102)  as  the  pijprnte&o  e^ie&nn,  the 
royal  champion  of  Ireland  ;  and  in  the  episode  of  the  magic 
birds  (p.  137),  all  the  warriors,  not  even  Conghal  being 
excepted,  fall  asleep,  save  Fergus  alone.  To  him,  as  to 
Cuchulainn  in  the  Tain,  is  thus  reserved  the  honour  of  per- 
forming the  heroic  feat  of  valour.  Finally  Conghal  sums  up 
the  feats  of  valour  of  Fergus  in  this  connexion  by  saying 
(p.  145)  :  7  mun&  beic  ye^ccur1  mA.c  flo-pA.  m  "poicjre&t)  ye]\  &. 
mbech&it)  Aguinn  e-poe  6  -ptu&^oib  tTltnpne  um]\  &p  e  *oo 
TTi&]Vb  Ci-pb,  ft1ir,cenm&r>  7  S&ijco  injen  CA]A|\cinn,  "And, 
save  Fergus  mac  Rosa,  no  one  of  us  would  have  escaped 
out  of  it  alive  from  the  hosts  of  Muirn,  for  it  is  he  (Fergus) 
who  slew  Cearb,  Miscenmas,  and  Saighead,  daughter  of  Carr- 
thann"  ;  and  Bricne  (p.  147)  says:  7  5m  m6]\  v>o  m&ic  -co 
fionpkc  uite,  "oo  cmn  yepgup  o]\-p&,  "  And  though  it  is  many 
a  good  thing  they  all  have  done,  Fergus  surpassed  them." 
In  the  Bruighen  Boirche  episode  Fergus  figures  scarcely  at 


LITERARY  STUDY  OF  THE  TEXT,      xxxiii 

all,  and  only  when  Conghal  is  mentioned,  which  may,  I  think, 
be  accounted  for  on  the  supposition  that  he  took  no  part  in 
the  original  Oj^-Mn  C&uja&c  boijtce. 

It  is  unnecessary  to  dilate  on  the  character  of  Conghal. 
He  is  a  typical  Irish  hero,  and  his  greatness  is  kept  well  in 
evidence  throughout  this  tale ;  he  is  called  "  the  rallying-point 
of  hosts"  (p.  27),  and  further  on  (p.  47)  "the  fountain-head 
of  the  princedom  of  Ireland."  Notwithstanding  the  tendency 
of  Fergus  mac  Rosa  to  overshadow  him,  the  artistic  propriety 
of  making  him  the  dominant  character  is  kept  well  in  sight 
by  the  author  ;  and  the  result  is  that  it  is  truly  the  C^ic^eim 
Conj<yiL  Ctoojun^rn^.  As  in  the  case  of  Fergus  mac  Rosa, 
a  difficulty  presented  itself  in  Conghal's  case  to  our  Ulster 
author.  How  make  a  hero  of  Conghal,  who  was  in  revolt,  not 
only  against  the  Ardrigh  at  Tara,  but  also  against  the  King 
of  Ulster,  Fergus  mac  Lede,  against  the  king  of  his  native 
province  ?  We  have  already  dealt  with  the  difficulty  ;  but  we 
cannot  help  again  referring  to  the  skilful  use  made  of  Fachtna 
Finn  File,  who  is  always  ready  to  avert  the  unfilial  attack 
upon  Ulster  by  some  such  advice  as  that  given  on  p.  44 : 
"  My  advice  to  you,"  said  the  poet,  "  is  not  to  attack,  war  on, 
or  challenge  the  Ulstermen  on  this  occasion,  for  it  is  not  they 
who  are  guilty  towards  you."  In  this  connexion  we  may 
finally  point  to  the  readiness  with  which  Conghal  pardons 
Fergus  in  the  end. 

The  discussion  of  the  ramifications  of  the  different 
characters  in  the  story  cannot  be  entered  upon  here,  and 
does  not  come  within  the  scope  of  an  editor  of  an  individual 
text. 

Bricne  or  Bricriu  in  our  text  does  not  belie  his  traditional 
character;  he  is  called  "a  head  of  oppression  of  Ireland" 
(p.  115)  ;  and  of  him  it  is  said  that  "no  lord  could  stand  his 
virulence,  save  Fergus"  (p.  45).  Lughaidh  Luaighne  has  little 
to  say  to  the  main  course  of  the  events,  beyond  originating 
the  rebellion  of  Conghal  by  his  judgment,  and  paying  for  it 


xxxiv  INTRODUCTION. 

by  his  death  at  the  end.  The  women  characters  recall  the 
types  so  well  known  in  the  Tain,  the  Children  of  Uisneach, 
and  the  other  early  sagas.  Their  position  in  ancient  Ireland, 
as  has  been  so  often  pointed  out,  was  far  higher  than  amongst 
the  Teutonic  nations ;  and  their  deaths,  as  in  the  case  of  Craobh, 
are  always  described  with  a  pathos  peculiar  to  our  literature. 

Throughout  the  whole  saga  the  events  flow  with  precision 
and  regularity,  and  the  sense  of  dramatic  effect  is  well 
marked.  The  language  has  the  terse  and  forceful  character 
of  the  best  epic  prose.  It  is  at  once  nervous  and  simple,  and 
its  effects  are  created  with  that  curiosa  felicitas  which  Matthew 
Arnold  recognised  as  an  inherent  quality  in  our  literature. 
Phrase  after  phrase  may  be  chosen  to  illustrate  those  brilliant 
flashes  of  imaginative  expression.  The  love  of  Fionnabair  for 
Fergus  mac  Lede  finds  its  utterance  in  words  which,  from  their 
fine  distinction,  deserve  a  place  in  the  foremost  rank  of  literary 
imagery  :  "  Uuccu]'  go  "oeiitnn,"  b&|\  An  m gen,  "  c&ebjAiut) 
n-g)\^x)A  no  neoc  "61b,  u&i]\  imm/vp  tiomiur1  ^ob^-pc^  tn&|A&  6 
TTluin  Gochc  cuAin  7  caLato  •pom'liomi^'o.M-p  gp.<y6  )?ej\ccu-p&," 
'  "  I  do  certainly,"  said  the  maiden,  "  bestow  my  love  on  one  of 
them,  for  as  the  flood-tide  from  the  Ichtian  sea  fills  the  bays 
and  harbours,  so  doth  the  love  of  Fergus  fill  me'";  and  in  the 
order  of  realistic  expression  note  the  description  of  the  attack 
of  the  sea-wolves  (oncom),  p.  132:  7  -ooben^AX  &  £ecnL  7 
a  pnnLec&fi  o'n  cciiaiiti  coiriige&L  -oo'n  cu-p^-o,  'And  they 
ripped  the  flesh  and  fair-skin  of  the  warrior  from  the  white 
bone.'  In  addition,  however,  to  brilliant  imagery,  the  senti- 
ment throughout  has  the  virile,  heroic  ring  that  befitted  a 
warrior  race.  What  could  be  more  effective,  as  an  example  of 
dramatic  restraint,  than  the  description  of  Conghal  on  hearing 
the  unfavourable  decision  launched  against  him  by  Lughaidh 
Luaighne  (p.  25)  :  "  When  Conghal  heard  that,  he  gave  a 
thrust  of  his  back  to  the  wall  of  the  banqueting-house,  so  that 
the  shields  fell  from  their  shield-straps,  and  their  spears  from 
their  rests,  and  their  swords  from  their  places  ;  and  he  drank 


LITERARY  STUDY  OF  THE  TEXT.       xxxv 

only  a  part  of  the  portion  next  him,  and  he  came  out  to  the 
quarters  of  the  Ultonians — and  his  sleep  was  restless  that 
night !" 

The  story  reflects  a  civilisation  which,  though  transmuted, 
has  not  entirely  passed  away.  Its  ideals  of  heroism,  of  physical 
endurance,  of  bravery,  of  equity  were  of  no  mean  order,  and 
found  their  expression  in  the  heroic  proverbs  scattered  through 
our  work  ;  as  when  Nabgodon  is  pressed  hard  in  battle,  we 
are  told,  b-N  cum&  t,eif  b«vp  o'i'AgAit  &cc  50  m&iru'o  a  bt^-6 
00  bun^-6,  "  He  cared  not  about  dying,  provided  his  glory 
remained."  And,  again,  Fergus  mac  Lede,  when  trapped  in 
the  burning  Cathair  Boirche,  exclaims  :  Ar-  uj\j-  -o^oib  b^p 
m^j\b.v6  1  cc&c  inA  b^|\  Io^cax)  .n  cci  j,  "  It  is  easier  for 
you  to  die  in  battle  than  to  be  burnt  in  a  house."  Or  the 
similar  sentiment  of  Lughaidh  Luaighne,  the  ardrigh,  when 
challenged  by  Conghal  :  Hi  jtij  oa  n-obAoh  cac,  "  He 
is  no  king  if  he  should  refuse  battle."  Such  were  the 
maxims  that  fed  the  spirit  of  a  race  which  was  fashioning  its 
heroic  sagas  at  a  time  when  the  Roman  world  outside  was 
sinking  to  decay.  Faults  enough  our  countrymen  may  have ; 
"We  have  heard  their  faults  a  hundred  times  ";  but  want  of 
courage,  of  heroic  daring,  and  of  hopeful  endurance  cannot  be 
laid  to  their  charge.  Though  not  historic  as  a  whole,  our 
saga  contains  much  that  is  historic  ;  and  as  representing  to 
us  manners  and  customs  in  ancient  Ireland,  it  has  a  reliability 
attested  by  the  archaeological  evidence  found  in  the  weapons 
and  ancient  instruments  of  war  and  peace  to  be  seen  in  our 
National  Museum,  and  in  the  topographical  names  and  ancient 
monuments  whose  history  it  professes  to  illustrate. 

It  is  a  large  and  brilliant  picture  of  a  civilisation  which 
was  to  be  the  nursing-ground  of  the  higher  Christian  one  that 
followed.  We  see  in  it  whence,  in  the  natural  order,  the 
Irish  monk  derived  those  heroic  qualities  of  endurance  which 
made  him  the  Christian  pioneer  of  Western  Europe,  and  which 
enabled  him  to  adopt  a  rule  so  strict  that  it  had  to  be  relaxed 


xxxvi  INTRODUCTION. 

to  suit  his  weaker  brethren  on  the  continent.  We  see,  in  fine, 
the  virtues  which,  in  the  natural  order,  were  to  win  for  us  the 
glory  of  a  bloodless  Christianity. 


The  Manuscript. 

The  CMC|\emi  Con^^it  CL&ijungnij  is  contained  in  a 
single  paper  MS.  in  the  Royal  Irish  Academy,  of  which  the 
original  title  was  H.  and  S.  No.  205, and  the  present  "habitat" 
of  which  is  23  H.  I.  C.  O'Curry,  in  the  following  passage 
taken  from  his  MS.  Catalogue  in  the  Academy,  ascribes  to  it  a 
date  somewhere  about  1650,  and  from  that  conclusion  I  see 
no  reason  to  differ.  His  description  of  the  MS.  is  as  follows  : — 
"  The  writing  in  this  manuscript  is  of  the  most  beautiful  that 
ever  I  met,  strongly  resembling  the  handwriting  of  the  cele- 
brated Duald  mac  Firbis,  but  not  his  ;  and  the  orthography  is 
perfectly  correct  in  every  instance.  From  the  character  of 
the  writing,  the  ink,  paper,  &c,  I  conclude  it  to  have  been 
transcribed  about  the  year  1650.  The  tale  which  makes  up 
the  contents  of  this  MS.  is  one  of  great  interest,  as  well  from 
the  purity  and  elegance  of  the  language,  the  very  best  I  ever 
met,  as  from  the  number  of  historical  and  topographical  facts 
it  contains  " — Cat,  H.  and  S.,  R.I. A.,  pp.  580-583.  The  paper 
is  brown  in  colour,  but  of  good  texture,  and,  considering  the 
wear  and  tear  to  which  it  has  been  subjected,  is  in  good  pre- 
servation. Unfortunately,  however,  the  edges  of  the  pages 
are  considerably  frayed,  so  that  a  number  of  words  have  been 
lost.  Their  loss,  however,  would  not  interfere  in  any  case  with 
the  sense  save  in  that  of  the  passage  the  loss  of  which  is 
marked  by  the  asterisks  on  p.  20.  Here  in  the  MS.  a  piece 
has  been  torn  off  from  the  top.  In  the  case  of  the  remaining 
lacunae  I  have  filled  them  up  from  the  context ;  and  the  words 
supplied  are  enclosed  in  square  brackets.  The  printed  text 
represents  therefore,  I  hope,  the  original  state  of  the  MS. 


THE  MANUSCRIPT.  xxxvii 

One  other  copy  of  our  MS.  exists,  and  which  is  not  referred 
to  in  any  printed  notice  of  the  text.  It  is  a  copy  made  by 
Malachy  O'Curry,  brother  of  Eugene  O'Curry,  from  our 
original  MS.  23  H.  I.  C.  O'Curry's  copy  is  contained  in  MS. 
23  K.  28,  R.I. A.  Being  a  copy,  more  or  less  faithful,  of 
23  H.  I.  C,  it,  of  course,  supplies  no  variants,  so  that  our  text 
is  based  upon  the  single  MS.  23  H.  I.  C. 

The  C^icjieim  ConJMt  Ct^iiun^mj  was  first  noticed 
by  O'Curry  in  his  "  Lectures  on  MS.  Materials,"  and  in  his 
"  Manners  and  Customs."  Extracts  from  these  references  are 
given  in  Additional  Notes.  We  have  already  referred  to  his 
reference  to  it  in  connexion  with  the  Book  of  Leinster  (List 
of  Tales),  printed  in  the  Appendix  to  his  "  Lectures  on  MS. 
Materials."  Mention  has  also  been  made  of  the  use  made 
of  the  Rathlin  episode  by  the  Rev.  G.  Hill  and  Monsignor 
O'Laverty.  M.  D'Arbois  de  Jubainville  refers  to  it  in  his 
"  Essai  d?un  Catalogue,"  and  Dr.  Douglas  Hyde  has  men- 
tioned it  in  the  list  given  by  him  in  his  "  Literary  History 
of  Ireland."  Finally,  Miss  Hull  has  given  it  a  place  in  the 
tabular  list  she  has  drawn  up  of  the  stories  of  the  Red  Branch 
Cycle  in  her  book  entitled  "  The  Cuchullin  Saga."  Apart, 
however,  from  mere  references  to  it,  the  MS.  has  lain  unpub- 
lished since  O'Curry's  time.  O'Curry  evidently  intended  to 
edit  it,  but  his  many  duties  and  labours  probably  prevented 
him.  We  might  also  mention  that  Peter  Connell  made  use 
of  it  in  compiling  his  MS.  Dictionary,  which  is  now  in  the 
Library  of  Trinity  College,  Dublin.  A  few  marginalia,  con- 
sisting of  transcripts  of  some  faded  words  in  the  text,  are  in 
the  handwriting  of  O'Curry  and  Connell.  It  is  now  com- 
pletely printed,  edited,  and  translated  for  the  first  time. 

In  attempting  to  discover  some  clue  to  the  date  of  the 
MS.  other  than  the  character  of  the  writing,  it  struck  me  that 
the  paper  would  have  a  watermark  of  some  kind.  On  hold- 
ing a  page  up  to  the  light,  I  discovered  a  very  distinct  and 
elaborate  watermark,  consisting  of  an    ecclesiastical    crown, 


xxxviii  INTRODUCTION. 

underneath  which  were  the  letters  I  H  S  (the  usual  contraction 
for  Jesus),  and  underneath  this  the  name  Martinaud  in  capital 
letters.  I  have  been  unable  to  trace  up  the  watermark,  but  it 
seems  to  me  a  French  one,  and  the  paper  is  probably  French- 
made  paper.  The  printed  literature  on  watermarks  is  very 
imperfect,  but  possibly  a  search  in  the  Bibliotheque  Nationale, 
Paris,  would  lead  to  the  identification  of  this  one.  The  identifi- 
cation of  the  watermarks  of  our  early  paper  MSS.  would  be  of 
great  help  in  dating  texts,  &c.  As  far  as  paper  and  writing 
go,  our  MS.  belongs  to  about  the  year  1650. 


Grammatical  Analysis. 

Far  more  difficult  than  dating  the  MS.  transcript  is  that  of 
dating  the  tale  itself  on  linguistic  grounds.  We  have  to  dis- 
tinguish between  the  date  of  the  matter  upon  which  the  tale 
is  based,  and  the  date  of  the  earliest  known  MS.  recension  of 
the  tale,  when  in  fact,  as  Mr.  Nutt  says,  it  passed  from  the 
oral  to  the  written  state. 

It  scarcely  requires  the  application  of  any  elaborate  critical 
criteria  to  see  that  the  language  of  our  present  text  is  that 
of  Late  Middle  Irish,  or  Irish  of  the  Transition  Period  from 
Middle  to  Modern  (1 550-1650).  Stripped  of  the  scribal 
archaisms  which  the  conservative  tendencies  of  the  scribes 
maintained,  it  would  almost  pass  for  Early  Modern  Irish.  I 
have,  however,  in  view  of  this  being  an  editio  princeps,  adopted 
a  conservative  attitude  towards  the  text,  and  hence  conserved 
what  may  after  all  be  only  mannerisms.  I  have  retained  the 
double  c  for  5  where  it  occurs  in  the  MS.  In  compound  nouns, 
the  older  MS.  usage  is  reflected  in  the  non-aspiration  of  the 
second  part  in  many  cases  where  it  would  now  be  aspirated. 
A  peculiarity  of  our  MS.  is  the  non-aspiration  after  the  pre- 
position 'oo  and  a  few  other  simple  prepositions,  which  can 
scarcely  be  defended  ;  but  for  which  this  may  be  taken  as  a 


GRAMMATICAL  ANALYSIS.  xxxix 

correction  passim.  Further,  the  combination  5I,  cl  is  seldom 
or  ever  aspirated,  e.g.,  we  have  t>o  cl&nn  &ib.  Where  the  infixed 
pronouns  of  the  first  and  second  persons,  m  and  -o,  occur  they 
are  not  followed  by  aspiration.  These  omissions  have,  I  believe, 
no  phonetic  significance.  Another  tendency  of  our  scribe  was 
to  omit  the  aspiration,  where  necessary,  of  c  in  the  combination 
c]\.  Less  defensible  mannerisms  were  the  omission  of  aspira- 
tion marks  after  such  words  as  mo,  '  my,'  -oo,'  thy,'  &c.  In  this 
latter  case  I  have  silently  corrected  in  the  text.  Our  scribe  not 
infrequently  forgets  to  aspirate  the  letter  c  in  words  like  ^m&ch, 
and  these  also  I  have  corrected  silently,  though  in  some  cases 
in  Part  I.  the  MS.  reading  was  retained.  The  correct  reading 
is  given  in  the  Corrigenda.  The  non-aspiration  of  consonants 
in. intervocalic  position  I  have  left  unchanged  when  they  occur, 
as  in  cAb-M}1,,  as  possibly  reflecting  an  earlier  recension.  As 
one  might  expect,  there  is  less  deviation  from  rule  in  the  case  of 
eclipsis.  Initial  c  and  c  are  at  times  left  uneclipsed,  where  in 
Modern  Irish  the  eclipsis  would  be  marked.  In  the  matter  of 
accentuation  the  MS.  reflects  the  loose  system  of  Middle  Irish 
MSS.,  omitting  or  inserting  the  accent,  more  or  less  at  pleasure. 
The  so-called  triphthongs  eoi,  &c,  are  never  accented,  and 
the  diphthongs  seldom.  The  broad  e  form  is  used  from  time 
to  time,  but  I  have  printed  it  as  simple  e.  The  words  are,  of 
course,  often  written  close  together,  as  for  instance  pen  ^£501111-0, 
in  which  case  I  have  separated  out  thus — j\e  n-^cgoiju-o.  In 
the  case  of  the  verb  A-oconncAT>&jA,  I  now  regret  not  having 
printed  the  forms  oocormcN-o^n,  °  '■oconnc<yo&f\,  so  as  to 
show  the  combination  6  a-oconncyoAji,  and  so  for  ooctu\t^\-o.\p 
=  6  -vocu^L^vo^ru  This  may  be  taken  as  applying  passim.  In 
one  case,  p.  8,  this  form  has  been  printed  wrongly,  ot)'ctu\l.\-o.\p 
for  o'-ocu.v'L^'o^]!.  The  remaining  peculiarities  of  our  text,  as 
for  ^example  the  retention  of  older  spellings  and  case-forms,  are 
to  be  explained  from  the  fact  of  our  text  being  a  modernisa- 
tion of  an  older  Middle  Irish  one,  of  which  the  characteristics 
are  reflected  in   the  archaisms  of  our  present  one.     I  have 


xl  INTRODUCTION. 

supplied  the  text  with  a  running  series  of  grammatical  notes 
which  sufficiently  indicate  this.  Direct  evidence  of  the  present 
MS.  text  being  a  transcript  is  afforded  by  the  cases  of  homoio- 
teleuton  referred  to  in  the  notes  on  the  MS.  pagination.  The 
statement  on  p.  190  that  Fachtna,  the  poet,  and  Bricne,  son 
of  Cairbre,  were  early  redactors  of  our  tale,  points  in  all 
probability  to  an  early  date  for  the  composition  of  the 
original  C&icpeim,  whilst  making  all  allowances  for  the 
assumption  that  its  ascription  to  them  is  an  attempt  to  win 
credence  for  the  tale  by  ascribing  to  it  such  ancient  author- 
ship. In  addition  I  append  the  following  analysis  of  the 
verbal  system  of  the  whole  text.  I  have  printed  the  verbal 
system  of  Part  I.  separately  from  that  of  Parts  II.  and  III., 
for  convenience  of  reference  from  the  text,  and  in  the  hope 
that  some  material  difference  might  have  been  found  in  the 
treatment  of  the  verb.  I  regret  to  say  I  have  found  none,  and 
so  am  unable  to  support  by  grammatical  evidence  my  analysis 
of  the  tale  into  different  strata.  It  may  happen  that  the 
application  of  subtler  grammatical  criteria  than  I  have  at 
present  at  my  command  may  ultimately  strengthen  the 
deductions  based  upon  literary-historical  grounds.  Let  it  be 
said,  however,  that  the  grammatical  differences  in  the  strata 
could  scarcely  resist  the  process  of  modernising  to  which 
they  were  subjected  with  each  transcription  of  the  text. 
A  priori  we  should  expect  a  transcript  of  about  the  year 
1650  to  retain  little  evidence  of  the  grammatical  diversities  of 
an  early  Middle  Irish  original  text.  The  absence  of  such 
evidence  is,  therefore,  only  a  negative  argument  against  my 
conclusions.  Further,  this  latter  argument  is  weakened  by 
the  very  possible  hypothesis  that  the  fusion  of  the  different 
elements  took  place  whilst  the  tale,  as  a  whole,  was  yet  in  the 
oral  form. 

In  drawing  up  the  following  lists  I  have  not  attempted  an 
exhaustive  register  of  the  number  of  times  the  verb-form 
occurs.     What  has  been  done  is  to  register  the  common  verb- 


GRAMMATICAL  ANALYSIS.  xli 

forms  once  at  least,  and  the  rarer  ones  as  often  as  they  occur. 
There  may  be  some  accidental  omissions  ;  but,  on  the 
whole,  the  analysis  furnishes  a  complete  conspectus  for  the 
period,  as  far  as  the  MS.  goes,  of  the  verbal  system.  I  trust  it 
will  be  of  use  in  an  historical  account  of  the  Irish  verb.  I 
cannot  refrain  from  acknowledging  my  indebtedness  to  the 
splendid  labours  of  Professor  Strachan  in  this  field  of  work, 
as  well  as  to  the  stimulus  I  derived  from  his  teaching  when  he 
lectured  in  Dublin.  The  reference  after  each  verb-form  is  to 
the  page  ;  in  some  cases  no  number  is  given,  the  form  being  of 
such  common  occurrence  as  to  require  none.  The  registering 
of  the  verbal  forms  in  the  following  tables  made  it  unnecessary 
to  enter  them  in  the  Glossary,  besides  presenting  them  in  a 
more  useful  and  scientific  fashion.  I  have  registered  the 
different  spellings  of  the  one  verb-form  in  order  to  help  the 
student,  e.g.,  ej\cc,  e|\5,  eju  5,  eijn^,  &c. ;  of  course  no  one  would 
mistake  me  as  meaning  that  they  were  essentially  different, 
Further,  I  have  in  many  cases  given  the  supporting  particles  as 
interesting  syntactically.  As  may  be  seen,  the  general  fades 
of  the  older  verbal  system  is  maintained,  though  we  see  the 
modern  system  in  process  of  evolution.  We  have  still  the 
remnants  of  an  S-future  ;  the  reduplicated  future  is,  of  course, 
in  vigorous  use,  and  we  have  in  it  absolute  and  dependent 
forms  (a  and  b).  In  the  B-future  we  have  still  remnants  of  the 
absolute  and  dependent  forms.  The  three  preterites  are  well 
represented,  the  reduplicated  (perfect)  preterite  ;  the  T-  and  the 
S-preterite  ;  the  latter,  of  course,  being  strongly  in  evidence. 
The  development  of  the  Middle  Irish  deponent  form  in  z&\\, 
z&i}\,  is  well  represented,  e.g.,  \\o  cjiOTmipo<Mji.  The  passive 
forms  sufficiently  explain  themselves.  The  paradigm  of  the 
substantive  verb  will,  considering  the  date  of  the  MS.,  offer  some 
interesting  forms.  We  have  in  Part  I.  the  old  imperat.  pi.  2, 
but).  The  preterite  offers  the  instructive  sequence  poboi, 
|\oboi,  ]\ob*NOi,  -oob^oi,  |\obi,  ■oobi,  which  is  a  complete  history 
of  the  development  of  the  modern  form   -oobi   from  that  of 

d 


xlii  INTRODUCTION. 

the  Glosses,  ]\obcn.  The  subjunctive  forms  are  also  interesting 
survivals.  In  the  copula,  amongst  other  things,  the  sg. 
3,  future,  bix>  is  interesting,  as  are  the  forms  b^m  and  bepum. 
In  Part  II.  I  would  draw  special  attention  to  the  deponent 
subjective  forms  of  sg.  I,  present,  50  ccopi&-p,  &c,  to  the 
B-future  paradigm,  and  reduplicated  future,  in  which  the 
absolute  and  dependent  forms  are  well  marked.  The  pre- 
terite forms  of  the  first,  second,  and  third  persons  are  well 
represented.  In  the  substantive  verb,  Part  II.,  the  present 
indicative  is  represented  by  forms  from  -tau,  Biu,  Fil.  The 
preterite  is  again  representative  of  all  periods.  The  third 
sg.  future  has  an  absolute  and  dependent  form,  whilst  the 
subjunctive  is  well  in  evidence.  In  the  copula  the  form 
-pobpvo  in  preterite  is  to  be  noted.  We  have  also  a  present 
and  preterite  passive. 


THE  VERBAL  SYSTEM.  xliii 


PART  I. 
THE  VERBAL  SYSTEM. 

Active  Voice. 

Imperative. 

sg.  2  &b^iji  42,  aWijap  46,  bej\p  40,  ctnjip  34,  t>en&  40, 
44,  -oenp^  42,  e\\cc  16,  46,  epij;  10,  30,  inm-p, 
c^b^ipp  18,  22,  cAb&ip  44,  50,  cmicitt  50, 
cogtnb  50. 

sg-  3  Abj\At>  44,  ^n^-6  44,  47,  eijije-o  44,  ce^ti  44, 
Cicero  44. 

pi.  1         (subj.  used  as  imperative). — s^b^m  50,  ci^j^m  50. 

pi.  2  beju-6  60,  copiAi-6  4,  n&  -oenui-o  10,  n^  p3&Vl<yi-6  8, 
ionnr>oiji'6  44,  beiccni)  8,  c&bj\&i-6  52,  66. 

pi.  3         ce^tn-o  46. 

Present  Indicative. 

sg.  1  .voei-pim    10,  <voe|\imp   26,  bejum   16,  ■oobejiitnp  26, 

36,  ctnn^im  26. 
sg.  2         m  cip-p  50. 
sg-  3         "oo-iTi-bei|\  58. 

Relative: — ben^j-  68,  bepef   12,  cotrtjAtnce-p  28, 

qAAToe]'  58,  tionn&f  16,  iriAOToe]'  50,  ceAjTn^  56. 
pi.   I  ^ooci&m&i-o  54. 

pi.  2         a  n-&b|\&ni)  48,  •N-octumci  44. 

Deponent : — sg.  I   -oo  p?-o&|\   54,  t)&  bp?ut>&nps  48,  noc^ 

n|:eAt)A|\   56.     sg.  3  mj\  ptnji   ^6,  5&n   ^uja  p-oip 

(pret.)  24. 


xliv  INTRODUCTION. 

Present  Subjunctive. 

sg.  i         50  ccug&nrA  (dep.)  32,  "oV  cciuto&yips  (dep.\20. 
sg.  2         triune  ccn^-in  (dep.)  32,  50  ccorii]uiice  48. 
pi.   1          no  50  n-oe&c&m  10,  60,  co  n-oiojl^m  60. 

Secondary  Present. 

sg.  1          "o^  n-^buin-o-ri  38,  in  n^&btnnn-p  42. 
pi.  3         ]io  -ptn'oir  20. 

S-Future  and  Subjunctive. 
Primary. 

sg.  3         m&-6  t>&  cui  (subj.)  50,  -oor.&oc  40. 
pi.  3         t)0):&ocr.6x  (2)  42,  no  y&ocr&'o  42. 

Secondary . 

sg.  1  X)&  rrerxMnnp  54. 

sg.  2  Triune  circ&  20. 

sg.  3  "o&  ccoinret)  66. 

pi.  3  "o^  bperD&oir  28,  noco  noipc  (subj*.  pr.)  8. 

Reduplicated  Future. 
Primary. 

sg.  I   (a)  he]\£sX)f&  8,  t>in;geub&'orA.  46,  "oo  §eub.<yo  60. 

(J?)    A/oenrA    8,   "oobe&nrA  4,  T)obe"|\r&    22,   m    eel    50, 
50  n-oi^et  30,  con  "oi^eotrA  36,  An  renr&  42,  n&c 
geub^  (?)  26,  t)0  jemu  (?)  22. 
sg.  2         jgeubpN  (?)  42,  "oo  jeub&ir  40,  "01&  ccibne-r.<s  20. 

sg.  3  ($)  coireon&  26,  -oobeu|AxN  40,  •oobeun^  20,  "oojeub^  32, 

ei|ieoc^  42,  ^eub^r  cu  (rel.)  42. 
pi.   1   (a)  beunniAOTO  40. 

(b)  &\\  a  tnbenttimiie  46. 


THE  VERBAL  SYSTEM.  xlv 

Secondary. 

sg.  2         ■oobeunc.N  16. 

SS-  3         5°  tTOingeub&'o  48. 

pi.   1          ]\o    coifetim^oif    60,    m    -6111511  em ^oipie     IO,    511^ 

•oiotjtntmipn  30. 
pi.   3         -o<\  n-oec-oAOi-p  46,  t)o  Toen-o^oi]'  6,  50  rraijeoWoAOi-p 

36,  iormfoc&T>&oif  38. 

B-Future. 
Primary, 

sg.  1   (a)  ctnpye-o  8,  cui|\po-o  34. 

{b)  riv\c.\  cc]\ecce^b  16,  ni  c|\ecce^b]v\  32. 
sg.  2         n&c  ccuicye  30. 

sg.  3  (a)  ye^]\yum  42,  tionpsit)  56,  aucpsit>  48. 
pi.  1  (J?)  Atipjomne  44. 
pi.  3  (a)  be&np>iT>nun  48,  5^ij\p-o  42. 

Secondary \ 
sg.  I          \\o  com&ij\li  jprm  22. 

sg.  3  co  m-b|up:e.vd  60,  iu\c  Le^npvo  36,  "oo  mill^ecs-oh  6 

pi.  3         jioicpt)if  64. 

Perfect. 

sg.  I  .<vocorm«N]\c  40,  <voconn.M|\c  me  40. 

SS-  3  ^■oconn.MC    20,    58,    .N'ocom")<Mj\c    38,    ^-ocu^t^    12 

|Ao--p-bi  30,  m&n  -oe^cuib  38,  x>ociuit)  IO,  20,  40, 
o'tdcu^I^  (a'ocvi^I^)  24,  26,  -oo  cuaIa  6,  tio 
"6ei|\|xn^i5  12,  50  nt)ep5  (t>epTo)  14,  "oo  t>tnp5 
22,  |\o  jltiMf  28,  ]\o  innif  18,  |\o  lontifoij  60, 
50  |\Ainic  30,  50,  56,  cAimc  (rel.)  4,  18,  20,  42, 
c&j\1&  64,  cmjuiic  28,  ceptiA  66,  ro]\c&\]\  [zo]\c^}\) 
52,  50  n-t)0]\cui-p  30. 

pi.  2  (6)t)o  cui-|\e^b^i]\  66. 

pi.  3          ^t)coTinc^t)^.^i^n  12,  &T>connc.NT).vn  28,  •MDConc&T)«N|\ 
36,  'oo  conc6>t)<\|\  6,  6't)ciK\t^t)^|\  (iVOCtiA.L&'O&itJ  8, 


xlvi  INTRODUCTION. 

no  ^up  li)^ii^io-o^]\  52,  00  coj;p,<yo&p  (wrongly  in 
text  t)o  cpioccn^yo&p)  6,  po  cumncet>&p  36,  t>o 
cu&t>&p  18,  52, 62,  -oo  "6eipi  joup  4,  co  nt)eipi 5*oa|\  6, 
co  n-oopcp&'o&p  62,  po  epje-o&p  10,  po  potiiA,o&|\ 
10,  m  pe&'o&'OAp  6,  "oo  pobp&*o&p  6,  po  poippn^etDAp 
64,  x)o  5&b&t>&pp&n,  po  5tu.Mp-o&p  24,  34,  -oo 
joipe&ti&p  34,  po  j;p.<sine,o&p  28,  ]\o  innpA,OA|i  58, 
po  Leccco&p  12,  p&n^^yo&p  28,  x>o  pmnexvo&p  26, 
c&n^/vo&p  6,  22,  puj&o&p  18,  t)o  cionot.<yo&p  4, 
po  co^bA/o^p,  copcp&'o&p  (copcp&'o&p)  52. 

T-Preterite. 

sg-  3  &t>ub^ipc  (Ac-"oo-bep-c)  8,  /vobepc  42,  54,  Tobepr,  18, 

iobe&pc  48,  &pbe&pc  i,  &t>p&cc  10,  &cp&cc  16, 
pocte&cc  58,  "oopi&cc  58,  -oo  c&ippn^ip  (transition 
from  T-pret.  to  S-pret.)   20. 

S-PRETERITE. 

sg.  I  nip  c&"6tu-p  20,  poc&pur  16,  nip  g&bup  26,  cucctir  40, 

1  cc&n^up  20. 

sg.  2  .<yoconn&pc<\ip   40,  *oo    c&pmr    22,    coiti&iptijip    24, 

&p  a.  bp&c&ip  40,  ni  j&b&ipi  42,  11  &]\  5^b^ipiu  26, 
•oo  op-oAijip,  CMi^tnp  38,  po-"o-c6;c;bu,Mp  20,  T>0 
cojjtnr  22. 

SS-  3  T10  A151^  44>  o  'oo  ACAiri  6,  poben  62,  t>o  cop&ij  1, 
-oo  co-ptnj  36,  po  coppij  60,  po  cpeccn&ij;  64, 
porn  cm  p  18,  po  cmp  12,  -po  -oicen-o  (-61  cent) )  52, 
po  tnubpmc  60,  po  e^gAip  38,  x)o  eipij  6,  18, 
po  eipig  20,  no  eipijpnim  60,  no  p&ccmb  60, 
po  pep  38,  -oo  p&pp&ij;  48,  po  p&pp.M5  46,  po 
ppe§<\ippitim  42,  t>o  pUA^Mp  52,  po  §A.b  30,  00 
JAbpi-oem  1,  -oo  5^1  b  60,  t)o  je&ll  60,  po  je&U, 
52,  t»o  join  32,  mp  1b  24,  po  111115  3°'  V°  ini1P 
30,  po  ionn-Mt  20,  po  t^b^ip  24,  00  teicc  (with 
prep,  te)  6,  po  Ling  56,  po  m&pb  28,  t»o  nocc  38, 


THE  VERBAL  SYSTEM.  xlvii 

po  op-oui  jpum  12,  oo  oppxmij  I,  -oo  p&i-o  io.  34, 
po  p&it)  48,  po  pei-oij  62,  -oo  pijne  i,  -oo  pin-oe  16, 
t»o  pinne  46,  •oo  peot  36,  00  pim.Mn  6,  00  pji-6  12, 
po  crniciU,  12,  24,  "oo  cog  54,  cucc  30,  CI15  (rel.)  18, 
jup  ctnit  12. 

Absolute : — &icnijep  38,  Ac^on&ip  64,  "oepc&ip  42, 
p^pp&ije&p  (?)  42,  5<N"biMf  18,  ibip  18. 

Deponent : — f£o  cpomupo&ip  24,  po  ctnpepc&ip  20,  vo 
j^bu-|~oMp  32,  po  j^buprAip  1,  po  j&bupo<Mp  34, 
po  nvoupo&ip  38,  -po  tinjej-OAip  38,  pomtionup- 
•o&ip  16,  pujup-OMp  12,  po  f.M"6epc«Mp  14,  po 
ptiepc&ip  p  14,   t)o  piLiopo&ip  6,  po  pji"6ep3.<yip 

l8,   CUrU-pCMfl    I,   CUCCt1|XA1]\    I,  CUJUpD&ip    38. 

pi.  3  po  &ipi  jpo-o  62,  &p'  cinnpoo  4,  po  coriiptncpoc  64, 
|\o  cuippoc  62,  po  vaj^^-o  52,  po  r^ishy&z  52,  00 
irmjjpoc  54,  "oo  ponp^vo  36,  48,  "oo  ponp&c  60,  po 
puTopoc,  po  c&nuijpec  62,  cucjwc  62,  cuicp&c 
24,  po  ctncpoc  30. 
Deponent: — 00  cinnpo-OAp  24,  -oo  p&i-ope-OAp  18,  po 
•pAi*6peAt)AH  36,  po  p&Topeo&p  48,  po  pAit)pet)Ap- 
pn-oe  22,  po  pAif)pot)Ap  36. 

Passive  Voice. 

Imperative. 

SS-  3  Aip$cep  50,  coipij;cep  8,  •oenc&p  44,  j&bc&p  4, 
m^pbc<vp  4,  pJi-oi-oceAp  8,  c&b^pc&p  4,  ciA^p, 
d^j^p  66,  cionoitcep  66. 

Present  Indicative. 

sg.  3  A-oeAp^p  28,  pip&n  &b<sp  10,  28,  30,  pip&  n-&b&pc&p 

24,  $en  50  n-Aiprin  jeep  66,  corii.jotce.Np  54,  co 
ccttnncep  66,  cuipcep  48,  cupc.sp  44,  oo[5]mce&p 
54,  (pifA)  p^icep  46,  52,  p.\ix)ce^p  28,  30, 
pomncep  18. 


xlviii  INTRODUCTION. 

Perfect. 

sg.  3  &T>ben&'6  30,  no  b/Mcet)  56,  no  jun  bnirex>  64,  no 
ceite&t)  42,  (u-M]\)  "oo  cbor  64,  |\o  coin^e^T)  14,  no 
coinijex)  60,  no  coirnno-p&'o  32,  "oo  ctnne&X)  12, 
cuine"oh  48,  con-\c  t>e|Mi^  18,  no  gun  Tnce&nn&t) 
30,  "oo  h-e&pA&t)  4,  no  rA^^vo  54,  (6  n&ch)  -per  46, 
]io  pjetih  64,  ]\o  roittp je^-6  42,  no  ron'OMle^'6 
12,  no  ronni^t)  Albert)  12,  ]io  g&'b&'o  10,  con&n 
5&b.<y6  niu  62,  no  ti-inntet)  10,  no  inn-pco  36,  no 
m&nb/yd  28,  30,  no  ine&b&T)  66,  t)o  rmbbexyo  6,  no 
mun&t)  52,  no  n^irceAt)  32,  "oo  b-on'ouije^t)  6,  tdo 
nnine^t)  4,  *oo  non^-6  1,  c&n^ur  26,  ]\o  cicobtn- 
ce^t)  18,  (6)  cruc&T)  18,  cuccax)  24,  no  cuinex)  40, 
no  rAiue^t)  38,  no  rui*6et)  24,  no  ruToiget)  12,  t>o 
h-unbu&cn&'o  4. 

Imperfect. 
sg«  3         'oo  [j]111^  38,  "oo  [sJmci  10,  -oo  [gjnici  24. 

Reduplicated  Future. 

Primary. 

s§-  3         gebc&n  42,  -oo  ^enco^  8,  18,  66,  50  n-oijeobc&n  48. 

Secondary. 

SS'  3         T10  bene  a  10. 

B-Future. 
sg«  3  AijAgp-oen  46,  no  be&np'oen  46,  c&icp-oen  38,  cinn- 

p-ocen  ( en)   42,   ctnnpn  (.  .  .  cu)    42,   pon- 

pn-oe^n  54. 

Secondary. 
sg.  3         t)o  mtnnp'oe  60. 

Verbal  Noun  (Infinitive). 

■oa  b&n   n-ACAbL^in   48,   &tc|\om    12,  A.5  a  n-&n&C6.bb  6, 
A]\ccum    54,    -oo    bu&in    32,    b]\eic    16,   t>V   cc^oihn^   6,  mo 


THE  VERBAL  SYSTEM.  xlix 

c^.cuJA'o  42,  t/-n  cconiiep  6,  ^5^  ccon^b^il  64,  ce^n^At  6, 
mo  605^-6  42,  ^5  coiiim.soi6ioiri  30,  t>o  coiiim6ji.N6  36,  [&)  cotti- 
coirrniop^'D  34,  c6]ui5«v6  6o,  ^5  coc1.15h.N-6  64.  V  cuib]\e.Nch-v6 
6,  ^5  cintiiniu^^-o  1,  ^  cup  6,  ^5  -0^1115111115^6  68,  do 
■oe^tiAiTi,  -oo  -6icu|;  (-oiocuji)  26,  34,  (^5)  "oin^bAit  64,  00 
■6105^11,  -oo  6105.MLC  26.  58,  1110  6ul  40,  0111  c.v6  64.  -oo]\cn6, 
e5^i  38,  eti5e  10,  20,  o'p^Ail  4,  (^5)  pucpn  28,  f^i^iti  54, 
P51  42,  T>'yoi|\cin  58,  o']>oi\ccb.\i|ic  10,  -oo  j^b-Nil  34,  -oo 
te^nmAm  46,  -a.5  Lei^e^  66,  toyc-vo  14,  inrnpn  42,  ^5  iorru\ji- 
cu]\  12,  oo  rii^]\li)^-6  6,  m^|ic^in  58,  )\e  milte^s6  18.  ^5  6t, 
a  5  |\^-6^  38,  jioccmii  48,  -oo  f..\|ui5Vu\6  6,  (^5)  -pc\c6i-oen  64, 
■00  c^befic  18,  CAipgpTi  26,  -oo  ccncc  26,  -oo  ce5tii.\it  40,  ^5 
cegu^c  38,  t)o  cejinoiii  40.  -oo  coc.MCiom  4,  ^5  C05.ML  42, 
.6.5'  coijjcncc  28,  -oo  coi|ine^iii  ^S,  co]\j\.scc.Mn  12,  '^5  cu^|\- 
cc&c-aiI  64,  UU1C1H1  58,  ^  cuiompum  40,  ^5  c1.1p5n.MT)  4, 
U|\5<Nb.NL.N  (gen.),  u|ico5b^it  12. 


THE  SUBSTANTIVE  VERB. 

Accented  Forms. 

Imperative. 

sg.  2  bip  30. 
sg.  3  bib  54. 
pi.  2         bnt>  8,  bici  4. 

Present  Indicative. 
{a)   -tan-, 
sg.  2          &cia  54. 
sg.  3  aca  4,  oca  52. 

pi.   I  &c  ion  a  01 -one  46. 

pi.    3  &CAC   56,   -NCMC   8,  ACA1T3    1 8. 

(i)  Fil. 
sg.  3         noc^  npjit  28. 


1  INTRODUCTION. 

Preterite. 
{a)  With  ro-  {do-). 

sg.  3         -poboi  8,  34,  ]\oboi  32,  66,  fiobAoi  14,  28,  t>o  bAoi  58, 
nobi  38,  t)o  bi  1. 

Enclitic  : — a  |\Aibe,  nAc  ^Aibe  4. 

pi.    3  flobA*OA]A   26,  3O,  "OO  bA"OAtt    1,  26. 

(£)  Without  ro-  {do-). 

b&cn  56,  a  m-boi  18,  jac  a  tn-bAoi  56,  50  m-bcn  38. 
bAOA]\  56. 

Future. 

biA-o  8. 

11  oca  biA  54,  a  rnbiA-ru  34,  bei|A  34. 

m  biAif)  48. 

Relative  : — biA-p  18,  42. 
beniTo  42. 
beit)  (2)  42,  6  beit)  4,  be-c-TO  22,  beitnc  22,  bet)  34. 

Secondary  Future  (Condit.). 

nocA  beceA  54. 
no  biA*6  16,  "oo  biA*6  60. 
pi.  3         "oa  mbei"oir  22. 

Subjunctive. 
Present. 

sg-  3  co  ^ibe  5o. 

Relative  : — ber  24. 
pi-  3         5°  ™bei-o  50. 

Past. 

sg.  3         getijo  [m]bec  32,  50  rnbeic  (50  mbec)  IO. 

Infinitive. 
"oo  beic  6. 


sg- 

3 

pi. 

3 

sg- 

r 

sg- 

2 

sg- 

3 

pi. 

1 

pi. 

3 

sg- 

2 

sg- 

3 

THE  VERBAL  SYSTEM.  li 

The  Copula. 

Indicative. 

Present. 

sg-  3  T>  AV  l>  ^'^  n-^fo]  4§,  "o'^  n-^-o  54,  gotiA-o  66. 
m&r&  52. 

Subjunctive. 

sg«  3         5UT^  4>  tenb  46,  "i^"6  46- 

sg-  3         "o&m&"6  6,  no  50m'  6. 

Preterite, 
{a)  With  ro-  (do-). 

sg.  3  |ao  bo  6,  24,  nobo  30,  con<snbo  64,  "o&jibo  I,  jenbo 
30,  rnonbo  28,  |\ob  (+  vowel)  54,  64,  -oob  (-  vowel) 
4,  ni]\b  (+  vowel)  60,  ^un  (+  consonant)  8. 

pL  3         Kobr^c  10. 

(b)  Without  ro-- 
sg.  3          bu  44,  ba  I,  36,  44,  b.vo  56. 

Future. 

sg.  I  b&tn  32. 

sg.  3         bi"6  20,  42,  46,  50,  54,  56,  66,  tuc  b^  46. 
Relative  : — bepum  32,  bur  4,  22,  26,  44. 

Secondary  Future. 
sg-  3  1,Q  ^.vo  6,  38,  m  b^t)  6,  46. 


Hi  INTRODUCTION. 

PARTS  II.  AND  III. 
THE  VERBAL  SYSTEM. 

Active  Voice. 

Imperative. 

sg.  2  6,b6iiA   82,  11 6.  h-6b6ii\  78,    182,  beii  98,    114,    174, 

0611115  82,  copnn  182,  186,  *oeri6,  104,  174,  *oeun6, 
186,  *oetm6,-"p6.  164,  "oen&ps  1 06,  -peicpA,  104, 
PI656111  184,  161\1\  98,  mrn-p  20,  ftntHj  82,  cAppa. 
82. 

SS'  3          Ari^t)  104,  ps^bA-oh  182,  CAbiiA*6  182. 

pi.   1  (subj.  used  as  imperative). — psgb&m  78,  ciA^Am  80. 

pi.  2  tia  1i-AbiiAi*6  150,  C6ici6p  160,  061111-51*6  154,  *oe- 
riAi*6p  152,  eiiicci6  92,  112,  e^igit)  92,  ojicci*6  112, 
pnce6LAi6  170,  5 &b 6.ro  94,  teicci6  116,  bincci*6 
166,  tritifiAi*6p  144,  ]nt;i*ob  122,  CAbji6i*6  88,  94, 
C611X16  (?)  158,  ceicchi-6  86,  98,  124,  154,  182, 
ciccto     100,     156,     182,    ri6.    coi|inie6.-pc6.i*6     170, 

U|Ab61TI 6,1*6  78. 

pi.  3         C6.b|\6,c  86,  cegui-o  154. 

Present  Indicative. 
sg.  I  A*ocnn  164,  6.-0 e jump  106,  -oobejiimp  80,  fAoilirn  no, 

SS-  2         5ufA  ccei^ip  120,  piie  112. 

sg>  3  *oobeiii  94,  6,  mb[ei|i]  80,  iia*o  caiji  I io,  *oo[*5]ni  156, 
cei*o  (rel.)  150,  ce*o  (rel.)  92. 

Relative: — beiiA-p    156,   -oion-gbA-r    128,  irmpo-p 
118. 
pi.   1  6*0616111111*0  86,  102,  6,*oe]imi*o  150,  6*oe]imi*one  106. 

pi.   2         6,-oeiici  150. 
pi.  3         ri6.c  bprotnt)  no,  pie"5|itn*o  134. 

Deponent: — sg.  I  *oo  t:e*0Aii^A   120,   168,   180;  sg.  2  dac 
bp*oii\  108. 


THE  VERBAL  SYSTEM.  liii 

Present  Subjunctive. 

s&  l         5°  ccopi&nf&,  t>a  n-j&bAn-pA  150. 
sg.  2         mun&  "oi-one  80,  mon  coinite  114. 
sg«  3         ri0'S0    cco-ot^it)    (pb)    136,    50    bpe|\T6    126,   tnutiA 
jroiniD  8o,  acu  50  m&ijAi-o  96,  50  ccuicit)  182. 

pi.   1  co  TTDion^n^tn   88,   106,  174,  50  bporm«vm    no,  no 

50  n-g&b&Tn   166,  50  ccu^-mti  78,  162. 
pi.  3         con ac  nAici^io  166,  co  n-oen^no  134. 

Secondary  Present. 

sg.  1  co  n"oenmnnnri  80. 

SS-  3  I10  n^ocAitcopoTh  138,  x)*.  n-ob.voh  182. 

pi.   I  con  f&ccrmr  116,  00  cetgnn^  116. 

pi.  3  t)A  ccUnn-oir  136. 

S-FUTURE   (AND   SUBJ.). 

sg.  2         "oa  ccir  120. 

sg-  3         5ion   50  m>eAch    116,  T)opoc   82,  ci  84,   118,   168, 

184. 
pi.  1         no^o  n  01  pom. 
pi.  3         At)^ocr/sc  104,  "oa  noicpec  78. 

Reduplicated  Future. 
Primary. 

sg.  I  (a)  ben^t)^  76,  ■omgeubA'orA  78,  98,  50  troingeubA'Of ^ 

82. 
{b)  AX)eunfA  164,  .voeun^  (?)  106,  t)oben  116,  00  beuji-p. 

IOO,   148,  ni   ce^t   166,  m   jeub    162,  pMmetit-ps 

166. 
sg.  2         no   beu-jiA    100,  00  getib^   112,  r>o   ^eb^    n8,  -oo 

5et.1b.vpA    ii2,   ■oojeubAin  72,  noc^   npn^e    no, 

no  50  n-ioc^  no. 


liv  INTRODUCTION. 

sg.  3  (a)  •oi^eolMt)  136,  ■omjeubA.i'o  100,  pnecceonuni)  (pbpi) 
122. 
(ft)  A."oeunA.    152,   •oo    -oenA    188,    m   -6ionj;nA.    150,   t)iA. 
bp-AtjApA-n  no,  axc  munA.  bpAJ;A.  no,  fUAipceobA. 
no,  ■oo  jeubA.  100,  tn  j;eubApA.n  100. 

Relative  : — bepiA.p  96,  coipeonA.p  80,  irne6piA.r  120. 

pi.  I  {a)  benrnA.oi"one  72,  ■oingeubmA.oi'one  130,  p-A.5rnA.01 one 

80. 

(b)  t)en.Mn    88,  oobepmine  70,    154,   "om^eubA-rn    130, 

-oogeubAin    78,    -oojenuirnne    118,    5eubA.n1. 

pi.  2         "oogebcA-oi  1 16, -oojeubcA.oiri  74,  m  ngeubuAOi  114, 

'gA.  bpnn^ci,  50  bpuijci  106,  122. 
P^  3         'ootjeub&'o  104,  5eubA.1t). 

Secondary . 

sg.  I  «.p  cciubnomn  160,  ni  ciubnomnp  74. 

sg.  2         rA.tceopcAoi  112. 

sg.  3         no  50  ccoipeonA-6    100,  "oojeubA-o   170,  "oo  imeopo 

76,  m  cepmobA.'o  146,  uac  cciubnA/o  76. 
pi.   1  co  n-oecniA.ir  78,   co  iToecmAoi^  1 12,  -o'a.  iTomgen- 

niA.oip  160,  m  fuigrm-p  72. 
pi.  3         "oo    [cJonoeob'OA.oir    no,    00    conoeot'OA.oip    134,    -oo 

coipeon-OAOip  104,  tja  n-oec-oAoip  114,  m  bpmg-oip 

1 14,  cono-m-^Ab-OAip  168,  00  noict)ir,  ni  ciubpuix)ip 

148,  t>'a  cciubpui-oip  190. 

B-Future. 
Primary. 

sg.  I    (a)  p-AOTope-o  no. 

(b)  nocA.    cA.nA.b-p a.    no,   cuipeA-bpA,    188,   m  tecceA-bpA. 
182,  m  ciucA.b  176. 
sg.  2         m  teiccpe  188. 


THE  VERBAL  SYSTEM.  lv 

sg.  3  (a)  be[r\y^x>  p]    136,   ct^oclo-6^1-6    120,  CL&ocloi'dp-o 

122,  C10CpM"6  74,  C1UC]T&1t>  74,  CUICpMt)  76. 

(b)  ciuc]:^  150,  cuicye  ye  82. 

Relative  : — benpsr  96,  ciocps^  84,  cuicp^]'  130. 
pi.   I  (b)  i>X)cm\\yem  154,  m  cmcjr&m  174. 

Secondary. 

sg-  3  "°o  b\\iyy&x>  120,  t>o  cl^oi-ope^-o  122,  t)o-b.Nn-poc]rAC 
78,  50  n&cye^t)  140,  in  noicj:e.sT>  144,  50  cciucpt 
136. 

pi.   I  &  cctnnpern.s[oi]'J  72,  no  1a.nnjr.Mn.N01r  72. 

pi.     3  CO  cle&cXtMT)1f   I,    l68,  "O'pilCp'Oir   I36,   CO  pi<Mt>p"01J' 

180. 

Perfect 

sg.  1          noc«s  nr&c&  104,  can^c-r^  154,  CMi&^-ra.  154. 

SS-  3  o'-oconn^ic  (o'-oconn&ic)  86,  90,  114,  180,  roconn^ic 
158,  atjcuaLa,  o'-ocu/sIa  (6  ^-ocu&La.)  76,  86,  128, 
172,  n^c  ccuat&  (pb)  74,  "oo  ceite^b«M]\  150,  t>o- 
nonc^in  78,  "oo  TTie^bb.M-6  94,  pAimc  80,  11050 
nionic  186,  c^mic,  c&imcporii  80,  6  c&inmc  74,  no 
co  cc&inrnc  78,  ni  CAinnic  92,  cmjitiic  162,  canl<s 
72,  50  cc&|\l&  136. 

pi.   1  ni  cuat&man  90,  m  -oe&CiMTi&inne  76,  m  f&c&ni&ft  76, 

pi&nam&n  164,  x)o  i&nn&Tn&nne  86,  cang&man  74. 

pi.  3  &T>con c^t>&n,  ^-oconcivo^n,  ^T>connc<yo&n  72,  80, 
84,  102,  o'-oconnc^-o^n  (equivalent  to  6  &x>- 
connc-voAtt)  174,  6'-ocu.5.L<voan  (=  6  at)cu^l^-oa|\) 
136,  ^un  bnipo-o^n  186,  "oo  c&ice-oan  98,  162,  184^ 
•00    coninuice-o&n     184,    x>o    cu^TD^n    76,    IOO,    "DO 

CU«sL<VO^n    88,  "OO    "6lubn&CVO<yp   9O,    T)Oj10j\Cn.VO.Vp 

130,  174,  "oo  uoncn^"o.Nj\  174,  concjiA-oan  130,  NO 
einjcvoan,  |\o  ejiccco&n  7/5,  92,  "oo  pen&t)&n  92, 
o'yen.yoa.|\  176,  x>o  panr-M^e-o^n  72,  100,  "oo  yo- 
bn-voan   90,  "00  pie^n&xiAn  136,  An  bp^i^-o^n  76, 


lvi  INTRODUCTION. 

•oo  5&to-<yo&"p  90,  -oo  tjAifieoAji  90,  170,  vo  ijluMpo- 
•o^-p  102,  "oo  ib[e^]"OA>n  88,  "oo  imj;e,o&ji  152,  ■oo 
inn-pcoA^  100,  tege-OAji,  x>o  lecce-o/vp  74,  118,  "oo 
te^ri^x)^,  -oo  ten/voxvp  132,  172,  186,  "oo  tuige'OA'p 
70,  co  n&njxvo&n  72,  90,  186,  -oo  f\sit>et)&p  108, 
[-po  f]cmne-OA^  86,  vo  y]\&o-\r\ev&]\  172,  -oo  -ptn-oe- 
v&\\  88,  CAn^^-o^n  70,  |\o  cionoite-o.<yp  70,  -po 
cogbxyo/vp  88,  cu^voa^,  cucc<yo&f\  72,  88. 

T-Preterite. 

sg.  I  "oo  c&i|An5e-p[t;]--p&  82. 

sg.  3  At)be]ic  78,  &T>up&i-pc   120,  i-obejic  96,  98,  128,  162 

co  n-ebeyiu,  &-pbepc  190. 

pi.     I  (00|M^CC^TT1^]\    122. 

S-Preterite. 

Sg.    I  'OOp^'OU^     I76,     I78,    fU&ftUpa.    I58,    "OO    TTlA]Abu-pA.     1 74, 

■oo  c^-pccu-p^  188,  ni  cu^up^  82. 

sg.  2  .Mi'oe^n&if  182,110511^  *6iutc&ip  188,  "oo  i&ji-p&iy  174, 

•oo  rh^-pbin-p  134.  *ooj\.<youi-p  134,  -oo  junm-p  1 60, 
be  ccAn^vM^  134. 

sg-  3  "°o  .m|acc  158,  -oo  be&nn,MJ  80,  jioben  94,  174,  186, 
-oo  bio-65  182,  "oo  cmn  146,  do  coi-pij;  94,  184,  vo 
conimAOTO  96,  ^o  coiii|\uic  138,  vo  co-pom  186,  "00 
c}\&ic  124,  142,  "oo  cpeuccnxvit  126,  ]\omc]-iecn^ij, 
■poiTic|AeuccnAi5  128,  174,  178,  no,  n&fi,  cjuoc- 
riA.15  114,  178,  -oo  cu.M'd-pen  132,  vo  ctnjvpen, 
-po[-o]cui^  132,  114,  ju]\  •oeijb^i^  138,  ni  -oe]\n^ 
70,  &  n-T>eftn&  98,  "oenvcMJ;  no,  vo  ■oicmn  172, 
■po  -oirc&.oib  140,  gun  -ombninc  126,  gun  "otinj;  96, 
gun  "ottnchij  184,  -oop-o  96,  "oo  -otnrij  138,  t)o 
e&g&in  138,  vo  einig  j6,  86,  rA^/sib,  r.&cc,6.ib 
(with  -oo,  5«n,  mn,  noc&n,  &c.)  140,  152,  162,  172, 
'oompvpn.MJ  128,  -oo,  no,  n^|\  pec  g6,  136,  138, 
144,  vo  fe\\  168,  "oo  pi&pp.M5  74,  y6,  •o'^o^Ain,  vo 


THE  VERBAL  SYSTEM.  lvii 

£ojiMn  162,  "oo  pDpc&mt&ig  174,  poppe&cc&ip  156, 
•oo  pnceoil  158,  vo  pj&g&ip  176,  pi^ip  70,  88, 
po  g^b  70,  142,  -oo  g&bp^n  174,  po  g&bp-oe  142, 
t>o  ge^tl  100,  gup  geip  142,  -oo  gl^c  86,  -oo  gper 
90,  po  1^-6  86,  138,  180,  vo  irnbip  128,  gup 
lomyoiccpg  184,  "oo  lomtu^ni)  108,  t)o  ionn&pb  96, 
■00  ionnpoig  94,  t)o  tep&igh  190,  -oo,  no  bncc  124, 
132,  potmgpen  136,  -oo  lion  132,  no  Iumx)  162, 
■oo  mitt  70,  -oo,  gup  muig  96,  144,  180,  184,  186, 
po  op-oio gpum  72,  po  p^m  188,  "oo  pei"6igh  94, 
180,  "oo  pmne,  pm-oe  80,  158,  182,  vo  pug,  puce 
96,  158,  po-p-put&"6  (popput^)  176,  po  pc&oit  140, 
-pcmj  (?)  116,  no  pcpech  96,  142,  vo  pg^p  82,  n&jt 
p&oit  148,  -oo  p]\  176,  no-ofoic  (po  +  t)  +  poic)  130, 
■oo  -ptn-6  72,  84,  vo  c<vipben  106,  158,  mn  c^ppoog- 
•pen  136,  gup  c^ppumg  126,  |\o,  -oo  coccuib  92, 
124,  136,  140,  cug,  cucc  80,  94,  184,  -oo  cuic  88, 
180,  186,  -oo  cu&ipcc  130,  132. 
Absolute: — pep.Mp  104,  ob^ip  116,  c&ippngep  132. 
Deponent: — gup  ben^[pc<Mp]  114,  j\o  pepup[csi]p  140, 
po  g&bupc«Mp,  t)o  g^bup-OAip,  po  g-Nbupcjop  70, 
86,  124,  -00  teigepc*Mp  138,  po  lionupc<Mn  76,  vo 
rcAoiie-poAi|A  86,  gupptt&[p]-o&ip  142,  cugupcMp, 
cucupccop,  cuccupc&ip  86,  114,  138,  188. 
pi.   1  50  mbpipom   92,  vo  cuippiom,  *oo  cuippem  98,   148, 

vo  Trnttpom  146. 
Deponent: — im&p  cuippem&p   144,  "oo  jrenr&m&n   178,  vo 
Trnttpom&p  146,  "oo  rhupp&m^p  146. 
pi.  3         no  benp.vo  92,  "oo  benp&c  132,  gup  bpipoc  92,  gup 
buAinenpioc  92,  |\o  c&icp&c   150,  mn  coriim^oit)- 
poc  88,  vo  coiTiptncpoc  96,  -oo  cpomp&c  132,  gup 
cinppoc    92,    184,    po    -oi[ce^nn]p^T)     130,    gup 
tncuippoc  92,  pornj:Agp.<yo   174,  popepp^u  106,  -oo 
g^bp.vo,  vo  g^bposc    164,    170,   174,    184,  no  gup 
gi^ttp^c  152,  gup  pogonp^c  170,  -oo,  gup  leccpet) 
e 


lviii  INTRODUCTION. 

88,  94,  oo  ni&nbp&o  92,-00  tnucpA-D  92,  do  n/vopAD 
134,  do  nonr&c  90,  104,  144,  178,  -oo  nt^r&c  92, 
164,  •oo  f&icpoo,  -oo  p&.icpioc  72,  172,00  peotrAO 
166,  do  piA.iopioc  132,  no  c^ntn^poc  142,  do 
cionoitpioo  160,  cu^p^o,  cu^pAr  138,  188,  cucc- 
r&o,  cuccp&c,  ni  cucpAD  92,  94,  154. 
Deponent: — 00  iii&]\bp.&t:&pi  174,  mon  iiiocui5pioD,&.n  182, 
o'&n  CA,tlpx\CAp\  174. 

Passive  Voice. 
Imperative. 

sg.  3          .M-pgcejA  182,  Denc&pi  182,  ^oipcepi  156,  loipccen  90, 

oitxen  158. 
pi.  3  (syntact.)  cen^xstc&pi   120,   coinijjcen   118,  cuince&pi  72, 

•0enc6.p1  122, -pnicoitcep  82,  pci^irioAingnicepi  1 18, 

ptiopc&n  118,  uUlnn^cen  118. 

Present  Indicative. 

sg.  3  inne^poAin  78,  ^ipiinocen  94,  pup&n  .kb&nc&n  168, 
nip&  n^icen  168,  te^ce&n  122. 

Subjunctive  Present. 

sg.  3  con&c  rmltcen  144,  50  rnben&n  120,  co  noenc&n  70, 
(o&,  50)  bp&g&n  72,  no. 

Secondary  Present. 

sg-  3          ^c  mun&  ccujc^  ico. 

Perfect. 

sg.  3  00  Aipcce&o  144,  do  ^ucuin^e^o  112,  no  beriA-o 
178,  &\\  cmneo  160,  do  clop  150,  160,  no,  oo 
coinje&o  78,  178,  oo  coni^iptige^D  150,  oo  corii- 
mop^D  74,  76,  do  cu^p  74,  cs]\  &n  cum^e^o  114, 
do  ctnne&o  84,  do  DMte&D  108,  &  noenn&o  160, 
no  oici^eo  138,  561150  noubn&o  114,  do  h-e5p<y6 


THE  VERBAL  SYSTEM.  Hx 

138,-00  pefAAX)  100,  ]\o  p-§ex)h  140,  "oo  jtoIttiui  je<vd 
106  x)0  y]\e&yx>t&X)  160,  X)o  piexvpcl&'o  74,  -oo 
p^iceoL&T)  74  160, -oo  p-n^^eAX)  190,  -po,-oo  ^a-b^vo 
94,  156,  -oo  joi-pe&b  156,  -oo  h-imt)e|\5^-6  {impers.) 
128,  t>o  h-in"0]\^"6  144,  tdo  h-mri-pet)  182,  -oo 
teicce^-6  132,  186,  vo  toirce^b  180,  t>o,  juja 
m,&jtb«y6  186,  190,  n i of \  mocui^he^-o  188,  r»o 
Tnu^A-o  144,  ]\o  n&ijxe.vo  74,  x>o  h-oile^-6  74,  158, 
*oo  |unne.<v6  134,  x>o  jton^-o  118,  150,  gup  pi&oi- 
ne&'o  90,  tio  ruixnje^b  164,  vo  cogbxvo  166,  184, 
cucc^-o  74,  j6. 

Imperfect. 
sg  .3.         X)o[5]mchi  164. 

Reduplicated  Future. 
Primary. 
sg.  3         be|\CA|\  74,  ,oo[5e]bc&|\  156,  -oojenc&fA  78,  136. 

Secondary. 
sg-  3         T>obeuj\c&  164. 

B-Future. 

sg.  3  cAripjibe^  136,  m&]\bf\Mce]\  74,  rmlpce|\  74,  mui]A- 

■p*6en  74,  munpMcej\  76,  z&]\y^te}\  j6. 
pi.  3         ben^Mbce^  136,  pj\p-6ej\  70. 
Participle  of  Necessity  : — -oenc&  120. 

Verbal  Noun  (Infinitive). 

AgA-lt^Tri  150,  ^inp-oTo  84,  -N^ccum  154,  ^ine^ 
(■Mtme&f,  .Mjne&]-)  156,  At>mol&.'6  176,  '5^^ 
mb]\^c  146,  -o'a  b-pec  82,  -oo  biu-pe^"©  88, 
b-putrinonuj^-o  140,  -oo  c-Mceni  78,  c^cugh^-o 
182,  no  ceiiu  148,  coiiiiet)  170,  &5^  ccoim- 
frecerii  96,  t>o  con^bAit  88,  -oo  co-pu^h^'d  80, 
corn&Tri     80,     cocuj^-6     138,     cpeuccnu5.y6     98, 


lx  INTRODUCTION. 

cjioTn&*6  136,  cjiocnu^A-o  114,  t>o  cpu&i'ole'O'p&'o 
178,  cuA-pcuj&t)  140,  &5  •oMn^niu^^'o  78,  r>o 
•oeriAm  188,  tje^t&ps-o  118,  ^5  -oicuja  148,  t)'& 
n-*oiojintc  176,  -00  •oion^OAit  100,  'oiciutj&'o  152, 
"oiub^&jj/vo  i36,"out  164,  ecc&ome  176,  &ja  n-e|icce 
182,  ^5  e|xe^cc  86,  •o'p&'gbAi'l  182,  a  0}:.6.icpn 
132,  'o'^ejicuin  146,  -peuc^-o  138,  ]:e4>cWinc  98, 
p^e  140,  -o'pof  168,  -oi&  ^o^tomi  118,  fo^n^iTi  74, 
A5  fO|ACOiiiiex)  152,  froj\j\&c  138,  142,  "o'&  bppep- 
coXxvo  82,  uV  bffuc&ile,<y6  82,  pnpe&c  152,  "oo 
5&t)Ait  78,  5um  136,  tm&'Hja.m'o  72,  lorngAOAt^ 
140,  icmn&jA'b&'o  160,  innipn  70,  d'i  on  ripen  51  "6  70, 
&]\  LtsY&T)  86,  -oo  Le^-puj/yo  80,  tei5e<yp98,  Lorc<y6 
178,  A]i  n-&  Ui&icbriire.<y6  88,  &g  rn,<ypb.<y6  86,  "oo 
tArmi&rvb&.'o  88,  mitXe^vo  70,  "oo  rh  u  t>  hu  5  <vo  178, 
Am'  oinciLl/pi  152,  61  84,  ■o'oji'oti^&'o  80,  onncc&in 
158,  "oo  ]\&i)  162,  r>i&r>uj,<y6  154,  t>V  ruoj&i>  188, 
■pic  158,  r\occ&in  y6,  r-er&m  88,  r-Lu&g&'o  130, 
c/sb^ipc  j6,  &g  ceccupc  72,  ^5  uo[ca-i]ciotti  ^6, 
cocc  188,  166,  A5  uoj-mL  148,  C050&1L  178, 
ctnom  88. 


THE  SUBSTANTIVE  VERB. 
Accented  Forms. 


Imperative. 

pi. 

2 

bicln  164. 

Present  Indicative. 
(a)  -tail. 

sg- 

I 

CAimp  162. 

sg. 

3 

ACA,  in&"OCA   122. 

pi. 

3 

ACATO    l80. 

THE  VERBAL  SYSTEM.  lxi 

(6)  Bin. 
sg.  3         rriA-p  bit)  88. 
pi.  3         bit)  (&5&  mbi-o)  74. 

(c)  Fil. 

sg-  3         P31^  (abs.  in  poetry)  180,  noc&  nftnl  118,  162. 
pi.  1         ptmit)  (abs.  in  poetry)  166. 
pi.  3         50  bpntiT)  170. 

Preterite. 
{a)  With  ro-  (do-). 

sg.  2         "oo  bxvo&ir"  160. 

sg.  3         |ioboi^en  70,  -po  b^oi  78,  }\o  b&oifen  138,  no  bui-pum 
106,  "do  b^oipoTii    136,  r»o  bi  70,  je  "oobi  84,  t)o 
bifen  86,  T>obi,  passim. 
Enclitic  : — &  -p&ibe, /dxrzVw. 

pi.  3         -oobvyoAji  72,  80,  184. 

(b)  Without  ro-  (do-), 
sg.  3         ben  142. 
pi.  3         b^yo&ri  84. 

Future. 

sg.  1         bi&"o  84,  betrops  no. 
sg.  2         a  Tn-biA.--pu  84. 
sg.  3  (a)  bi&it>  76. 

(b)  m  bi<s  148. 
Relative  : — bi^sf  82,  106. 
pi.   1         berm-o  106. 
pi.  3         m  biM-o  98. 

Secondary  Future  (Coxditioxal).       t 
sg.  2         t)o  beceA.  104. 
SS-  3         "°°  bi&*6  86,  x>o  bio"6  156. 
pi.   I  triune  mbeicmi^  76. 

pi.  3         be-oir-  HO,  x>\&  mbe-oif  114. 


lxii  INTRODUCTION. 

Subjunctive. 
Present. 

sg*  3         510t1  5°  ™beic  74,  ™un&  beic  (be)  144. 
pi.   1  bem  (&n  ccem  bem)  130. 

pi.  3  50  mbex)  88. 

Past. 

SS-  3  t10  5°  ™bec  116,  51011  50  mbec  76,  acc  munA  bee 
150. 

Infinitive, 
•do  beic,  -do  bee  no,  164. 

The  Copula. 

Indicative. 
[Present. 

sg-  3  lf>  Af>  con^*6]i90,  "OA-n'  ('o&n&t))  162,  m&p  150. 

Subjunctive. 
Present. 

SS*  3  gujA&b  80,  172,  gujvpob  112,  nA-p^b  112,  -pob'  174, 
rc\&x>  riOO,  comAt)  170,  ■o&tiiAt)  100,  118,  gemxyd 
104,  50m  &T)  164. 

Past. 
sg«  3  ■OAtnA'6  70,  50  rnA'6  86,  142,  b.6/6  84,  rnun'  bit)  74. 

Preterite, 
{a)  With  ro-  (do-), 
sg.  2         ■jiob'p&'o  162. 

sg.  3  fiob^  I025  "oobu  96,  -oobo  146,  t)ob^  (+  vowel)  96, 
■o&jVbo  (+  vowel)  70,  5«-|\b  (+  vowel)  78,  nio]\b 
(+  vowel)  126,  150,  -oob  (+  vowel)  164,  n^-p  (+  con- 
sonant) 158,  no  5uj\bo  96,  114,  144. 


THE  VERBAL  SYSTEM.  lxiii 

{b)  Without  ro-  (do-)- 
sg.  3         bu  108,  b&  84. 

Future. 

sg.  3  but)  182. 

Relative: — buy  70,  118. 

Secondary  Future. 
sg.  3         ]\o  b<vo  76,  -oo  b<vo  96,  124,  -oo  but),  bu  100. 

Passive  Voice. 

Present. 
sg.  3  acac^ji  178. 

Preterite. 
sg.  3         t»o  b&f  172,  j\o  bA-p  70,  76. 


MANUSCRIPT  PAGINATION. 


[The  first  word  on  MS.  page  is  quoted  from  Printed  Text.] 


MS. 

Printed  Text. 

MS. 

Printed  Text. 

Page. 

Page. 

Line. 

Page. 

Page. 

Line. 

2 

4 

5 ACA1JU 

22 

104 

31 — mocen. 

32 

6 

24 UAin. 

23 

I  IO 

12—50. 

4 

10 

31 '001110. 

24 

Il6 

4—51011. 

5 

16 

8 — cuAin. 

25 

I20 

2  (from  end ofpage)- 

6 

20 

19 — 111  f\ij;e. 

ACACAOIfl. 

7 

26 

14 — li-OTOce. 

26 

126 

23 — 1MA. 

8 

32 

2-1- 

27 

132 

19— 1- 

9 

36 

20 — coiiicoihmoj\A'6. 

28 

138 

11 — lonctAip. 

IO 

42 

4— rjel. 

29 

142 

2 1  — T>0. 

ir 

46 

26 — iiac. 

30 

148 

13— biAf. 

12 

52 

6-1- 

31 

152 

22 — jacIi. 

13 

56 

25— niAicer'A. 

32 

158 

7 — Ann. 

14 

62 

11 — mepcceAc 

33 

162 

Last  line — mACAoni. 

I53 

70 

1-R15. 

34 

168 

12--,. 

16 

72 

17 — -peAmpA. 

35 

172 

2  (from  end  of  page)— 

17 

78 

10 — lomcufA. 

f6n. 

18 

84 

15— bA. 

36 

178 

27 — coinigeAt). 

19 

90 

6—50. 

37 

184 

13 — a  meinge'ohA. 

20 

94 

25 COIlgAlt. 

38 

188 

16 — 1omcur"A. 

21 

100 

10 — C011  jaI. 

1  In  this  Table  a  comparison  is  given  of  the  pagination  of  the  MS.  with  that 
of  the  Printed  Text. 

2  Page  2  of  MS.  ends  with  the  following  words  : — «Air\  m  mir*oe  r\e  ni  j  ©inionn  a 
•oeAnAtii  •OAOib  7  x>o  bA.  A  gap  then  intervenes  between  p.  2  and  p.  3.  P.  3  begins 
with  the  words  UAin  m  b&x>  rmr"oe  le  nij  ©nen-o.  We  have  here  evidently  a  case 
of  homoiotelenton,  the  scribe  passing  from  the  phrase  on  p.  2  to  the  similar  <  ne  on 
p.  3,  omitting  the  intervening  portion. 

3  The  lower  half  of  p.  15  is  a  blank  in  MS.  The  writing  on  the  page  ends  with 
the  word  AT>concAt>An.  The  scribe  then  skipped  half  a  page,  and  begins  p.  16  with 
the  word  neAinpA.  This  is  clearly  a  case  of  ho?noioteleuton.  The  passage  on  p.  15 
ran  A'oconncA'OAn  ueAmpA,  and  that  on  p.  16  began  at)cohca,oa|\  neAmpA.  The 
scribe,  interrupted  probably  in  transcribing,  returned,  and  skipped  from  the  peAtnpa 
of  the  first  at)coiiiicat)A|a  to  that  of  the  second  one.  The  omission  of  the  intervening 
passage  explains  the  abrupt  transition  from  par.  xxvill.  to  par.  xxix. 


SYNOPSIS  OF  CAitnemi. 


PART   I. 
Par. 

I.     The  tyranny  of  the  double  kingship. 
II.     The  Council  of  the  Ultonians. 

III.  The  advice  of  Fachtna. 

IV.  The  journey  to  Tara. 

V.     Fionnabair,  daughter  of  Lughaidh  Luaighne,  King  of  Ireland. 
VI.     The  Lovers'  Cup. 
VII.     Fachtna' s  speech. 

VIII.     The  meeting  of  Fionnabair  and  her  father  at  the  Heroes'  Well  on 
the  Hill  of  Tara. 
IX.     The  decision  of  the  King  of  Tara. 
X.     The  revolt  of  Conghal  (Connall). 
XI.     The  bandiug  of  the  disaffected. 
XII.     The  slaying  of  Criomhtharm  (Criffan),  son  of  Lughaidh  Luaighne 
(Lewy  Luney). 

XIII.  Conghal's  journey  into  Ulster. 

XIV.  Xews  of  Criomhthann's  death  reaches  Tara.      The   nuptials   of 

Fergus  mac  Leide  (Lay the)  and  Fionnabair. 
XV.     Fergus  mac  Leide  returns  to  Emain  Macha.     Quarrel  of  Fergus 

mac  Leide  and  Fergus  mac  Rosa. 
XVI.     Banding  of  Fergus  mac  Rosa  and  Conghal. 
XVII.     Conghal's  vision. 
XVIII.     Fachtna's  prophecy. 
XIX.     Fachtna  dissuades    Conghal   from   attacking    Ulster.      Conghal's 

message  to  Emain  Macha. 
XX.     The  messengers  return  to  Conghal. 
XXI.     Conghal  takes  the  advice  of  his  tutor  Fionntan. 
XXII.     The  attack  on  Dun  da  Beann  (Mount  Sandel.  near  Coleraine),  the 
fortress  of  ZSTiall  Xiamhglonnach  (Xeeve-grunux)>  by  Fergus  mac 
Rosa. 

XXIII.  The  death  of  Craobh,  wife  of  Niall  Xiamhglonnach. 

XXIV.  Xiall's  arrival  at  Dun  da  Beann  from  Emain. 

XXV.     Fergus  mac  Rosa  and  Conghal  join  again.     The  Battle  of  Aonach 

Tuaighe  (Ayniix  Thu-ee). 
XXVI.     Death  of  Xiall  Xiamhglonnach. 
XXVII.     Conghal  decides  to  cross  the  sea. 

f 


lxvi 


SYNOPSIS  OF  CMUTieim. 


Par. 
XXVIII. 

XXIX. 

XXX. 

XXXI. 

XXXII. 

XXXIII. 
XXXIV. 
XXXV. 
XXXVI- 
XXXVII. 
XXXVIII. 
XXXIX. 


PART  II. 

The  story  of  Nabgodon,  King  of  Uardha  (Ur-a).     His  expedition 

to  Ireland. 
Taise  Taoibhgeal,  daughter  of  King  Donn  (or  Rigdonn). 
The  return  of  the  embassy  to  Nabgodon.     Nabgodon's  decision. 
Conghal  decides  to  visit  King  Donn. 
King  Donn  seeks  Conghal' s  aid  against  Nabgodon.     Conghal  joins 

King  Donn. 
The  Hostel  on  the  Island  of  Rathlin. 
Nabgodon's  descent  on  Rathlin. 
The  defence  of  Fergus  mac  Rosa. 

J  The  attack  on  the  Hostel. 

The  combat  of  Conghal  with  Nabgodon.     Death  of  Nabgodon. 
The  embassy  from  Conghal  to  Fergus  mac  Leide  at  Emain  Macha. 
The  return  of  the  embassy.     Dun  Taise. 


XL. 

XLI. 

XLII. 

XLIII- 

XLV. 

XL  VI. 

XL  VII. 

XL  VIII- 
LV. 

LVI. 
LVII- 
LVIII. 

LIX. 

LX. 
LXI. 


PART   III. 

The  expedition  over  sea  to  Lochlann.  The  description  of  Loch- 
lann. 

The  reception  of  Conghal  at  Eassuidhe. 

The  feast  in  the  King  of  Lochlann' s  house. 

The  demands  of  a  dowry  by  Beiuda,  daughter  of  King  Amlaff. 
Conghal  passes  the  winter  with  Amlaff. 

The  journey  of  Conghal  to  Cathair  Muirne  (the  fortress  of  Muirn). 
The  Mountain  of  Fire. 

Cathair  Muirne. 

The  Contests  : — (a)  The  Chain-feat ;  (b)  The  Cupbearer  ;  (c)  The 
three  sons  of  Saighead  ;  (d)  The  wolves  (oncom)  ;  (e)  The  magic 
birds  of  Saighead  ;  (_/)  The  battle  with  Cearb,  Miscenmas,  and 
the  host  of  the  cathair.     Muirn  is  slain  by  Conghal. 

Conghal  returns  to  Lochlann. 

.  Conghal  leaves  Lochlann.     Journey  to  the  Isles  and  to  Britain. 

Arthur,  King  of  the  Britons,  seeks  Conghal's  aid  against  Torna 

mac  Tinne,  King  of  the  Saxons. 
Conghal  makes  a  treaty  with  Torna. 
The  episode  of  Art  Aoinfhear  (Ayn-ar),  the  reputed  son  of  Torna. 

The  story  of  Arthur,  King  of  the  Saxons,  and  his  son,  Art 

Aoinfhear. 


SYNOPSIS  OF  CMtnemi.  Ixvii 

Par. 

LXII.     The  three  sons  of  the  hosteller. 
LXIII.     The  King  of  the  Saxons  and  Conghal  feast  in  the  house  of  the 

King  of  the  Britons.     Arthur  discovers  that  Art  Aoinfhear  is 

his  son. 
LXIV.     Conghal  sails  for  Ireland. 

LXV-  \  The  fight  at  the  hostel  of  Boirche.     Death  of  the  three  Dubhs, 
LXVII.  J      Anadhal,  and  Torna  mac  Tinne. 
LXVIII.     Battle  between   the  armies  of  Conghal  and  Fergus   mac  Leide. 

Defeat  and  escape  of  Fergus. 
LXIX.     Conghal  marches  on  Tara,  and  challenges  Lughaidh  Luaighne. 
LXX.     The  battle  between  the  armies  of  Conghal  and  Lughaidh  Luaighne. 
LXXI.     Conghal  slays  Lughaidh   Luaighne,   and  is  proclaimed    King  of 

Ireland. 
LXXII.     Conghal  and  Fergus  mac  Leide  are  reconciled. 


1]-  •ooncA'6  -plAicefA  pin   .1.  ftije  •oo'n  cpo^A-p  neinie  An 
cpinnpon. 

'  That   is   a   kingdom's   ruin,   to   give   a    kingdom    to   the 
younger  above  the  elder.' 

CAicj\eim   ConJAil,   p.  24. 


ccntReim  coNgail  cLdiRiNSNig. 

THE    MARTIAL    CAREER    OF    CONGHAL 
CLAIRINGHNEACH. 


ccnupeim  consqiL  cldirciNSNig, 


An  ceAt)  ctux). 


II15  no  JAbupcAin  Ttige  n-Cinionn  -OAnbo  coriiAmm  LujhAib 
LuAijjne  itiac  lonnA-oiriAin  tine  Hia  SeAbmum  -oo  clomn 
eirmn  pnn  true  fflitro,  7  6  -oo  JAbp-oem  jeill  7  cewinc^  7 
ctteAbAineeinionnT>o  conAi^nioJA  aji  coige-oliAib  An-eipmn 
|Ae  a  Aitnpn  .1.  cuccufCMji  nijje  bA  coijjeAb  TTIutriAn  t)o 
"OeAjhAib  rriAc  Sin,  7  A-p  Aige  -oo  bi  An  clAnn  oinbeinc  .1. 
xt  tyiac  Atiiuit  ApoeAnc  An  pte  : 

"Oeic  rrnc  pciot)  A5  "OeAgnAiT) 
t)o  cloinn  aj*  peAnn  V°  "oeAJAiL 
1r  rmc  eit,e  Ain  AnuAr, 
ComtAnn  cao^at)  An  coiiicntiAr. 

7  ConjiAC  CAr  a  nijje  C0151X)  ConnAcc,  Anc  niAC  Sciobmumn 
a  nije  t/Aijion  ;  7  "oo  nijjne  Lu^ViAib  "LuAijne  AnytAic  mon 
p^n  OttcAib  Ann  pn  .1.  no  onpotnj;  t)*.  ni£  pDnnA(i°)  7  Ar 
e  cet>ni5  "oo  jno^ViAib  6inionn  -oo  onn"oui5  "6a  nij  p3]i 
OttcAib  AniAtii  e;  iiAin  cugurcAin  An  teAc  cuAip^eAncAc 
•o'tH-tcAib  "oo  ConJAt  CtAinmjneAC  ttiac  llubntnbe  .1.  6 
ITIuttAt)  50  bemn  rn-boince,  7  cuccuprAin  An  teAc  -oeip- 
^eA|\CAC  ^'"PeAjigUf  rriAC  LeToe  .1.  6  OAnnA  50  T)nobAoip 
bA  h-otc  c|\ac  "oo  bAtDAn  "UIai-o  ne  fuje  An  -oa  ni£  pn,  6i]\ 
bA  -ptA-OAC  pnnoc,  pintnjceAc,  yobAncAc,  pDijieignioc  -oo 
bAOAn,  7  t>o  bi  c&c  bib  Ag  cunnniuJAb  a  nuAyolA  7  a 
feAnyot-A   bA  ceile. 

(1°)  MS.,  fonncA. 


THE    MARTIAL    CAREER    OF    CONGHAL 
CLAIRINGHNEACH. 

PART  I. 


I. 

THE  kingdom  of  Ireland  was  ruled  by  a  king  whose 
name  was  Lughaidh  Luaighne,  the  son  of  Ionnadmhar,  the 
son  of  Nia  Seadhmuin  of  the  tribe  of  Eimir  Finn,  the  son 
of  Milesius ;  and  on  his  receiving  the  hostages  and  the  bonds 
and  the  sureties  of  Ireland,  he  placed  kings  over  the  provinces 
of  Ireland  during  his  time  ;  he  gave  the  kingship  of  the  two 
provinces  of  Munster  to  Deaghaidh  mac  Sin,  whose  progeny 
was  remarkable,  i.e.  forty  sons,  as  the  poet  tells  : 

Thirty  sons  had  Deaghaidh 

The  best  of  children, 

And  other  sons  thereafter, 

Equal  to  the  warring  of  fifty  were  they  in  braver}-.1 

And  to  Conrach  cas  he  gave  the  kingship  of  the  province  of 
Connaught,  and  that  of  Leinster  to  Art  mac  Sciolmuin. 
Then  Lughaidh  Luaighne  wrought  a  great  tyranny  on  the 
Ultonians,  viz.,  he  placed  two  kings  over  them,  being  the  first 
king  of  Ireland  ever  to  place  two  kings  over  them  ;  for  he 
bestowed  the  northern  half  of  Ulster  on  Conghal  Clairingh- 
neach,  the  son  of  Rury,  i.e.  from  Mulladh  to  Beanna  Boirce, 
and  the  southern  half  he  bestowed  on  Feargus  mac  Leide, 
i.e.  from  the  Bann  to  the  Drowes.  In  ill  plight,  however, 
were  the  Ultonians  during  the  reign  of  those  two  kings,  for 
they  were  robbed,  violated,  attacked,  and  oppressed,  and  each 
of  them  was  mindful  of  his  former  and  present  distress.1 

1  a  flUAfol^  7  a  renvois:  cf.  F.  M.  1574:  a|\  ffer\cc  7  ar\  ffol^,  A.D.  1568; 
Stokes,  "Togail  Troi,"  s.  v.  an-fola. 

B  2 


cAiunenn  congAit  ctAitnn$ni§, 


II. 

T>o  nonA-o  coriiAinte  aj  niAicib  UtAt)  7  ctAnnA[ib] 
Rujrtn'oe  tnte  a  n-&Anitnn  Trrin-Attunn  TTIaca  a  bfeugrntur 
An  da  nij  pn,  7  A-p  iatj  ro  nA  rriAice  CAimc  ,6-nn  .1.  "pAccnA 
"PAchAto  rnAC  florA  nuAi"6  true  ftujntn'oe,  7  threACAin  ACAin 
OeAtccAin,  7  Airhenjm  ACAin  Contntt  CeAnnAig,  7  TliAtt 
T)iatti jtonnAC  rnAC  TtorA,  7  CAnbnAec  tnw  "Lui^oioch  ACAin 
Ojncne,  7  l/UghA-TO  p3in.  "  Ar  otc  -oumn  atti,"  An  pAT>, 
"  An  nije  -po  t>o  on|\t)ui5  R.15  (Binionn  ontnnn."  "  Tl&c  bpxnn 
pbp,  a  ponA,"  bAn  "pAccnA  pionn  pte,  "gunAb  "oo  rintteA'd 
bun  ccoip-op  cuguprAin  nij  eirionn  An  u-AnptAiciop-ro 
yontnfo  oin  ?  ni  meApo.  bun  rioj-oArhnA  ionAiT>  niojj'OArrinA 
ChneAnn  An  ceAti&."  " 'Oob&AnrA  coriiAinte  t>Aoibp,  a 
ponA,"  b^n  CAnbnAec  niisc  Ltn^-oioch.  "  Ca  corriAinte  pn 
Ate?"  bAn  iAT)rAn.  '"OeAncAn  corhpnneA-o  rlei-oe  moine 
A^Aibre  irAn  AnxibAite  oineA[5]bA-rA  .1.  a  n-6-Arhum  Agur 
bici  tube  aj  cungnAiii  7  a$  cotinnopt)  nA  ptenbe  pn,  7  An 
cAn  bur  unntArh  An  pteA"6  CAbAncAn  UtAit)  uite  urn  An 
•oa  nij  aca  p)nnA(i°)  "oo  cocAiciorh  ti&  pteibe,  7  6  beit>  UIai-o 
mte  Ann  ^AbcAn  tibp  An  *oa  nij  pn  7  niAnbcAn  A^Aib  iat>, 
7  iAn  pn  cAbAncAn  Rije  An  coi^ro  "o'einj-eAn  AgAib  Ar  a 
1i-Aicte,  7  copi6it>  nige  n-(3inionn  t)AOib  p§m  AtriAit  bA  jjuac 
bb  AniAtTi  noirhe."  Ar  1  pn  corhAinte  An  a|\  cmnpo-o  rtiAice 
UIax),  7  "oo  nmneA-o  An  pteA*6  rhon  pn  aca  no  gunb  untAth  t 
nAC  nAibe  inneApbAit)  ionA  p^Accmuir  acc  iotAn  rtuAij;  7 
roclinAToe  -o'^AJAit  "o'a  cocAicporh,  7  Ar  iat)  pn  -oob'uppo. 
•o'^AJAit  Ann. 

*Oo  cionot<voAn  "ULait)  tnte  uni  An  -oa  nij  pn  x>o  bAOAn 
ronnA  50  h-CAiiunn  ITIaca.  T)o  h-eApiAb  7  t>o  1i-u]\tuAq\At> 
nivceAc  nA  [1i-]GAtiinA,  7  *oo  t)eip5"otin  An  t)A  ni^  pn   An 

(1°)  MS.,  ro|\|\CA.  The  c  appears  in  Early  Middle  Irish,  spreading  through 
forms  like  erre,  ei-oe,  O.  lr.  eyyc. 


CONGHAL   CLAIRINGHNEACH.  5 

II. 

A  council1  was  held  by  the  Ultonian  chiefs  and  the  Claim 
Rury  in  the  fair  and  beautiful  Eamhain  Macha  when  the 
kings  were  absent.  The  following  chiefs  came  there : — 
Fachtna  Fathaidh,  son  of  Ross  Ruadh  son  of  Rury,  and 
Uitheachair,  father  of  Cealtchar,  and  Aimergin,  father  of 
Conall  Cearnach,  and  Niall  Xiamhghlonnach,  son  of  Ross, 
and  Carbre  mac  Luighdhioch,  father  of  Bricne,  and  Lughaidh 
himself.  "  111,  indeed,  for  us,"  said  they,  "  is  this  sovereignty 
the  king  of  Ireland  has  imposed  on  us."  "  Do  you  not  know, 
O  men,"  says  Fachtna  Fionn  File,  "  that  'tis  to  ruin  your 
province  the  king  of  Ireland  imposed  this  tyranny  on  you  ? 
for  your  royal-stock  is  not  inferior  to  that  of  the  rest  of 
Ireland."  "  I  shall  give  you  an  advice,  O  men,"  says  Car- 
bhre  mac  Luighdhioch.  "What  is  that  advice?"  say  they. 
"  Prepare  a  great  feast  in  this  noble  and  chief  residence  of 
Eamhain,  and  let  all  prepare  and  get  ready  that  feast.  When 
'tis  ready,  let  all  the  Ultonians  gather  round  the  two  kings 
who  are  over  them,  in  order  to  partake  of  the  feast ;  and  when 
the  Ulstermen  are  all  present,  do  you  seize  those  two  kings, 
slay  them,  and  give  the  rule  of  the  province,  thereafter,  to 
one  of  yourselves,  and  maintain  the  kingship  of  Ireland  for 
yourselves,  as  was  your  wont  ever  up  to  that."  The  chiefs  of 
Ulster  decided  to  take  that  advice  ;  and  they  were  preparing 
the  feast  till  it  was  ready,  and  till  nought  was  wanting  to  it 
save  to  procure  a  great  host  and  multitude  to  consume  it ;  and 
these  latter  'twas  easy  to  procure. 

All  the  Ulstermen  gathered  at  Eamhain  Macha  round  the 
two  kings  who  were  over  them.  The  royal  house  of  Eamhain 
was  strewn  anew  and  fresh  rushes  laid  down  ;  and  the  two 

1  The  constitutional  method  of  settling  disputes  in  ancient  Ireland  is  admirably 
illustrated  in  this  council  of  the  Ulster  chiefs,  and  in  their  carrying  their  disputes 
before  the  final  court  of  appeal  at  Tara. 


6  cAiuneim  con$Ait  cLAimn$ni§. 

cotbA-oliAib  curh-OAC  ^Lmia  An  nje,  7  -oo  bAOAn  tucc  An 
co^uin  7  An  tnionum  An  p5"o  yo  leic,  oin  *oo  h-ontmitjeAT) 
leorAn  tucc  a  n-ungAbAtA  7  a  niAnbcA  ■o'AnnA'OAib  UIa'o, 

7  An  coipt)  fo  reAc  ;  7  "oo  cuaIa  pAccriA  ponn  pte  (.1. 
oIIatti  An  06151-6)  pn,  7  bA  tioitig  teir  An  pon"6icitij;A-6 
pon^Aite  100  jrobnA-oAn  ctAnnA  Tln-onAige,  7  -oo  einig  mA 
feAfAih  7  t)o  einjeA-OAn  eiccp(i°)  UIa-o  tnte,  7  -oo  teicc 
^ACcnA  pn  [te]  nA  h-ei^pb  co  n-'oeipg'OAn  iT)in  An  t)A  J115 
pn  -o'a  ccAoiimA  7  "o'a  ccoirneo  A-p  An  b^eittpn  ;  7  CAn5At)An 
tuchc  nA  pongAite  iaj\  pn  Art)eAc(2°)  7  m  £eAT)A,oAn  cit) 
t>o  t)enT)Aoir  6  t>o  concAt)An  nA  pteA'OA  7  nA  h-ottArhum 
A5  a  n-AnACAtt  oin  bA  t)oitij  teo  nA  h-ottAiiium  x>o 
fAnu^riAt)  ;  7  CAn5AT)An  cjaoca  iomt)A  ecrAiritA  '610b,  7 
t)o  ptbiopoAin  Con^Ab  fonnA  Ann  pn,  7  6  t)o  ACAin  (30)  nA 
b-iotcnocA  CAimc  *6iob  *oo  pnuAin  junAb  t>o  t>eAnAiii  tntc 
nm  'nA  n-oir  no  ne  ceAccAn  "610b  cAngA-OAn.  T)o  teig  te 
"PAchcnA  ponn  pie  An  bAnAirmit  pn,  "  Ar  pon  "otncp  pn, 
a  Ain"onij,"  bAn  "PAchcnA  ponn  pie,  "  oin  -oo  cnioccnAioAn 
"UttcAi-6  tnte  pbp  '00  iria-nbA-o  cnebun  n-ecconAibj?ein  7  cne 
AnytAicior  nij  (§inionn  fonnA,  7  An  a  rhe-o  t>o  rmtteAt)  An 
coi^eAt)  eA*onuib."  "  Gccoin  6A0ibp  pn,  Atii,"  bAn  ConJAt, 
"  reAtt  no  pon^Aite  *oo  -oeAnAiii  ontnnne,  tiAin  m  imp)e  ne 

jug  Cinionn  a  "oeAnArh  t)AOib  7  "oo  bA (40) 

tiAin  m  bA"6  rmpoe  be  -[115  Client)  (5°)  it[in],  7  nobo  coin  cenA 
■oAniA6  en^eAn  AgAinne  "oo  rrnttfeA-oh  An  cthjeA-o  no  -oo 
beiu  An  eccoin  a  gAbAib  7  a  ctnbneAchAT),  7  a  cun  a 
n-;gtAr  no  a  n-jebeAnn  no  50m'  ]ha]iac  "601b  fern  e;  7*°^ 
niAt)  pnn  An  ntnr  nobA"6  coin  An  cceAn^At  7  A-p  cctn-pneACAt) 
7  An  m-beic  1  jrontAtriAr  aca  hia  pn^At  bnAicnir  x>o  "oenAiTi 


(i°)  eiccp  =  mod.  eigp.  The  double  c  formerly  indicated  the  unaspirated 
guttural  c.  It  now  represents  the  voiced  g  corresponding  to  that  letter ;  sic 
passim.  (20)  Leg.,  asteach.  (30)  Leg.,  Achm  or  Aiclnti. 

(40)    Page    2    of  MS.    terminates   thus.       Page   3   begins   at   uai]\.       O'Curry 
remarks  in  Cat.  this  gap.     The  gap  may  be  due  to  one  in  the  MS.  from  which 


CONGHAL  CLAIRINGHNEACH.  7 

kings  sat  on  the  bright-covered  couches  of  the  house.  The 
conspirators  and  ill-affected  stood  apart,  for  they  had  ordered 
a  band  of  the  soldiers1  of  Ulster  and  the  province  to  attack 
and  slay  them  [the  kings].  Fachtna  Fionn  File  {i.e.  the 
ollamh  of  the  province)  heard  that,  and  he  grieved  at 
the  treasonable  destruction  the  Clann  Rury  had  under- 
taken ;  and  he  arose,  and  the  learned  ones  of  Ulster  all 
rose  ;  and  Fachtna  communicated  that  to  them  ;  and  they 
sat  between  the  two  kings,  in  order  to  protect  and 
defend  them  against  that  treachery.  After  that  the  traitors 
came  in,  and  knew  not  what  to  do  when  they  saw  the 
poets  and  ollamhs  protecting  them,  for  they  held  it  grievous 
to  violate  ollamhs,2  and  many  and  manifold  shapes  came 
upon  them  ;  and  Conghal  looked  at  them  then,  and  when 
he  noticed  the  various  shapes  upon  them,  he  believed  it 
was  to  harm  both  of  them  or  either  of  them  that  they  had 
come.  He  communicated  that  opinion  to  Fachtna  Fionn 
File.  "  Tis  true,  O  king,"  says  Fachtna  Fionn  File  ;  "  for  all 
the  Ultonians  decided  to  kill  you  on  account  of  your  injustice 
and  of  the  tyranny  of  the  king  of  Ireland  over  them  and  of 
the  extent  to  which  the  province  has  been  ravaged  by  you." 
"  Unjust,  indeed,  is  it  of  you,"  says  Conghal,  "  to  act  deceit- 
fully or  treacherously  towards  us ;  for  the  king  of  Ireland 
would  not  consider  it  worse  were  it  to  happen  through  you 

and  it  were 

for  'twere  not  worse,  indeed,  in  the  king  of  Ireland's  estima- 
tion. It  would  be  just  moreover  were  it  one  of  us  who  would 
have  devastated,  unlawfully  attacked,  and  bound  the  province, 
or  fettered  and  enchained  it  till  it  were  subject  to  them  ;  and 
had  we  two  done  so,  it  would  have  been  right  to  bind  us,  cast 

1  T>'An-[\.yD.yib ;  the  context  would  here  suggest  the  translation  'dregs'  for 
this  word.  2  N.B.  this  testimony  to  the  sanctity  of  the  ollamhs. 


the  tale  is  copied.     Judging  from  the  context,  some  lines  have  been  omitted. 
(5°)  Mod.  Ir.,  erpe-Min. 


8  cAitneim  consAit  ctAirunStus. 

opturro  7  no  bAU  coin  -601b  ni£e  An   cuiccto  -oo  CAbAinc  "oo 
neoc  eite  -oo  clAnn&ib(i°)  tlugnAToe." 


III. 

Agur  o'o'cuALA'OAn  tll^To  tnte  pn  CAnj&'OAn  An  nij- 
n&i"6e  ApreAc  lApiccAin,  7  no  boi  otLAm  rnVlAm  .1.  jTAchcnA 
Ponn  pite  7  A"oubAinc :  "comAinte  ^iti|\a.  ajjait)  "61b,  a 
titter,"  An  epun,  "7  "oencAn  bibp  tute  1  ;  UAin  acaic  An 
niojnAToe-p  Api  mo  comAince-p  7  An  comAince  nA  n-ecce-p 
tnle  An  cenA,  7  pn"6iT>ceAn  bApi  cceAC  n-6LA  Ajtnb,  7 
CAbAncAn  cac  nA  n-ionAt>tnb  comAt>urA  7  coinigcen  An 
ftiojnATde  mA  n-ion/votnb  jrem,  7  teiccit)  A-p  b&n  mintin  7 
bnt)(20)  co  h-Aoibmn  1-pAn  oit>ce-p  Anocc,  7  benAUps  mAOAm 
^mApc  in  t>a  tlijp  50  UeAmntnj  co  cniocAt*  cAj\pcAt>  rn&pi 
Aon  ne  jac  Aon  "oib  7  ctnn^co  Con j^t  1  ccur  nA  -ptijet)  7 
jTenccur  mA  "oeineAt)  7  biAt)  j?en  a  me"6on  ecAnno,  UAin  ir  Api 
mo  comAince-p  "661b  An  AonApi  noco  noipe  co  UeAmntng  7 
A-oenps  ne  H15  6nionn  ftije  [n-JtllAT)  t>o  CAbAinc  "o'Aomj-en 
•01b  no  "oo  tlij-xDAmnA  eiccm  eite  t>o  clAnnAib  tltiT>nAi5e 
mAn  aca  Aom  ni^  Api  jac  cui^eAt)  eite  a  n-6inmn  Api  cenA." 
"Hoop  a  buMt)  7  beAnnACCAin,  a  1?AccnA,"  bApi  ia-o,  "em, 
UAipi  A-p  comAinte  An  ter  7  Api  bub  ULat>  An  comAint-e  pn  ; 
7  "oo^encAn  AmLATo  pn,"  7  "oo  bAOApi  ULaix)  co  h-Aoibmn  An 
oToce  pn  no  gun  rciceAc  61b  7  AoibneApA  iAt),  7  Tobenc 
ConjAL  nA  compiAicep :  "  1r  otc  *oibp  Am  a  65A,"  bAn 
epom,  "minun  nA  monpiAC  ■otnnne  cne  ■peAlt  7  epie  fonnmAD 
Aint>ni5  GneAnn  7  t>o  beupirA  comMnte  eite(3°)  "01b  :  nA 
p,eALLAi'6  An  cijeAnnA  cne  biceg  uAin  A-p  mip  Ar  cij;ennA 
bunAit)  "oib."  "UniiAgh,  Am,  pn  a  Aint>|M5,"  bAn  iAt>rAn, 
"  An    n-gAbAit    omum    tnte.       An   ttiAicer   An    -oomAm    m 

(i°)  MS.  clAnnA.  (20)  but)  =  O.  Ir.  2nd  pi.  imper. 


CONGHAL  CLAIRIXGHXEACH.  9 

us  into  chains  and  into  bondage,  but  not  to  wreak  fratricidal 
vengeance  on  us.  'Twere  right,  moreover,  to  give  the  rule  of 
the  province  to  another  of  the  Clann  Rury." 


III. 

When  the  Ulstermen  heard  that,  the  kings  came  inside, 
and  Fachtna  Fionn  File  was  at  hand  and  gave  his  opinion  : 
"  I  have  an  excellent  advice  to  give  you,  Ultonians,"  said  he, 
"  and  do  you  follow  it ;  for  these  kings  are  under  my  protec- 
tion and  under  that  of  all  the  scholars  as  well.  Let  your 
drinking-house  be  got  ready  ;  let  every  one  take  the  place 
befitting  him  ;  and  let  the  kings  be  led  to  their  own  places. 
Lay  aside  your  discontent  and  be  merry  this  night.  In  the 
morning  I  shall  conduct  the  two  kings,  accompanied  by 
thirty  chariots  apiece,  to  Tara ;  and  in  the  forefront  I  shall 
place  Conghal  and  in  the  rear  Fergus,  and  I  myself  shall  be 
in  the  middle  between  them,  for  they  are  under  my  protection 
alone  till  they  reach  Tara.  I  shall  tell  the  king  of  Ireland  to 
give  the  kingship  of  Ulster  to  one  of  them  or  to  someone 
else  of  the  royal  stock  of  the  Clann  Rury,  since  there  is  but 
one  king  over  every  other  province  in  Ireland."  "  Success 
and  luck  be  yours,  O  Fachtna,"  said  they,  "  indeed,  for 
that  is  an  advice  for  the  good  and  prosperity  of  Ulster,  and 
so  it  shall  be  followed."  The  Ultonians  were  merry  that 
night  till  they  wearied  of  drinking  and  pleasuring.  Then 
Conghal  made  the  following  speech  : — "  It  is  evil  of  you, 
O  warriors,"  said  he,  "  to  entertain  mistrust  and  great  hatred 
towards  us  because  of  the  treachery  and  envy  of  the  Airdrigh 
of  Ireland  ;  and  I  shall  give  other  counsel  to  you  :  do  not  act 
treacherously  to  [your]  over-lord,  for  I  am  your  liege-lord." 
"  It  is  indeed  sad,  O  Airdrigh,"  said  they,  "  that  we  should  all 

(3C)  MS.  ele. 


10  CAitneitn  con$Ail  clAmnisrnj;. 

•om^nemAoir-ne  reAtt  no  pngAt  ronc^A,"  7  i-obenc  m  Laoi 
Ann  : 

CotriAinte  UAirn  t>o  moineAcc 

3ah  tnemj;  7  gAn  meAOAil 

.  .  .  nA  •oentnti  gniotri  meAbt,A 

Cne  gniorii  n-T>nemnA  jati  tteJAit 

treAttgiir  feingnioniAC 

Kobf  ac  lie  a  LioennA 

At>einiin  50  cent) 

ni  mAic  -peALl/  An  cijennA 

C[AncACJAn  necm  riAcm 

nAc  mAic  hev>  gAn  nogAinoe 

a  f  of  An  cepnig 

Af  ifin  mo  coiiiAinLe.  (i°)  CotiiAinLe. 

Tlo  bAOAn  A5  6t  7  aj  Aoibner  7  no  p6.0TiiAt>An  An  coriiAinte 
pn  tec  An  tec,  7  100  cuait)  cac  "o'a  cccoaiI-ci 51b  tnte  Ar  a 
h-Aicte ;  7  At)]tAcc  |?Accn a  "ponn  pie  trni  f  otur-cnAC  enje  An 
nA  liiAnAc,  7  CAimc  ipn  ce^h  a  nAibe  CongAL  ctAinemeAc, 
7  nobenc  nif :  "  Cr.15,  a  nij,  a  ContjAit,"  An  re,  "no  50 
n-t>eACAm  50  UeAtnnAi^  " ;  7  CAimc  An  pie  1  ccoT>uit-ceAc 
'FenccurA  line  Lei-oe  7  •oonAib  An  ce*onA  nif.  tlo  en5et)An 
An  "oa  nig  pn  co  lion  a  mumone  7  no  ^AbAt)  a  n-eic  t)6ib 
7  no  h-mntet)  a  ccAnpAic  7  CAimc  Con§At  niAn  *oo  ontiui^ 
"pAccnA  ponn  pie  cniocAt)  cAinpAc  1  ccur  nA  rii^et)  7 
CAimc  "pencctir  cniocAt  cAinpAc  eiie  'nA  •oeineAt),  7  CAimc 
l^AccnA  ponn  pie  a  niet)on  eACAnnA  7  ir  AthiAit)  pn 
CAn^At^A-p  50  UeAtTljIAIj. 

IV. 

1r  AiniAiT)  umonno  "oo  bi  UeAiriAin  An  CAn  pn  7  C15e 
oinejxiA  7  renAnn  nominee  aj  jac  ctnje'oAc  a  n-enmn 
mnce,  7  cAn^A-oAnrAn  50  nAic  "UtA-o  nir  a  n-AbAn  nAic 
nA  n-"ooinreonAc  An  cAnrA,  7  Ar  Aine  T>omci  pn,  50 
m-beic  feir  nA  cet)-oit>ce  Ag  jac  ren  "610b,  An  cceAcc  50 
UetrinAi^   •ooib,    7    50    iiiax)    'nA    ccigib   rem    no   bencA    a 

(1°)  The  MS.  is  frayed  at  the  edge,  and  hence  portions  of  poem  missing. 


COXGHAL   CLAIRIXGHNEACH.  11 

be  in  fear.  For  the  wealth  of  the  world  we  would  not  be 
guilty  of  treachery  or  fratricidal  murder  in  your  regard." 
Thereon  he  spoke  these  verses  : 

Mine  an  advice  of  magnanimity 
No  deceit,  no  treachery  ! 
Be  guilty  of  no  deceitful  act. 
Through  contention  without  cease 
[Fell]  Fergus,  the  very  active. 
Many  were  his  habitations 

I  say  with  firmness 

Treacher}-  to  a  lord  is  not  good, 

They  came [?] 

Contention  without  great  friction  is  not  good. 

•         •        • [?] 

That  is  my  advice. 

They  were  drinking  and  pleasuring  and  they  all  assented  to  that 
advice.  Afterwards  each  of  them  went  to  his  sleeping-booth. 
About  the  time  of  sunrise  on  the  morrow  Fachtna  Fionn  File 
arose  and  entered  the  house  in  which  Conghal  Clairinghneach 
was,  and  said  to  him :  "  Arise,  O  King  Conghal,"  said  he, 
"  and  let  us  go  to  Tara."  Then  the  poet  entered  the  sleeping- 
booth  of  Fergus  mac  Lede  and  said  the  same  thing  to  him. 
The  two  kings  arose  together  with  all  their  people,  and  had 
their  horses  caught  and  their  chariots  harnessed  to  them. 
Conghal  came,  as  Fachtna  Fionn  File  ordered,  with  thirty 
chariots  in  the  forefront,  and  Fergus  with  another  thirty 
chariots  came  in  the  rear,  and  Fachtna  Fionn  File  in  the 
middle  between  them,  and  so  they  came  to  Tara. 

IV. 

The  appearance  of  Tara  at  this  time  was  as  follows,  viz.  : 
E  very-provincial  king  of  Ireland  had  there  splendid  buildings 
and  well-cultivated1  lands.  They  came  to  the  Rath  of  the 
Ultonians,  which  is  at  this  time  called  Rath  of  the  Door- 
keepers ;  and  their  reason  for  so  doing  was  that  they  might 
partake  of  their  first  night's  feast  on  their  arrival  in  Tara,  and 

1  Peter  Connell  translates  roimjce  by  'inhabited,'   'appropriated.' 


12  cMtueim  consAiL  ctAitiiriSni$. 

n-enpAt)A  7  a  n-eotnje  AipDipi  7  nnceccA  -oilf>,  gomAT)  A-p 
rem  x>o  t)ec-oif  1  cceAcn  fti  Gpionn  7  no  bentA  a  n-eApnAt)A 
7  a  n-eotng  -oo  x>a  K.1  j  UtAT)  mA  cojcib  pen  ;  7  At>cuAtA 
II15  Cpionn  a.  cconpACCAm  co  UeATtipiAis  UAin  no  bAt>An 
ctncce'OAij  Cpionn  nompA  tnie  nA  n-ionjntn-p  ArriAin  Ann 
7  no  rtntngco  UeAc  rne'opAc  ITIio'octiAncA  Aijepom  -ooib 
Annpm  7  noctnp  neAC  *o'px)pcAbAipc  p-Aitce  ne  puojtnb 
"UIat)  7  cucc<yd  1  cueAc  K.15  e-jnonn  tube  ia*o  7  no  on*ouij- 
pum  mA  n-ionA-otub  oil  7  AoibnepA  ia-o,  7  t»o  funo 
rem  mA  ionAT>  U15,  7  t>o  ctnp  TDegAit)  niAc  Sm  An  a  Lmtti 
■oeip  7  "oo  cuipeA"6  ConpiAccAr  H15  Connect:  a  n-unpom 
•oepcencAij;  m  oje,  7  -oo  ctnpe-6  Ann  ™ac  Inept)  etrnAmn 
a  n-uppAm  oipceApi'depcepuAi  j  An  cije  cet)n&,  7  t>o  ctnnet) 
"oa  1ii  tltAt)  ron  rtaor  noctiAipcepcAc  nje  tnoin  rmo-ocuAncA 
UAin  A-p  e  II15  cuiccTo  t)A  ccAbAncAn  corriAn'OA'o  ionAii>  ne 
H15  6pionn  1  cUemnAij  "oo  jpep  e  epic  7  eneActAnn  K15 
Cpionn  -pop  t)6  7  cucca-6  -oa  lorrmAi  t>oib  jup  emit  jac  TI15 
■oib  7  a  cniocA-o  "oejriitimcipe  hia  [n-]iomt)Aib  7  no  pont)Ai- 
teA*6  p-tex)  -popnA  lApccAm  7  no  popipigtiAileAt)  biAt>  A-p  a 
m-beutAib  7  no  cnncitt  -OAit  ceAttAi5(i°)  aca. 


V. 

1p  Ann  pm  A"oconncAT)AppAn  cucca  aii  mgen  cAitiicpucAij 
cAmt)eAtbAc  m  neoc  x>o  "oeippcnAij  t»o  rrmAib  Ap  -oetb  ;  UAin 
An  "oeinpcnu^At)  beper  jpiAn  vo  neAnnoib  n&  piprriAmence 
nujupoAin  a  "oetbp  r>o  irmAib  gtAnA  5^01"°10^  U1^e  7  CT*1 
caoja  pnnben  mA  p^ocAip,  7  cACAOip  ^pmn  gtomitbe  a 
n-tipcogbAit  eACAnpiA  rop  rho^Aib  mopA  ip  i  mnce  '5A 
h-iornAncup,  7  no  teccenAn  An  cACAoin  A-p  tAp  a  p,opA,6'l&n 

(1°)  Cf.  "  Fl.  Bricrend"  (Henderson),  par.  16  ;  CAij\tnc1ietl  tdaiI  cetim  teo. 


COXGHAL  CLAIRIXGHXEACH.  13 

that  their  accoutrements  and  travelling  apparel  might  be 
removed  in  their  own  houses,  so  that  thence  they  might 
go  to  the  king  of  Ireland's  house.  Their  accoutrements 
and  apparel  were  taken  from  the  two  kings  of  Ulster  in 
their  own  houses  ;  and  the  king  of  Ireland  heard  of  their 
coming  to  Tara,  for  the  provincial  kings  of  Ireland  were 
all  there  before  them,  they  alone  excepted.  On  their 
account  he  got  ready  the  Teach  Miodhcuarta,  and  sent  a 
person  to  welcome  the  Ulster  kings.  They  were  brought 
to  the  king  of  Ireland's  house  ;  and  he  appointed  them  to 
their  seats  for  the  purpose  of  drinking  and  pleasuring. 
He  sat  himself  in  the  royal  seat,  and  placed  Deghaidh  mac 
Sin  on  his  right  hand.  Conrachcas,  king  of  Connaught, 
was  stationed  at  the  southern  doorpost  of  the  house,  and 
Art  mac  Mesdelmann  at  the  south-east  one  of  the  same 
house.  The  two  Ultonian  kings  were  placed  on  the  northern 
side  of  the  great  banqueting-house  ;  for  to  the  provincial 
king  to  whom  co-eminence  with  the  king  of  Ireland  is 
always  given  in  Tara,  is  also  granted  the  eric  and  honour- 
price  of  a  king  of  Ireland.  Two  couches  were  given  to 
them,  so  that  each  of  the  kings  and  his  thirty  nobles  were 
settled1  in  their  couches.  A  feast  was  served  out  to  them 
afterwards,  food  was  placed  before  them,  and  they  held  a 
common  feast. 

V. 

It  was  then  they  saw  approaching  them  a  fair-shaped  girl 
of  beauteous  form,  who  surpassed  womanhood  therein.  For 
as  the  sun  surpasses  in  excellence  the  stars  of  the  firmament, 
so  did  she  surpass  in  shapeliness  all  the  handsome  women  of 
the  Gael.  She  had  with  her  thrice  fifty  fair  women  ;  and  in 
the  midst  of  them  there  was  raised  aloft  on  tall  slaves  a 
lovely  crystal  seat  in  which  she  was  carried.     They  deposited 

1  tinll,  lit.,   '  fitted':  cf.  Hogan,  Todd  Lect.  Ser.,  vol.  vi.,  p.  57,  Xo.  4. 


14  cAittieim  conjjAit  ctAimnjnig. 

in  cije  &]\  lonctnb  Ttio^n.M'oe  e-nent)  7  no  coin^e^t)  or&in- 
be&b&ro  unbu.cvcn.cv  'ncv  uimce.cvbb,  7  cucccvt)  cenctnbb  cecA-p- 
ciumpcvC  Abtnnn  .cvin5i'6e(i0)  ipn  c^ccvoifi  pn,  7  50  n-tjepg 
in  nio^&n  uncvij  mnce,  7  r>o  pu'dpon  &n  bvvncncvcc  bic 
■cvbumn  ipn  opMnbe.cvb.cvi'6  tinbtivvcncv  in&  b-tnncimcibb  7  ^-p 
1  nob.6,01  &nn  pn,  "£ionn.cvb.cvin  mje&n  Lu^Ait)  Ui&ijne 
injeA-n  nij  Cne^nn  7  no  pbtep;.cvin  p  ticvice  &n  "Riog^AToe 
Cne^nn  co  b-mgcvnccvC  7  nopcvToerccvin  nmn  a  menniAn,  a 
I1-.cvi5enu.cv  7  a  ntnrc  1  n--oe&bb.cvib  TliojncvToe  6ne^nn  7 
tltcv-o.  "TTIaic,  atti,  a  bvvntrn&ct;  biCAbumn,"  b&n  p,  "  &r 
mop  m  cACAOin  "oe.cvbb.cv  "oo  1liojnAi,6e  Gne&nn  "6a  tlij  "Ubcv-o 
•oo  c&b&inc  <v  n-v\omce.cvC  nm,  ticvin  if  mnrcv  R151  One^nn 
-oo  beic  ^5  ne&c  eite(2°)  cvcc  ^5  tie&c  -oo  ct^nnAib  Ku-onM^e. 
Wm\\  ni  mo  riA  t)e.cvbb  gticvib  A'd^nce  &ja  n-v\  lorc^t)  1  mono 
moincenTo  inA  x>e^tb  ftio^n&i'oe  e-ne^nn  .6.  n-AcpeuJA*6 
Iliojn^Toe  Ut^-o."  "ticvin  A-r  ■cvmt.M'6  aca  Con jcvb,"  ^n  p, 
"7  &r  e  nunoneAc  nti.M'O'oecvns  7  robe  ccvpvu,<y6  r&in  7  norc 
jbcv-p  gtemibe^CA  ncv  ce^nn  7  tibc.cv  •oonnnticv'6  '6ecvj;j;.cvbb.cvn.cvC 
psin  7  bn&c  conccvnjbcvn  tnme  7  •oe^tj  ont>&  ipn  bncvC  or 
^  bnumne  7  bene  ibde.cvbbvvc  50  n-6n  ne  a  cner  7  50  bomn 
pocf-^'OA.  co  n-6n  ron  &  fbicvrccvib  ;  rci^c  &r  mo  7  &r  rmbeccv 
•oo  rcicvtcvib  50  n-6n  pub  &n  "0e.cvb5.cvn  or  &  cionn  ;  rbeJA 
mojAAv  rmbeccv  ron  c&inrceo  ccvn-bec.cvin  a.  rceicb  ;  untile  7 
^n^-m  TI15  r&in.  "pe&ngur  timonno,  giobbiv  ruMnc  roc^- 
c&tiAc  e  7  re  65  coet)  .  .  .  .  ;  norc  nio^'OA  coclcvc  ccvom^bcv-p 
itia  cionn  7  cmtitccv  -oub  b&ir  7  rote  c&r  ponn  r^in  7  re*  nuA 
nAoroe^nc^  tube  'r  e  pi&inc  roc^nc^nAc  bern^  b-ulib  ibib- 
"o^omib  7  bn^-r  ti^me  mine  7  t)e&b5  Ainccit)  ipn  bn&c  oy 
a.  bntnnne  7  bene  je&b  ]\e  a  cner  7  cboi-oem  ge^b-otiinn  ron 

(i°)  Leg.  oipeAg-QA  perhaps.  (20)  MS.,  ete,  and  so  elsewhere. 


1  Lit.,  '  point  of  her  mind,  intellect,  and  eyes.'     This  is  a  common  mode  of 
expressing  the  idea  of  fixed  attention  to  something. 

2  Probably  •oeAjjgAblAiiAc  for  •oejAblAiiAc",  '  forked.' 


CONGHAL   CLAIRIXGHNEACH.  15 

the  chair  on  the  resting-place  of  the  house  under  the  pro- 
tection of  the  kings  of  Ireland.  A  litter-couch  of  fresh 
rushes  was  arranged  around  her,  and  a  beautiful  silvered 
cushion  with  four  edges  was  placed  in  the  seat.  The  noble 
queen  sat  in  it ;  and  the  very  fair  female  retinue  sat  on  the 
litter- couch  of  fresh  rushes  round  her.  This  latter  was 
Fionnabair,  the  daughter  of  Lughaidh  Luaighne,  king  of 
Ireland.  She  looked  in  wonder  at  the  kings  of  Ireland,  and 
she  shot  a  glance  of  her  mind,  intellect,  and  eyes1  at  the 
figures  of  the  kings  of  Ireland  and  of  Ulster.  "  Well  indeed, 
O  most  fair  women,"  said  she,  "  'tis  a  great  reproach  to  the 
comeliness  of  the  kings  of  Ireland  to  bring  the  two  kings  of 
Ulster  into  one  house  with  them,  for  'tis  a  hardship  for  any 
one  to  possess  the  kingdom  of  Ireland,  save  one  of  the  Clann 
Rury.  For  the  comeliness  of  the  kings  of  Ireland  is  no  more 
than  that  of  a  burning  coal  in  a  hugely  great  fire  as  compared 
to  the  comeliness  of  the  kings  of  Ulster."  "  Conghal  is  like 
this,"  she  continued,  "  He  has  ruddy  hair  and  fair  twisted 
locks,  a  bright  clear  warlike  glance  and  a  brown-red,  very 
forked2  beard.  On  him  is  a  bright  purple  cloak  with  a 
golden3  pin  in  the  cloak  over  his  breast,  and  a  variegated 
and  gold-trimmed  shirt  next  his  skin,  and  a  very  long  gold- 
ornamented  sword  at  his  side.  On  a  peg  over  his  head  there 
hangs  the  largest  and  most  warlike  of  shields,  gold-wrought 
as  well.  Great  martial  spears  are  above  the  leather  top[?]  of 
his  shield.  The  fearfulness  and  majesty  of  a  king  are  his. 
Fergus,  however,  is  a  pleasant,  agreeable  fellow  .  .  .  ;  regal, 
fringed,  and  very  bright  his  eye,  and  black  his  slender  beard. 
His  hair  is  curling  and  fair  and  sleek.  He  is  pleasant  and 
kindly  with  all  classes  of  men.  He  wears  a  green  cloak  with 
a  silver  pin  in  it  across  his  breast,  and  a  white  shirt  next  his 


3  X.B. — Conghal's  pin  is  golden  ;  that  of  Fergus,  silver.  In  ancient  Ireland 
the  scarcity  of  silver,  as  compared  with  gold,  would  make  the  former  more 
precious.     The  differentiation  in  character  is  well  drawn. 


16  CAitiienn  con^Ait  cLaitu  rictus. 

a  fbiArcAib  7  unoirnrciAC  UAme  An  "oeAb^An  UAr  a  rLej^i0) 
Aice  uncnine  j:a  CAnn^ceo  cAnnteACAin  "01."  "TTIaic,  a 
1115111,"  t>An  lA-orAn,  "  A-p  pAitiAc  jtac^c  pngtic  cuccat)  a 
n-"oeAUbA  7  ^  -o-cuAnurcbALA  lee  7  mocion  nobiAt)  a^utT 
bneic  7  A^tro'  h-Abcnom  "oaitiat)  ^nAt)  -oobeuncA  -oo  neoc 
■Gib."  "Uuccur  50  *oeirhin,"  bAn  An  m^en,  "  CAebniut> 
n-gnA-oA  -oo  neoc  -6ib,  UAin  inrmAft  lionnur  nobAncA  rriAnA 

6  tTltiin  Gochc  cuahi  7  caLato  nornliontir'OAin  gnAt)  "PenccurA 
mic  "Le[i-oe]." 

.1.  ne  Cnoic  mgen  Cniorhcuinn,(2°)   ...... 

7  'oo  -puroe  m  Laoi  &nn  : 

A  C|\ocli  1115m  Cjuoificuirm  cAOitfi 
ej\cc  50  ttiac  bene  ti-n-f aoij\ 
berom  coiriApc  UAim  •oo'n  jr\ib 
Uaija  |\ocA|Mif  ye&c  Jac  itij. 
^y  miri  mjjen  Lui§,oeAC, 
A  -peA]AC  AgAtn  Af  cunfmeAC, 
"Oo  r\iiine  uobb  1m'  cr\it>e 
A  fej\c  50  cr\om  cemcTOe, 
Ijem  iiiAi]A)"eAii  Aitine(3°) 
TIaca  ccjAecceAb  a\\  •oume. 
1eu]AATO  Affunn  y,e  mo  binn  [?] 
A  epoch  1115m  Cjuoriicu  111 11.(4°) 

A  Cpoch. 


VI. 

AcnAcc  Cnoch  mjen  Cniorhcumn  lAnpn  pAn-CAnpiA 
111  cije  50  h-Ainrn  1  nAibe  penccur  triAC  Leit)e  "rbAn  rope 
a  peAnccur  1111c  "Leit)e,"  An  p,  "  Aircit>  pnnge  LeAtnrA  t>uic 
6  mjm  II15  6j\eAnn  50  tomne  meAnniAn  7  50  n-gnAi)  mo|i 

(i°)  Sic  MS.  (2°)  A  piece  is  out  of  the  MS.  at  this  point.  The  following 
disjecta  membra  remain  after  the  word  Cjuomcuniii  :  e^p  UAimp  aj\  .  .  . 
leAC  a  iiAifceAt)fo  -oo  .1.  copAn  Abumn  6|v6a  7  a  bAn  ■oo  .  .  .  .  rupum 
CAlirvAt)  •OAirtfA  immAf\  cujup,  ■60  pAii    7  t>A  r»AVjA|\f a  Aije  pon  bit)  beriom 


CONGHAL   CLAIRINGHNEACH.  17 

skin.     By  his  side  is  a  bright-hilted  sword,  and  a  heavy  green 
shield  on  a  peg  above  his  sharp,  rounded  [?]  spear  under  its 
leather   rim  [?]."      "  Well,   maiden,"    said    they,   "  modestly, 
skilfully,    and    right    cunningly    thou    hast    rendered    their 
appearances  and  the  accounts  of  them,  and  'tis  welcome  your 
birth  and  up-bringing  would  be  were  you  to  bestow  your 
affection   upon  one  of  them."      "  I   do  certainly,"  said   the 
maiden,  "  bestow  my  love  on  one  of  them,  for  as  the  sea-tide 
from  Muir  n-Eocht  fills  the  bays  and  harbours,  so  doth  the 
love  of  Fergus  mac  Lede  fill  me." 

•         ••■•••••• 

i.e.  to  Croch,  daughter  of  Criomhthann, 

and  she  composed  this  verse  : — 

0  Croch,  daughter  of  gentle  Criomhthann  ! 
Go  to  the  son  of  Lede,  fully  free. 

1  send  a  share  to  the  warrior, 
For  I  love  him  beyond  every  king. 
I  am  the  daughter  of  Lughaidh, 

I  am  mindful  of  his  affection, 

His  heavy  fiery  love 

Pierced  my  heart. 

As  long  as  he  lives  thus, 

I  shall  not  forsake  him  for  anvone. 


O  Croch,  daughter  of  Criomhthann  ! 


VI. 


Croch,  daughter  of  Criomhthann,  arose  then,  and  crossed 
the  house  to  where  Fergus  mac  Lede  was.  "  Hail,  Fergus 
mac  Lede,"  said  she  ;  "  I  bear  a  love-request  to  you  from  the 
daughter  of  the  king  of  Ireland,  together  with  an  expression 


]\ije  n-ULvo.     Note  the  copi.n  ojvoa  in  which  the  lovers  pledge  their  troth. 
(3°)  This  line  is  a  syllable  short.  (40)  This  line  is  also  short  in  MS.     It 

is  notable  that  the  last  line  in  many  of  the  poetic  passages  is  minus  a  syllable. 

C 


18  cAiunenn  con^AiL  ctAiRin§ni5. 

6tnc  teip"  "ttlocenps  reirhe  An  ci  6  ccucat)  An  Aipjit>  pn 
6  jTionnAbAin  1115111  LtnjtieAc,  uAin  516  mon  An  teAC  biA-p 
Aicip  t>e,  m  Ujja  m  tec  biAr  AjjArnrA ;  UAin  Ar  e  Ar  teAC 
immunno  An  jnAt)  nomncen  An  60";  7  t^AbAir  in  tpottA  An 
copAn  7  ibir  "015  Af  7  cug  ^  tAirh  Cnoice  e  iAn  ccwti  7 
CAimc  Cnoc  "pempe  50  h-Ainrn  a  m-boi  a  corrraAtcA.  Ho  inrsi-p 
An  gttAt)  "oeniiiAin  cuj;  "Penccur  mAc  Lei"oe  tn  7  C115  pn  met) 
rhenmAn  7  AigencA  mncep. 


VII. 

1r  Annpn  "oo  einij  "PACcnA  ponn  pie  ne  bemn  rn-btAic- 
egAin  rn-buAbtntt  (i°)  7  Tobenc  :  "rt&n  rontnb,  a  ponA  Aitte 
6neAnn,"  aja  re,  "  7  a  nig  Cnenn  An  ceAnA."  "  1n  ccetDnA 
•otncp,  a  ottArhum,"  bAn  iAt>rAn,  "7  cnet)  Ar  At>bAn  tec?" 
"ITlAice  ctomne  "RtconAi-oi  nonicuin  cu^A-orA  terAn  "oa  nij 
•00  on"OAi5ir  oncA  7  m  ftAiciur  pnmne  "ouicp  jac  coiccet)  1 
n-6|\inn  mA  pccAin  jaaca  7  encoiccet)  ne  mitteAt)  a  n-6nmn 
aja-o  7  x>o  nAit>ret)An  nicrA  tucc  An  cuicci6  pn,  Ttije  x>o 
cAbenc(2°)  "o'enjren  61b  no  -o'^en  eite  'oo  niotj-oAiiinA  tltA6  7 
m  nA  (30)  ceAcc  ret)'  £tAiciurA  acato  acc  couac  t)ennA 
ecccnA  ronnA  reAc  jac  coicccoac  eite  t>o  coicce6Actnb 
e-neAnn  7  cAbAinp  m  cniccet)  •o'etroume  eiccm  aca."  "X)o- 
gencAn  Agumne  pn,"  bAn  Lujai-o,  "  7  m  pinAit  corhAinte 
ren  n6neAnn  tnte  tnrne  pn."  Ho  fuit>ercAi)i  111  ren  ceA*onA 
An  pn  7  no  cio6ttnceA6  reoi"o  7  mAome  ioiitoa  '66  7  no 
cuAtDAn  nA  niAice  pn  mte  "o'a  cccotntcijcib  7  nugAtDAn  Ar 
An  A'OAit)  pn. 


(i°)  He  bemn  m-btAire^Ain  m-buAbuitl.  Cf.  for  this  phrase  "In 
Gilla  Decair  "  :  benn  bLAichgen  buAbAiht  An  bhemn  ha  CAincce.  ("  Silva 
Gadelica,"  p.  266.)  (20)  CAbenc  :  forms  such  as  this  are  common  throughout 

the  MS.  The  redactor  is  here  reproducing  the  forms  of  an  earlier  stage  in 
which  the  symbols  of  palatilisation  or  non-palatilisation,  &c.,  had  not  yet  been 
introduced  :    cf.  eroc  =  erg.=  eirig  ;    menman  =  meanman  (Mod.  Ir.),  and  so  on. 


CONGHAL  CLAIRIXGHNEACH.  19 

of  mental  delight,  and  great  love  for  you."  "  Kindly  welcome 
to  her  who  sent  that  request,  to  Fionnabair,  the  daughter  of 
Lughaidh,  for  large  though  her  half  be,  mine  is  no  whit  less  ; 
the  half  being,  indeed,  the  love  which  is  divided  in  twain  "; 
and  the  youth  took  the  cup,  and  drank  a  draught  from  it,  and 
handed  it  back  to  Croch.  Then  Croch  returned  to  her  foster- 
sister.  She  spoke  of  the  great  love  Fergus  mac  Lede  bore 
her,  and  that  produced  mental  and  intellectual  exhilaration 
in  her. 


VII. 

Then  Fachtna  Fionn  File  arose,  with  a  smooth,  pointed 
drinking-horn,  and  said  :  "  Hail,  O  fair  men  of  Ireland,"  said 
he,  "and  O  king  of  Ireland,  as  well  !"  "  And  you  also!  O 
ollamh,"  said  they,  "  and  what  have  you  come  about  ? " 
"  The  chiefs  of  the  Clann  Rury  sent  me  to  you  with  the  two 
kings  you  placed  over  them,  and  yours  cannot  be  a  just 
government,  when  every  province  in  Ireland  is  enjoying 
prosperous  peace,  and  one  province  in  Ireland  is  being  ruined 
by  you.  The  people  of  that  province  ask  you  to  give  the 
kingdom  to  one  of  them,  or  to  some  one  of  the  royal  stock  of 
Ulster,  and  they  have  come  to  your  kingdom  only  because 
they  have  been  treated  differently  from  all  the  other  pro- 
vincials of  Ireland.  Give  therefore  the  province  to  one  par- 
ticular person  from  amongst  them."  "  We  shall  do  so,"  said 
Lughaidh,  "and  we  must  have  the  opinion  of  the  men  of  all 
Ireland  thereon."  This  same  man  [Fachtna]  sat  down  then, 
and  many  jewels  and  treasures1  were  bestowed  on  him ; 
and  all  those  chiefs  went  to  their  sleeping-booths,  and  so 
passed  that  night. 

1  N.B. — In  this  tale  the  pie  never  fails  to  receive  ample  rewards  for  advice 
given. 


(3°)  TtA  :  this  form  of  the  preposition  pe  is  possibly  dialectical. 

C  2 


20  cAiuneim  C0115A1L  ctAi  111115111 5. 


VIII. 

A^jur  no  eipuj  Hi  e-peAnn  50  moc  An  n-A  iriAnAc  UAip  bA 
•00  j;eArAib  IX15  6peAnn  jniAn  -o'  enje  rAip  1  uUeAtnnAij  7 
CAinic  50  ciob-ptnt)  n&  tAocpAitn  aj\  tin  ni,  UeAiti-pAC  7  -po 
lonnAit  a  t,ArriA  7  a  jntnr  Hioj-oa  7  CAinic  50  'Ouhia  nA 
IXiojnAi'oe  teic  ne  Ttluillenn  CiArnAToe  UAin  A-p  Ann  -po 
fuit)if  in  TtiognAToe  -oo  jjner;  7  AT)connAic  An  enrrinAoi  ron  a 
cionn  Ann.  "  OeAn  1  ccoinne  pin  cu,  a  m 51  n,"  An  H15  6neAnn. 
"  Are"6  50  -oeitrnn,"  An  ah  in  jen,  "  UAin  rriAic  An  ren  1 
ccAngur  nA  coinne.  1.  II15  CneAnn,  m'  ACAin  rem."  "ITlAich, 
Ainjm  a  ponnAbAin,"bAn  Tti  CneAnn,  "cioc  noT)c65buAir(l0) 
•ooc'  coitccAib  ctuirh'oenjtngce  7  6  "oo  fuAn  fenrico'OAtxA 
AmucAfA  eimr.  acc  muiu  circA  ne  inongtiriT)  riioijv?"  "llin 
CA"6lur  An  atdato  Anein  51X)  a  beAg,"  An  An  mjen,  "ne 
rmuAmcmJAT)  n-AijencA,  ne  cep'o  menmAn."  "  Cneo  noctn- 
nercAin  1  ccercAib  mAn  rm  cu,  a  mjm?"  An  re.  "  A"6bAn 
cerx>A  AgAm,"  An  ire,  "m  "da  nijp  CAinic  a  h-UtlcAib,  cia 
•61b  "oia  ccibnerA  An  1lit;e."  "  11ac  cuitia  "otucri,  a  injin," 
A-p  H15  6neAnn,  "^Tobe  -oib  T)'a  ccuibApirA  An  Uige?"    "  TI1 

cum  a  iDin  (20) 

m  llije,  aca  untiAc  7  ^-pAin  Hi j  rAin  7 

"OA 

niocru,  UAin  *oo  cAinnngin  rAi'oe  "60 

50  mAX)        

.     .     .     .         [-do  fre]pccur  "oobeunA  m  ftije,"  bAn  An  mjen. 
"bi-6  tec  a  nijire  rem  7  A-p  e         


(1°)  ■R.o-'o-coj'buAif.  -o  —  infixed  pron.  2nd  pi.  Cf.  the  French  reflexive, 
"  tu  te  leve."  Prof.  Osborn  Bergin  remarked  to  me  the  parallelism  between  the 
position  of  the  French  pronoun  object  and  the  Irish  infixed  pronoun. 

(2°)  There  is  here  a  gap  in  the  MS.  indicated  by  dotted  lines. 


CONGHAL   CLAIRIXGHNEACH.  21 


VIII. 

Early  on  the  morrow  the  king  of  Ireland  got  up,  for  'twas 
an  obligation  for  the  king  of  Ireland  to  see  the  sun  rise  over 
him  in  Tara1 ;  and  he  came  to  the  Heroes'  Well  on  the 
edge  of  Tara,  and  washed  his  hands  and  his  royal  face. 
Then  he  came  to  Duma  na  Rioghraidhe,  beside  Muilleann 
Ciarnaidhe,  for  it  is  there  the  kings  usually  took  up  their 
quarters  ;  and  he  saw  there  before  him  a  woman  alone. 
"  Yours  is  a  woman's  tryst  with  someone,  daughter,"  said  the 
king  of  Ireland.  "Yes,  indeed,"  said  the  girl  ;  "and  good  is 
he  whom  I  have  come  to  meet,  that  is,  the  king  of  Ireland, 
my  own  father."  "Well,  daughter,"  said  the  king  of  Ireland, 
"  and  why  did  you  rise  from  your  down-strewn  couch,  and 
from  your  slumber  of  sweet  sleep,  save,  indeed,  you  come  on 
account  of  very  great  torment?"2  "I  slept  not  at  all  last 
night,"  said  the  girl,  "  through  thinking  and  mental  anguish." 
"  What  was  it  that  so  perturbed  you,  daughter  ? "  said  he. 
"  The  cause  of  my  anguish,"  said  she,  "  was  to  know  to 
which  of  those  two  kings  who  came  from  Ulster  you  would 
give  the  kingdom."  "  Are  you  not  indifferent,  daughter,"  said 
the  king  of  Ireland,  "  as  to  which  of  them  I  should  give  the 

kingdom  ?  "     "I  am  not  indeed 

the  kingdom,  he  has  the  fearful  and  majestic  aspect  of  a  king, 

and        

to  you,  for  a  seer  prophesied  to  him 

that  it  would  be 

.     .     .     .     to  Fergus  I  shall  give  the  kingdom,"  said  the  girl. 
"  Yours  be  his  kingdom  and  it  is 


1  This  may  point   to  early  sun-worship  ;    but  for  the  custom,   vide  Joyce, 
"  Social  History,"  vol.  ii.,  p. '284.  °-  slipit)  :   Stokes,  '-Toeail  Troi," 

translates  glipit),    '  torture,'    '  agony  '  ;  the  context  here  supports  that  meamng. 
Cf.  Windisch,  "  Worterbuch." 


22  cAiutieitn  congAit  ctAimnSmS. 

•oo  jeun&."    "  1r  "0015  bom  t»o  cA-ptnr  "Penccur,"  An  re,  7  -oo 
tAbAin  An  mjen  : 

"  A  ingin  111  fli  j  |\ACtfiAi]A 

ItlTllf  50  mill  "OOC'   ACA1|\ 

5ah  bj\6n  ipin  cuIai 5  ce 
t)o  gtop  te  LugAif)  tuAijne 
Ca  yey  no  CAfunf  •oib  (i°) 

ClA  t>0  COgtMf  T>o'n  TJA  ]MJ' 

A  wmy  1  cj\e  ctn'b'oe 
A  floirmeAt)  eye  trutifuipji 
1]'  coca  Liom  rejAccur'  pionrt 
Ay  e  cele  Af  copritnl  liom 
Ay  e  if  AnnfA  liom  ye  h-er) 
Ay  e  TDite  n&  11-mjen.     A." 


IX. 

'"Oa  m-beit)ir  mAice  pen  n-6neAnn  1m'  poc&ip  Anoip  no 
com&inlispnn  pn  niti."  <cbei6ic,  cpiA,  imunno,"  An  An 
m^en,  "iiAin  nACAit)  Cnoc  An  a  ccenx)  ";  7  CAimc  C]\6c 
nempe  50  UeAtiinAig  co  ccoAl-cigob  ftiot;nui6e  CneAnn  7 
x>o  t>tiirij5  ia"o  7  tucc  comAinte  II15  6ne&nn  teo  7  CAn^At^^n 
jurAn  tDiJiTiA  a  nAibe  ftrg  6-neAnn  7  a  n-t>ubAinc  An  mj;en 
•pomp a  Are-6  nopiAi'ope'o.&.nftM'oe  tnte.  "Ciotd  Ar  Ait  tibp, 
uimepn  ?"  A-p  H15  CneAnn.  "  1n  nije  "o'  penccup  mAC  t,et)e," 
bAp  iA"orAn,(2°)  "  umji  m  -penn  lmn  cApiA  U15  vo  clAnnoib 
flti'op&ije  A^umn  iriA-p  e."  "T)opcA6  plAicepA,  a  05&,"  An 
Tli  Qpe^nn,  ".1,  ftije  *oo  n  c-ropAp  noim  An  cpnnpop. 
"UAbAipp  leAfuJAt)  eite  An  Conj&t  ionnup  50  mAt)  cajaa 
t>Aoib  e."  "T)o  beppA,  Am,"  A-p  eipmn,  "  cpiocA  cec  m  jac 
cui^et)  a  n-e-pmn  x>6  7  m  cpiocA  cec  bur  fepp  beir  tim 
UeAmnAij  7  leu  pum  7  co^Ain  ne  pepinb  OpeAnn  7  cpiocA 
•66  im'  ctnnmceAcrA  acc  5106  UAtAV  be-'oi'o  pn  6pe&nn  Ann 
7  coimtece6  a  Aijce  -o'  on  t>6  teip  jaca  btiA*6n&  7  pAop- 

(i°)  This  line  is  a  syllable  short.  (20)  MS.  ieq\&n. 


CONGHAL   CLAIRINGHNEACH.  23 

I  shall  do."     "  I  believe  you  have  fallen  in  love  with  Fergus," 
said  he.     Thereon  the  girl  said  : 

"  O  daughter  of  the  prosperous  king, 
Tell  gently  to  your  father — 
Without  grief  on  the  mound 
[Is]  Thy  voice  to  Lughaidh  Luaighne — 
Which  of  them  you  loved, 
Which  of  the  two  kings  you  chose. 
Tell  it  through  affection, 
His  naming  through  pure  love. 
Fair  Fergus  is  my  choice, 
He  is  a  fitting  husband  for  me  ; 
He  is  dearest  to  me  for  aye  ; 
He  is  the  beloved  of  maidens." 


IX. 
"  Were  the  chiefs  of  the  men  of  Ireland  present  with  me 
now,  I  should  take  counsel1  thereon  with  them."  "They 
shall  be,  indeed,"  said  the  girl,  "  for  Croch  shall  go  for  them." 
Croch  came  to  Tara,  to  the  sleeping-booths  of  the  kings  of 
Ireland ;  and  she  awoke  them,  and  the  councillors  of  the  king 
of  Ireland  along  with  them,  and  they  came  to  the  Dumha, 
where  the  king  of  Ireland  was ;  and  what  the  girl  said  before 
them,  that  they  all  said.  "  What  is  your  wish  in  the  matter?" 
said  the  king  of  Ireland.  "  To  give  the  kingdom  to  Fergus 
mac  Lede,"  said  they,  "  for  we  prefer  to  have  no  friend  as 
king  of  the  Clann  Rury  more  than  he."  "  It  is  the  ruin2 
of  a  sovereignty,  O  warriors,"  said  the  king  of  Ireland,  "  to 
give  the  kingdom  to  the  younger  above  the  elder."  "  Give 
other  compensation  to  Conghal,  so  that  he  may  be  your 
friend."  "  I  shall  give,  indeed,"  said  he,  "  a  cantred  in  every 
province  in  Ireland  to  him,  and,  together  with  that,  the  best 
cantred  round  Tara,  and  a  share  in  the  decisions  and  secrets 
of  the  men  of  Ireland,  and  a  cantred  in  my  banqueting-house, 
though  few  be  the  men  of  Ireland  in  it,  and  the  breadth  of  his 

1  This  deference  to  the  chiefs  on  the  part  of  the  king  of  Ireland  is  note- 
worthy. 2  We  might  almost  translate  literally  by    '  spilling.' 


24  CAitrteitn  congAit  cLAmm$ni$. 

rtiACAncACc  GneAnn  tl1^e  *o°  7  m  VeW  ^  teicnije  n-tltAt) 
nA  pn  ";  7  t)o  cinnpoT)An  tube  An  111  ccorriAinte  pn,  7  nobo 
H15  JTenccur  niAC  Let»e  ve  pn  jen  ^un  p"oin,  7  "oo  cuai"6  cac 
ne  CAerhcoirc  "oib  no  50  ccAinic  Ain  6it  7  AoibneAps  t>oib  7  no 
■puToet)  a  cueAc  n-6tA  An  oi"6ce  pn  mAn  t>o  [j]nici  t>o  jner, 
7  no^AbAtJAn  A5  6t  7  A5  Aoibner  no  gun  cimcitt  "OAit 
ceAttAc  p>nnA.  1f  Annpn  "oo  ei]n  j  "PACtrnA  jTionn  "pile  te 
beinn  m-biiAbAiL  m-btAicegAin.  "1T)aic,  a  nij  e-neAnn," 
An  ye,  "  mAn  c6rV)Ainti jir  nije  t>o  cAbAinc  "oo  neoc  -oibro 
reoc  a  ceite."  1lo  cnomupoAijA  Ki  6-]\eAnn  a  cenn  7  no 
tAbAin  'OeJATo  itiac  Sm  :  "  Uuccat>  itnu|i|\o  ni  je  n-UtAT) 
•o'  "pengur  rtiAC  Let>e  7  cucc^t)  -oo  ConJAt  cniocA  cet>  m 
54x6  coicce-6  1  n-e-nmn  7  m  cniocA  ceo  bur  renn  teir  urn 
UeArhnAij,  tec  num  7  co^Ain  ne  renuib  e-]\eAnn  uite  7 
cniocA  1  cceAc  n-6it  H15  6neAnt>  5101)  uacax>  ber*  Ann  7 
coirhteice'6  a  Aij;ce  "o5  on  7  psonmACAncAcc  e-neAnn  An  pn 
AnuAp" 


X. 

O-ocuaLa  ConJAt  cugupoAin  benn  t>'a  T>nuirn  ne  pioi^ro 
nje  rmo'ocuAncA  jun  cuicvac  rceic  -o'a  pgiAcnui^ib  Ann 
7  a  rbe^A  "o'a  n-AijteAnnoib  7  a  cctororne  a  li-mncib 
bot>bA  7  nrp  1b  Act)  a  cui*o  "oo'n  t)Ait  pn  nobo  nerA  -66 
7  CAinic  ArriAC  nerhe  co  rbuAijceAc  n-Ut^t)  7  nobo  connAc 
a  co"6tA"6  An  oroce  pn  Ann  ;  7  no  61^15  50  inoc  An 
ha  rtiAnAC  7  CAimc  nenrie  co  Lior  n&  "RiognAroe  pur  a 
n-AbAncAn  Lior  UonnA  6ccir  An  caiita  50  ceAc  CAinbne 
Cnunn  nij  cuac  rn-bneg  7  TTIroe  7  cahhc  50  co-ointceAc  An 
R15.  "ITIocen  "oeic,  a  Con^Ait,"  An  CAinbpe,  "7  cia  h-Aguib 
•o'a  ccuccAt)  m  ftije?"  "Uucca-6  -o' "peAnccur  wac  Let)e,"  An 
ConJAt.  "Ir-oopcA-o  -plAicefA  pn,"  An  CAinbjie,  ".1.  tlije 
x>o'n    cporAn    neirhe    An    cpnnpop ";    "7    cjiet)    ha  cohia-oa 


COXGHAL   CLAIRINGHXEACH.  25 

face  of  gold  as  well  every  year,  and  the  free  nobility  of  all 
Ireland  ;  and  half  the  kingdom  of  Ulster  is  not  better  than 
that."  They  all  agreed  to  that  advice;  and  Fergus  mac  Lede 
was  thence  king,  though  he  knew  it  not ;  and  they  all  went  off 
quietly,  till  the  time  for  drinking  and  pleasuring  arrived. 
That  night  they  set  up  their  drinking -hall,  as  they  were 
always  accustomed  to  do  ;  and  they  took  to  drinking  and 
pleasuring,  and  a  household  meeting  was  held.  Then  Fachtna 
Fionn  File  arose,  with  the  smooth-pointed  drinking-horn. 
"  Good,  O  king,  is  it,"  said  he,  "  that  you  have  decided  to  give 
the  kingdom  to  one  of  them  above  the  other."  The  king  of 
Ireland  nodded  assent,  and  Deghaid  mac  Sin  spoke :  "  The 
kingdom  of  Ulster  was  given,  however,  to  Fergus  mac  Lede, 
and  a  cantred  in  each  province  in  Ireland  was  given  to 
Conghal,  together  with  the  best  cantred  round  Tara,  and  a 
share  in  the  decisions  and  secrets  of  the  men  of  all  Ireland, 
and  a  cantred  in  the  drinking-house  of  the  king  of  Ireland, 
however  few  should  be  in  it,  and  the  breadth  of  his  face  of 
gold,  and  the  free  nobility  of  Ireland  into  the  bargain." 

X. 

When  Conghal  heard  that,  he  gave  a  thrust  of  his  back  to 
the  wall  of  the  banqueting-house,  so  that  the  shields  fell  from 
their  shield-straps,  and  their  spears  from  their  rests,  and  their 
swords  from  their  places;  and  he  only  drank  a  part  of  the 
portion  next  him,  and  he  came  out  to  the  quarters  of  the 
Ultonians,  and  his  sleep  was  restless  that  night  !  He 
rose  early  on  the  morrow,  and  came  to  the  lios  of  the  kings, 
which  is  called  Lios  Torna  Eccis  now,  to  the  house  of  Cairbre 
Crom,  king  of  Bregia  and  Meath,  and  he  came  to  the  sleeping 
apartment  of  the  king.  "  Welcome,  O  Conghal,"  said  Cairbre; 
"  and  which  of  you  got  the  kingdom  ?  "  "  Fergus  mac  Lede," 
said  Conghal.  "  That  is  a  kingdom's  ruin,"  said  Cairbre  ;  "  to 
give  a  kingdom  to  the  younger  above  the  elder."     "  What 


26  cAitneim  conjAt  ctAirtinsrns. 

^^l^S^T  "ouicp?"  &p  CAinbne.  tlo  mnir  ConjjA't'oonA  comA-oA 
CAnccur  "66  wile,  "tlAn  JAbAipu  pn  ?"  aji  CAinbne.  "  fhri 
JAbur  eit)in,"  4s|A  CongAb.  "  Ar  co  At>enimp  -pic":  An 
CAinbne,  "'Ii-uIca  "oo  tnA^tiibt;  Ainpon,  UAin  m  neAC  t>'a 
nAc  unupa.  a  intc  "oo  "6105.6.1  be  cups,  UAin  A"6bA  roctiToe  cu  7 
mi  r/en  bur  A-obA  pjcAnoe  coi-peonA  rem  "ftije."  '"Ooberump 
■com'  bneicin,"  An  Con  JAt,  "  7  cum^im  bAin  rciAC  7  bAm 
ctAitnm  nAC  jeubA  ni  bur  mo  ha  bur  tu^A  'ha.  CAin^pn  -oAm 
■o'  reAt/Ann  ua-oa  11050  ccoireonA  me  nije  n-CneAnn  nip" 
"  1r  cumA  a  "oeriMTi  mAn  pn,"  A-p  CAinbne  Cnom,  "uwji  aca 
idac  A^Am-pA  m  neoc  Af  coirmAtcA  -ouicrem  (.1.  CAinbne 
CongAncnerAC  m&c  CAinbne  Cnunn)  7  nACAro  re  beAC-pA." 
"  1r  mocenrA  -peniie,"  An  Con JAb ;  7  nobAT>A-p  cni  La  7  cni 
h-oit)ce  A5  6b  7  a^  Aoibne-p  Ann  pn. 


XI. 

Aj;ur  ot>cuaIa  pn  "6a  itiac  Hi  m&ice  "oo  C0nnA.ccA.1b  .1. 
Oitiobl  UeonA  5Aec  niAC  "peicc  7  O1L1LI  UeonA  Ctnoc  ttiac 
Aincij  Uicc  LecAin  rmc  pnco^A  ;  UAin  vo  bAt)An  rem  «.]\ 
ionnAnbA-6  6  ConnAccA-p  6  K.15  ConnACO  aj  'OejATo  ttiac  Sm 
ceAp  7  -oo  CAngA-OA-p  nompA  50  lion  a  mumcine'o'ionnroiji'o 
Con  JAit ;  7  vo  mmr  CAinbne  "oa  riiAc  U15  ConnAcc  "oo  ceAcc 
"6a  cet)  Laoc  cum  Con^Aib  7  "oo  nmneA'OA-p  a  mumcenAr  7  a 
cconAToeAcc  pe  Con  jaL  A^ur  o-ocuaLa  pn  CpioiiiuAnn  mAc 
penccu-pA  "pAinnge  .1.  itiac  Hi  gAi-pb  "oerceijir:  CneAnt)  nif  a 
|iAit)ceAn  Ua  CennreAtAij,  7  cocuaIa  pn  TTluipe'OAC  tllen- 
jec  tiiac  TI15  AtbAn  'r  e  An  n-A  -oiocA-p  cne  n-A  AiiAbcoib 
rem  a  h-AtbAn  aiiiac  7  -pe  An  -pAoncuAinc  A5  II15  CneAnn, 
7  CAmicp-oe  50  Lion  a  mumnne  7  -oo  -pmne  a  cojAAToeAcc  -pe 
Con^At.  O^ocwaIa  pn  AnA-OAt  itiac  "R.15  Concenn  conA  cjm 
cet)  Concent)  An  n-A  n"0icu]i  ci\e  n-A  mi  jmoiiiAib  a  cniocAib 


COXGHAL   CLAIRIXGHXEACH.  27 

rewards  were  offered  to  you  ? "  said  Cairbre.  Conghal  told 
him  all  the  rewards  were  offered  him.  "  You  did  not  take 
that  ? "  said  Cairbre.  "  I  did  not,  indeed,"  said  Conghal. 
"  Then  I  tell  you,"  said  Cairbre,  "  to  avenge  your  wrongs  on 
him,  for  you  are  not  one  to  whom  it  comes  not  easy  to 
avenge  his  wrongs,  for  you  are  the  rally ing-point  [lit,  abode] 
of  hosts  ;  and  he  who  is  the  rallying-point  of  hosts  will  him- 
self defend  his  kingdom."  "  I  pledge,"  said  Conghal,  "  and 
I  swear  on  my  shield,  and  on  my  sword,  that  I  shall  take  no 
more  nor  less  of  the  offering  of  land  made  me,  till  I  contest 
the  kingdom  of  Ireland  with  him."  "  'Tis  needless  to  do  it  in 
that  fashion,"  said  Cairbre  Crom  ;  "  for  I  have  a  son  who  is  a 
foster-son  to  yourself  (that  is,  Cairbre  Congancnesach,  son  of 
Cairbre  Crom),  and  he  will  go  with  you."  "  He  is  welcome," 
said  Conghal ;  and  they  were  three  days  and  three  nights 
there,  drinking  and  pleasuring. 

XL 

The  two  sons  of  the  king  of  the  Connaught  chiefs  heard 
that — Oilioll  Teora  Gaeth  mac  Feicc  and  Oilioll  Teora  Crioch 
mac  Airtigh  Uicht  Leathain  mic  Firchoga — for  they  had 
been  banished  south  from  the  presence  of  Conrachcas,  king  of 
Connaught,  by  Deagaidh  mac  Sin.  They  came,  with  all  their 
followers,  to  Conghal  ;  and  Cairbre  told  the  two  sons  of  the 
king  of  Connaught  to  come  two  hundred  strong  to  Conghal, 
and  they  made  their  alliance  and  banding  with  Conghal. 
Criomthann  mac  Fergusa  Fairrge  {i.e.  the  son  of  the  fierce 
king  of  the  south  of  Ireland,  which  is  called  Hy  Kinsella) 
heard  that,  and  Muiredach  Mergeach,  son  of  the  king  of 
Scotland,  heard  it,  when  he  was  being  driven  out  from  Scotland 
through  his  own  misdeeds,  and  on  a  free  visit  to  the  king  of 
Ireland  ;  and  he  came  with  all  his  people,  and  made  a  banding 
with  Conghal.  Anadhal,  son  of  the  king  of  the  Concheanns, 
and  his  three  hundred  Concheanns  heard  that,  when  they 
were  in  banishment,  through  their  misdeeds,  from  the  lands  of 


28  cAitnenn  cotijAl  ctAminjnis. 

Comcenn  7  *oo  punne  a  conAToeAcc  jte  ConJAt  pc*'n  curriA 
cetmA.  Cic  cpA  acc  no  bAOi  ConjjAt  pee  cev  t)o  cumgib 
caca  in  CAn  |\o  jUiAip  &  05  CAinbpe  Cnmrn  AttiAc. 


XII. 

1]'  &tin  pn  no  jUiAip  Con^At  neniie  7  cuj;  a  Ajtnt)  Apt  a 
ethecex)  pirn  7  AnuAin  nAngATJAn  50  Oenntnb  AnAnn  nifA 
nAi"6ceAt\  bennA  bpeAg  A'oconncA'OAn  in  m-buTC-m  rnoin  •da 
n-ionnpAiccni)  7  A-p  Ai^e  no  bAOi  in  btn-oen  pn  .1.  CpuorhcAnn 
Caoiti  rriAC  Lu^ato  LuAijne  .1.  tiiac  H15  6peAnn  7  cpu  cao^a 
"oo  rhACAorhuib  Tti[j]  e-peAnn  mA  jTAnnAt)  A5  c015eA.cc  -oo 
■pAopcuAipc  e-pe-Min  50  UeihpAig.  1r  ArhtAi-o  no  bAOi  7  a 
pencAixn  7  ^  pceulAi-oi  'n&  pDCAipi  .1.  pACA  pte  7  -pe  a  5 
•oeAnArh  *oinnpencAip  n&  cpnee  pieirhe  '60.  "  Ca  h-Ainrn  in 
ac[&]  po  An  boinn,  a  Paca?"  An  CniorhcAnn.  "Ach  puAn 
^  Ainrn  An  CAnpA,"  An  pACA  pie,  "7  A-p  nir  A-oeAnAn  Ach  m 
oije  Anm."  "  Ci-6  niA  n-AbAn(i°)  nA  liAnniAnnA  pn  nir?"  An 
CniorhcAnn.  "  1r  Aine  A-oeAnAn  Ach  piAn  nif,"  An  111  pte, 
"  .1.  A-p  Ann  coriinmcep  ah  c-tnpee  7  An  rAite  ne  cele  7  Ar 
piAipiToe  e  pn  ;  7  A-p  Aine  A-oeAnApi  Ach  ah  oije  nif  .1.  A-p  Ain 
no  niAnbAt)  An  cet>  aj  n-AbtATo  a  n-epmn  7  ponncAn  no 
rriAnb  1."  Agup  ah  cAn  cAinmc  'ooib  m  tnnnfencAp  pn  -oo 
•oenAih  ir  Ann  A-oconncA-OAn  ConJAl  cuca  7  no  5]\Ainet)An 
'5A  pMcpn  7  monbo  gnAin  $An  A-obAn  -ooibpmm  pn  t)A 
bpepoAoip  An  c-olc  -oo  bi  "6e.  "Aca  ConJAb  cugumn,"  An 
pA-o.  "11oca  npnt  At)bAn  lomJAbAbA  AgAmne  Aip  bApi 
niACAOTriAib  aitiIai-o  pn,  a  Cnionicumn  ?"  Api  CongAl.  "Ar 
aitiIaix)  cenA,"  An  CpiorhcAnn,  "  7  cia  h-Agtnbpi  *o'a  ccuccax) 
An  Kije  t)o'n  cupifA  ?  "    "  Uuccat>  1  -o'  pjnecup  rn  ac  Le\>e,"  An 


(i°)    Fz'^  paradigm  of  verb  in  Windisch  for  older  passive  forms. 


1  This  reference  to  the  circumstance  of  the  composition  of  a  Dinnseanchas  is 
extremely  interesting.  Fiacha  supplied  the  place  of  an  early  Baedeker  to  the 
king.     Further,  this  meeting  of  Conghal  and  Criomhthann  at  the  Ford  is  quite 


COXGHAL   CLAIRIXGHXEACH.  29 

the  Concheanns,  and  he  made  a  banding  with  Conghal  in 
similar  fashion.  However,  Conghal  was  twenty  hundred  bat- 
talions strong  when  he  went  out  from  Cairbre  Crom's  house. 


XII. 

Then  Conghal  marched  forward,  and  turned  towards  his 
own  province;  and  when  they  reached  Beanna  Anann,  which  is 
called  Beanna  Breag,  they  saw  a  great  host  coming  towards 
them,  and  that  host  was  that  of  Criomhthann  Caomh,  son  of 
Lughaidh  Luaighne,  king  of  Ireland,  and  three  times  fifty 
warriors  of  the  king  of  Ireland  with  him,  coming  on  a  free 
visit  of  Ireland  to  Tara.  In  this  wise  he  was,  viz.  his  his- 
torian and  story-teller  with  him,  i.e.  Fiacha,  the  poet,  com- 
posing the  Dinnseanchas  of  the  country  before  him.1  "What 
is  the  name  of  this  ford  on  the  Boyne,  O  Fiacha?"  said 
Criomhthann.  "  Cold  Ford  its  name  once,"  said  Fiacha,  the 
poet,  "  and  to-day  it  is  called  Deer  Ford."  "  Why  are  these 
names  given  to  it?"  said  Criomhthann.  "The  reason  it  is 
called  Cold  Ford  is,"  said  the  poet,  "  that  it  is  there  the  fresh 
water  and  the  salt  water  rush  together,  and  it  is  the  colder 
thereby  ;  and  the  reason  it  is  called  Deer  Ford  is.  that  it  is 
there  the  first  wild  deer  was  killed  in  Ireland,  and  it  is 
Fionntan  killed  it."  When  the  Dinnseanchas  had  been  com- 
posed, they  saw  Conghal  coming  towards  them,  and  they 
hated  the  sight  of  him  ;  nor  was  it  hatred  without  reason,  if 
they  but  knew  the  evils  he  was  to  cause.  "  Conghal  is 
coming  towards  us,"  said  they. 

"  Have  we  not  reason  to  attack  your  warriors,  O  Criomh- 
thann ?  "  said  Conghal.  "  As  it  may  be,"  said  Criomhthann  ; 
"  and  to  which  of  you  was  the  kingdom  given  this  time  ?"  "  It 
was  given  to  Fergus  mac  Lede,"  said  Conghal.    "  The  fall  of  a 

in  keeping  with  early  Irish  topography,  for  most  roads  met  at  the  river  fords. 
Few,  I  think,  advert  to  the  fact  that  underneath  most  of  our  older  bridges  the 
river  is  shallow  ;  here  were  the  old  fords  at  which  the  roads  on  either  side  met. 


30  cAitneim  con$At  cUa-mn$ni$. 

ConJAb.  '"OoncA-6  jrlAiceApk  pn,"  An  CniomcAnn.  "Hi 
curA  nAC  cctncre  Ann  fin,"  An  ContjAb.  *Oo  jUiAir  ConJAb 
An  tAini  fAin  7  truce  benn  ctoi"6irh  -oo  nogun  "oiceAnnAt)  50 
•oejcApATo  e,  7  t10  ttnepoe  tia  cni  cao^a  niAC&oiii  TI15 
nobAt)An  a.  byocAin  Cniorhctnnn  be  ConJAt  conA  liiumcin 
AcctnAt)  "piACA  pie  a  ^on^;  7  A"oube|AC  ConJAb  -pip on  : 
"  6nij  a  n-onoin  ch'egp  7  ch'eAbAT>nA  7  mnir  00  H15  enenn 
jun  tnojuibrnipii  -oo  ftije  n-UbA-6  Ain  7  50  n-Tjijeb  m  bbA$ 
ete."  1loJAb  aj  corhrriAoi'oiorh  mic  1li 5  CneAnn,  7  A"obenAT) 
An  bAoi  Ant)  : — 

t)ip  Ann  fin,  a  C|Moificuinn  caoiiti 
A  ifnc  LtujtfeAc  50  l,An-AOib  ! 
"Oo  copp  A|\  111  C11LA15  •oe 
A|A  obc  1e  \.v  JAit)  biiAijue  ; 
A  1Tiaca  inriir  teAC  x>6 
Do  jug  e]\eAtin  5A11  iomA|\j6 
A  iriAcpAn  j\o  •mAplJAt)  bmn(i°) 
50  n-t>o]Acuip  x>o  mAJ  unfurl  [?] 
Tltij  LuJAit)  bpeAc  |\obo  56 
Oj\Amf  a  iao  rnnp  aiijao 
CjMOiiicAnn  gepbo  CAOiii  a  li 
Ap  1  mo  lAm  popbi.  (2°) 

Dipe. 


XIII. 

TLo  11T115  ConJAt  neihe  lA-ppn  50  cnic  Ttoir  7  1  TTIaj 
Uermb  ttlAnA  nirAn  AbAn  (30)  pocAipt)  itlon  trluincerhne  7 
in  n-^&nbfbijit)  nifAn  AbAn  (40)  rbije  irion  TVho'bluAcnA, 
•o'lubAn  CinncoToce  true  tleACCAin  rnpin  AbAn  1ubA]A  Cmn 
UnAccA  An  cAnrA  7  t/Ac  rnon  jnpn  AbAn  Ach  Cntncne  7  1 
111  aj;  CobA  Cenn-ihon  roin  7  "oo  Cnuc  X)iAriinAc  50  nAinic  50 
CAnn  mAcu   DiiACAttA  50  lAn-ine,6on   UlAt)  nifA  nAni>ceAn 

(i°)  MS.  11111.  (20)  Ho-p-bi ;  1*  =  infixed  pronoun.      This  last  line 

exemplifies  previous  remark  on  p.  9,  note  3.  (30)  MS.  pipn  Aii-AbAip ; 

infra,  we  have  pipAii    AbAip,   and  elsewhere   pipAn   Ab&pcAp.      The   enclitic 
pres.  passive  of  O.  Ir.  at-biur,  '  I  say,'  is  -apar,  -abar ;  the  form  abair  is  due  to 


COXGHAL  CLAlRIXGHXEACH.  31 

kingdom  that  means,"  said  Criomhthann.  "  You  are  not  one 
who  shall  not  fall  in  it,"1  said  Conghal.  Conghal  seized  him, 
and  struck  him  a  blow  of  a  sword,  so  that  he  was  beheaded 
right  quickly  ;  and  the  thrice  fifty  youths  who  were  with 
Criomhthann  fell  at  the  hands  of  Conghal  and  his  people, 
with  the  exception  of  Fiacha  the  poet,  alone.  Conghal  said  to 
the  latter  :  "  Rise  in  honour  of  your  wisdom  and  your  science, 
and  tell  the  king  of  Ireland  that  we  have  avenged  on  him  the 
kingdom  of  Ulster,  and  that  I  shall  avenge  the  other  portion." 
He  then  took  to  apostrophising  the  son  of  the  king  of 
Ireland,  and  this  poem  was  recited  : 

Lie  there.  O  fair  Criomhthann  ! 

O  son  of  Lughaidh,  full  pleasant ! 

Thy  body  lies  on  the  hill 

Through  the  evil  of  Lugaidh  Luaighne. 

O  Fiacha,  tell 

The  king  of  Ireland,  -without  contention, 

That  his  son  was  slain  by  us, 

Aud  fell  on  Magh  Imrim  [?] 

Lughaidh  gave  a  false  judgment. 

He  wrought  injustice  on  me. 

Criomhthann,  though  fair  his  hue  ! 

It  was  mv  hand  slew  him. 


XIII. 

Conghal  marched  then  to  the  territory  of  Ross  and  to 
Magh  Temil  Mara,  which  is  called  Fochaird  Mor  Muir- 
themhne  and  by  the  Rough  Way,  called  the  Great  Way  of 
Miodhluachra,  to  Iubar  Chinnchoidhce  mic  X'eachtain,  called 
Iubar  Cinn  Trachta  now,  and  to  Ath  Mor,  called  Ath 
Cruithne,  and  to  Magh  Cobha  Cenn-Mhor  east,  and  from 
Cnoc  Diamhrach,  till  he  reached  Cam  Macu  Buachalla  in  the 

1  This  is  cryptic  enough  in  English,  but  not  so  in  Irish.  It  is  a  case  of  two 
negatives  amounting  to  an  affirmative . 


analogy  with  the  enclitic  pres.  active.  (j°)  MS.,  pif  An  ^b.Mn,  as  above. 

The  form  has  been  changed,  passim,  to  ^ban. 


32  cAiuneim  con$AL  ctAirnnsnis. 

L>Aile  on  'Oon^Aite  Anm,  7  nogAbAt)  rocc  7  lon^ponc 
Ain-or  em  ;  7  cAn5At)An  cuca  Ainnrem  cni  corrroAtcA'OA 
ConJAit  .1.  cni  true  H15  CnmcneAc  n-Ut^t)  .1.  pnAoc  7  "Pence 
7  "PjAicn^r  &  n-&nmAnnA  7  t)o  nmnet>An  &  cconAi'oeAcc  ne 
ConJAb.     lomcups  C0115A1L  50  ntuje  pn. 


XIV. 

lomcurA  £iaca  pie,  CAtnic  nerhe  50  UetiinAij  7  vo  mnir 
■oo  H15  CpeAnn  a  itiac  fen  "oo  liiAjVbAT)  7  a  rhAcnAnDe  -oo 
iiiAnbA-6  tube  -oo  CongAb,  7  noboi  UetiiAin  tnte  'iu  n-uAbt- 
gubA  7  mA  m-bnoncoinp  i>e  pn.  "  Coin  bAn  m-beicp 
AititAib  pn,"  An  H15  CneAnn,  "  UAin  eccoin  cu^AbAinp 
onAmrA  "oo  -oen^tri  .1.  1lije  n-tltAb  -oo  biiAin  x>o  ConJAb." 
"  Aca  ni  riAC  uta  ha  pn  "otncp  Ann,"  An  iat)  rAn,  "  UAin 
•oo  geubA  'h  m^en  bAp  do  jjnAT)  "penccurA  rhic  tve-oe  munA 
ccuj;ai]\  "60  1."  "  1r  top  t>AinrA  eA-pbAi-o  mo  tine  ojaahi 
gengo  [rn-]bec  eA-pbATo  iti'mjme  teir,(i°)  7  CAbnmt)  cugtnb 
jTenccuf  50  ccu^A-prA  1V1'  mjen  -oo";  7  cuccax)  "Pe]\ccur  cuca 
7  no  nAirceAX)  An  mt;en  "oo  7  "oo  jeAbb-pAn  cev>  "oa  (20)  $ac 
cpo-o  mA  coibce;  7  "oo  ^AbupoAin  'OeA^Ai'o  a  5  A^AbbAiii 
■pencctirA  :  "  1r  mon  t)o  itiaic  -oo  nmne  Lujato  one,  a 
pencctnr  .1.  cug  ni£e  n-tlbAt)  t)uic,  7  CI15  a  m^en  A-p  a 
b-Aicte,  7  ni  -otiji-o  a  cijennA-p  "oo  50m."  "Hi  cnecceAbfA 
eit>en  e,"  An  "penccup  "m  ccem  bAm  beo  7  bepium(3°)  'nA  juj. 
a  n-Gtvmn";  7  no  cotiimopt)  bAiiAi-p  mjene  H15  CneAnn  An 
oToce  pn  teip(4°)  7  cuccat>  "o'^enccur  1,  7  nobAOAn  cni  La 
7  cni  li-AToce  An  a  bAntnp 


(i°)  MS.,  lef .  (20)  Sic  MS.,  cf.  j\a  for  |\e  in  text.  (30)  bAm  beo 

7  bermm  ;  bAm  =  1st  sg.  fut.  of  copula  ;  bef  =  rei.  3rd  sg.  of  same.  Vide,  for 
these  forms,  Strachan,  subst.  verb  in  O.  Irish  Glosses,  Phil.  Soc,  p.  80,  &c. 
(40)  MS.,  ley,  written  thus  frequently  in  MS.  and  changed  to  t-eir*  in  text,. 
pas  situ. 


COXGHAL  CLAIRIXGHXEACH.  33 

centre  of  Ulster,  which  is  called  to-day  Baile  on  Dongaile ; 
and  a  halt  and  encampment  were  made  there,  and  the  three 
fosterlings  of  Conghal  came  to  them  there,  viz.  the  three  sons 
of  the  king  of  the  Picts  of  Ulster  :  Fraoch  and  Ferg  and 
Frithnas1  were  their  names,  and  they  banded  themselves  with 
him.     So  far  regarding-  Conghal. 


XIV. 

As  to  Fiacha  the  poet,  he  came  to  Tara,  and  told  the 
king  of  Ireland  that  his  own  son  and  all  his  warriors  had 
been  slain  by  Conghal,  and  all  Tara  was  in  heavy  grief  and 
sorrow  at  that.  "  Just  cause  you  have  to  be  as  you  are,"  said 
the  king  of  Ireland,  i;  for  you  made  me  do  an  unjust  thing  in 
taking  the  kingdom  of  Ulster  from  Conghal."  "  There  is 
something  not  a  whit  easier  for  you  than  that,"  said  they, 
"  for  your  daughter  shall  die  through  love  of  Fergus  mactede 
unless  vou  give  her  to  him."  "  The  loss  of  mv  son  is  enough 
for  me  without  the  additional  loss  of  my  daughter  ;  and  bring 
Fergus  hither,  so  that  I  may  give  my  daughter  to  him." 
Fergus  was  brought  to  them,  and  the  girl  was  betrothed  to 
him,  and  he  promised  a  hundred  of  ever}-  kind  of  cattle  in  her 
dowry;-  and  Deaghaidh  entered  into  conversation  with 
Fergus,  saying :  "  Lughaidh  has  conferred  gr  .at  favour  on 
you,  Fergus  :  he  has  given  you  the  kingdor  i  of  Ulster,  and 
his  daughter  as  well,  and  you  ought  not  tamper3  with  his 
sovereignty."  ;:  I  shall  not  forsake  him,  indeed,"  said  Fergus, 
"  as  long  as  I  live  and  as  long  as  he  is  king  in  Ireland."  The 
marriage  of  the  daughter  of  the  king  of  Ireland  was  cele- 
brated that  night,  and  she  was  given  to  Fergus  ;  and  the 
marriage  ceremony  lasted  three  days  and  three  nights. 


1  Frithnas  :  the  name  is  also  given  as  Frithuas.  -  For  an  account  of  the 

regulations  regarding  dowries,  vide  Joyce,  li  Social  History."  vol.  ii.  *  Lit., 

'  to  wound.' 

D 


34  cAiunenn  con$Ait  cLAiRin$rnS. 


xv. 

1r  Annpn  "oo  nAit>    "penccur :    "RIaic,    a    miahi    a™,   a 
Lu^ato,  Ar  mici'6  "OAirip^  -out  x)o  JAbAit,  Rije  n-tllAT),  7  "oo 
xncun    ConjAit    epoe,    7    cuinp    cuitteAt)    pDcnAroe    bum." 
"  Cui^pot),  irnunno,"  An  R15  e-neAiin,  '"Deng  mAc  'OeJAno 
niA.c   R15  TDuriiAn    7    TrleA-p    "OoriinAnn  itiac  Ainc    thac   R15 
L-AijeAn   7  Uinne  rriAC  ConnAC  mAc  R15  ConnA.cc  7  hiac  R15 
6neAnn    7   a    n-AopD^bAro    uite    Leo."      "Roup  a    buA-no    7 
bennACCAin,    a   R1,"  An    ^enccup    "Ar   itiaic    mi    cuitteAt) 
pDcnAroe  pn  ;  7  no  gtuAipoAn  nompA  in  ptuAJ  pn  6  UeArn- 
pij  110  50  nAn^A-oAn  50  h-6ArriAin    IIIaca,  7  no  bi  ptet) 
-mojroA  no  rhon  An  a  cionn  :  7  CAinic  cionot  tlt^t)  uite  "o'a 
n-ionnpDijit)  7  cAn^vo&n  cimceAtt  "Penccup^  t>o  joineAt)An 
jAinrn    nij   *6e;(i°)    7    c&imc    p"enccur   iiiac    RorA    aito    a 
.ccumurc  cwc,  7  Ar  1  pn  btiA"6oin  noJAbupoAi|t  pejiccur  mAc 
RorA1  ^   cet)penAnn   cui^e;    7  no  ruit>eA-6   te  "penccur  tiiac 
t,et>e   a  ce^c  oit  7  AOibneA^A   &n   oroce  pn,   7   Atibenc  ne 
penccur  hiac  RorA  :  "  c'aic  a  m-biA-pi  ipn  ci^pi  auocc?  1m' 
rAjipA'opk  bein  no  'r A.n   octA  p3innro."  (20)     "  1r  peAnn  tern' 
•plu.6.5  a  corhcoiriirionAt)  yen  mA  beic  at;  corn  mop  At)  ftuAig 
•oume  ete,  (3°)  7  bet)  ipn  ocIa  p3innro."    Agur  cucc  penccur 
niAC    t,et>e  a   onoin    a    -oionginAnA    "6a    $ac    aoh    -oume   no 
rriAicib  UtAt)  7  p3n  n-CneAnn   An  cenA  An  oroce  pn.     Agur 
Ar  ArhtAro  no  boi  peAnccur  7  cior  rmtecA  Aije,  onbA  rtAn  a 
cuir  bbiA'dnA,  a  5  cni  ngtAC  7 1  An  meAp^cA  CAo^At)  t>o  irno'6  no 
•oo  cuinm,  7  bA  h-eiccm  pn  x>6  m  $ac  05  "o'a  cceijeAt)   a 
n-tlttcAib  ne  cAob  t^aca  p?p    eite  t»'a  bpsj;At).     A^ur  no 

(i°)  N.B.  this  fashion  of  accepting  Fergus  as  their  king.  (2°)  ocL&  (-poctA) 

■pemtiiT) :  this  originally  was  the  warrior's  seat  in  a  chariot ;  hence  any  distinguished 
seat  or  place.      (30)  This  older  form  occurs  side  by  side  with  the  mod.  form  eite, 


1  Lit., '  soul  indeed'';  cf.  "  CathR.  na  Rig,"  p.  6,  "  Maith  am  am'anamCath- 
baid."  -  Lit..  '  an  addition  of  numbers  ';  cf.  Anglo-Irish,  Hilly.''  3  Sic  literally  ; 
i.e.  '  they  proclaimed  him  king.'        4  flAn  =  'clear,  full';  cf.  Wind.,   "  Worter- 


COXGHAL  CLAIRIXGHXEACH.  35 


XV. 

Then  Fergus  said  :  "  Well,  my  soul,1  Lughaidh,  it  is  time 
for  me  to  go  and  take  possession  of  the  kingdom  of  Ulster, 
and  banish  Conghal  out  of  it  ;  and  do  you  give  me  some 
auxiliary2  troops."  "  I  shall  give  you,  now,"  said  the  king  of 
Ireland,  "  Derg,  son  of  Deghaidh,  the  son  of  the  king  of 
Munster,  and  Meas  Domhnann,  son  of  Art,  the  son  of  the 
king  of  Leinster,  and  Tinne,  son  of  Conrach,  the  son  of  the 
king  of  Connaught,  and  the  son  of  the  king  of  Ireland,  and 
all  their  youthful  warriors."  "  Success  and  blessing  be  yours, 
O  king,"  said  Fergus  ;  "  that  is  a  good  increase  in  numbers." 
That  host  marched  from  Tara  till  they  reached  Eamain 
Macha.  A  right  royal  feast  was  ready  for  them  ;  and  the 
whole  muster  of  the  Ulstermen  came  to  meet  them,  and 
gathered  round  Fergus  and  gave  forth  the  cry  of  a  king*  in 
his  behalf;  and  Fergus  mac  Rosa  came  amongst  them  ;  and 
it  is  in  that  year  Fergus  mac  Rosa  first  took  possession  of  his 
territory.  His  drinking-  and  pleasuring-house  was  set  up 
that  night  by  Fergus  mac  Lede  ;  and  he  said  to  Fergus 
mac  Rosa :  "  Where  shall  you  stay  in  this  house  to-night  ? 
will  you  be  with  me  or  in  the  champion's  royal  place  ? " 
"  My  hosts  prefer  to  entertain  themselves  rather  than  be 
entertaining  that  of  another  man  and  they  shall  stay  in  the 
champion's  royal  place."  Fergus  mac  Lede  showed  fitting 
honour  to  each  one  of  the  chiefs  of  Ulster  and  of  the  men  of 
Ireland  also  on  that  night.  In  regard  to  Fergus,  matters  stood 
thus:  he  had  paid  to  him  a  military  tribute — a  clear  inheritance 
of  five  years,  a  calf5  three  hands  high,  a  mixing  vessel  for  fifty 
of  mead  or  ale  ;  and  that  he  had  to  get  in  ever}-  house  he  came 
to  in  Ulster,  besides  every  other  entertainment6  he  got.     The 

buch'?:   dia  n-at  slana  a  secht  bhadna.  5  aj  cj\i  ii-jIac  :  cf.  Meyer,   -Irish 

Lexic."  s.  v.  a;.        6  Distinguish  three  Irish  words;  peip  gen.  peip  =  'feast '; 
fifT  (Mod.  Ir.,  por),  gen.  fejjA  (p3Api),  'knowledge':  pr,  gen.  pp.  'vision.' 

D  2 


36  cAitneim  conjjAit  ctAimnSmS. 

cumncetiAn  muincin(i°)  p^iccurA  An  oibce  pn  An  cior  pn  7 
nAibpot)An  rnumcen  "peAnccups  rrnc  Let)e  :  "ni  h-Aimpn  t>o 
pn  Anocc,"  An  iA*op&n,  "u&in  acato  rriAice  fen  n-CneAnn 
ipn  rn-bAite-p  Anocc";  7  no  ]iAibreADAn  rntnncin  "PeAnccurA 
rrnc  tlof  a  50  nbigeolA'OAoir  onnA  (20)  rAn  pn.  "  Ace  rnun' 
■oeAccAoi  -oo  cormnonAb  "oibencce  (30)  ontnnne  rriAn  Aon  ne" 
Con^At  cbAinin^neAC  ni  put  Agtnb  111  rintlci  onumne,"  An 
iA*orAn  ;  7  nAinic  a  n-iom&nt)Ait)  gAoibitje  pn  7  a  n-nnneA- 
rom  yeceriiAncA.  *Oo  nonpyo  mumon  ^en^ur  •o'lonnpDigib 
ti&  bfenccur  fern  ;  7  Ati  ni  no  nAibpcoAn  a  rtitnncenfAn,  "oo 
nATopo-oAn  fen  AinlAib,  gun  61)115  F0°  btmAib  7  minun 
nietiin&n  A5  cac  t)'&  ceite  bib  ;  7  no  h-mnreb  "o'penccur  rriAc 
llorA  a  cior  AThlAib  tio  bu&m  "o'lTencctir  itiac  t/ei-oe  be. 
'"Oo  beinimp  mo  bnecin  f>if,"  &n  "Penccur  rriAC  1lorA,  "  con 
mgeolrA  pn  Ainporii  conA  pAchAib  caii&,  mnur  n^c  bA 
ber  be  ne&c  "oo  clAnnAib  TlubnAit;e  A-pir  mo  cior  -oo  buAm 
■oiomps";  7  nugA-OAn  Af  ah  oibce  pn,  7  no  einig  "penccur 
rriAc  1lorA  50  1110c  An  n-A  riiAjiAc  50  lion  a  rhumcine  t>o 
corhcorr)rno}\Ab  -oibejicce  te  Con^At  tiiac  TUit>]\Aibe  An 
penccur  iiiac   Lex>e. 

XVI. 

X)o  coning  penccur  a  iiunncin  A|i  pn,  7  t>o  nmne  cno  ai£ 
7  in^Aite  bib,  oin  mn  ptnn  hac  teAnpvo  penccur  hiac  Lcoe  e 
-o'a  TiiA|\bA-6  no  t)'a  jjAbAil,  7  x>o  feot  neiiie  •o'ionnroiji'6 
Longpmnc  ConJAiL  7  A'oconcA'OAn  rojtAine  ConJAit  pn  .1.  ha 
1i-iot)nA  A15  or  cent)Aib  n&  ccujia-o.  Da  -oeninn  teo  ^unAb 
i^T)  biobbAib  Con  JAib  A'oconncA'OA-p  7  CAn^AiDAn  50  nobAt) 
7  n-oincireAcu  "Leo  -oo  CongAt,  7  do  ei|H5  Con  jaI  a  riiAqiAibe 
7  a  nruincen  50  h-ecciAllAi*6   AlLrViA-pAbA  7  x»o  bi  vo  met)  a 

(i°)  iiiuincir*,  the  distinction  between  the  nom.  mumcep  and  the  dat.  Tnimicij\ 
is  not  consistently  observed,  e.g.  following  we  have  correct  form  tnumcep. 
(20)  LIS.,  opr\CA.  (30)  •oibervcce  :  for  discussion  on  meaning  of  this  word,  vide 
Ir.  Texts  Soc,  vol.  ii,,  "  Fl.  Bnc,"  p.  xvi. 


COXGHAL  CLAIRIXGHXEACH.  37 

followers  of  Fergus  asked  for  the  tribute  that  night  ;  and 
those  of  Fergus  mac  Lede  said  :  "  It  is  not  time  for  that 
to-night,"  said  they,  "  for  the  chiefs  of  the  men  of  Ireland  are 
in  their  place  to-night" ;  and  the  followers  of  Fergus  mac  Rosa 
said  that  they  would  avenge  that  upon  them.  "  Unless  you 
come  to  wreak  vengeance  on  us  together  with  Conghal 
Clairinghneach,  there  is  nothing  for  you  to  wreak  on  us," 
said  they ;  and  he  continued  in  that  heroic1  dispute  and 
contentious1  strife.  The  followers  of  the  Ferguses  approached 
the  Ferguses  themselves  ;  and  what  their  people  said,  they 
themselves  said  the  same,  so  that  personal  anger  and  mutual2 
mental  distrust  was  stirred  up  in  them  ;  and  Fergus  mac  Rosa 
was  told  how  his  tribute  had  been  taken3  from  him  by  Fergus 
mac  Lede.  "  I  give  him  my  word,"  said  Fergus  mac  Rosa, 
"  that  I  shall  avenge  that  upon  him,  as  well  as  his  arrears 
of  tribute,  so  that  it  shall  not  be  customary  for  any  one  of 
the  Clann  Rury  to  take  again  my  tribute  from  me."  They 
passed  that  night ;  and  Fergus  mac  Rosa  rose  early  on 
the  morrow  with  all  his  people  to  prepare4  vengeance  with 
Conghal  mac  Rudhraidhe  on  Fergus  mac  Lede. 

XVI. 

Fergus  drew  up  his  people  then,  and  he  made  of  them 
a  pen  of  battle  and  onslaught  ;3  for  he  knew  not  but  that 
Fergus  mac  Lede  would  follow  him  to  kill  him  or  take  him  ; 
and  he  moved  forward  to  the  encampment  of  Conghal. 
Conghal's  sentries  noticed  the  battle-spears  above  the  heads 
of  the  warriors.  They  were  certain  that  they  were  enemies 
to  Conghal  they  saw,  and  they  came  with  warning  and  help 
to  Conghal  ;  and  Conghal  and  his  warriors  and  his  people 
rose  frantically,  wildly ;    and    they  were  so  inspirited  that, 

1   Vide  O'R..  5A01be.Nl.,   '  a  hero.'  Sec.  ;  probably,  however,   jAOibilje  here 
simply  means  '  in  Irish.'  2  Lit..  '  one  another,'  cac  t>'a  ceile.  3  buiin  = 

*  take  forcibly.'  4  corhcoriimoj\.y6  =  '  to  prepare  together.''  5  A  common 

expression  in  Irish. 


38  cAiunenn  C0115A1L  cLAitiin$mg. 

menm&n  acc  510XJ  ia-o  py  CpeAnn  tube  -oo  beic  Ann  50 
n-ionnpocAt)Aoip  'y&r\  UAip  pn  ia-o ;  7  pio  eA^Ain  Con^At  a. 
cac  7  Ap  n-A  e^An  -66  A-oconnAipic  mpirh  pluAij;  "PepccupA 
nnc  1lopA  •0&  n-ionnfOijiT),  7  ATDConnAinc  pepccup  a  ccup  ah 
cpUiAig  7  Aicnijep  e  aj  cegupc  a  riiumape  a^a  jiij.'OA  pm  a 
n-iotmA  A15  •oo  coi-pneAiii  6  nAc  -oo  'oe&fa&To  -oo  cua,oa]i. 
Agttp  otdcuaIa  ConijAl  pn  CAinic  Ap  in  ccac  -6'a  ceite  7  cuj 
a  Iaiti  caj\  bnAJjATo  "PepccupA  7  cuj  P015  -oo  7  nopen  p Alice 
P"pip.  "  ttlocen  -oo  ceAc-o  a  II15  riioip,  a  peApcctip,"  a|\  pe, — 
UAip  m  "oubAincporh  511c  juatti  pe  JTepccup  acc,  a  TI15  trioip, 
— 7  -oo  innif  t)6  ah  ni  'thati  •oeActn-o.  "  CumA  "ovncp  pn,"  Ap 
ConJAt,  "iiAip  5AC  itiaic  biAp  A^uinne,  Ap  piocpA  CAicp-oep 
1  7  -oa  n-jAbunro-p  (i°)  Tlije  n-6peAnn  tube  pobA-6  becpA  a 
poplAtriAp  7  ip  pobeAmpA  ctAnnA  Ru-opAi^e  Am'  ajato  6 
CAnjtnp  ac'  AonAn  cu^tnnn";  7  po^AbATJ  longpopc  A5 
fepccup  Ap  pn  7  po  f AiceAt)  a  puptntb  7  "oo  hica  a  m-bocA 
7  a  ni-beLpjAlA. 

XVII. 

Agup  CAn5A*0An  a  n-oipeAccAp  (20)  1  pupAll  ConJAil 
tube  Ap  a  h-[Aic]te  ;  7  cu^upoAip  Con JAb  a  h-tntbmn  pecA 
pipn  ccoibcij  cinniroeApAijce  7  pipm  ccepceAilb  ccmrnpoig 
pobi  pA'11  ionroAi"6,  (3°)  7  -oo  cuait)  "Pacciia  pmn  pie  1  cceAnn 
P5onuToeAcc(4°)  no  -oeunAiri  •66,  7  CAimc  An  ciaIX  bpeu^AC 
ctnje  .1.  An  co-ot-At),  7  A"oconnAic  pip  AitipA  7  Aipbin^  7  po 
tmjepoAip  50  m-boi  'nA  pepArh  Ap  upbAp  a  pupAibb  7  "oo 
nocc  a  cboixnorii.  Ro  eipij;  "Paccha  pnn  pile,  7  no  lA-oupoAip 
a   t)A  t)6it)  pig  50  1i-AcbAiri  tnme.     "  SbAn   pope,  a   nij,    a 

(l°)  5AbtnifO-fi  ;  fi  =  form  of  part.  aug.  of  1st  sg.,  after  a  slender  vowel. 
(20)  Oif\e.&ccAf  ;  this  word  has  been  adopted  as  the  name  of  the  annual  festival 
of  the  Gaelic  League  in  Ireland.  (30)  For  an  interesting  discussion 

of  the  meaning  of  this  word,  see  Joyce,  "  Social  History  of  Ireland,"  vol.  ii. 
(40)  The  Gaelic  League  branches  have  adopted  this  word  as  a  name  for  minor 
social  gatherings.  In  the  South  of  Ireland  the  neighbours  on  a  countryside  gather 
together  on  winter  evenings  for  the  purpose  of  story-telling,  &c,  and  to  these 
gatherings  they  still  give  the  name  r^ojuiTOeACC. 


CONGHAL  CLAIRIXGHXEACH.  39 

even  were  all  the  men  of  Ireland  there,  they  would  have 
attacked  them  then.  Conghal  drew  up  his  army,  and  on  doing 
so  he  saw  the  countless  host  of  Fergus  mac  Rosa  approaching; 
and  he  saw  Fergus  in  the  forefront  of  the  host,  and  he  noticed 
him  instructing  his  people  and  telling  them  to  lower1  their 
battle-spears,  for  they  were  not  marching  to  strife.  Conghal 
heard  that,  and  came  from  one  army  to  the  other,  and  threw 
his  arm  round  the  neck  of  Fergus,  kissed  him,  and  welcomed 
him.  "  Your  coming  is  welcome,  O  great  King  Fergus,"  said 
he  (for  he  never  applied  any  epithet3  to  Fergus  save  :  O  great 
king)  ;  and  he  told  him  what  he  was  about.  "  That  does  not 
matter,"  said  Conghal,  "for  everything  we  have  you  must  share 
it;  and  if  I  should  get  the  kingdom  of  all  Ireland,  yours  would 
be  the  chief  place  in  it ;  and  it  is  futile  for  the  Clann  Rury  to 
oppose  me  when  you  alone  have  come  to  join  us."  Fergus 
encamped  then,  and  his  tents  were  fixed  up  and  their  sheds 
and  huts:  erected. 


XVII. 

They  held  a  meeting  in  Conghal's  tent  afterwards  ;  and 
Conghal  rested  his  elbow  on  the  down-strewn  bed  and  on 
the  border-pillow  round  the  couch,  and  Fachtna  Fionn  File 
proceeded  to  entertain  him  ;  and  the  false  sense  came  upon 
him,  viz.,  sleep  ;  and  he  beheld  a  wondrous  vision4  and  dream, 
and  he  started  up  straight  on  the  floor  of  the  tent  and  bared 
his  sword.  Fachtna  Fionn  File  arose,  and  quickly  joined  his 
two  royal  hands  round  him.    "  Hail!  King  Conghal !"  said  he, 


1  N.B.  this  sign  of  peace.  2  gnu  =  '  word,  epithet.'  3  belf^AtA  :  cf. 

Hogan,  "  Cath  R.  na  Rig,"  Gloss.  Index.  4  The  jn'r  and  Aifling 

or  vision  have  always  been  popular  in  Irish  literature.  Students  of  the 
modern  literature  will  find  numerous  examples  of  their  poetic  adaptation  to  the 
expression  of  political  and  patriotic  discontent  in  the  Airlingi  of  O'Rahilly, 
O'  Sullivan, Sec.  Vide  Fr.  Dinneen's  ed.,  "  Poems  of  Egan  O'Rahilly,"  Ir.  Texts 
Soc. 


40  cAiunenn  con$Ait  cLAimnSnij;. 

CongAit,"  A.p  re,  "7  cpeo  A.t>connAiicAip  cpe-o'  co'oLat)  ?  " 
"  A"OconnA.ncA.p  A.ipLmcc  UA.cmA.n  longAncAc  pop^pAnnA,"  A.pi 
•pe,  "  A.n  neoc  cue  cocpAt)  menmAn  7  A-igencA.  •6&111."  "  Cnco 
A.t>connA-pcA,ir,  a.  ^15?"  A.n  )?A.ccnA  pmn  -pile.  " At>connAncA.r 
mo  -out  Api  rAicce  p-eupijiA-ip  pionnmoin,  7  copic  aILait) 
upbA'OA.c  "oo  ce5iTiA.1t  A.m'  A.5AT0  Ann  7  cumupc  •oumn  pie 
cete,  7  <vp  mo  ftuAi^pi  tnte  '60,  7  a  cuicnnpium  bmpA.  rA. 
•oeoTO  1  ecpiocAib  m  combA/inn";  7  it>bepc  m  Laoi  Ant)  : 

A-ocormA^c  Aiftmj,  a  uLIca, 

VeocAi|\  ti-goite  !  (i°) 
AiJcomiAjAC  A|\  mo  pl,UAij  mle 

j\e  fluAJ  oile ; 
A-oconnA^c  mo  •out  a\\  RAicce 

cLAji  p'aji  t?iormm6f\ ; 
A-ocomiAjvc  cope  aLLmt>  AtlOAlt 

A1A  A  Ii-UJaLajA  ; 

Ar)connAi]AC  me  t?ejA  -oo  cepnom 

cpe  mo  gtonnAcc ; 
Cuccuf  bAf  •oo'n  cojac  cjAe  cjAom  a]ac 

T)'ul,C  AT)COnnA|AC. 


XVIII. 

"bepipi  bpeAC  nA  h-Aiptinje  pn  -OAmpA.,"  A.p  ConJA-l. 
"beunmA.oiT),  iirmp-po,"  A.n  "£AccnA  p-inn  pie  7  An  pnA-oc 
•op\A.oi  :  "  Ap  1  A.n  pAicce  A.-p  a.  bp-A.cA.ip  vo  beic  .1.  "oo  *6ut  A.n 
rA/ippge,  7  Ar  e  A.n  cope  a.LIai-6  A.-oconnAncAip,  A.LLniAppA.c 
•00  beuptA.  ca.c  A.pi  pAippge  "oinc  7  •oo  jjeubAip  eiccion  mon 
uA.CA.1t)  (20)  7  "oopAoc  A.n  cope  tecpA.  .1.  a.  ci jeApinA." 
"A^ur  A.r  copmtnt  50  nopipeA,ncA.,"  Ap  ConJAl,  "7  -oenA. 
■pA.ipt)ine  pipe  t)A,m,  a.  ^jaaoic,  c'aic  a  bpuijeAnn  An  eiccion 
mop  rm."     X)o  cua.1-6  (30)  "PpAoc  a  mumijm    a.  peA.pA   7   a 

(1°)  t?eocAi|\  n-goite  ;  a  common  poetic  cheville.         (20)  O.  Ir.,  uat>  =  from 
him.  (30)  t)o  cuato  has  supplanted  in  later  texts  the  earlier  narrative  form 

U11D. 


1  Lit.,  anguish  of  mind  and  intellect.  2  The  opinion  has  somehow 

got  ground  that  these  verse  passages  are  more  or  less  excrescences  on  the  general 


COXGHAL  CLAIRIXGHXEACH.  41 

and  what  sawest  thou  in  thy  sleep?"  "I  beheld  a  dire, 
wondrous,  and  hideous  vision,"  said  he,  "  of  him  who  caused 
me  mental  and  intellectual  anguish."1  <;  What  sawest  thou> 
O  king?"  said  Fachtna  Fionn  File.  "  I  saw  myself  journeying 
over  a  grass-green  and  very  white  plain,  and  a  dreadful  wild 
boar  coming  towards  me  ;  we  fight  with  one  another,  and  all 
my  host  is  slain  by  him,  and  in  the  end  of  the  struggle  he  is 
slain  by  me  " ;  and  then  he  recited  the  poem  : 

I  saw  a  vision,  O  Ulstermen, 

Fierce  the  valour ! 
I  saw  my  whole  host  slain 

By  another. 
I  beheld  me  journeying  on  a  plain, 

Smooth,  winding,  white,  expanding  ; 
I  beheld  a  fearful  wild  boar 

On  its  surface. 
I  beheld  one  escaping 

Through  my  bravery  ; 
I  slew  the  boar  through  great  valour 

Evil  I  saw  ! 2 


XVIII. 

"Explain  that  dream  to  me,"  said  Conghal.  "We  shall 
indeed,"  said  Fachtna  Fionn  File  and  Fraoch  the  Druid  :  ''the 
plain  on  which  you  were  means  your  journeying  by  sea  ;  and 
the  wild  boar  you  saw  is  a  foreigner  who  shall  give  battle  to 
you  on  the  sea,  and  you  shall  be  in  dire  straits  through  him, 
and  the  boar  shall  fall  by  you,  its  lord."  "  That  is  very3 
likely,"  said  Conghal;  "  and  prophesy  truly  to  me,  O  Fraoch, 
as  to  where  I  shall  be  in  those  dire  straits.'"  Fraoch  had 
recourse  to  his  knowledge  and  learning  ;  and  knowledge  was 
revealed  to  him    and  ignorance  concealed  from    him  ;4    and 

narrative.  This  is  scarcely  so  :  they  appear  to  me  rather  to  produce  the  effect  of 
a  Greek  chorus  in  taking  up  and  re-emphasising  the  main  theme.  The  difficulty 
in  translating  them  has  no  doubt  lost  them  the  favour  of  edi:  rs.  ;  'Very,'  in 

the  older  sense  of  the  word.  *  A  not  uncommon  mode  of  expression. 


42  cAiuneim  coti^aiL  ctAimriSni$. 

eobtnr  7  no  cuipet)  por  t>6  7  noceibe&"6  Ainpor  pAip,  7  CAimc 
■o'lonnpoijno  Cong^ib,  7  p&npcvijjeA-p  Conj^b  -|xeut^  t>e, 
7  no  pie^&inptnri   e,  7  At>bepc  : 

Sgel  biom  tunc  .  a  nig  ne.b 
"Pop  fAicce  ptuAij  .  An  gmorii  gen 
CaU,  'fA11  moij  .   gAippt)  bnom 
■peAnpiTo  jruib  .  pgi  ■oneAnn 
Af  gl/Aiin  niAt)  .  t>encAir  bnom 
nion  A11  reel. 

S5eb. 

"  1f  A-ob^t  An  moinp^eb  pn,"  an  Congest,  "7  bit)  At)bAb 
pie  mnipm  e,  7  "oenpSv  pMpome  ebe  tiAmpA,  cionnur  biAr  mo 
CAtruJAt)  7  mo  cog-^t)  tio'ri  cunpA  7  penccup  m&c  l^e"oe,  in 
n-j&btnnnp  1lije  n-tlbA'o  t>o'n  cupp^";  7  vo  cttAit)  "PpAoc 
A-pip  a  nunnijin  a  eobtnp  7  a  i-ojUiiic^,  7  -po  poibtpjeAt) 
pninne  t>6,  7  cahhc  m&n  a  pi&ibe  Con^&b.  "Hi  ^AbAip 
nije  n-tlbAt)  "oo'n  cupipA,  a  Con^Aib,"  aji  ppiAoc,  "  7 
ctn-ppn  Apt  pMpipicce  cu  7  eipeoc&  pepiccup  pope  pie  pvoA  7 
cuipp-ocepi  1  n-ibcipib>  ciAnA  coiiiAij;ce&cA  cu  50  ccAicppi  p\e 
£At>A  mncib  .1.  CU15  bbiAtmA  t)eg  7  guptAb  a  cpiocAib 
LocbAnn  geubAr  cu  nepic  7  11150  Ap  cup  7  gebcApi  bpui^en 
one  Ann  7  5eubr&(i°)  bptnjen  -po|\  ne^c  eile  .1.  -pon  pepiccup 
111AC  l/e-oe,  7  no  p>AocpAt)  rbtiAij  7  -pocnuToe  iomt>A  Ann 
eAt)ntnb,  7  beit>  cobb&  cno-oen^A  1m  An  m-bntnjm  pn  7 
jeubAinp  neApic  CneAnn  tube  510-6  p-At>A  50  ntnge";  7 
Atibenr:  An  bAoi   Ant)  : — 

AbAin  niom,  a  £j\aoic  niojtiA 
An  fenf a  An  fbwA§  bnon  thojIa  ? 
Cionnur  bennt),  cobinb  gur  ! 
"O'An  ccojat)  Agtif  peAnccur? 
"OofAOCfAC  (20)  pluAij;  a  m-bnuijm, 
t)eiT>  cuinp  cenpcA  tji  1  rtnbib  ; 
t)oj:AocfAC  rbuAij  tmiie  tie, 
CAbb  Ag  coJAib  ha  bntngne  ; 

(i°)   jeub  r  a.    In  Mid.  Irish  y&  occurs  rarely  as  part.  aug.  of  2nd  sg.  in  place 
of  the  commoner  ru.  (20)  •oorAonr  ac  =  3rd  pi.  S.-fut.  of  cumin,  '  I  fall.' 


COXGHAL  CLAIRIXGHXEACH.  43 

he  came  to  Conghal  and  Conghal  sought  information  from 
him,  and  he  answered  and  said  : 

I  have  a  story  to  tell  you.  O  bright  king ! 
On  the  green,  hosts  !  sharp  the  deed  ! 
Yonder  on  the  plain,  ravens  shall  shriek. 
Blood  shall  flow,  rages  strife,1 
Pure  hero,  he  saw  sorrow,2 
Great  the  story ! 

"  Fearful  is  that  great  story,"  said  Conghal,  "  and  fearful  its 
narration  ;  and  prophesy  again  to  me  as  to  how  I  shall  fare 
in  my  fighting  and  warring  on  that  occasion  with  Fergus 
mac  Lede,  and  as  to  whether  I  obtain  the  kingdom  of  Ulster 
this  time."  Fraoch  again  had  recourse  to  his  knowledge  and 
learning,  and  the  truth  was  revealed  to  him,  and  he  came 
to  Conghal.  "  You  shall  not  get  the  kingdom  of  Ulster  this 
time,  O  Conghal,"  said  Fraoch :  "  and  you  shall  be  sent  out  on 
the  sea,3  and  Fergus  shall  oppose  you  a  long  while,  and  you 
shall  be  sent  into  many  distant  foreign  lands,  and  you  shall 
spend  a  long  time  in  them,  viz.,  fifteen  years.  In  the  land  of 
Lochlann  you  shall  first  get  power  and  a  kingdom  ;  and  a 
palace  shall  be  given  [?]  to  you,  and  you  shall  take  a  palace 
from  another  person,  viz.,  from  Fergus  mac  Lede  ;  and  hosts 
and  many  multitudes  shall  fall  through  you,  and  blood-red 
bodies  shall  be  round  that  palace  ;  and  you  shall  receive  the 
power  of  all  Ireland,  long  though  it  be  till  then";  and  he 
recited  the  lay  : — 

Tell  me,  O  regal  Fraoch, 

"Whether  I  shall  bring  vengeful  sorrow  on  the  host  ? 

How  shall  we  fare,  floods  of  strength  ! 

In  our  fight  with  Fergus  ? 

Hosts  shall  fall  in  a  palace, 

Bodies  thereby  shall  be  lacerated  and  in  gore  : 

Thereby  hosts  shall  fall  by  us, 

Yonder  at  the  destruction  of  the  palace. 


1  Lit.,    'weaving  of  strifes.'      Wind.,    •or»enn    =   (a)    •strife';    \b.  'rough.' 
-  t)er»CAif  bpon  =  ■  he  saw  sorrow  ';  MS.,  bpoin,  however.  3  It  is  perhaps 

unnecessary  to  point  out  the  artifice  by  which  the  story-teller  anticipates  in  the 
vision  the  events  in  Part  II.,  and  thus  links  the  episodes  together. 


44  CAiunenn  con$Ait  ctAimn5ni$. 

Slime  CUJACAjA  CA]\  t?A1]A]\5e 

5o  gAllmb  ha  5lAf]TAi|V]A5e ; 

Si  AT)]* AH   A1lUf  fUmi   Af  CIjA 

ni  1i-eAt)  bu  Ait  tnroe,  a  pAAOic. 

AbAij\. 


XIX. 

"  TDenuAn  coiiiAinbe  Aguibre,  a  65A,  umie  pn,"  An  ConijAb, 
*'  7  CAbAin  rriAice  An  mumcine  cugAinn."  UuccAt)  cucca 
■oa  itiac  K.15  ConnAcc  7  itiac  TI15  b-Aijen  7  tTluineA"OAC  ni«,c 
Hi  Abb  An  7  AnAt>Ab  nuc  ftij  Concent)  7  &  cni  coiiroAbcA'OA 
rem  .1.  pnAoc  7  pence  7  p-picuAp  7  no  A151U,  CongAb  uibe 
ia-o,  7  At)benc  niu :  "  A-ocbumci  pipcirie  bAn  n-onuAJ,  a 
65A,"  An  re,  "  7  "oencAn  coiiiAinbe  Agtnbre  uime  pn." 
"T)enA  rem  7  Paccua  pnn  pie,"  An  iat>  fAn,  "  uAin  if  aji 
bAn  coiiiAinbe  &ti]:Miiine(ic)  uibe."  "T)enA  coiiiAinbe  "oumn, 
a  Paccua,"  An  ConJAb.  "A]'  1  mo  c6iiiAi]ibe-p  "6ib,"  An  m 
pte,  "  gAn  cac  jau  cojat)  gAn  compiA^nA  An  UbbcAib  t>o'n 
t>ubrA  UAin  ni  b-iAT>  A-p  cioucac  nib."  "  1r  pop  pn,"  aj\ 
ConjAb,  "  7  ei]ije,6  pi  op  UAimp  50  1i-e-AmAin  7  AbnAt)  ne 
b-tlbbcAib  An  neoc  bur  CAnATO  7  bur  ponniumcen  T>AirirA  t>ib 
cejuit)  bem  (20)  An  m  poguib  7  5AC  tie&c  jur  bA  reAnn  AnAt) 
a  brocAin  peAnccurA  imc  Le-oe.  "  Cia  nACur  Annpn  Abe?" 
An  iAt)rAn.  "  AngotrA  hiac  Anbum  Ateicin,"  An  epun,  "  7 
ciccit>  Dnicne  Ann," — UA111  ni  nAibe  citjennA  bunATo  A5 
Ojucne  Annpn  acc  (30)  "Penccup  UAin  Ar  be  penccur  "oo  cuato 
Dnicne.  tlAin  m  nAibe  tn^eAnnA  bunAit)  j\iatti  aj  Dnicne 
acc  penccup  uai]\  nin  -putumg  ne&c  eibe  nenVimge  Ojucne 
niAin  acc  peA-pccup — "  7  ionnroiji-6  50  h-&AinAm,"  An 
ConJAb,  "  .1.  5AC  neAC  bur  CAnuno  •oumn  •©'  "UlbcAib  ce^AX) 
50  b-AonAC  UuAToe  7  nAJmui'one  50  t)benA   ConnA  Cjunco- 

(i°)  A]ApAim-ne  :   1st  pi.  fut.  of  AiiAitn,   '  I  await.' 
(20)  bem  =  Mod.  Ir.  bom. 
(30)  MS.,  act). 


COXGHAL  CLAIRIXGHXEACH.  45 

We  are  sent  over  sea 
To  the  foreigners  of  the  green  sea : 
They  have  come  hither  from  land, 
That  is  not  what  we  wished,  O  Fraoch. 


XIX. 

"  Be  advised  thereon,  warriors,"  said  Conghal,  "  and  bring 
hither  the  chiefs  of  our  people  to  us.5'  The  two  sons  of  the 
king  of  Connaught  and  the  son  of  the  king  of  Leinster,  and 
Muiredach,  son  of  the  king  of  Scotland,  and  Anadhal,  son  of 
the  king  of  the  Conchenns,  and  his  three  own  fosterlings, 
Fraoch  and  Ferg  and  Frithuas,  came  to  them  ;  and  Conghal 
conversed  with  them  all,  and  said  :  "You  hear  the  prophecy 
of  your  druids,  O  warriors,"  said  he,  "  and  take  counsel 
thereon."  "  Let  you  and  Fachtna  Fionn  File  do  so,"  said 
they  ;  "  for  it  is  your  counsel  we  shall  all  await."  "  Give  us 
advice,  O  Fachtna,"  said  Conghal.  "  My  advice  to  you."  said 
the  poet,  "  is  not  to  attack,  war  on,  or  challenge  the  Ulstermen 
on  this  occasion,  for  it  is  not  they  who  are  guilty  towards 
you."  "  That  is  true,"  said  Conghal,  "  and  let  a  message  be 
sent  to  Emain  from  me  ;  and  tell  the  Ulstermen  to  have  him 
who  is  a  friend  and  true  kinsman  to  me  come  with  me  on 
this  foray  ;  and  whoever  prefers  it  let  him  remain  with  Fergus 
mac  Lede."  "Who  shall  go  thither?"  said  they.  "  Angotha 
mac  Anluin  Aleitir,"  said  he,  "  and  let  Bricne  go  "  (for  Bricne 
had  no  over-lord  there  save  Fergus,  for  it  is  with  Fergus  Bricne 
went.  Bricne  never  had  any  over-lord  save  Fergus,  for  no 
other  person  would  stand  the  virulence  of  Bricne  save 
Fergus).'*  "Let  them  go  to  Eamain,"  said  Conghal,  "and 
whichever  of  the  L'lstermen  is  friendly  to  us,  let  him  come 
to  Aonach  Tuaidhe,  and  we  shall  go  to  Blena  Corra  Crion- 

1  I  ha*>e  placed  this  description  of  Bricne  in  brackets  as  being  evidently  the 
words  of  the  narrator  and  not  of  Conghal.  Of  course  in  the  MS.  there  is  no 
indication  as  to  whom  they  belong.  Punctuation,  inverted  commas,  fyc.  are 
the  work  of  the  editor.     Similarly,  infra. 


46  cAitneitn  coii5Ait  ctAmin$ni$. 

pAij, — pipA  pAicep  LenA  An  §ApbAit)  ^11  CAnrA";  7  -oo  pmne 
An  Laoi  Anx>  : 

A  AnjocA  encc  50  h-ernom 
50  clomn  fhronAije  neAbAij  ; 
Cestui)  50  li-AotiAc  CuAitie, 
CunA1T>  Cn6t)A  cnAobpuAToe ; 
AcAtnoi'one  lion  caca 
t)o  •oejifiACAib  ■oejfbACA ; 
Af  f  eAn  cet)  jac  AompeAn  'Dili 
■Do  neoc  iaoaj*  'rnAn  Ainxinij  ; 

5AC  A011  T3lb  AnUf  ADUf 

11a  fenAiin  piti  An  ^enccuf 

fllAt)  penn  Leo  aiiat)  a^a 

AOAinp  niu,  a  AnjocA. 

A  AngocA. 

Ajup  CAn5At)A]A  nA  ceAccA  pm  nompA  50  h-e-Arhtnn  7 
cAnjA'OAn  50  ce§  nA  Ttiot;pAit)e  a  n-6Aiiioin  An  CAnpn. 
Apip  Af  Ann  -00  bi  peApccup  rnAc  "Let)e  7  niAcpAi-oe  eipent) 
uime  Ann  7  popAppMJ  p^eubA  -oibpom.  "CAnAr  CAnA^A- 
bAip,  i*oin,  a  AnjocA  ?"  An  "Pepccup.  "  An  bAite  Ar  a  bpnb 
A"6b"  An  pbACA  CneAnn,"  Ap  An^ocA,  "  7  1111c  nioj  nA  h-CoppA 
inme  Ant)  .1.  Con^At  itiac  tltropAije  a  n-ion^nup  nA  pbACA 
pep  ecu  f  a."  "  Cpet)  A-obAp  bAp  n-iomtuAi-dp  UAToe,  eit>ip  ?" 
a]a  "peApgup.  "  UAngAmAinne  An  ceAnn  clomne  Ttu-opAije," 
An  bpicne,  "  $ac  Aon  t>ib  lenb5  Aib  peApgur  7  Con^Ab  "oo 
leAnniAm  UAip  Ap  feApp  "o'lApniAipc  -661b  e  ha  beic  1 
n-tlbtxoib;  7  jac  Aon  nAC  bA  CApA  "oumne  t)iob,"  A]\  Dnicne, 
"  Aip5pt>ep  a  cnioc  7  a  pepAnn  7  bit)  biot)bAit)  pnne  "661b 
t)ojnep"  "  Hi  bA-6  UAbAipc(i°)  aja  pn,"  Ap  tliAbb  Hiaiti- 
jtonnAC  niAC  tlu-onuToe,  "tiAin  jac  neAc  Ap  a  m-benuimne 
•6ib,  m  nACAt)  cucAp^n  7  "oa  n-t)ect)Aoip  Ant)  por  nobeAnpt>en 
a  cpioc  7  a  pen  Ann  t)ib,  7  An  pep  "00  cuAit>  Ant)  "oigeotcAp 
pAip  e"  .1.  "pepccup  niAc  "RopA, — 6  nAch  per  a  jmorhnAroe  ^Aibe 
niAt)   ^ore, — "uAin   t)in5eubAt)rA   a   coi^eAt)  (20)   t)'llLlcoib 

(i°)  UAbAinc  =  pjAOAinc,  onset.  (2°)  MS.,  cogAt) :  changed  to 

coijeAt),  passim. 

1  2?£dJ  Branch:  the  popular  translation  has  been  adopted.     '-  Lit.,  '  material,' 


CONGHAL  CLAIRIXGHNEACH.  47 

cosaigh  (called  Lena  an  Garbhaidh  at  this  time)"  ;  and  he 
composed  the  poem  : 

O  Angotha,  go  to  Eamain 

To  the  pleasant  Clann  Rury  ; 

To  Aonach  Tuaidhe  let  come 

The  brave  warriors  of  the  Red  Branch.1 

We  have  a  full  complement 

Of  noble  sons  of  noble  princes, 

The  equal  of  a  hundred  is 

Every  one  of  those  who  press  round  the  Ardrigh. 

Every  one  of  them  yonder  or  here, 

In  his  own  land  with  Fergus 

If  they  prefer  to  remain, 

Tell  them,  O  Angotha. 

The  messengers  came  to  Eamain,  and  then  went  to  the 
house  of  the  kings  of  Eamain.  Fergus  mac  Lede  was  there, 
and  the  warriors  of  Ireland  round  him,  and  he  asked  their 
business.  "Whence  come  ye,  indeed,  O  Angotha?"  said 
Fergus.  "  From  the  place  where  is  the  fountain-head2  of 
the  princedom  of  Ireland,"  said  Angotha,  "and  the  sons  of 
the  kings  of  Europe  round  him  there,  viz.,  Conghal  mac 
Rudraighe,  who  has  been  deprived  of  the  principality  of 
Fergus."  "What  is  the  cause  of  your  coming  from  him?" 
said  Fergus.  "  We  come  to  the  Clann  Rury,"  said  Bricne, 
"  in  order  to  learn  who  would  like  to  follow  Fergus  and 
Conghal,  for  better  consequences  would  accrue  to  them  from 
that  than  if  they  were  to  remain  in  Ulster ;  and  in  the  case 
of  every  one  of  them  who  shall  not  be  our  friend,"  said  Bricne, 
his  territory  and  land  shall  be  devastated,  and  we  shall  be 
ever  enemies  to  him."  "  That  would  not  be  a  prosperous 
onslaught,"  said  Niall  Niamhglonnach  mac  Rudhruighe,  "  for 
whoever  is  seized  by  us  he  shall  not  go  to  them  ;  and  if,  how- 
ever, they  should  go,  their  territory  and  land  shall  be  taken 
from  them  ;  and  he  who  did  go  there  shall  have  vengeance 
taken  upon  him  "  {i.e.  Fergus  mac  Rosa,  for  his  deeds  of 
valour  were  not  known  even  up  to  that),3  "  for  I  shall  ward  off 

cause.'  3  The  mere  idea  of  vengeance  being  wreaked  on  Fergus  is  evidently 

repellent  to  the  mind  of  the  narrator — hence  this  apologetic  aside. 


48  cAiuReitn  con<5Ai"l  cUm  11111  $1115. 

tube."  "  Uiucp&it)  juocp&,  i>.  fleibt,"  &]\  "bpucne,  "  &  n-6.b]\Mx> 
pie  "pe&piccup,  u&ip  m  bi&iT)  t>o  f^oJAt  a^at)  &cc  50 
ccoiripitnce  pe  "Pepccup,  7  &-p  1  x>o  cpioc  &omcpioc  t)V  n-^' 
nep&  a  h-&pcctnn  1  11-tllbcMb";  7  po  b<vo&p  n&  ce&cc&  &n 
Ait)ce  rin  1  n-6Airi&in. 


XX. 

1omcup&  Cong&ib,  pob&oi  1  cC&pn  rn&cu  DuA.c^tt^(i°)  t 
bAp-iiie-oon  tlb^t)  An  oix>ce  pm  7  po  eipij;  50  moc  &p  n-& 
ni&p&c  con&  -plu,6^1i.Mb  7  c&ti5<yo.cvp  co  uteris  copp&  Cpion- 
cof-MJ  7  pog&b&t)  pocc  7  bongpopc  ac&  Ann   &n   AToce  pn. 

1omcup&  ih  ce&cc&  1  n-e-.Mnh.Mn  CAiigMO&ppen  poinp& 
niocquc  &]\  11-&  iii&p.cvC  "o'lonnpoi 51*6  C0115A1I,,  7  i&p  pocco-m 
•061b  -oo  p&npMj;  £&ccn&  pnn  pte  pceub&  "61b :  "  cpet)  po 
pATope-o^p  rnMce  ctomne  Ru-optn-oe  pib."  "  T)o  ponp&t) 
bpij  beg  "oibp,"  &p  bpicne,  "  7  g&c  c&pA  -oibpi  -oo  ct&nn&i'b 
ftu'opui'de  be&npM*opiun  &  cpich  7  &  -pep&nn  'oib,  7  po  p.M"6 
HiA,tL  lliMrigbonn&c  50  ivoingeubAT)  b&p  ccoige&t)  p&  tube 
•o'tlbbcMb  ";  "  7  C115  oibbpi&c&p,"  &p  "pe&pccup,  "  7  111  cucc 
&ipiorri  1m'  501b  110  mi'  5^1-pcit)  ei"oep."  "Ap  ir  bpi&c&p 
•o&mpA,"  &p  £e.&pccup,  "  50  n-tnjeotc&p  pMppmm  pn  x>& 
bpeu-o&pp&."  '"Oo  pet)&pp&  m&p  ip  coip  -61b  "oo  "Dentin,"  &p. 
"P&cciia  pnn  pbe,  "  cAbpMx>  pop  t)&  b&p  cc^ntut)  (20) 
7  ccvbpMt)  cugMb  v>£s  b&p  11-A.c^bbMri  imo."  "  tl&c&it)  (3°) 
pop1  u&imp,"  &p  Conj&b,  "  &p  ce&nt>  nVoi"oe.i.  "pionnc&n  pi&b 
rn&c  Ixu-optiToe  7  ccvbpMt)  a  cpi  line  beip  .1.  tTleipne,  Seiiine, 
7  t^c^i]\ne";  7  cmpe-oh  &  n-ex>e  7  &  n-m-oite  .<sp  cuniMpce 
Anrnpgni  50  TDun  Sob&ipce  ;   7  it>be&pu  mi  I&61  aito  : 

Ctnncej\  por-  co  ponntAti  p'aL 
Co  1i-oi|\cep  Steibe  SemntiAt), 
~\y  ca1jai}\  cugA-mn  aiiiacIi 
V101111CA11  cpo-OA  C0|^CA|\Ac1l  ; 

(i°)  itiacu  :  O.  Ir.  word  =  '  descendants.'  (2D)  Dat.  sg.,  sic  MS. 

(30)  Fut.  3rd  sg. 


CONGHAL  CLAIRINGHNEACH.  49 

all  his  province  of  Ulster."  "  There  will  happen  to  you,  O 
Niall,"  said  Bricne,  "what  you  say  of  Fergus,  for  you  shall 
not  live  save  through  contest  with  Fergus,  and  your  territory 
is  the  very  one  in  Ulster  which  is  nearest  plundering"  ; 
and  the  messengers  were  that  night  in  Eamhain. 

XX. 

As  to  Conghal,  he  was  in  Cam  Macu  Buachalla,  in  the 
heart  of  Ulster,  that  night ;  and  he  arose  early  on  the  morrow 
with  his  hosts,  and  came  to  Blena  Corra  Crioncosaigh ;  and 
they  halted  and  encamped  there  that  night. 

As  to  the  messengers  in  Eamhain,  they  came  early  on  the 
morrow  towards  Conghal ;  and  having  reached  him,  Fachtna 
Fionn  File  asked  news  of  them,  saying :  "  What  did  the 
chiefs  of  the  Clann  Rury  say  to  you?"  "They  made  small 
account  of  you,"  said  Bricne,  "  and  for  every  friend  of  yours 
amongst  the  Clann  Rury,  they  will  take  his  territory  and 
his  land ;  and  Niall  Niamhglonnach  says  that  he  would 
ward  off  your  whole  province  of  Ulster."  "  He  swore, 
and  took  no  notice,  indeed,  of  my  valour  or  bravery,"  said 
Fergus.  "  Now  I  swear,"  said  Fergus,  "  that  that  shall  be 
avenged  upon  him  if  I  can."  "  I  know  what  is  right  for  you  to 
do,"  said  Fachtna  Fionn  File,  "  send  for  your  friends,  and  bring 
them  to  a  conference  with  you."  "  I  shall  send,"  said  Conghal, 
"  for  my  tutor,'  Fionntan  Fial  mac  Rudraighe,  and  let  his  three 
sons  be  brought  with  him,  viz.,  Meirne,  Semne,  and  Lathairne"; 
and  their  armour  and  trappings  were  sent  under  the  care  of 
Aimhergin  to  Dunseverick  ;  and  he  recited  the  poem  : 

Send  to  Fionntan,  the  generous, 
To  the  east  of  Sliabh  Seinnliadh  ; 
And  bring  hither  to  us 
Fiontann  the  brave,  the  valorous  ! 

1  oit)e  =  '  fosterfather,  tutor.'  The  tie  between  fosterfather  and  fosterson  was 
proverbially  strong  in  Ireland.  To  the  fosterfather,  as  here,  the  fosterson 
naturally  looked  for  help. 

E 


50  cAiunenn  cc-ti^aiI  ctAirtin5tii$. 

A^Uf  CAbA1|\  A  Cj\1  rheic 

meij\ne  Af  tACAi|\ne  iAmjiic, 
A^up  Seniine  riiAOit>ep  cac, 

1n  C|MA]A  bf\ACAj\  boj^VpA'OAC  ! 

tYlAt)  •oa  cci  cujAinn,  m  cet,  (i°) 
Aj\  yen  '  aj\  p  1111  pen  -pen, 
Tdto  rnoine  aj\  rn -bnij  if  aj\  rn-bLA§, 
"Out  A]\  a  cent),  if  ctnnceAn. 

CUinCeAjA. 


XXI. 

T)o  cuAtDAn  ceACCA  6  Con  j^L  An  cenn  a  oit)e  .1.  JTionncAn, 
7  cuccAt)  pionncAn  "oa  n-ionnroi^no  7  6  nAimc  50  h-Ainm  1 
nAibe  Con^Ab — "  ITIaic,  a  £ionncAm,"  An  Con  jaI,  "  in  ci^i-ri 
Lmne  An  m  ^oJAib-ri  7  An  m  lonnAnbAt)  no  An  m  t)ibencc  no 
cAToe  t>o  cothAinLe  •oumn  ?"  "  tlin  comA"6ur  a  nAt>A  niomrA 
•out  An  ro^Aib  eix)en,"  An  re,  "  7  nAchAro  mo  cni  mien  teAC, 
7  Ar  1  mo  comAinben  •otnc,"  An  ponncAn,  "j^ti  coccat)  t>o 
"oenAm  net)'  bnAicnib  rem,  UAin  ni  neAc  "bib  Ar  cionncAc 
nioc  acc  H15  CneAnn  7  cogmb  rem  t>o  bLA^b  7  cimcitt 
e-nmn."  "Areb  Ar  Ait  LiomrA,"  An  Con^Ab,  "  penccur  mAC 
UorfA  -oo  but  T)An  ccionn  Tleibt  tliAmgtonnAig  50  *Oun  -oa 
OeAnn  7  t>' 'a  mAnbAb  rem  coiuv  liiACtnb  7  conA  mumcin  7 
•00  CAbAinc  a  bAmcete  conA  bAncnAcc  1  m-bnoit)  .1.  CnAob 
mgen  *OuncAccA";  7  Tobenc  An  Laoi   Ant)  : 

UiAJAm  T)A]\  ccionn  Titiiiie  neilX 
1n  i.n  cac  (2°)  in  An  cjauait)  ceim  ; 
SAliATn  niAtX  pew  co  111-be  1  ccac 
Aguf  CpAob  wgen  t)uncAcc. 
Ainj;cen  tmn  a  irtmncen  rhon 
luin  cfocjAume  7  crbog  ; 

CAbAIjA  A  bAUCjAACC  Ale 

50  mbeiT)  a  n-AonAC  CuAitie. 

(i°)  ni  eel :   1st  sg.  redupl.  (so-called)  fut.  of  celim,  '  I  conceal.'      (20)  cac  : 
in  Mid.  Irish  the  so-called  eclipsing  letters  are  not  invariably  used. 

1  "  O'Rahilly's  Poems,"  xxvi.  160,  cnu   rhulXAig  ah  cr\Ainn    bunnAij   v>o 


COXGHAL  CL.AIRIXGHXEACH.  51 

And  bring  his  three  sons, 

Meirne  and  Lathairne,  the  very  cunning, 

And  Seimhne  who  boasts  of  war ; 

The  three  proud1  brothers ! 

Should  they  come,  I  shall  not  conceal, 

Both  our  old  men  and  our  ancestors, 

And  our  power  and  fame  shall  be  the  greater 

By  going  for  them,  and  [so]  send. 


XXI. 

Messengers  left  Conghal  in  search  of  his  tutor,  Fionntan, 
and  Fionntan  was  brought  to  them  ;  and  when  he  came  to 
where  Conghal  was,  Conghal  said  :  "  Well,  Fionntan !  will  you 
come  with  us  on  this  foray  or  expelling  or  outlawry,  or  what 
do  you  counsel  us?"  "  It  was  not  fitting  to  tell  me2  to  go  on 
a  foray,  indeed,"  said  he,  "  and  my  three  sons  shall  go  with 
you  ;  and  my  counsel  to  you  is  this,"  said  Fionntan,  "  not  to 
war  on  your  own  brothers,3  for  not  one  of  them  is  to  blame 
in  your  regard  save  the  king  of  Ireland  ;  and  sustain  yourself, 
your  fame,  and  circuit  Ireland."  "  What  I  should  like,"  said 
Conghal,  "  is  to  have  Fergus  mac  Rosa  move  against  Xiall 
Niamhglonnach  to  Dun  da  Beann,  and  slay  him  and  his  sons 
and  his  followers,  and  bring  his  wife  Craobh,  daughter  of 
Durthacht,  and  her  female  retinue  captive " ;  and  he  recited 
the  poem  : 

Let  us  move  against  the  Dun  of  Xiall 

In  battle-array,  sternly  marching  ;4 

Seize  Xiall  himself  in  battle, 

And  Craobh, 'daughter  of  Durthacht. 

We  shall  ham-  his  people, 

Multitudes,  and  hosts. 

BriDg  hither  his  female  retinue 

To  Aonach  Tuaidhe. 

ieir\f5piof.     Perhaps  bunn-MJ  =  bonjVf.y6.M5.  2  Possibly  because  of  his 

age.  3  The  stress  laid  upon  the  guiltlessness  of  the  Ultonians  is  obvious 

throughout  the  piece,  and  indicates  -uith  whom  the  sympathies  of  the  narrator  lav. 
4  Lit.,  'in  our  firm  pace.' 

E  2 


52  CAiuneim  con$AiL  ctAimn$ni5. 

HiaI/L  tliAnistontiAc  r\ojeAll  cac 
t)'£ej\ccur  jjAjVb  ^loirmbemneAc. 
t)A|\  cciorm  a  twin,  ^y  moj\  blAJ, 
ITlAfA  micro  Lib,  ciA§Af\.  (i°) 


XXII. 

UAn^AtDAn  "oo'n  Ancctnn  pn  tja  ttiac  Hi  ConnAcc  7  ttiac 
Ri  LAi^en  7  rriAC  Ui  AtbAn  7  AnAttAb  niAC  fti  Concent),  7  nA 
mic  U165  An  cenA,  t>eic  cet)  An  pcic  ce-o  cACAnmAc,  7 
cAnjAt^An  nornpA  co  C&nn  "pencAir  rnoin  t11^  nAicen 
fe&ncur  CArnrA  An  CAnpcv  7  oca  pn  co  "Dun  t)A  De&nn  7  6 
nAnj;At>An  t>o  piA^Ain  fojnA  ^ojiA  jron  f  Aicce  An  bAite,  7 
no  enge-OAn  rtuAig  An  bAite  .1.  nA  cpi  caojato  00  ceAJtAC 
tleitt  nobAoi  Ann  7  GoJAn  pnteAc  mAC  Contntt  CeAnnAig 
•oaIca  t>o  tliAtt  ;  7  t>o  5AbAt)AnrAn  a^  jjAbAit  An  bAite  7 
mthn  nA  cAcnAc  no  jtin  bnipo-oAn  m  mun  7  no  jun  cuineAt) 
cne  ymtnnt)iA-6  7  ■6eACAt)f20)  An  bAite  inte  onnA.  "Ginjm 
"otnnn,  a  ponA,"  An  6oJAn,  "  UAin  buAine  btA"6  nA 
rA0JAt(3°),  7  cAbnAm  cac  ne  cacjiaij  Amtng  -oo  nA  mon- 
ftuA^Aib."  1lo  ^•AgrA'o  An  TDun  7  cu^A'OAn  cac  An  m 
^Aicce  Attitnj  -oo  ftuAtjAib  ConJAit  7  "o'^eAnsur  7  conc- 
nADAn  a  ccoirntion  te  ceA^tAC  Tleiit  7  concAin  cet)  be 
b-6oJAn  pnteAc,  7  t>o  nmnet)  -oun-buAite  (40)  bot>bA  tnme 
Ann  7  t»o  nmnet)  gum  ^AtAnn  (50)  -oe  7  concAin  rriAnb  mA 
cnotmn  1  ccniortAc  a  -pceic  7  no  -oicent)  "Fenjur  e  An  pn,  7 
no  niunAt)  m  bAite  teo  An  niAnbhAt)  CoJAm  7  a  ceAglAij;  7 
no  ctnneAt)  cne  concAin  cemeAt)  tute  e,  7  no  mAnbhAt)  ^ac 
Aon  t)o  bi  meuccA  Ant)  7  jioJAbrAC  a  bnAic  7  a  bocAmce,  a 
feoit>  7  a  riiAome  7  a  lonnrhurA,  a  ctnnm  7  a  copAnnA,  a 
bnAnnub  7  a  pcceAbtA  7  itAn  jaca  niAiceAfA  An  cenA  7  a 
bAncpAccA  cAottiA  cnerjjeAbA. 

(i°)  ciaja|\  :  imperative  3rd  sg.  pass,  of  ciAJAitn,  '  I  go.'  (20)  Sic  MS. 

(30)  One  of  many  such  proverbs  in  Irish.  (4°)  ■omi-buAile:  buAibe;  O.  Ir. 

buAbe  =   '  cow-shed,  pen';  cf.  Anglo-Irish,   '  booley.'  (50)  A  common 

expression  in  the  Irish  tales ;  O'Clery  gives  gAlAtTO  =  gAifceT)  no  tiAtrtAT). 


CONGHAL  CLAIRINGHNEACH.  53 

Niall  Niamhglonnach  proclaimed  war 
On  Fergus  the  rough,  deed-striking. 
Towards  his  Dun,  great  the  glory  ! 
If  ye  think  it  time,  go. 

XXII. 

On  that  harrying  went  the  two  sons  of  the  king  of 
Connaught  and  the  son  of  the  king  of  Leinster  and  the  son 
of  the  king  of  Scotland,  and  Anadhal,  son  of  the  king  of 
the  Conchenns,  and  the  other  kings'  sons,  thirty  hundred  in 
battle-array  ;  and  they  marched  to  Cam  Fertais  Moir,  called 
Feartus  Camsa  at  this  time,1  and  from  that  to  Dun  da  Beann  ; 
and  on  reaching  it,  orders  were  given  to  attack  the  place 
from  the  green  ;  and  the  garrison  of  the  place  rose  up, 
viz.,  thrice  fifty  of  Niall's  household  who  were  in  it,  as  well 
as  Eoghan  Fuileach  mac  Conaill  Cearnaigh,  Niall's  fosterling. 
They  attacked  the  place  and  the  walls  of  the  "  cathir,"  broke 
down  the  wall  ;  and  so  the  whole  place  was  reduced  to  dust 
and  smoke.  "  Rise,  O  men,"  said  Eoghan,  "  for  fame  is  more 
lasting  than  life,  and  give  battle  outside  the  '  cathir '  to  the 
great  hosts."  They  left  the  Dun,  and  gave  battle  on  the 
green  outside  to  the  hosts  of  Conghal  and  Fergus  ;  and  their 
full  complement  fell  at  the  hands  of  Niall's  household,  and 
a  hundred  fell  at  the  hands  of  Eoghan  Fuileach,  and  a  war- 
like fortress-pen  was  made  round  him,  and  a  wound  of 
lances  was  made  of  him,  and  he  fell  dead  in  a  gory  pool 
within  the  border  of  his  shield,  and  Fergus  then  beheaded 
him.  When  Eoghan  and  his  household  were  slain,  the  place 
was  razed2  by  them,  and  was  all  fringed  with  fire,  and  all  the 
active  ones  in  it  were  slain  ;  and  they  seized  the  cloaks  and 
herds,  the  jewels  and  treasures  and  riches,  the  goblets  and 
cups,  the  chessmen  and  chessboards3  and  every  kind  of 
wealth  besides,  as  well  as  its  beautiful  fair-skinned  women  folk. 

1  ah  c&r>rA  =  :  at  this  time,'  i.e.  the  time  the  story  was  composed  ;  sic  passim. 
2  murv<Mm  =  '  raze.'     The  verb  has  peculiarly  this  sense.  3  For  an  account  of 

the  discussion  as  to  the  existence  of  a  knowledge  of  the  game  of  chess,  vide 
Joyce,  "  Social  History,"  vol.  ii.,  pp.  477-481. 


54  cMtnenn  congMl  ct,Amiti$ni$. 


XXIII. 

Agur  cucca*6  ror  HiotjAn   An  bAite  1  tAim  teo  .1.  CnAob 

in^en  "OuncACCA  nnc  Acgno,  7  CAn^A-OAn  nompA  50  pencAir 

CAniAir,  7  6"oconriAic  An  mgen   peAnccur  cne  lAn  in  crUiAij 

7  -oo  cog  a  juc  bt,Aic  bAnt>A  or  Aint)  :  "  a  nij,  a  pencctnr,(i°) 

eccoin  'OU1C  cumAt  7  ben-bnoix>e  "oo  *6enAm  "o'ln^in  "6eio:in 

"o'tlttuoib   7   "oo   mnAOi  p]\   mAic    -oo    ctAnnAib  "RtmnuToe." 

"*Oa  rrerAmnp  "oo  beic  AmiPro  fin,"  aj\  "Penccur,  "tioc& 

beceA    7   AniiAin   t>o   fe,OA|i    iioca  biA;    7    ca  l,Aim   acai,   a 

nioj;Ain  ?"    An    re.     "1    tAim    AnAt)Ait   imc    Hi    Concent)    7 

OiIioIIa  nnc  Aincijb,"  An  p.     "  Leiccit)  "OAiiirA  An  mjen," 

An  penccur,  "7  bi-6(2°)  mo  cuto  -oo'n  cneic  tnte  Aginb  "o'a 

citin."     fto  teiccrioc  An  mjen  UACAib  lAnpn   7  t)o  irm^rioc 

nA  rUiAijh  UAice  Amnrem   7  norA^At)  An  mjen  nA  b-AonAp 

a|a  bnu  nA  DAnnA ;  7  6t)connAic  An   cpeAC  mop  feocA  Ag  nA 

rtuAJjtnb,  7  6-oconnAic  *Oun  t>a  bent)  An  n-A  LorcA-6  7  An  n-A 

Anccum  tnle :  "SAec  bom  c'pAir^in    AmtAit)  fin,"  An  fi,  "  7 

bA  b-AX)bA  11105   7  not)Aome  tu  50  ccnApoA  7  nob'  iotttoa 

mAome  7  mAicerA  ionnAt)  7  Ar  nioj"OA  An  cneAC  At)ciAmAit)," 

An  fi,    "  7  Ar  mAincc  -o'a  n-A[t>]  'b-erccAnA  e  ;    7  bit)  (30) 

pij  A-p  bpomij  (40)  bAnbA  e,  7  jac  fAipome  "oofgJmueAp  "66 

pioppuroeAp  7  comAilceAn  tnle  iAt),  7  m  tioniiiAp  T)un  t)A 

DeAnn  CAp  eif  mumnpe  ConJAil  7  peApccup a  ";  7  At)bepc 

An  t,Aoi  Ann  : 

£Af Ach  Amu  t)un  •oa  'betro 
1  ]\Ai1ie  mojmii'o  rxo-ceAnT) : 

(l°)  a  trepccuif :  the  voc.  of  reoccur-  is  usually  written  with  the  contraction 
for  'us.'  It  would  read  then  correctly  a  £er\ccur,  the  gen.  being  rer^nr-fA. 
However,  the  older  voc.  has  been  replaced  by  the  form  ■ferxccui)' even  in  early 
Middle  Irish.  It  is,  however,  possible  to  hold  that  £er>ccinf  should  read 
Vepccur1,  passim.  (20)  3rd  sg.  imperative  subst.  verb — O.  Ir.  biid,  biith, 

bith.     O.  Ir.  2nd  pi.  imper.  biid  occurs  in  our  text.  (30)  bm  =  O.  Ir.  bid, 

3rd  sg.  fut.  of  copula.     I  take  e  to  refer  to  Conghal.  (4°)  bnoirng  for 

b)\oirme(?):  distinguish  oblique  cases  ofbpu,  '  stomach,'  from  br\oiiine,  '  breast.' 
Cf.  a  ucc  7  a  bjumroi  a  cir\  A|\AbiA;  a  bmi  a  lot)Ain  :  Cod.  Pal.  Vat.^ 
MacCarthy,  Todd  Lect.,  vol.  iii.,  p.  25. 


COXGHAL  CLAIRIXGHXEACH.  55 

XXIII. 

The  queen  of  the  place,  Craobh,  daughter  of  Durthacht 
mac  Athgno,  was  also  taken  by  them,  and  they  came  to 
Fertas  Camais  ;  and  the  girl  saw  Fergus  amidst  the  host,  and 
she  raised  aloft  her  sweet-womanly  voice,  crying :  "  O  King 
Fergus,  it  is  unjust  for  you  to  make  a  handmaid  and  bond- 
woman of  the  daughter  of  a  nobleman  of  the  Ultonians  and 
of  the  wife  of  a  gentleman  of  the  Clann  Rury."  "  Had  I 
known  of  your  being  in  this  plight,"  said  Fergus,  "you 
would  not  be  in  it,  and  immediately  I  am  able  you  shall 
not  be  in  it,  and  in  whose  hands  are  you?"  "In  the  hands 
of  Anadhal,  son  of  the  king  of  the  Conchenns,  and  of  Oilill 
mac  Airthigh,"  said  she.  "  Leave  me  the  girl,"  said  Fergus, 
"  and  let  you  have  my  whole  share  of  the  spoil  instead  of 
her."  l  They  let  the  girl  go  then,  and  the  host  retired  from 
her,  and  the  girl  was  left  alone  on  Brugh  na  Banna  ;  and 
when  she  saw  afar  the  great  havoc  wrought  by  the  hosts, 
and  when  she  saw  Dun  da  Beann  all  burned  and  devastated : 
"  Woe  is  me  to  see  you  in  this  plight,"  said  she,  "  for  you  were 
hitherto  a  dwelling-place  of  kings  and  gentlemen,  and  varied 
was  the  treasure  and  wealth  you  contained,  and  it  is  a  royal 
devastation  we  behold,"  said  she,  "  and  it  is  woe  to  him  who 
is  your  enemy,  and  he  shall  be  king  over  Banba  ;  and  every 
prophecy  made  about  him  shall  be  fully  verified  and  fulfilled, 
and  Dun  da  Beann  is  not  populous  after  the  followers  of 
Conghal  and  Fergus  "  ;  and  she  recited  the  poem  : 2 

A  desert  now  is  Dun  da  Beann, 
Where  were  mighty  kings  ; 

1  This  gallant  action  ascribed  to  Fergus  affords  further  evidence  of  his  popularity 
with  the  story- teller  and  his  hearers.  2  This  poem  illustrates  what  I  have  said 
elsewhere  as  to  the  aesthetic  value  of  these  poetic  resumes.  There  is,  as  here,  a 
quiet,  old-time  dignity  in  the  original  Irish  verse,  which  should  save  it  from  being 
considered  as  an  excrescence  on  the  prose  narrative.  Of  course  it  is  not  to  be 
judged  by  a  literal  translation  into  English.  Prose  may  to  a  great  extent  be 
fairly  estimated  in  a  translation  ;  but  a  poetry  like  Irish,  in  which  form-value 
plays  so  great  a  part,  should  not  for  a  moment  be  so  estimated. 


56  cAiutieirn  con$Ait  ctAitunSniS. 

Acac  (l°)  tule  a  n-UAjh  imni§ 
6  rbuA§  ConjjAit  clAininpng  ; 
CotijjAt  ctAininpiech  CAtmA, 

1t1  |\1  Af  111  ]M§t)AtTinA  ! 

ttlonfrlAic  uIa'6  gebe  be ! 
Ar  bionrAro  ffiAJ;  tYHnncemne. 
1r  triAipcc  t>ume  ceAgniAr  nir, 
tie  Com§aL  co  ccAoiriiecmr, 
t)i[t)]pi5  A]\  bnomij  bAnbA  ; 

bAt)  niO§T)A  'OO  nit>AirniA  ;  (2°) 

1Daoi  bpAiroub  Ann,  bAOi  ricciobl, 
1r  bAOi  bnocnAc  Ant)  AineoA  ;  (30) 
bAOAn  Ann  bAncnAcc  "oimbnAr^) 
Agur  lonrnur  AncenA : 
bAOAn  Ann  gnome  gtArA 
Agur  CAnbuit)  fpiAninAf a 
Agur  10m  at)  ngiAlb  p|\A-p  (50) 
Agur  on  Ajjur  anccat) ; 
TIoca  n-peA'OAn,  a  OAome  ! 
5ac  a  m-bAoi  Ann  x>o  ifiAome  ; 
tlib  bA  mon  a  cere  amiac 
5e  ca  Amu  'tiA  rArAch. 

VArAC. 

"Ujaua^,  &rn,  pn,"  An  An  m^en,  "ir  ben  bnoi-oe  A-oenceAn 
niomps  b&  t>ercA  7  bit)  (6°)  oitcubA  A5  -ce^Aon  v&r\&  7  aj 
Uicc  jiAice  niAicerA  7  tube  e ";  7  noting  b&  cotriAin  ipn 
e-p  nobAoi  A|A  m  111-OAnnA,  7  nob&icet)  1  Ann  t^unAb  u^ice 
AinmnAigcen  An  c-eAf  pn  .1.  6&p  CnAoibe  6  Cn&oib  in§in 
'OnncACCA  mic  Ac^no. 


XXIV. 

A$ur  nAimc  por  ti*.  h-Ainccnepn  co  h-e-Arhom  co  h-Aijim 
1  jiAibe  penccur  rnAC  l/coe  7  HiaU,  tliArh^LonnAc  7  rnAice 
tlL&T)  m&pi  cenA  ;  7  bA  benn  ne  h-&nbiiAin  (7°)  7  ne  h-Mcc- 
neo  "oo  TIiaLL  pn,  7  -oo  einig  u^in  nin  pil^m^  a   epoeAcc 

(1°)  acac  =  O.  Ir.  3rd  pi.  subst.  verb,  Mod.  Ir.,  acato  analogous  with  2nd  pi. 
acait).  (2°)  Leg.  nijoAmnA  ;  the  distinction  between  nom.  ni  and 

gen.  nij  is  not  consistently  kept.  (30)  Extra  syllable.     Omit  ir.     We 

have  still  AineoA,  ficaoll.  (40)  T>irnbr\Ar  =  ■oun-bf.Ar  :  cf.  Air.-br.Ar, 

•  very  great '  ("  Ir.  Lexic,"  K.  Meyer).  (50)  Cf.  le  pj\Ap  f-tnb,  '  in  the 


CONGHAL   CLAIRINGHNEACH.  57 

They  lie  in  hostile  graves 

Through  the  host  of  Conghal  Clairinghneach. 

Conghal  Clairinghneach,  the  brave ! 

The  king  and  the  stock  of  kings  ! 

Great  prince  of  Ulster  howe'er  it  be, 

'Tis  he  shall  fill  Magh  Muirthemhne. 

Woe  to  him  who  meets  him, 

Conghal,  fair-countenanced  ! 

He  shall  be  king  over  Banba  ; 

Regal  was  your  royal-stock, 

There  were  chessmen  and  chessboards, 

There  was  a  bed,  tall,  sumptuous ; 

Weak  women-folk  were  there, 

And  treasure  besides  ; 

Shining  steeds  were  there 

And  bridled  chariots, 

And  many  swift  captives, 

And  gold  and  silver. 

I  do  not  know,  O  people  ! 

All  the  wealth  was  there  ; 

For  you  its  fame  was  great  abroad, 

Though  to-day  it  is  a  desert. 

"  That  is  sad,"  said  the  girl,  "  now  am  I  called  a  bond-woman, 
and  great  contention  shall  be  between  brave  worthy  folk  and 
the  dispensers  of  good  and  evil "  ;  and  she  jumped  presently 
into  the  ford  that  was  on  the  Bann,  and  was  drowned,  so  that 
from  her  that  ford  was  named  Eas  Craoibhe,  from  Craobh, 
daughter  of  Durthacht  mac  Athgno.1 


XXIV. 

News  of  that  havoc  reached  Eamhain,  where  were  Fergus 
mac  Lede  and  Niall  Niamhglonnach  and  the  chiefs  of  Ulster 
as  well ;  and  it  struck  Niall  with  dismay  and  smote  him 
mentally.     He  rose  up,  for  he  could  not  bear  to  listen  to  it, 

twinkling  of  an  eye,'  &c.  (6C)  Fut.  3rd  sg.  of  copula.  (f)  Anbu^ni  : 

cf.  K.  Meyer,  "Ir.  Lexic."  ;  Keating,  "Tri  B.  Gaoithe  "  (Atk.). 

1  This  whole  episode  seems  to  me  to  lead  up  admirably  to  the  Battle  of 
Aonach  Tuaighe  and  the  death  of  Niall  Niamhglonnach.  The  narrative,  and  we 
might  say  dramatic,  unity  is  unbroken  till  we  reach  Part  II. 


58  cAiunenn  C0115A1I  01^11111151115. 

pn  ;  7  ^oJAb  a  ,<snm&  7  jiojg^'b&'o  &  eic  t)o  7  *oo  h-mntet)  & 
c^b^-o  7  CAunc  neirie  co  Thin  x)&  Oe^nn  7  /voconn&ic  a 
jni^n &n  jiomToe  7  a  tbetoi-oe  niog-OA  &\\  r\-&  LorcA.*©  7  in 
c&CMn  riion  An  n-A  tnufAAt)  7  A-oconnAic  ioLaia  t>o  coLL&ib 
ciAO-T)e&jAccA.  aaa  cennpoiAC&ib  n&  cac|a&c  7  A"oconn&ic  An  ni 
\\obis  -ooitje  leir  mA  pn  inte  .1.  e-ojj^n  "PinLeAC  ttiac  Contntl 
Cei\n&ij  a  -o&Lca  5jaat>ac  aa\  bp^jbAit  bAir  7  oiget)^  7  mAjA 
•oo  b&oi  ■mtiL.m'6  pn  ■ooiaiacc  -onem  "o'a  rhtnncin  -pen  ctn^e  7 
no  mnp3A-oAn  015I11X)  CnAoibe  t>6.  "  tli  coiAUToe  -otnnne  beic 
co  pibAC  pn,"  aja  HiaIL ;  7  t>o  nmne  m  Laoi  Ano  : 

UcbAtiAc  mo  c|\oit>e  cahi  ! 
Afe-o  cfAAToep  mo  menmAiri 
Oijit)  CjAAOibe  A'f  (i°)  OogAiti  ; 
AfeA"o1i  ■oombeip  (20)  50  ■oeolmjli 
eoJAn  VinleAC,  ]\ocleAcu  501I, 
"OeAJiiiAC  ComntL  caohi  Cej\noi§, 
beic  111A  birmcib  jtoIa  ; 
Afeoh  T>ombeij\  fpo  T)ubA. 
Saoc  Liom  a  ccuicim  aj\  aoh  ! 

eoJA11  -pUlleAC  AJUf  (30)  C|AA0b 

5aii  a  mA^CAiti  funn  aja  fAin, 
ITlAnA  bpoin  C|\e  ucbA'oliAij. 

UcbAT)AC. 

A5Uf(4°)  ni  mo  nA  -oene-o  ha  LAOi-oe  pn  cAinnic  t)6  t)o 
-oenAiri  AnuAin  CAn^A-OA-p  nnc  JA105  e-nen-o  nobAOAn  a 
n-6rhoin  -o'a  lonpoicci-o  .1.  Umne  rriAC  ConnAch  .1.  rnAc 
1A15  ConnAcc,  7  "Dencc  itiac  "OeghATo,  itiac  nij  filtniiAn,  7 
Tiler   *OoirmAnn   iuac    A11AC15,    m&c   1115    t,Aijen    co    mACAib 

CAOipOC     7     01JA1A1J     GlAetTO     te6    1TIA1\     CAIIgA-OAn     6     UeATT1|AA15 

•o'f:oinicin  "pe-pccup^  rmc  Lcoe  7  'o'ionnAttbA'6  ConJAiL  a 
h-tlLLcoib  7  Ar  iAt>  pn  pDcnuroe  iaocuiia  penccur  hiac  Leoe 
ne  tliAit  tliAiti^tonnAc  "oo  "oiotjAit  a  cpeice  7  a  Ainccne  An 
penccur  7  An  Con^At. 

(i°)  MS.,  7.  (2C)  MS-.-oombep  =  •oo-m-beij\,  tn.,  infixed  pron.  1st  sg. 

(30)  MS.,  ec.  (40)  MS.,  ec. 

1  i.e.,  cottiAib.     -  Lit.,  '  a  death,  and  tragic  death.'     01516  =  'tragic  death'; 
O.  Ir.,  AToe-o,  '  death.'  3  Lit.,  '  not  more  than  the  end  of  the  poem  had  he 


COXGHAL  CLAlRIXGHXEACH.  59 

and  seized  his  arms,  and  had  his  horses  caught  and  yoked  to 
his  chariot,  and  came  on  to  Dun  da  Beann  ;  and  he  beheld 
its  glass  sun-bower  and  its  royal  palace  burning  and  the 
great  "  cathir  "  destroyed ;  and  he  saw  many  blood-red  bodies1 
upon  the  chief-posts  of  the  "  cathir,"  and  he  saw  a  thing  he 
considered  more  grievous  than  all  that,  viz.,  Eoghan  Fuileach, 
son  of  Conall  Cearnach,  his  own  loving  fosterling,  dying  a 
tragic  death.2  As  he  was  in  that  wise,  some  of  his  own  people 
came  up  to  him  and  told  him  of  the  tragic  fate  of  Craobh. 
"  It  is  not  fitting  for  us  to  be  so  mirthful,"  said  Xiall  ;  and  he 
composed  the  poem  : 

Groaning  is  my  gentle  heart ; 

That  which  tortures  my  mind  is 

The  death  of  Craobh  and  of  Eoghan ; 

What  makes  me  grieved  is 

That  Eoghan  Fuileach,  who  practised  valour. 

The  good  son  of  gentle  Conall  Cearnach, 

Lies  in  pools  of  blood, 

That  it  is  that  casts  me  into  grief. 

Woe  is  me  that  they  fell  together, 

Eoghan  Fuileach  and  Craobh  ; 

That  they  are  not  here  alive  is 

Cause  of  sorrow  amidst  groaning. 

And  he  had  only  finished  3  composing  that  poem  when  the 
sons  of  the  kings  of  Ireland  who  were  in  Emain  came  to  him, 
viz.,  Tinne,  son  of  Conrach,  son  of  the  king  of  Connaught,  and 
Derg,  son  of  Deghaidh,  son  of  the  king  of  Munster,  and  Mes 
Domhnann,  son  of  Airtigh,  son  of  the  king  of  Leinster,  with 
the  sons  of  the  chiefs  and  nobles  of  Ireland,  who  came  from 
Tara  to  help  Fergus  mac  Lede  and  to  drive  Conghal  from 
Ulster  ;  and  these  were  the  forces  Fergus  mac  Lede 4  sent  to 
Niall  X'iamhglonnach  to  avenge  on  Fergus  and  on  Conghal 
the  harrying  and  havoc  wrought  on  him. 

finished  making  when,'  <ic.  X.B.< — cMpnic,  'finished':  clinic,  'came.'  Vide 
Atk.,  Gloss.  "Tri  B.  Gaoithe."  i  Note  the  way  in  which  Fergus  mac  Lede 

is  still  kept  in  sight  in  the  development  of  the  tale. 


60  CAiutieim  con$Ait  cLai  111115111 5. 

"ITIaic,  a  HeiU, !"  aaa  iAT>pMi,  "  e-nijp  tmne  co  n"oeACAin 
lo'ionnAnbA-o  ConJAit  7  peAnsupcv  co  n-oiojtAm  ojaca  nA 
mon-tntc  t)o  nonrAC  niocr  a."  "  bepiTo  buAit>  7  beAnnACCAin, 
a  itiaca  lonrhome,"  aja  HiaU,,  "  7  if  [niAic]  tiom  pocpuToe 
'o'^AJbAit  "o'lonnAnbAt)  "penccupN  7  ConJAit  a|a  cenA  co 
n-TnoglAm  m'tntc  ojaca";  7  jao  [ei-pijjpum  aja  pn  7  no  ctnn  a 
bnon  7  a  t>ub&  x>e  7  noc6i-p[i5]e'6  a  cac  7  CAnjA^An  nornpA 
An  r[bocc]  nA  pUiAJ;. 

XXV. 

lorncups  ConJAit  6  nAinic  "penccur  mAC  flops  conA 
cneAcViAib  110  p&cctnb  Otetin[A]  Conno  CnioncopMJ;,  7  CAimc 
50  h-AonAc  Inbipi  UuAije  Annpn,  7  ni  ciAn  'oobA'OAn  [&nn] 
AncAn  A'oconncA'OAn  nA  h-iconA  A15  7  lOfASUite  7  nA  menc- 
cex>is(i°)  rneAjApubtACA  An  qAAnnoib  no-ApcA  nonuA'OA  (20) 
7  CAicniotri  nA  5-pene  stAnfoiltp  nnj  co  bApMtiAit  lie 
5UAi[bb](3c)  [7]  nA  tAocjAAToe  7  nA  caca  ceAn^Aitce  aja  n-A 
ccoiAtJ^AT)  cob-Ainp3|A5Ac,  7  no  h-mmps-o  pn  t)o  ConJAb.  "  1r 
pop  pn,"  a|a  Con  jaI;,  "  "Penccur  tdac  bcoe  pn  7  pDcnunoe 
p3n  n-e-peAnn  mA  a:ocaiia  vo  CAbAinc  caca  T>Atnpcv  no  ■oom' 
lonnA-pbAt)  a  h-enmn  7  x>o  jeubAt)  cac  5A11  concAbAinc." 
"RobAt)  p?nn  coiiiAt)  e  "oo  bee  Ant),"  aja  rntnnan  ConJAit, 
"  uai|a  *oo  mtnnp'oe  gAn  ArViAnur  bmne  e,  7  "oobiAt)  tnge 
n-t1lA*6  A^umne  p3n,  7  no  coipsnrnAoir  nije  n-e-peAnn  ne 
t/U^liAi-o  buAijjne." 

Tlo  eini5  Con JAb  ia]a  pn  7  no  copnij  a  cac  7  no  gner  a 
triuinci}\  imcAlrriA  T)o  "oenAiri  t>o'n  T>ub  pn  ;  7  t»o  ^eAlt 
fenccur  co  m-bnipreAt)  An  cac  m  La  pn  te  ConJAt.  1r 
Annpn  no  lonnpoit;  cac  a  ceile  t)ib  aji  pn  7  bA  h-Aijce 
nAiriAt)  a  ne  caca  pn  7  mnb  Aijce  cajaat)  mi  ctnnm.  (40)  Ko 
•oiubninc  cac  a  cete  t)ib  t>o  foi5"oib  pocjonmA  7  "oo   gAib 

(i°)  On  standards,  cf.  Joyce,  "  Social  History  of  Ireland."  (20)  r»UAt)  = 

'strong':  cf.   Stokes,    "  Fel."  Glossary.      Translate  here,   'very  strong.'      Cf. 
also  adj.  fuiAt>cLAnAC  =  '  strong-beamed.'  (30)  guAilib  might  equally  be 

for  guAibmb,  '  shoulders.'     As  text  stands,  co  is  for  com.  (40)  A  forcible 

expression  to  be  met  with  occasionally  in  Irish  prose. 


CONGHAL  CLAIRINGHNEACH.  61 

"  Well,  Niall,"  said  they,  "  let  us  go  and  banish  Conghal 
and  Fergus,  so  as  to  avenge  on  them  the  great  evils  they  have 
inflicted  on  you."  "  Success  and  blessing  !  dear  friends,"  said 
Niall,  "  and  glad  I  am  to  have  got  forces  to  banish  Fergus  and 
Conghal  and  to  avenge  my  injuries  on  them  " ;  and  he  arose 
then  and  laid  aside  his  grief  and  gloom,  and  his  army  was 
drawn  up,  and  they  followed  in  the  track  of  the  hosts. 


XXV. 

As  to  Conghal — when  he  reached  Fergus  mac  Rosa  with 
his  spoils,  he  left  Bleuna  Corra  Crioncosach  and  then  came  to 
the  Aonach  of  Inber  Tuaighe  ;  and  they  were  not  long  till  they 
saw  the  spears  of  valour  and  bravery,  and  the  quick-moving 
standards  on  very  tall,  very  strong  shafts,  and  the  gleam  of  the 
bright  sunlight  on  them,  glittering  as  brightly  as  coals ; l  and 
the  warriors  and  the  united  battalions  ranging  up  in  furious 
fashion,  and  Conghal  was  told  of  that.  "  That  is  certainly," 
said  Conghal,  "  Fergus  mac  Lede  and  the  hosts  of  the  men  of 
Ireland  with  him  coming  to  wage  war  with  me  or  to  banish 
me  from  Ireland,  and  I  shall  have  war  without  doubt." 
"  'Twere  better  it  were  he  who  were  yonder,"  said  Conghal's 
people,  "  for  he  shall  doubtless  be  slain  by  us,  and  we  ourselves 
shall  possess  the  kingdom  of  Ulster,  and  we  shall  contest  the 
kingdom  of  Ireland  with  Lughaidh  Luaighne."  Conghal  rose 
then,  and  drew  up  his  army  and  incited  his  followers  to  act 
bravely  on  that  occasion ;  and  Fergus  swore  that  he  would 
defeat  Conghal  in  battle  on  that  day.  Then  they  approached 
one  another,  and  their  faces  were  those  of  enemies  in  battle  and 
not  those  of  friends  round  ale.  They  shot  at  one  another  with 
very  blue  darts,  with  sharp  bloody  javelins  and  round  stones  ;2 

1  Or  omitting  [7],  translate:   'shining  brightly  on[?]  the  shoulders  of  the 
heroes.'  2  This  reference  to  the  use  of  round  stones  in  war  is  an  unique  and 

classical  one. 


62  cAiuiieim  con$Ait  ctAimn§ni$. 

psobnACA  pnteACA  7  t>o  clAcuib  cnumne  7  t>o  cuAtiAn  Af\ 
pn  An  nA  h-AnrnAib  lOtnjonA  7  iornbuAiLce(i°)  co  n-ooncjtA- 
■OAn  au  j-ap[a]  nA  fluAJ  *oo  ha  cneArAib  pn  ecAnnA  ;  7  cucc 
HiaU,  Hi  Amnion nAC  co  rriAcoib  H105  CneAnn  mme  a  a^ato 
50  h-AiieuccAC  An  cacIi  ConJAit,  7  no  neitnj  bennA  caca  7 
ftije  pMnrinLeAt)  Ann  7  nocuinpoc  imc  nioj  e^eAnn  ajaa 
rnonA  An  trmman  CongAi1-,  7  no  Ainijpo-o  muman  ConJAit 
pn.  Ho  einigh  a  breA|tcc  7  t)o  ninnet>  teoriiAin  LonnA  "6ib 
conAft  ^AbAX)  niu  jac  conAin  "o'a  cceToi[r].  1r  Ann  pn  cucc 
Aua'oaL  him  Hi  Comcenn  ajato  An  c&c  rriAC  TC.105  6neAnn  7 
CAinic  ITIuine'oAc  TTIencceAC  nuc  II15  AtbAn  7  t)a  ttiac  TI15 
ConnAcc,  .1.  O1L1IX  ceonA  ^aoc  7  O1L1LL  ceonA  cpoc,  ro'n 
ccac  cetm  a,  7  cuccp&x  ajia  mop  An  tiiumcin  rn  ac  II105  e-nent). 
1r  Ann  pn  cuj  "pengur  mAC  Ttu-onAToe  a  ajato  An  rriAcoib 
U105  G^ent),  7  nobA  ce"oLeA5At>  meAnfeAbAic  50  mmeunoib 
An  cetJCACugViAt)  pn  ]?enccurA,  7  bA  IattiacIi  Laoic  7  bA  j;aL 
ctinAt)  7  bA  neAnc  niA-6  loir  An  Ia  pn  ;  7  cucc  CongAi  ror 
Amur  t)ioc|AA  ron  ua  -oei^fenoib,  7  noben  a  bnAC-rniteA*6(2c) 
7  a  bemennA  bioT>bA"6  co  h-AnnA-m  oncA;  7  CAimc  Ann  pn 
CnioriiCAnn  CAotii  itiac  ^en^urA  "pAincce  7  CAinbne  CongAn- 
cnerAC  mAC  CAinbne  Cnunn  rriAc  nit;  Onej,  tTlenne,  Serime  7 
t/ACAinne  .1.  cni  corh-oA'lcA'OA  ConJAib  iua  pAxmuire  uite  7 
no  cAnuijrec  An  cac  "oa  jac  cAob  a  ccnnceALL  a  cagennA 
7  no  ^AbAt)  ionA"6  caca  aca  uit-e  a  ccimcioU,  ConjjAiL  ipn  cac. 

XXVI. 

lineups  tleiLL  tliArhgtonnAij;  mn  JAb  cac  no  ctiAcbeniiA 
-pir  no  50  nAinic  gurAn   ccno  ccaca  a   nAibe  AnAT>AL  itiac 

(i°)  Note  the  rational  order  in  which  they  use  their  weapons.  Vide  quotation 
from  O'Curry,  "MS.  Mat."  in  Additional  Notes  at  end.  (2°)  bnAC-rmleA'd. 
It  is,  I  think,  remarkable  that  many  of  these  apparent  compounds  are  found  in 
the  early  Glossaries  as  alternatives,  e.g.  O'Cl.,  br»AC  .1.  rniU,eAt> :  cf.  "  Cath  R. 
na  Righ,"  ed.  Hogan,  p.  88,  ■oo  bnAC-builbib  inoj\A  nnleACA,  '  with  great 
warlike  murder-strokes.' 


1  A  common  expression  in  our  heroic  tales.     A   collection  of  the  chevilles,  or 
kennings,  found  in  Irish  prose  or  poetry  would  be  of  much  service.        2  Lit.,  '  his 


CONGHAL  CLAIRINGHXEACH.  63 

and  then  they  took  to  their  cutting  and  striking  weapons,  so 
that,  through  the  attacks  on  either  side,  there  fell  thick 
slaughter  on  the  hosts ;  and  Niall  Niamhglonnach,  with  the 
sons  of.  the  king  of  Ireland  round  him,  turned  vigorously 
against  Conghal's  army,  and  he  made  a  gap  of  battle  and  a 
warrior's  path  in  it,  and  the  sons  of  the  king  of  Ireland  inflicted 
great  slaughter  on  Conghal's  followers,  and  Conghal's  people 
perceived  that.  Their  anger  arose,  and  they  became  fierce 
lions,  so  that  they  swept  along  every  way  they  went.  Then 
Anadhal,  son  of  the  king  of  the  Conchenns,  turned  against  the 
battalion  of  the  sons  of  the  king  of  Ireland,  and  Muiredhach 
Mergach,  son  of  the  king  of  Scotland,  and  the  two  sons  of  the 
king  of  Connaught,  Oilill  Teora  Gaoth  and  Oilill  Teora  Crioc, 
came  to  attack  the  same  battalion,  and  they  inflicted  great 
slaughter  on  the  followers  of  the  sons  of  the  king  of  Ireland. 
Then  Fergus  mac  Rudhraighe  attacked  the  sons  of  the  king 
of  Ireland,  and  that  first  attack  of  Fergus  was  as  a  quick 
hawk's  overthrow  of  small  birds,1  and  the  shooting  of  a  hero 
and  the  bravery  of  warriors  and  the  strength  of  heroes  were 
his  oh  that  day ;  and  Conghal  also  made  a  fierce  attack  on 
the  trusty  men,  and  he  inflicted  fiercely  on  them  a  warrior's 
destruction  and  inimical  blows,2  and  then  Criomhthann 
Caomh,  son  of  Fergus  Fairge,  and  Cairbre  Congancnesach,  son 
of  Cairbre  Crom,  son  of  the  king  of  Bregia,  Merne,  Semhne, 
and  Lathairne,  the  three  foster-brothers  of  Conghal,  all  came 
to  him,  and  they  thinned3  the  ranks  on  every  side  round  their 
lord,  and  all  took  their  fighting  posts  round  Conghal  in  the 
battle. 

XXVI. 

As  to  Niall  Niamhglonnach,  there  resisted  him  4  neither 
battalion  nor  phalanx-gap  till  he  reached  the  battle  throng 

warrior's  destruction  and  his  inimical  blows.'  3  A  literal  and  etymological 

translation  of  pocATiuisrec.  4  nij\  jad  .  .  .  pir  :  cf.  Stokes,  "  Togail  Tr.," 

5AOAim  -pru,  '  I  resist.' 


64  CMtnenn  conjAil,  cLAimnjrns. 

Kij  ComceAnn  conAc  jiAibe  •o'ecji^&iti  ecAnnA  AccniAt)  a 
■pceic  'jja  rcAC-oi-oen,  7  no  cogbA'OAn  a  LArhA  be  ctoTorhib 
psobnACA  pn^enA  7  too  jjAbA-OAn  A5  cuAnccAbAit  -pcec  & 
cete  co  cupaca.  HobA  corhnAC  t>a  -oArh  n-tnteAnn  (i°)  m 
corhnAC  pn  u&in  t)o  ctor  p&'n  ccac  ceccAni>A  ^tomn- 
bemeAnnA  a  n-^etp^Ac  (2°)  7  coige'O&'t  a  cctonoiorh  7 
noJAbA-OAn  a$  "omgbAit  a  cete  '-p^11  cau  caj\  mi  CAorhlAoi  (30) 
tA  cotocc  lonicurA  n«>  ccac  cceccApoA  no  5AbAT>An  a  5 
cim  An  ctstb.  co  coirtroiocnA  y  A[  e  t>ttir  po  pjetih  An  cac 
pn  co  noicpmr  noc  cAnbATO  o'n  tnttmn  50  cete  t>ib  ne  t>ttir 
no>  h-iomjonA  conAnbo  iottiice  ctiACA  teine"oh  An  n-A 
T>tutAr>  no  ftejjA  rtmnjenA  at;a  ccongbAit  (40)  cne  conptnb 
nA  ccunA"6  eitnn  nA  cACoib  ceccAn'OA.  1r  Ann  pn  CAntA 
Umne  mAC  Connie  tn*c  f^b  ConnAcc  1  ccenn  t>a  mAC  ni[j} 
ConnAcc  nobAOAn  a  bpDCAin  ConJAit  .1.  Oititt  ceonA  jaoc 
7  Oititt  ceonA  cnioch,  7  no  cnecunAig  cac  a  cete  tnb  co 
■oiocnA,  7  no  foinnnjcoAn  m  t)A  [itiac]  Umne  niAC  ConnAch  a 
cccooin.  At)connAic  *OeAncc  m&c  'OeAjhAit)  pn.  Ucomc 
■o'p>inicin  Umni  [cAn  ti-]&i|,)  7  Ac^onAir  An  -oa  Oititt  jun 
cinn  A-p  a  tACAin  caca  AmAC  tnte  iAt>,  7  nug  Umne  ....  (50) 
7  ctiAinren<s  beg  t>a  An  in  ...  .  (6°)  An-o.  OoconnAic 
"Pepccur  pn,  CAimc  co  h-AnnAi"6  a  n-AJAit>  'Oein^  [rmc] 
T)e5hAit)  7  no  cornnmcpioc  An  aoh  Ann  pn,  7  A-p  "0015  nob' 
onnAc(7°)  An  cac  An  corhnAC  7  An  corhlAnn  pn.  AcnAcc 
nenc  7  poch  ^enccupA  CApi  "Oencc  rriAc  nTDegbAi-o  An  "oene-o 
An  corhUnnn  co  no-oup  t)i  .  .  .  .  Ait>,(8°)  7  no  $Ab  AnAtDAt  7 
ThAlt  TliAnigbonnAC  aj  cocugliAt)  a  ccorhtumn  nipn  ne  pn 
co  ncoiocnA  no  jun  bnipet)  rceriieAt  An  caca,  50  coiccionn,  7 

(i°)  ■oaw  n-t>iteAiin,  '  huge  stag ':  cf.  Stokes,  "  On  Atkinson's  Homilies  from 
the  Lebhar  Breac,"  p.  30.  (2°)  jelfCiAC  :  on  whiteness  of  shields,  vide  Joyce, 
"  Social  History,"  and  O'Curry,  "Manners  and  Customs,"  vol.  i.,  p.  cccclxx. 
(30)  CAp  ah  CAorhtAOi,  '  through  the  day':  cf.  P.  O'C,  cop  au  Laoi  ("  Cath 
Cluain  Da  Tarbh").  CAp  is  also  used  in  this  sense,  I  think,  in  Scotch  Gaelic. 
(40)  The  sense  of  conjbAil  is  not  very  clear  to  me.  (50),  (6°),  (8°)  MS.  defective. 
(70)  OppAc  =  poppAC,  a  well-known  measure:  cf.  Joyce,  "Social  History" 
(Measures). 


CONGHAL  CLAIRIXGHNEACH.  65 

where  Anadhal,  son  of  the  king  of  the  Conchenns,  was,  so  that 
there  was  naught  between  them  but  their  shields  with  which 
they  protected  themselves  ;  '  and  they  lifted  their  thin-edged 
and  very  sharp  swords,  and  they  commenced  raising2  aloft  right 
valiantly  their  shields.  That  combat  was  the  combat  of  two 
huge  stags  ;  for  on  both  sides  of  the  battle  were  heard  the  strong 
strokes  of  their  white  shields 3  and  the  ring  of  their  swords,  and 
they  kept  repelling  one  another  in  the  battle  through  the  live- 
long day.  As  to  the  two  armies,  they  kept  fighting  vigorously  ; 
and  so  closely  was  that  fighting-group  woven  together  that  a 
chariot  wheel  would  reach  from  one  angle  of  it  to  the  other — 
such  was  the  closeness  of  their  attack ;  nor  was  it  closer 
the  weaving  of  a  shirt  when  drawn  together  than  the1  slender 
sharp  spears  passing  through  the  bodies  of  the  warriors 
between  the  two  armies.  Then  Tinne  mac  Conrach,  son  of 
the  king  of  Connacht,  came  towards  the  two  sons  of  the 
king  of  Connacht  who  were  with  Conghal,  viz.,  Oilill  Teora 
Gaoth  and  Oilill  Teora  Crioch ;  and  they  wounded  one 
another  severely,  and  forthwith  the  two  sons  pressed  on  Tinne 
mac  Conrach.  Derg  mac  Deaghaidh  saw  that  He  came 
back  to  help  Tinne,  and  he  wounded  the  two  Oilills  so  that 

he  drove  them  out  of  the  fight ;  and  Tinne  bore 

When  Fergus  saw  that,  he  came  fiercely  against  Derg  mac 
Deaghaidh,  and  they  fought  there  together ;  and  that  fight 
and  combat  is  to  be  considered  as  a  measure  of  war.  The 
strength  and  fury  of  Fergus  rose  against  Derg  mac  Deaghaidh 
towards  the  end  of  the  battle  .  .  . ;  and  meanwhile  Anadhal 
and  Niall  Xiamhglonnach  kept  up  their  fighting  fiercely  so 
that  the  defence  generally  in  the  battle  was  broken  down  ; 

1  Lit.,  There  was  of  space  separating  them  only  their  shields  defending  them. 
Vide  O'R.,  J.  z:  e-yo.inr5.Mi1,  e-v0.in5.ym.  2  Or,  if  we  read  cu-^nj-Mn, 

'  clashing.'  3  Dr.  Alex.  Bugge  refers  to  the  use  of  red  shields  by  the  Norse. 

Magnus  was  called  in  Iri;h  1li  j  n-j.  n-rciAch  •oevpj;.  Giraldus  Cambrensis  men- 
tions that  the  Norsemen,  when  they  made  their  last  attack  upon  Dublin,  carried 
red,  round,  iron-bound  shields  (clipeis  quoque  rotundis  et  rubris  circualiter  ferro 
munitis};  vide  Bugge,  "Contrib.  to  Hist,  of  the  Norsemen  in  Ireland,"  ii., 
p.  9  (Christiania,  1900).  i  Leg.  for  no  in  text  nj>  ny  or  ha. 

F 


66  cAitiieim  C0115A1L  CLAI1111151115. 

conctnn  11iAbt  ThAirigbonnAC  be  n-AnAt>Ab  1  ccniocliAib  An 
coiiibtnnn,  7  no  cui}\  a  ioIacIi  co]-cwji  7  corrirnAoi'orhe  Ar  a 
h-Aicbe  7  no  me&b&X)  An  cac  ne  Cong&L  co  h-AtrlAiri  Ainn- 
rem,  7  jiot)  biontiiAn  CAn5At)An  niAcnAiTje  CneAnn  ^nn  pn, 
Ar  uaca"6  cennA  "6ib  6  CongAb  conA  rhtnncin,  7  jsepb  e 
Conj^t  rem  nob'  lonroA  a  eA-pbAt>A  gen  50  n-Aintrn jcen  co 
n-iomAncAC  iat>.  50r)^'°  6-  cac  AonAc  UuAije  a  cconcAin 
tliAbb  tliATiijbonnAC  rriAc  flu'onAroe ;  7  Anccum  T)tnn  da 
bent)  7  Oijto  CnAoibem  j;me  *OuncAccA  An  cAicneim  ConJAib 
contuse  pn.  (i°) 

XXVII. 

lomcups  Conj&ib  noboi  Ag  teijer  a  rritnncine  nipn  mi 
pn  a  n-1nbeAn  UuArje  7  A"oubAint;  )?AccnA  ponn  pibe  ne 
Con^At  7  nen-A  mumcin  :  "6  t)o  ctnneAbAin  bAn  m-bio'obArd 
■oo  cbomnib  flu'onAroe  ■oib,  oonoibcen  bAn  bongA  7  bAn 
bAoi-oengA  7  CAbnAit)  cugmb  co  -oubcnAcc  tube  iax»  uAin  bix> 
inoit>e  bAn  tnbnij  7  bAn  mbbAt)  acc  co  ccbumcen  bAn  n"oub  An 
tntnn  7  An  monpvinjrge."  '"Oo  gencAn  AgAmne  An  coriiAinbe 
pn,"  An  CongAt ;  7  t>o  nmne  An  Iaoi  aito  : — 

CiA5A|\(2°)  tiAinn  ah  ceAiin  An  mbAnc, 
CAbjAAIt)  CUgAltlll  co  loubcnAcc 
"LlOII  Ap  t/OIIJ  A'r  aj\  n-ecA|\ 
A'f  A|\  CCUpAC  CC^AOIfteCAtl  ; 

CAi|\b|\e  ■oom'  t,Aitfi  tieir,  t>Arh  ai  j! 

ClMOtriCAtTO  •OOtn'  ctl  COriTOAl/Alg, 

•Fenccup  norhAtn  ipn  cac, 

An  ua  Oititt  Afro  ajacVi  ; 

Oa  ccoin^et)  An  Lohjja  Abbe 

CugAinn  co  n-1nben  CuAige 

bi  ($*)  moroe  An  mbni  j  'p  ^n  mbLvo 

"Out  An  a  ccetit),  1]1  ciAJAn. 

CiA^An. 


(i°)  For  remarks  on  the  episodes  which  go  to  make  up  the  whole  tale,  vide 
Introduction.  (20)  ciajaja  :  imper.  3rd  sg.  pass,  (impers.)  of  ciAgAim,  '  I  go.' 
(3°)  Leg.  bit),  3rd  sg.  fut.  of  the  copula. 


CONGHAL  CLAIRINGHXEACH.  67 

and  Niall  Xiamhglonnach  fell  at  the  hands  of  Anadhal  towards 
the  end  of  the  contest ;  and  the  latter  gave  his  shout  of 
victory  and  boasting  thereafter ;  and  the  army  was  then 
quickly  routed  by  Conghal.  Though  the  warriors  of  Ireland 
had  come  thither  in  great  numbers,  few  of  them  escaped  from 
Conghal  and  his  people  ;  and  though  it  were  Conghal  himself 
his  losses  were  many  even  though  they  do  not  tot  up 
excessively. 

So  that  it  is  in  the  Battle  of  Aonach  Tuaighe  fell  X'iall 
Niamhglonnach  ;  and  so  far  for  the  devastating  of  Dun  da 
Beann  and  the  tragical  death  of  Craobh,  daughter  of  Durthacht, 
in  the  exploits  of  Conghal.1 

XXVII. 

As  to  Conghal,  he  was  recuperating  his  followers  during 
the  month  in  Inbher  Tuaighe  ;  and  Fachtna  Finn  File  said  to 
Conghal  and  his  followers  :  "  Since  you  have  driven  off  your 
enemies  of  the  Clann  Rury,  let  your  ships  and  boats  be 
gathered  together  and  all  brought  hither  to  you  energetically  ; 
for  your  power  and  fame  shall  be  all  the  greater  by  its  being 
heard  that  you  have  gone  over  sea  and  ocean."  "  That  advice 
shall  be  carried  out  by  us,"  said  Conghal  ;  and  he  composed 
the  poem: — 

Let  us  go  for  our  barks, 

Bring  energetically  to  us 

Our  ships  and  our  vessels, 

And  our  broad -girthed  "currachs." 

Cairbre  on  my  right,  ox  of  battle ! 

Criomhtann  on  my  left,  equally, 

Fergus  before  me  in  the  fight ; 

The  two  Oilills,  most  warlike ! 

Should  our  ships  come  hither 

To  us  to  Inbher  Tuaighe, 

Greater  would  be  our  strength  and  fame 

By  going  for  them — and  go. 

1  Here  the  original  Conghal  story  ends.  Par.  xxvii.  is  in  the  nature  of  a  bind 
between  the  later  episodes  in  Part  II.  and  the  older  ones  in  Part  I.  For  analysis 
of  story,  T'de  Introduction. 

F  2 


68  cAitrteitn  cohjmL  ctAminsnij. 

['Oojcu^-p  (i°)  u&-\iih(2°)  pn  &n  cenn  &  Long  7  -6.  Ui&c- 
ht>\\c  7  cucc/vo  cucca  50  •oubcji&cc  tnte  i&t)  7  no  g&'b&'o.o.n 
&5  "o^in^mu^AX)  &  long  eit)in  n&iii&c^0)  7  nu.<y6ctAn&c. 
1p  &nn  pn  ben^r  [cJ&lX&nn  rceoit  eite  nipn  C,Mcneirn  ro 
ConJAiL. 

(i°)  ■oocuAf,  'it  was  gone,'  per/,  passive;  distinguish  from  At)cuAf ,  'it  was 
told.'  (2°)  tlAicib  :  dat.  plur.  of  cpd.,  prep.  +  pron.  ;  ace.  =  uacIia. 


CONGHAL  CLAIRINGHNEACH.  69 

Their  ships  and  their  swift  barks  were  sent  for  and  brought 
hither  to  them  energetically,  and  they  began  to  fit  out  both 
their  rowing  and  their  strong-decked  vessels.  Here  belongs 
a  portion  of  another  story  in  the  Exploits  of  Conghal. 

N.B. — The  2nd  pi.  pron.  is  uAito,  'from  you.'  It  would  be  interesting  to  know 
if,  and  how  far,  the  distinction  is  kept  in  the  modern  dialects.  (30)  j\attiac 
=  ' with  oars':  cf.  Stokes,  "  Togail  Troi":  r\UA-or»Amj,,  '  strong  oar.' 


AH   "OAtlA  CtUT). 

S^eut. 

XXVIII. 

TI15  noJAbup:Ain  ]nje  ^^  h -11  Ant)  a  t>Anbo  corhAinm 
TlAbjo-oon  niAc  lonuAic,  7  Ar  ArhlAit)  noboiren  7  ben  rhAic  a 
coriiA'OAr  Aije  .1.  Debit)  m^en  *Oonn5tAin  7  CAinic  uncnA 
n-Aimpne  a  ccionn  AchAro  t>a  h-iont>roi5iT>ren  7  piAin  bA-p 
Ann  ;  7  no  JAb  cnom  JAtAn  TlAb^coon  "oo  cuttiato  a  rhnA  7 
nin  "oeibijg  cAob  ne  "oenccAt)  -66  acc  a  beic  a  reng  ponJAbAin 
7  ni  "oennA  emen^leo  cepoA  ha  cMnjtie,  6b  nA  Aoibner  nA 
Ainer,  7  nobi  50  ceAnn  rnbtiA'onA  attiIait)  pn  7  nobAr  a  5 
mitteA"6  a  nije  6  corhcniocmb  pMnpurh  nipn  mbtiAt>Ain  pn 
tnme  co  rnon  7  no  cionoitetDAn  tucc  nA  h-UAn'oA  Ainnrem  7 
CAnjA^An  "o'lonnroi 51-6  An  R15.  "Waic,  a  tlAb^o-oom,"  An 
riAt>,  "  cne"o  An  ^Al-An  rnon  rA  not>5AbAr(i°)  uaija  m  neAC 
■do  -itntb  "oo  nije  7  -oo  iptAicerhnAr  tnte  um&t),  UAin  "oo 
ttn  jetDAn  coiccniocA  one  ;  7  mnir  "otnnn  ca  jAlAn  aca  one 
co  n"oencAn  "oo  teijer  7  t>o  LepiJAti)  AgMnne."  "Hoca(2°) 
n-Ait  biomrA  a  mnipn,"  bAn  epon.  "T)AmA,6  1  corhA  "oo 
rhnA  t)o  beic  one  nion  cubhAit)  nioc  curhA  mnA  "oo  cun  one, 
UAin  finpt)en  nA  cniocA  7  nA  cenelA  inte  A^Ainne  7  t>a 
nAibe  A5  ren  nA  a  n-AoneoitiA  ipn  "oorriAn  beAn  bur  "oion^- 
rriAtA  -otnc  "oobenAimne  cu^At)  An  Air  no  An  eiccion  1." 
"  Aca  50  ■oeirhm,"  An  tlAbjATton.  "  Ca  cin  a  brtub,  a 
Aint>ni5?"  bAn  iAT>rAn.  "  Oiten  aca  a  n-iAncAin  66npA," 
An  eipon,  "  7  1mr  "Ptumt)  a  h-Ainrn  7  pn  beA^A  Aille  beot)A 

(i°)  po'DgAbAf  =  po-'o-gA'bAf  ;  t),  infixed  pron.,  rel.  pres.  3rd  sg.  with  force 
of  perfect  in  combination  with  jao.  (20)  nocA  :  in  Mod.  Ulster  dialect  ca. 

1  Vide  Introduction  for  discussion  as  to  relation  of  this  fgeut  to  Part  1 
2  UfAcpA  n-Aimp[\e:  'a  fading  away,  a  dissolution  of  time.'  Cf.  Atkinson, 
"Homilies  from  L.  Br.,"  s.  v.  erchra  ;  Hogan,  "  CathR.  na  Righ,"  s.  v.  erchra 


PART    II. 

A  STORY.1 

XXVIII. 

A  king  ruled  the  kingdom  of  Uardha  whose  name  was 
Nabgodon  mac  Ioruaith  ;  and  he  was  in  this  wise — he  had  a 
good  and  fitting  wife,  Bebid,  daughter  of  Dornglan;  and  in 
course  of  years  a  wasting  of  time  2  came  upon  her,  and  she 
died.  Nabgodon  fell  very  sick  through  grief  for  his  wife, 
and  he  lay  down  on  no  bed  save  a  sick  one,  and  he  indulged 
neither  in  adjudicating,  questioning,  nor  business,3  in  drink- 
ing nor  pleasuring  nor  mirth,  and  thus  he  was  to  the  end  of  a 
year  ;  and  his  kingdom  was  greatly  laid  waste  around  him  by 
his  neighbours  throughout  that  year.  The  people  of  Uardha 
then  assembled  together  and  came  to  the  king.  "  Well,  O 
Nabgodon,"  said  they,  "  what  great  illness  is  this  that  has 
seized  you,  when  they4  are  laying  waste  all  your  kingdom  and 
principality  around  you,  and  when  foreigners  are  oppressing 
you,  and  tell  us  what  illness  you  have  till  we  heal  and  restore 
you."  "  I  do  not  care  to  tell  it,"  said  he.  "  If  it  is  grief  for  your 
wife  is  the  matter  with  you,  it  is  not  fitting  for  you  to  let 
grief  for  a  wife  trouble  you,  for  we  shall  search  all  lands  and 
all  nations,  and  were  there,  whether  in  the  possession  of  any 
man  or  single,5  a  suitable  mate  to  be  found  for  you,  we  would 
bring  her  to  you  willy-nilly."  "  There  is  indeed,"  said  Nabgo- 
don. "  In  what  land  is  she,  O  Airdrigh  ?"  said  they.  "  In  an 
island  in  the  west  of  Europe,"  said  he,  "  and  its  name  is  Inis 
Fuinidh,   and   there  are  small,  handsome,   active   men   and 

in  Neuters,  Sec.  Perhaps  here  we  might  simply  translate,  '  wasting,  consumption.' 
tJj\cr\&,  ej\cj\Ais  neuter  in  O.  Ir. :  hence  eclipsis  here  after  nominative.  3  For 
phrase,  cf.  "'Pass,  and  Homilies"  (Atk.),  s.  v.  CAm^en.  4  inneoch,  that 

•which,  O'Don.,  Suppl.  to  0'R.eilly.  5  a  n-AonconiA,  lit.,  '  marriageable.' 


72  cAitneim  conjaiL  ct^min$m$. 

mnce  7  rnnA  tucAine  LAnt>eAiVb'6A,  7  t>a  bpAJAn  ipm  "oorhAn 
ben  ^lon^rriAbA'OArhrA'oo  jeutoAin  mnce  1."  "  CtnnceAn,"  An 
mAice  nA  n-tlAn"oA,  "  pe&fA  7  ceAccA  D'lAnnAit)  GneAnn  "oo 
coja(i°)  tnnA  t>uic  mnce."  1-p  Annpm  no  ont)Ai5riurh  cniocA 
cnenpeAn  t)V  cnenrhumon  T)'iAnnAi"6  rnnA  UAti^  co  n-e^unn,  7 
no  ■pcibe'oh  bAinc  fononnfAinpmg  aca  Af  a  h-Aicte  7  no  co^b^t) 
a  peot  Abtnnn  AbAt)b>neAc  uwpe  7  CAn;5AT)An  nompA  An  An 
Aiccen  n-AnirorAit)  6  jjac  "ontnrn  cumneT>An  oite  co  nAngAtJAn 
co  h-6j\mn  ;  7  A-oconncAtDAn  UACAibh  1mr  nA  rn-t)Anc  nifA 
nAicen  UAcntnnn  a  n-T>AtniA,OA  [7  at>] connect) An  mi  c^cwji 
nioj-oA  nornon  unAn"o  oineg-oA  UAicib  7  tii,  cije  ponnA  jrfwji- 
■pon5]AT>hA(20)  7  nA  gniAnAnA  5lomif)e  7  nA  peLoit)e  nio5"OA 
nopMnrion^A.  "  1r  niog-oA  An  c&cmji  u-o,"  A-p  rnumcin  T)a1!)- 
gA-oom,  "  7  ca  penn  •oumn  ionA"o  a  cctnnrernA[oip]  pcic  inn*) 
An  cceAcc  a  n-omeAn  (3°)  GneAnn  mAp  mnce/'  7  cu5AT)Ap 
pnAipptnnc  (40)  An  a  tiling  [•o'lonnjpoigit)  ha  cAcnAch. 

XXIX. 

At>concA"OAn  neAmpA  bA  h-oige  7  bA  h-Aitte  t)o'n  xVoAirh- 
ctomn  co  ngtAipi  ptnpe,  co  ccAip  puitc,  co  rn-bmnen-gocA  (50) 
co  piiAncA  n-untA'bnA,  7  'oo  pui"6  coiia  b&ncnAcc  ipm  n-rocl,A 
pemnno  eibe  7*ooJAbA'OA|A  a  5  "oenArh  AnT>nuine7  a  noejiArh 
7  "oo  5Ab  pip  a^  ceccurc  ah  b^ncnAccc*.  *Oo  bAt)An  mumcen 
tlA/b^A-oom  aj  peAcliAmc  •oeAtbA  7  mmLL  ha  li-injine,  7  *oo 
pAicpiot)  nmn  a  nmpc  7  a  nA*0Aipc  mA  ■oeitb.  "1p  rriAic 
cAnbAt)ninn  An  ecoipe  7  An  ccunup,"  An  tnumcin  "nAb5AT>om 
"tiAin  git)  em  bioc  inte  t)o  iApnrArriAoip  m  ptnjjmip  mnAOi 
bA  corhniAic  niAptro  Ann,  7  benniAoit>ne  50  tlAb^A'oon  1  ";  7 
t)A  pAnfAigcoAn  "oo'n  Luce  bA  coirhnerA  T>6ib :  "cia  li-e  An 

(1°)  coja  :  the  word  is  used  in  the  same  general  way  in  Mod.  Irish.  (20)  Leg. 
fAir\rionj;A.  (30)  oineA]\  =  '  district '  ;  oi)\ceArv  =  'east.'  (40)  p|\Air-  puipc  (?)  : 
priAr  = 'quick.'         (50)  co  m-bnme  n-gocA.      Vide  Add.  Notes. 

1  Lit.  '  brave  man.'  On  the  crven-f-eAn,  "vide  Joyce,  "  Social  History,"  vol.  i., 
^3>  95)  99 ;  v°l-  "•»  491-  2  rci^e,°n  i  p-  ^'C.  gives  r,cibeAt>h,  '  equipping  a 

ship.'  3  Tentative  translation  of  cu5Ar»Ai\  ppAif  pui]\c.  4  We 


CONGHAL  CLAIRIXGHXEACH.  73 

bright  (?),  shapely  women  in  it,  and  if  there  is  found  in  the 
world  a  fitting  wife  for  me,  it  is  in  it  you  shall  find  her." 
"  Let,"  said  the  chiefs  of  Uardha,  "  an  embassy  and  messengers 
be  sent  to  seek  in  Ireland  a  wife  for  you."  Then  he  ordered 
thirty  of  the  bravest1  of  his  brave  to  go  and  seek  a  wife  for  him 
in  Ireland  ;  and  their  broad-beamed  vessel  was  got  ready2  then, 
and  its  beautiful  speckled  sail  was  hoisted,  and  they  journeyed 
over  the  restless  ocean  from  one  wave's  ridge  to  another, 
till  they  reached  Ireland  ;  and  they  saw  off  from  them  Inis  na 
m-Barc,  which  is  called  Rathlin  in  Dalriada,  and  they  saw  the 
'cathir,'  royal,  large,  lofty,  remarkable,  and  the  white,  great 
houses  and  the  glass  sun-bowers,  and  the  regal  capacious 
palaces.  "  Royal  is  yonder  '  cathir,'  "  said  the  followers  of 
Nabgodon,  "  and  what  better  place  could  we  have  for  resting 
ourselves  on  reaching  the  land  of  Ireland  than  this  ?  "  And 
they  drew3  their  ships  quickly  up  towards  the  '  cathir/ 

XXIX. 

They  beheld  before  them  the  most  youthful  and  fairest 
of  the  children  of  Adam,  bright-eyed,  with  curling  hair, 
melodious  voice,  and  pleasant  speech,  sitting  with  her  female 
retinue  in  the  noble  seat.  They  were  working  at  their 
embroidery  and  handwork,  and  she  was  instructing  the  women. 
The  followers  of  Xabgodon  were  noting  the  form  and  apparel 
of  the  girl,  and  they  shot  a  glance  of  eye  and  sight  at  her 
figure.  "  Our  expedition  and  journey  have  turned  out  well,4  " 
said  the  followers  of  Xabgodon,  "  for  were  we  to  seek  the 
whole  world,  we  could  not  have  found  as  excellent  a  woman5 
as  that6  yonder,  and  we  shall  bring  her  to  Xabgodon";  and  they 
asked  those  nearest  them,  "  Who  is  yonder  royal,  beauteous 

might  remark  here  the  story-teller's  device  of  varying  the  martial  exploits 
of  his  hero  by  bringing  him  into  this  new  current  of  events.  The  search  for  a 
wife  is  frequently  the  desired  opportunity  for  a  display  of  prowess  on  the  part  of 
a  hero  or  his  followers.  5  tnnAOi,  older  ace.  of  bean  ;  Mod.  Ir.  beAti,  ace. 

6  r\iAfur»  (O.  Ir.  pniA),  fern.,  ;  to  her';  r»if,  'to  him.' 


74  cAiuneim  C0115A1L  cIairi  1151115. 

c-o^bAc  niog-oA  jiOAbtnnn    nt)  Ar  cije]\nA  t)o'n   n jp  ?"  A-p 

pAt>.     "Hi   'Oonn    hiac   lornchA'OA    irnc    IDio-onA    rrnc    CAip- 

cbouliAij  X)o   cbomn   CefimAt)A  IThbbeoib  true  An  'Oaj-oa  t)o 

bunAT>rneriie    UuAice   -oe    "Oaiuthi    Hi    nA    h-mnp-re  yux>." 

"  Cia  An  mjen  oiiiej-oA  ut)  ArbAmcenn  t>o'n  bAncpAcc?"  An 

■piAt).     "1r  po|i,"  An  nA  ppe^AncAtoe,  "ir  a  n-oiben  mAnA 

t)o   h-oibeAt)   pb  6  nAc  ccuaIa   pb   ah   mjen   tit)   .1.    "CAiri 

UAoibjeAb  mjen  ftifjj]  *Ounin." 

I]'  Annpn  cuccat)  a  bontJAocAm   bit>  7  beAnnA  cuca,  7  6 

UAinnic -661b -oo  pAnrAij  Hi  *Oonn  nib:  "  CAtiAr  a  ccAn^A- 

t)An  nA  1i-6icc   no  cia  aja  mbit)  ?"  Ait  re.     "  *Oo  iiiuina|t 

llAb^A-oom  1111c  1o|\nAit)  pnne,"  aji  pAt),  "7  -o'lAnnAit)  mnA 

Annfo  CAngAtriAn   ua-oa."     "Cia    An    ben?"    An    Hi   'Oonn. 

"Uh'  (i°)  mjjenrA,"  An  pAt),  ".1.  UAip  UAoibjeAb  Ann  put)." 

"  T)o  ^eubcAoip  p\eAg]\A  UAimp  jen  coriiAinbe  tnrnepn,"  An 

Hi  *Oonn,  "51011   50  nibeic  m'm^enrA  A5  reii  oite  m   ciub- 

nomnp  "oopMi  1   uai]a  nof-A'OA  tiAirn  ro^nAtii  a  cbeArhntips." 

"  Cia  An  ren  a  5  a  bpnb  Mi  mjen  ?"  An  lA'opsn.     "  AuAp  An 

p3itb     CongAib    ClAinin^nig    1111c    fttroiiAi-oe    .1.    nnc    "R.i[j] 

6nen"o  ";  7  "oob'pon  "oorAii  pn,  oi|\  An  cnAc  ■oo  corhmonAt) 

An  pbeAt)  tiioji  a  n-OAmliAin  111  aca  7  t)o  ctiAr  rA'n  Rije  50 

UeAihnAi 5  no  nAirceA"6  An  m^en  pn  ["oo]  Con^Ab  7  m  nAimc 

ber  rer  be.     "UiocrAi"6  niocrA,  a    11i  Thnnn,"  An  lAt^An, 

"  eunA  cocniAinc  ["oo  cAJbAiiic  "otnnne  UAin  cmcrATo  TlAb^A- 

•oon    T)oc'    lonnroitjTop   7    bucc   ha    li-tlAn'OA    ber   7    mAnb- 

[rAicen]   "oo    cacai|\    tube   7   nnbpcen    Gne  tube   cni"opn    7 

rnthnp'oen  cti  ren  7  bencAn  'li  m  jen  [An  Air  no]  An  eiccm." 

"  1r  b|MACAn   t)ATiipN,"    aii    Hi   *Oonn,    "  mtm'bi'6  reAbb  An 

emeAc  "OAitirA  e  [111  |aa]c1ia-6  reAn  mmpn  p:eb  UAimp  gAn 

mA^bAt)  t)ib  a  ccionnAib  bAn  ccoiiijiAto."     T)o  bejexiAn  ah 

otoce  pn,  7  t)o  pieA^cbAt)  7  -oo  piiocoibeA"6  iAt). 

(i°)  Uh',  'li,  forms  of  120  before  a  vowel. 

1  If  we  take  ^GgAriCAToe  as  a  noun.  2  Here  again  we  have  an 

evident  linking  by  an  after- thought  of  the  present  story  with  that  in  the  First 
Part.  3  The  cocmArvc  forms  a  class  apart  in  the  list  of  varieties 

of  Irish  tales  :  cf.  the  well-known  CocmAfvC  'becjrotA.  4  It  is 


COXGHAL  CLAIRIXGHXEACH.  75 

youth  who  ^is  lord  of  this  house  ? "  "  King  Donn,  son  of 
Iomchadh,  son  of  Miodhna,  son  of  Caischlothach  of  the  Clann 
of  Cermad  Milbheol,  son  of  the  Daghda  of  the  prime-stock  of 
the  Tuatha  da  Danann,  is  the  king  of  this  island."  "  Who  is 
the  noble  girl  yonder  that  is  the  head  of  the  female  company?" 
said  they.  "It  is  clear,"  said  the  respondents,1  "that  you  were 
reared  in  an  island  of  the  sea,  since  you  have  not  heard  of 
yonder  girl,  Taisi  Taoibhgheal,  daughter  of  King  Donn." 

They  then  received  a  full  measure  of  food  and  ale ;  and 
when  they  had  finished,  King  Donn  inquired  of  them  : 
"  Whence  the  warriors  came  and  to  whom  they  belonged  ?  " 
said  he.  "  We  belong  to  the  people  of  Xabgodon  mac 
Ioruaidh,"  said  they,  "  and  we  come  from  them  in  search  of  a 
wife."  "  Who  is  the  woman  ? "  said  King  Donn.  "  Your 
daughter,"  said  they,  "  Taisi  Taoibhgeal  yonder."  "  You  shall 
get  an  answer  from  me  without  deliberating  on  it,"  said  King 
Donn,  "  for  though  my  daughter  belongs  to  another  man,  I 
would  not  give  her  to  him,  for  I  am  far  from  completing 
her  marriage."  "  To  whom  does  your  daughter  belong?"  said 
they.  "  She  belongs  to  Conghal  Clairinghneach  mac  Rudh- 
raighe,  son  of  a  king  of  Ireland";  and  that  was  true,  for  when 
the  great  feast  was  being  held  in  Eamain  Macha,  and  the 
question  of  the  kingship  was  carried  to  Tara,  the  girl  was 
betrothed  to  Conghal,2  but  he  knew  her  not.  "  You  can, 
King  Donn,"  said  they,  "  refuse  us  her  wooing,3  for  X'abgodon 
will  come  to  you  and  the  people  of  Uardha  with  him,  and 
your  whole  '  cathir '  shall  be  destroyed,  and  all  Ireland  devas- 
tated on  that  account ;  and  you  yourself  shall  be  slain  and 
your  daughter  taken  willy  nilly."  "  I  swear,"  said  King  Donn, 
"  were  it  not  a  breach  of  hospitality,1  that  a  man  would  not 
set  out  to  tell  the  tale  nor  would  escape  being  put  to  death 
for  what  you  have  said."  They  passed  that  night,  and  were 
entertained  and  feasted. 

unnecessary  to  emphasize  the  importance  attached  to  the  rights  of  hospitality. 
Cf.  the  similar  situation  in  the  rim.     Vide  "  Br.  Laws,"  Glossary,  s.  zveineAC. 


76  cAitneim  conjMt  ctAiuin5ni§. 

xxx. 

TLo  enccec-Ap  co  moc  Ap  n-A  triApAc,  [7  CAjn^AtJAp 
tnonnpoiccit)  a  ionise  7  00  cu  At>Ap  pompA  Ap  m  mtnp  ccpAOip- 
LecAm  cceonA  ;  [7  cjAngAOAp  o'lonnroicciT)  n*.  h-tlApoA 
co  n-Aipm  a  pAibe  flAb^Aoon.  T)o  pAppMJ;  TlAbgA'oon 
[pge-AjlA  x>\h  :  An  bpiApAOAp  a  in  on  5m  aL  a  t>  or  An?  "puApA- 
niAp,  nnuppo,"  Ap  lAopAn,  "beAn  t»o  cnongrriALA  50  oeirhm 
■cmc,  7  m  pACAniAp  oite  T>ecc(i°)  a  oeAibA  Ap  rimAoi  no  Ap 
pe]\  t>o  limAib  no  o'pepAib  An  ooiiiAm  poimpe  piArh  7  nobAt) 
m-imbepcA(2°)  t)uic  -pen  bAp  An  m  rnnAoi  t>o  bi  ajjao  poimpe 
[ia]a]  noccAin  a  pAjgAiA."  tlo  tionupcAip  gpAt)  nA  h-mjme 
An  Hi [5]  6-ocuala  An  cuApupcbAit  pn  cu^A'OAp  nA  ceACCA 
tnpce,  7  00  eipij  co  ponAipc  mA  •pn'oe  7  x>o  [pji^pp&ij: 
"  ciA  acai]\  ha  li-mjitie  pm  ?"  Ap  pe,  "  7  cpeo  pA"6epA  "oibp 
^An  a  cAbAipc  Ap  Aip  110  Ap  eiccm  Lib?"  "1ii  T)onn  niAc 
[1o]itic1ia'6a  rnic  Hlio'onA  nnc  CAircLocliAij;  x>o  ctomn 
CenmAOA  IThtbeoiL  nnc  An  'Oa^'oa  *oo  btmA-oppenrie 
UuAiue  t)A  *OAnAnn  o'a  h-ACAip,"  Ap  piAt),  "  7  ni 
•oeACAniAipne  tion  caca  [cac]  t)o  CAbAipc  x>6  7  rntmA 
nibeicrmp  Ap  a  eneAc  pen  Ap  bAp  x>o  imeopA'6  poptnnn  a 
ccionnAib  a  injine  00  iAppAi"6.  Apet>  AoubAipc  gion  50 
nibec  a  injjen  Ag  p-ep  oite  hac  coubpAt)  "otncpi  1."  "  C'aic 
a  bptnt  m  pep  pn  ?"  [Ap]  flAbgAoon.  "Imp  aca  a  n-oipep 
CpeAim,"  Ap  piAt).  "  1p  mnce  aca  11i  *Oonn,"  Ap  piAO,  "7 
cacai]a  A]\o  tn6|i  AijiejctA  Aige  mnce  7  poc]\Ait)e  coitg^eupA 
c6'0|:a'6aca(30)  pop."  "  UApvAiceAp(4°)  pAijipurh  pm,"  Ap 
VlAbgA'oon,  "  Ain  bepAopA  oonoL  ha  h-UAp'OA  t>'a  ionn- 
poiccTo  7  muppMcep  a  cacaip  m  (50)  a  ceAnn  7  cuicpAit) 
[pei]n  mnce  7  biAit)  a  mjjen  a^ahiva  pA  "oeoTo  7  biAit> 
pepAnn  cLAronii  oaiii  m  c-oiieAn  pm  ia]iaivi."  1]'  Ann[pn] 
t>o  commonAC-  pteAt)  Ag  VlAbjAOon  7  cuccac)  rtiAice  nA 
b-tlA]\t)A   mie  x)'a   lonnpoijit)   7   pobAp  A5  co[cai]cioiii  nA 

(i°)  T)ecc,  '  good,'  used  as  a  superlative  of  rtiAic.      (20)  in-imbepcA  =  particle 
m  +  imbepcA,  past  part,  of  imbpim,  '  play  upon,  work  upon,  wreak.'     Vide  infra, 


COXGHAL  CLAIRIXGHXEACH.  77 

XXX. 

Early  on  the  morrow  they  rose  and  came  to  their  ship, 
and  proceeded  over  the  same  broad-circling  sea  ;  and  they 
came  to  Uardha  to  where  Xabgodon  was.  Xabgodon  asked 
what  news  they  had;  whether  they  had  found  a  mate  for  him. 
"We  found,  indeed,"  said  they,  "  a  fitting  wife  to  a  certainty  for 
you ;  and  we  never  saw  before  the  like  of  her  figure  on  a  woman 
or  man  of  the  women  or  men  of  Ireland  ;  and  you  yourself 
would  have  put  to  death  the  wife  you  had  before  her  on  finding 
her."  The  king  was  filled1  with  love  for  the  girl  when  he  heard 
the  account  the  messengers  gave  of  her ;  and  he  started  up 
energetically,  and  asked  :  "Who  is  the  father  of  that  girl  ?  "  said 
he,,  "and  why  did  you  not  bring  her  willing  or  unwilling?" 
"  King  Donn,  son  of  Iomchadh,  son  of  Miodna,  son  of  Cais- 
clothach  of  the  Clann  of  Cermad  Milbheol,  son  of  the  Daghda 
of  the  prime-stock  of  the  Tuatha  da  Danann  is  her  father," 
said  they,  "  and  we  went  not  sufficiently  strong  to  attack  him, 
and  had  we  not  been  receiving  hospitality  from  him,  he  would 
have  put  us  to  death  for  having  asked  for  his  daughter.  What 
he  said  was  that  though  his  daughter  were  not  another's,  he 
would  not  give  her  to  you."  "  Where  is  that  man  ?  "  said 
Xabgodon.  "  In  an  island  in  Ireland,"  said  they  ;  "  there  is 
King  Donn,"  said  they,  "  and  he  has  a  lofty  and  noble  '  cathir' 
in  it,  and  sword-sharp  keen  multitudes  as  well.-'  "  That  shall 
be  avenged  on  him,"  said  Xabgodon,  "  for  I  shall  bring  the 
muster  of  Uardha  against  him,  and  his  '  cathir '  shall  be 
destroyed  about  him,  and  he  himself  shall  fall  in  it,  and  his 
daughter  shall  be  mine  in  the  end,  and  that  island  shall  be 
sword-land2  of  mine  afterwards."  Then  Xabgodon  held  a 
feast,  and  the  chiefs  of  Uardha  all  came  to  it,  and  the  feast 

imeoj\.yo,  condit.  of imbjum.  (30)  cex>f^x>^cs,    a)  'sensible';    b;  -sensual.' 

Cf.  ce-op^m,  (a)  'opinion,'  [b)  'sense,  passion.'    O'Dav.,  "Gloss..'-  cerpo.1T)  .1. 
comAiple.  (4C)  P.  O'C.  gives  cappAijeAm,  'revenge.'  50]  Leg.  im. 

1  Lit.,  '  love  filled.'         2  X.B.  the  expression  '  sword-land,'  pe|\j.nn  cl&ioirii. 


78  cAiunenn  con$Ait  ctAminjniS. 

irteitn  no  co  ccAinmc  p  7  6  cAifimc  "601b  An  ^teAt)  '00 
CAicerii,  A*obenc  tlAbgA-oon  nm  :  "  tlntArViAix)  bAn  bon^A 
7  bAn  tAToen^A  co  n-oecrriAir  -oo  JAbAit  ti&  cAcnAc  pn  7 
50  ccujMn  An  mjen  erce  ro  ceT>6in."  "IDogencAn  pn 
A^tnnne,"  A|i  pAt)  ;  7  no  coinjeAt)  a  lon^A  7  a  tAToen^A 
teo  ^unb  tint  Am  in-imceAccA(i°)  iat).  ImcurA  tlAb5A"oom 
nnc  Ioiauato  contuse  pn. 

lomcups  Hifj]  *Oumn,  nnunno,  t>o  noieoir  nAibce  lom-oA 
1onuAi*6  *o'a  lonnroijit). 

XXXI. 

lomcurA  ConJAit  mneApoAin  Ajjumn  bA  i)eAp;A.  1lo 
bAoi  rem  a  n-AonAC  tuAToe  aj;  •oAmjniuJA'd  a  bon^  7  a 
UiAcbAnc;  7  At>ubAinc  "pAccnA  ponn  pie :  "  "pAgbAm  One 
[leg.  Gjrniti]  bA  "oeArcA  uaija  *oa  noicrec  cbAnnA  "Ru-onAroe 
•o'An  n-ionnroigit)  00  jeubAm   eicceAn  uaca." 

"  T)a  h-AbAin  pn,  a  f*AccnA,"  An  ConJAt,  "  UAin 
•oononcAin  (2°)  bmne  An  biotibA  biniAit)  nob'  eAjtAiin  bmne 
•01b  .1.  11iaU,  HiAtiigtonnAc  itiac  "Rutin  Ait>e,  7  An  fen  Ar  fenn 
Anoir  Dib  .1.  "Penccur  niAc  Let>e,  'oingeubA'orA  tribre  a 
monc  combumn  e  ipn  ccac."  "  51-oe"o»"  A1A  "P^ccnA,  "  Ar 
tmuhiti  wbp  imceAcc  a  h-Cnnm,"  7  At>ubAinc  An  Iaoi  : 

michit>  •oumn  t)ot  ca]\  muin  meAtin  ; 

An  n-AnccAin  cnice  n-eneAnn, 

"OobAnpocpAC  (30)  itnAle 

niAice  cLomne'riut>nui|J;e. 

tlA  Vi-AbAinr>  fin,  a  pn  ! 

A  f  AcctiA  [a]  (40)  pnn  ptit>  ! 

'Oin^eu'bA'o  •oi'b  'fAn  cner  ce 

Venccur  Laoc  rnon  niActeue, 

An  n-Anccum  mmm  'Outiai'd  (50)  neill, 

An  ccun  a  n-ionnmAif  a  ccen  ; 

50  noiam  50  Dun  rrnc  tin, 

■Qui,  An  muin  Af  nncniT). 

niicniT) 

(i°)  m-imceACCA  =  lit.,  'fit  to  be  gone.'  (20)  ■oononcAin,  ' fell, '  =  •oo-no-no- 
CAin.  The  ordinary  form  is  t>o-no-CAin,  of  which  the  enclitic  form  is  concAin. 
(3°)  ■oo-'bAn-pocpAC  =  infixed  pron.  liAn,  '  to  you,'  +  condit.  of  ticcim,  do-iccim, 


CONGHAL  CLAIRIXGHNEACH.  79 

was  being  partaken  of  till  finished  ;  and  when  they  finished 
partaking  of  the  feast,  Nabgodon  said  to  them  :  "  Get  ready 
your  ships  and  boats  till  we  go  and  attack  that  '  cathir/  and 
take  the  girl  out  of  it  forthwith."  "  We  shall  do  that,"  said  they ; 
and  their  ships  and  boats  were  fitted  out  so  that  they  were  ready 
for  the  start.     So  far  as  regards  Nabgodon,  son  of  Ioruadh. 

As  to  King  Donn,  indeed,  the  numerous  bands  of  Ioruadh 
approached  him. 

XXXI. 

As  to  Conghal  we  shall  speak  now.1  He  was  in  Aonach 
Tuaidhe  fitting  out  his  ships  and  swift  barks  ;  and  Fachtna 
Finn  File  said  :  "  Let  us  leave  Ireland  now,  for  should  the 
Clann  Rury  come  against  us,  we  should  be  hard  pressed  by 
them."  "  Do  not  say  that,  O  Fachtna,"  said  Conghal,  "  for 
the  prime  enemy  we  feared  most,  Niall  Niamhglonnach  mac 
Rudhraighe,  has  fallen  at  our  hands  ;  and  as  to  the  best  man 
now  of  them,  Fergus  mac  Lede,  I  shall  ward  him  off  from  you 
in  battle,  in  stress  of  combat."2  "Howe'er  it  be,"  said  Fachtna, 
"  it  is  time  for  you  to  leave  Ireland,"  and  he  recited  the 
poem  — 

Time  for  us  to  go  over  the  limpid  sea  ; 

Having  harried  Ireland ; 

There  would  come  hither  to  you 

The  chiefs  of  the  Clann  Rury  ! 

Say  not  that,  O  man ! 

Oh !  Fachtna  Finn  File  ! 

I  shall  ward  off  from  you  in  the  hot  fight 

Fergus  mac  Lede,  the  great  hero  ; 

Having  harried  the  Dun  of  Xiall, 

Having  sent  their  wealth  afar  ; 

That  we  may  reach  the  Dun  of  the  son  of  Lir, 

Time  is  it  to  put  to  sea. 

4 1  come':  cf.  Wind.  "  Worterbuch,"  s.  v.  ticcim.        (40)  "  A"  not  in  MS.     It 
is  required,  however,  to  make  up  seventh  syllable.         (5°)  Leg.  -ounAit)  or  -ounA. 

1  The  link  between  the   Conghal    episodes    and   the   story  of  Nabgodon 
and  King  Donn  is  introduced  here.  :  Lit.,  '  in  strength  of  combat 

in  the  battle.' 


80  cAiuneirn  con$AiL  ctAiinngmJ. 

Uuccat>  ctn^epum  mwce  a  rhumcine  7  *oo  nmne(i°) 
corhAinLe  rnni  ;  7  Areo  A"oubnAT)An  tnle  jun  rmchit)  teo 
tnle  ene  o'-p^bAil.  "  pAgmAoi-one  1,"  An  ConJAl,  "  7 
ciA^Am  co  ceAc  tli  *Ouinn  co  n"oenntnnnri  reir  te  h-mpn 

XXXII. 

"OaLa  ^[5]  "Oumn,  urnonno,  nAinic  j\Aibce  rine(2°)  noirh 
llAb^AOon  cinge,  7  A-oubnAOAn  a  rrmmcen  te  tli[j]  'Oonn  nAn 
coin  -66  beic  An  cionn  Lucca  nA  h-llAnoA  mA  mir  rem  6  nAc 
•OToeonn  (30)  -onAoiceAcc  no  cuttiacca  mcteci  e.  "1r  -pe|A|\ 
•oArhrA  mAreA-o,"  An  re,  "*oot  An  cent)  ConJAil  pinAb  e 
rem  coireonAf  a  beAn  rnm  6  nAc  bruit-imp  lion  caca  tj'a 
cornAiri  acc  rnunA  -oi-one  t>obAn-ceo  -onAoiceAccA  pnn  no 
munA  roini-o  Con^Al  ontnn.n."(4°)  UAmicriorh  lAnorh  Af  An 
oiten  AtriAC  aji  ceAnn  ConJAiL;  7-00  CAinmc  00  ConjgAL  a 
tonjA  t)o  te&ruj&'o  7  ^  £oinne  -o'onxiu jax>  7  a  cAblAC  no 
conughxyd  AT)conncAT)An  AoncunAc  An  rut>  mAnA  7  Aiccen 
t/a  [n-]ionnroiccit)  7  Aon  o^Lac  AlAmn  orA-|roA  Ann,  7 
■oobADAn  AgA  £eucAmc  ne  Ii-acIiai-o.  '"Oobenimri  Aicne  An 
An  65LAC  aca  ipn  cu]\ac,"  An  Con^Al,  "uAin  Ar  e  "R1  *Oonn 
rriAc  1ottic1ia'6a  e  a  5  ceAcc  An  mo  cenorA  rriA'r  ulIaiti  .  .  . 
bAinnp  a  itijitie."  U115  tli  *Oonn  ajIiai-o  a  cunAij;  An  luinj 
ConjjAiL  7  00  beAnnAig  '66.  (50)  "  Ca  rtijit)  a  mb[ein]  An 
coblAc  rA,  a  CongAit?"  An  tli  *Oonn.  "  5u-°'  ^15P>J'  A? 
CongAl.  "  Ar  re]\]\-oe  tmn  bAn  cceAccrA  Ann  fin,"  [An  re], 
"  uai]\  aca  OAit  cobtAi 5  Ar  mo  mA  ribp  o'An  n-ionnfoicciT)." 
"  Cia  An  coblAc  pn  ?  "  An  CongAl.  "  TlAbgAoon  in  ac  1o]\UAit> 
CAimc  "o'lAnnAix)  00  rimA-rA  onArnrA,"  An  tli  'Oonn,  "  7  m 

(i°)  00  funne:  Atkinson  ("Tri  Bior-Ghaoithe")  points  out  that  this  form  is 
more  correct  than  t>o  |MJne.  That  is  so  from  a  phonetic  point  of  view,  the 
'  1 '  being  short.  Etymologically,  however,  the  '  5 '  would  stand  for  the  '  5  ' 
of  the  root  "^en."  (20)  p]\e:  adj.,  g.  s.  of  pj\e,  '  truth.'     Cf.  : — 

"  tie  jvij  SACfAti  ir1  "oeA^rj  a  concur 
1r"  ]\e  rxioJAib  p'|\e  ha  ITotjIa." 


CONGHAL  CLAIRINGHNEACH.  81 

The  chiefs  of  his  people  came  to  him,  and  he  took  counsel 
with  them,  and  they  all  said  that  it  was  time  to  leave  Ireland. 
"  We  shall  leave  it,"  said  Conghal,  "  and  let  us  go  to  the  house 
of  king  Donn,  so  that  I  may  visit  the  daughter  of  king  Donn." 

XXXII. 

As  to  king  Donn,  indeed,  trusty  bands  moved  before 
Nabgodon  against  him  ;  and  his  people  said  to  king  Donn 
that  he  ought  not  to  stand  against  the  people  of  Uardha  in  his 
own  island,  since  neither  druidical  spells  noV  secret  powers 
defended  it.  "  I  prefer,  indeed,"  said  he,  "  to  seek  out  Conghal, 
as  it  is  he  himself  who  shall  defend  his  spouse  against  them, 
since  I  am  not  strong  enough  to  defend  her,  save  indeed  a 
druidical  vapour-mist  defends  us,  or  Conghal  comes  to  our 
aid."  He  came  thereafter  out  of  the  island  to  seek  Conghal  ; 
and  as  Conghal  was  mending  his  ships,  and  ordering  his 
crews,  and  getting  ready  his  fleet,  they  beheld  a  single 
'  currach '  coming  towards  them  on  the  sea  and  ocean,  and  a 
single  beautiful  young  man  in  it,  and  they  kept  looking  at 
him  for  a  while.  "  I  recognise  the  young  man  in  the  '  currach,'" 
said  Conghal,  "  for  it  is  king  Donn  mac  Iomchadha  coming 
for  me  to  know  if  his  daughter's  marriage  is  at  hand  ..." 
King  Donn  turned  his  '  currach  '  towards  Conghal's  ship  and 
greeted  him.  "  Where  goes  this  fleet,  O  Conghal  ?  "  said  king 
Donn.  "  To  your  house,"  said  Conghal.  "  We  like  much 
your  coming  there,"  said  he,  "  for  there  is  a  greater  fleet1  than 
yours  coming  against  us."  "  What  fleet  ? "  said  Conghal. 
"  Nabgodon's,  who  came  to  seek  your  betrothed  from  me," 
said  king  Donn,  "  and  I  did  not  give  her  to  him,  and  he  and 

("OAtiCA  fVl.  Ceinnn  ;  MacErlean,  11.  221-2.)  (30)  -oioeotm  :  enclitic  pres. 

after  tiAch  of  ■oi-otiAini,  'I  defend.'  Infra  we  have  ■oi'otie,  the  subj.  pres.  3rd  sg. 
after  mun a.  (40)  Cf.  Mod.  Ir.,  30  bf6irut>  Oia  ojuurm,  '  God  help  us ! '  (50)  X)o 
beAnriAij  re  t>o  :   '  he  greeted  him.'     TDo  beamiAi  j  re  e :   'he  blessed  him.' 

1  Lit.,  an  assembly  of  a  fleet. 


82  cAitneim  congAit  cLAimnjniS. 

cugurA  t)o  i  7  -5-ca  repon  7  Lion  [cobiAij]  (i°)  A5  ceAcc  t>'a 
bnec  An  eccm  UAimp  7  CAnrA  pen  -o'a  cornArh  rniu."  "  Cpi  jri 
norhAm,"  An  Con^Al,  "  7  rnicoilcep  (20)  Lee  nA  rtiAiue-ri  aca 
nn  pocAinri,  7  ADAin  ne  UAip  UAoibj;it  50  ntnn^eubA'orA 
tlAb^A-oon  UAin  "oa  cci  re  -o'a  cocmA]icpA  etnere  re  tiorn  " 
7  Tobenc  111  Laoi  : 

A  111  'Ounm  epi§  t)o'ti  t>tm, 

C6lf\1  j  A]\  CCOlLciO  'f  AJ\  Ccluilil  J 

rrviocoitcep  tec  irnAbe 
tTlAice  ctoinne  UuoriAioe  ; 
AbAij\  f.e  CAip  cliAioe  (30) 
1lipn  1115111  n-iomuAtl>Ai5  (40) 
nAb^cDon  ajv  cceAcc  a  ccuaio, 
tJmjeu'bA'O^A  1  ccac  aj\  n[uAip] 
TlAbjcoon  tja  cci  re  a  ccIiuato, 
K1  ha  h-tJAjvoA  50  tion  ftiiAij 
1y  •oep.b  oojtaoc  (5°)  of  in  ctntiti, 
Aoerum  p.ic  A  Hi  "Ouirm. 

XXXIII. 

1r  Ann  pn  "oo  r^An  Hi  T)onn  ]\m  7  CAinic  nornpA  'o'a 
cAcnAi^  rem  "o'a  bpierceAtAT)  7  t>'a  bpncAiteAT)  ;  7 
CA[mic]  Con^Ab  co  tion  a  focnuroe  m&  -6iai  j  ;  7  t)o 
■pm-oet)  rtmccAorhnA  roitcce  7  rocnAicce  (6°)  "661b  7 
cu[ccat)]  a  n-Aini5ce(7°)  bro  7  tentiA  cuca,  7  CAn^A-OAn  ipn 
rnbntngm  rrioin  tnte  A-p  a  h-Aicbe.  tlAip  A-p  AtntAro  "oobi 
[1li]  T)onn  7  bntnjion  Ai^e  Ap  n-A  copu^At)  pA  coiiiAip 
ConjjAit  ye  -ounA-o  Amtnj.  "A  CongAit,"  An  re,  "  op-ofuij;] 
rem  reArcA  do  ceAc  n-otA  7  rui*6ij  -oo  niumcep."  "AbAip, 
a  "ppAoic  "onAoi,  cionnur  biAr  An  bpu[i5]eAnpA  Anocc," 
[Ap  ConJAl],     "  Ar  i  ro  ah  bptngeAn  t>o  cAipm^ep[c]pA  •oo 

(i°)  Or  [a  ftuAij].  (20)  Lit.,  '  let  the  chiefs  be  entertained  by  you.' 

(35)  CAToe,  'silent'  (?).  (40)  n  -1 011111  aLLai  §  :  |\1  (fjm),   'to,  with,'  gov.  ace. 

in  O.  Ir.  ;  hence  the  eclipsis  of  lomuAttAij;  by  the  ace.  mgen  {recte,  1115111). 
(50)  •oojtaoc  :  3rd  sg.  s.  fut.  of  cuicmi,  'I  fall.'  (6°)  foitcce  7 

forfAicce:  porj\ucuT),  'act  of  bathing  (the  body)';  jrotcAO  (of  the  head)  ; 
fochj\Aicci,  gl.  '  balneum.'  Cf.  Hogan,  "  Cath  R.  na  Righ,"  s.v.  yochjuiciiT)  in 
Gloss.  Index.  (70)  AijAijce  :  cf.  s.v.,  Meyer,  "Contributions  to  Irish  Lexic." 


COXGHAL  CLAIRINGHNEACH.  83 

[his  people]  are  coming  to  take  her  forcibly  from  me,  and  do 
you  come  and  defend  her  against  them."  "  Go  before  me," 
said  Conghal,  "  and  entertain  the  chiefs  who  are  with  me,  and 
tell  Taisi  Taoibhgheal  that  I  shall  ward  off  Xabgodon,  for  if 
he  comes  to  woo  her,  he  shall  fall  by  me";  and  he  recited  the 

poem  : — 

0  king  Donn,  go  to  the  stronghold, 

Get  ready  our  couches  and  down -covers  ; 

Entertain  moreover 

The  chiefs  of  the  Clann  Rury  ; 

Tell  Taisi  Taidhe, 

The  very  proud  girl, 

That  when  Xabgodon  has  come  from  the  north, 

1  shall  ward  him  off  betimes  in  battle, 
Xabgodon,  if  he  comes  from  the  north, 
The  king  of  Uardha,  with  a  full  hosting  ! 
It  is  certain  he  shall  fall  on  the  wave, 

I  tell  you,  O  king  Donn. 


XXXIII. 

Then  king  Donn  left  them  and  came  to  his  own  '  cathir ' l 
to  feast  and  entertain  them  ;  and  Conghal  came  with  all  his 
forces  after  him  ;  and  a  bath  was  got  ready  to  bathe  their 
heads  and  bodies  in,  and  honorific  portions  of  food  and  ale  were 
given  them,  and  they  all  came  into  the  great  hostel  afterwards. 
For  it  was  this  way  with  king  Donn — he  had  a  hostel  fitting 
up  for  Conghal  outside  the  Dun.  "  O  Conghal,"  said  he, 
"  order  yourself  forthwith  your  drinking-house,  and  seat  your 
people."  "  Say,  O  Fraoch  the  druid  !  how  this  hostel  shall 
be  to-night "  [said  Conghal].     "  This  is  the  hostel  I  prophesied 


1  I  have  preferred  to  use  the  Irish  word  in  cases  like  the  present  where  such 
conventional  English  translations  as  'castle'  for  c^c-Mp  convey  a  quite 
different  meaning  from  that  of  the  original  word.  Xothing  is  more  irritating 
to  those  who  have  a  first-hand  acquaintance  with  the  conditions  of  life  in  ancient 
Ireland  than  to  find  the  vivid  reality  of  the  original  smothered  in  an  atmosphere 
of  mediaeval  terminology  or,  worse  still,  in  that  of  modern  dilettante  mysticism 
or  ideology. 

G  2 


84  cAittienn  con§Ait  ctAimn$rn$. 

JAbAib  ope,"  A-p  'Pja^oc;  "7  Af  coin  x)[uiuj  a  h-oincitt  50 
ttiaic  t)o  t)enArh,"  An  pAT>,  "uai]a  C10-6  tionrhAn  ci  Tl^b^o-oon 
T)'An  n-ionnroij^no]  bAi>  cnep  "otnnne  niA  t)6."     1r  &mipn 
cAinic  Con^Al  ipn  mbnmjin,  7  -oo  jtnt>  mA  ionA*o  nio^-oA. 
"  ITIaic,     a     peAngur,"     An     Con^Al,     "  c'aic     ifcijp     a 
m-biA-pi  Anocc?"    "  OiAt>  ipn  poclA  cuAircencAC  [An]  cige," 
An  "pe}iccur,  "iiAin  "oa  cci  Tl^bgotion  ir  AnnpAn  bpopc  bA 
cnuAToe  ciocrAp";  7  CAimc  £epccur  "oo  c6ccbi.1t  a  AnmA 
of  a  cionn  ipn  pocbA  pemnix),  7  cAimc  tTlmne-oAc  tTlensech 
tiiac    [K15]    AtbAn    ipn    poctA    pemnitj    oite    A]\    lonchAib 
"penccupy,  7  CAinic  An  a-oaI  Cuccac  tiiac  tli[g]  Concenn  coh[a] 
tni   cet)  ConceAnnAc  Ap  111  "oojiup  bA  nefA  t)o  ConJAt  ipm 
mbptn  jpn,  7  CAinic  CniorhcAn  CorcjiAC  itiac  'pepccupA  "pAi-p^e 
7  CAipbpe  Con^AincnerAc  idac  CAipbpe  Cptnrn  Ati  m  "oofpup] 
bA  nep a  "ooib  pm,  Oibilt  UeopA  5^°^  7  Oittitb  Ueo-pA  Cpioch 
Ap  in  -oopup  eite  t)i,  7  1x1  "Dorm  niAc  1oincliAt>A  Ap  Iaitti  t>eip 
ContjAit  7  mAice  fLAcpumne  6  Ki[§]  *Oonn  co  h-iApcctnl(i°)  ; 
7    cucc&t)    UAip  UAoib^eAt    cotia    bAncpAcc    Ap    Iaitti    ete 
ConjjAit  7  x)o  b-e5]H5(2°)  ha  nnc  pio^  pn  ArriAch  An  pteApoib 
tia  bptngne  7  "oo  put)  'Pacciia  ponn  pite  7  'PpAoc  -opAoi   a 
bpA"6ntnpe  Con^Ait,  7  56  "oo  bi  fAiccep(3°)  7  nneAglA  ojtpA 
ni  buJAToe  bAOAp  A5  6t  7  A5  Aoibner  7  aj  Aipptnt)  50  m6|i. 


XXXIV. 

lomcupA  tlAb^ATDom  imc  1op Ait)  -oo  cuiiieAT)  a  coblAc  AmAc 
Leip  Ap  nunp  •o'ionnpoicci,o  6pionn  Ap  ceAnn  mjme  1vi [5] 
*Otnnn  7  a^ia-o  •oob'  eotAige  "661b  .1.  An  tucc  CAimc  ]\oniie 
tiACA  co  h-6ttinn ;  7  CAngA-oAp  pompA  50  RAcnoinn  7  A"ocon- 

(i°)  1a]accuiL,  lAjAjcuit  =  'back,  remote  corner.'  (2°)  •oo  ri-e5|\ij  :  3rd 

sg.  pt.  tense,  ecjAAim,  ej;r\Aim,  eAjriAiin,  eAgriAijim,  'I  arrange,  set  in  order.' 
Cf.  c<jj\  1  ii-eAgAri  (O.  Ir.  ecop).  (30)  Mod.  Ir.  -pAiccioj',  fAicceAr1. 

1  Naturally  so,  for  a  descent  on  Rathlin  from  the  sea  would  be  from  the 


CONGHAL  CLAlRINGHNEACH.  85 

would  be  attacked  on  you,"  said  Fraoch  ;  "  and  you  ought  to 
get  it  fully  ready,"  said  they,  "  for,  though  Nabgodon  comes 
against  us  in  great  force,  we  would  be  stronger  than  he."  Then 
Conghal  came  into  the  hostel,  and  sat  down  in  his  royal  place. 
"  Well,  Fergus,"  said  Conghal,  "  where  shall  you  be  inside  to- 
night?" "I  shall  be  in  the  northern  quarter  of  the  house," 
said  Fergus,  "  for  should  Nabgodon  come,  it  is  on  the  northern1 
side  he  will  come."  Fergus  came  and  placed  his  arms  above 
him  in  the  champion's  royal  place,  and  Muiredhach  Mergeach, 
son  of  the  king  of  Scotland,  came  into  another  champion's 
royal  seat  in  front  of  Fergus,  and  Anadhal  Euchtach,  son  of  the 
king  of  the  Conchenns,  came  with  his  three  hundred  Conchenns 
to  the  door  nearest  Conghal  in  the  hostel,  and  Criomhtann 
Coscrach,  son  of  Fergus  Fairge,  and  Cairbre  Congancnesach, 
son  of  Cairbre  Crom,  came  to  the  door  next  them  ;  Oilill 
Teora  Gaoth  and  Oilill  Teora  Crioch  to  another  door,  and 
king  Donn,  son  of  Iomchadh,  on  the  right  of  Conghal,  and 
the  chiefs  of  Rathlin  from  king  Donn  to  the  back.  Taisi 
Taoibhgheal  and  her  female  retinue  were  on  the  other  side  of 
Conghal,  and  he  ranged  the  king's  sons  along  the  sides  of  the 
hostel ;  and  Fachtna  Finn  File  and  Fraoch  the  druid  sat  down 
before  Conghal,  and,  though  they  were  in  fear  and  terror, 
none  the  less  were  they  drinking  and  pleasuring  and  amusing 
themselves  greatly.2 

XXXIV. 

As  to  Nabgodon  mac  Ioraidh,  he  put  to  sea  his  fleet  to 
go  to  Ireland  in  search  of  the  daughter  of  king  Donn,  and 
his  guides  were  those  who  had  preceded  him  to  Ireland. 
They  came  to  Rathlin,  and  they  saw  the  light  of  the  lamps3 

north.  -  This  simple  yet  effective  manner  of  anticipating  an  on-coming 

event  is  typical  of  Irish  story-telling  at  its  best.  3  Locr\ATin,  a  loan-word 

from  Latin  'lucerna.'  The  '  righ-chaindell '  or  royal  candle  in  a  king's  house  is 
a  common  feature  in  old  Irish  tales. 


86  cAitnenn  conjAit  ctAimriSnij;. 

c^'oaji  roittp  (i°)  nA  tocpAnn  An  bArA'o  t»o  tiitiin  TiiAnA  Aintn  5. 
"1V1aic,  a.  tucc  An  eottnr  !  "  Apt  TlAb^A-oon,  "  c'aic  a  bruit 
ah  cpoittp  riiop  110  AtDciAmuiT)  ?"  "  Apef>  Ar  "0015  tmne,"  Api 
pAt>,  "  gunAb  a  bp~iAt>ntnpe  Tti[5]  *Otnnn  aca  -pi,  7  &r  Ann  aca 
An  ben  "oo  iA]i|iAniAnne  •otiicp  7  Ar  0015  tmne  jjunAb  e  An 
pen  "o'a  ccucat)  1  "oo  biA-6  Ann  An  a  bAnAip  Anocc  .1.  itiac 
tli[j]  eneAnn."  "*Oob'  fenn  tmn  50  that)  e  t>o  biAt)h  Ann," 
A]\  flAbjj&'oon,  "7  ceiccln-6  poipuonn  cf\i  L0115  UAib  t>'por 
ha  h-mnp,  7  cAbnAC  teo  f5&tA  n&  cAcp.Ach  cu^omn  "  ;  7 
CAn^AXtAn  pn  -pompA  "o'por  ha  hmnp. 

XXXV. 

"OAtA  "pepccurA,  imu-pno,  *oobiren  A5  erceAcc  ne  mon- 
5An(2°)  An  itiAnA  "oo'n  CAoib  cuAToe  7  a-ocuaIa  piucctAoh^0) 
nA  ttnn^e  tAnrhoipe  aj  ^AbAit  ACAnfoi"oe  (40)  1pm  mnp. 
T)o  eini^  pepccur  ahiac,  7  00  jIac  a  A]imA  50  hActATii 
Annpn,  7  ooconnAic  TTItiineA'ohAc  TnejigeAc  tiiac  U15  AtbAn 
pn,  CAimc  a  ntDeA^hAi-o  pepccupA  AmAch,  7  corn  Iuau 
•o'^epccnr  T)ocum  An  caIato  7  oo'n  ceotumg  a^  ceAcc  a 
txin  "oibpm,  7  x>o  1A"6  "pepccur  a  "6a  jgtAic  rhonA  rrntecA 
pA  ctnn-pcopAc  nA  tumge  7  cuccupuAip  ecAncnAcliAT)  AnbAit 
rtnnne  jun  cpnocnAij  a  ctApACA  50  cujaaoa,  [7  no  r]cmne- 
•oa]\(5°)  a  CAinpngATtA  cen^Aib  7  corirotucA  eipoe  tube,  7  "oo 
-pcAoibep"OAi|i  o'n  ccin|i]\[corAc]  "o'a  cete  5 An  concAbAinc 
tnte  1  50  pAbAttAn  a  roineAnn  A5  ceAcc  cnice  An  run  nA 
cnA^liA  .  .  .  (6°)  rleobAib  ;  7  \)o  <5Abup"0Ain  tffuipe'OAc 
tTleji^eAc  itiac  1li[j]  AtbAn  [a^  ionnA]nbAt)  nA  poifine  50 
rtnnecAin  ;  7  cAmic  pepccu-p  ipn  ttnnj  -pA  nerA  "60  iaji  pn, 
7  ["oo  bi  re]  Ag  mAnbAT)  nA  p-oip.ne,  7  cahhc  tTltnpe'oAc  mon 
'nA   tbeA^liAit)   m    ^ac  tuing   -o'a    [ton^Aib]   50  piAnnc  teo 

(i°)  Distinguish  ^o\\Xp,  fern.,  'light';  poLttf  (adj.),  'clear,  bright ';  foluf 
(noun),  masc,  'light.'  (2°)  monjAfi,  'roaring'  (O'R.).      Vide  s. v. 

mon§Ain  (Dinneen,  "  Irish  Diet.").  (30)  f\ucciAt)li,  cf.  -puce,  '  a  sigh, 

groan,'  &c.,  O'R.  (40)  ACA^r-oToe,  gen.  of  ACAf\foit>,  'anchor,'  a 

Xorse  loan-word  ;  Norse,  akkarsaeti,  vide  Meyer,  "  Contributions  to  Irish  Lexic." 


CONGHAL  CLAIRIXGHNEACH.  87 

shining  on  the  surface  of  the  sea  outside.  "  Well,  O  guides," 
said  Nabgodon,  "  where  is  yonder  great  light  we  see  ?  "  "  We 
believe,"  said  they,  "that  it  is  in  the  presence  of  king  Donn  it 
is,  and  there  is  the  wife  we  seek  for  you  ;  and  we  believe  that 
he  to  whom  she  was  given  is  there  to-night  celebrating  her 
marriage,  namely — the  son  of  the  king  of  Ireland."  "  We 
deem  it  all  the  better  that  it  is  he  would  be  there,"  said 
Nabgodon,  "  and  let  three  ships'  crews  of  you  go  to  the  island, 
and  bring  us  information  about  the  'cathir'";  and  they 
moved  forward  to  the  island. 

XXXV. 

As  to  Fergus,  indeed,  he  was  listening  to  the  roaring  of 
the  sea  on  the  northern  side,  and  he  heard  the  scraping  of  the 
very  large  ship  taking  anchor  in  the  island.  Fergus  rose  and 
quickly  seized  his  arms,  and  when  Muiredhach  Mergeach,  son 
of  the  king  of  Scotland,  perceived  that,  he  came  out  after 
Fergus,  and  Fergus  came  as  quickly  to  the  beach  as  did 
the  first  ship  to  touch  land  ;l  and  Fergus  grasped  his  two 
large  warrior  hands  round  the  prow  of  the  vessel,  and  gave  it 
a  dreadful  wrench,  so  that  he  shook  its  planks  right  bravely, 
and  all  the  nails  that  bound  and  held  it  fast2  started  out  of  it, 
and,  without  a  doubt,  he  slit  it  all  from  one  end  to  the  other, 
so  that  the  crew  came  through  it  on  to  the  strand.  .  .  . 
Muiredhach  Mergeach,  son  of  the  king  of  Scotland,  took  to 
driving  back  fiercely3  the  crew  ;  and  Fergus  came  to  the 
ship  nearest  him  after  that,  and  was  slaying  the  crew ;  and 
Muiredhach  Mor  came  after  him  into  each  of  the  ships,  till 
they  succeeded  in  completely  destroying  in  this  fashion  the 


1  Lit.,  '  coming  to  land.'     2  Lit.,  '  its  nails  of  binding  and  fastening.'     3  Lit. 
'  carefully,  watchfully.' 


(5°)  T»°  rcirmeT>A^  ;  O.  Ir.  fcenT>im,  'I  spring.'  (63)  Defect  in  MS.  Owing  to 
the  frayed  condition  of  the  edges  of  our  MS.,  the  words  at  the  end  of  a  number  of 
lines  are  missing.  The  reader  will  recognise  this  by  the  words  which  have  been 
restored  and  inserted  in  square  brackets. 


88  cAioienn  con^Ait  ctAminSnig. 

poinent)  n&  ccjii  bong  "oo  bAnriiAnbAT)  &ji  &  n-ont>uj<y6  pn  ; 
7  CAn5<yo&f;  [ipn  mbjjitu  jin  &r  a  hcvicbe  7  -oo  co^bAt^n  a 
n-&ntn&  uaopoib  7  *oo  •puToe-o^p  m&  n-ion[cv"o&ib]  pern  i&fi 
fin,  7  nin  corhm&oi'opoc  n&  h-eucc&  *oo  ninne-o^n  1>011A- 

XXXVI. 

1f  Ann  pn  c&mic  [tl&bjg&'oon  bion  a  lum^p  &  n-oe&g- 
h&it>  a  tiiuincitte,  7  &r  Arhb.M'd  pu&in  i&t>  hia  ccopi&ctnb 
[ge&nJucA  corhrnbu.Mbce  p&  copncop&c&ib  a  Long,  7  & 
bongA  An  n-&  bu&icbnipe<y6.  "1f  uacitiaja  in^n  bit>(i°)  An 
muiricen,"  &n  tlAb^coon,  "  7  Ar  ne|icm&|i  "oo  m&nbvo  pie 
h-e-6  n-AC50i|Ai,o(20)  tube  i&t>  "  ;  [7]  *oo  cuAbAtDAfi  gpie^-dAn 
rnon  ipm  mbntngm.  '"OenAin  -o'lonnpoigi-o  tiA  bptnjne,  a 
[pop]&!"  &pi  tlAbgo-oon,  "  co  nTDiojt&m  Ap  mumcep  &pv  a 
bpinb  x>'GpencAib(3°)  innce,  7  c&bn&it)  c&ippcce  7  cIoca 
[o'n]  ccAb&X)  (40)  lib  50  mbet)  Agumn  x>o  bnire/yo  tii.  bptngne." 
1p  AiTibAit)  c&n5&t>&jif  &n  X)  '1  on  n  poi^i  "6  n*,  bptn^ne  7 
u&Unje  &i*6bbe  beo  t>o  cbochcob  cumne  n&  cjiaj^  7  6 
nAngAtJAn  1  cucc<yo&n  j^i&ir  b&nb&n,6&  T>o'n  bptnjm 
gun  beccpe-o  &  -pcec(5°)  7  a  rbe^JA  7  a  ccbomrhe  m^ 
[be&n]noib  7  a  fe&ncob&m&n  (6°)  t)o  bi  m&  pep&rh  jie 
■opeic  n&  bptngne  "00  con^bAib  m^  fep&rh  5^11  ctncnn 
ont&.  1r  Annpn  *oo  eipij;  "pepiccup  7  c&mic  attiac,  7 
ccVirnc  tTluipe'o&c  tTlepcc&c  in&  •oe&^h.M'd  ;  7  cucccv-o&n 
bu  At  cum  pin  a  cuuncibb  n&  bptngne,  7  cu5At)An  [u}\]cuji 
pep'OA  pep&rnh,Mb  o'n  rnbpitnjin  ahiac  opp\A,  7  vo  cine  cet> 
b&oc  7  c&n£,<vo&n  1pm  mbfunjm  Anonn  Ap  a  h&icbe;  7-00 
co^b^'OAn  a  n-&iprn  mpi'o^epi.cv  UAip-oib  intice,  7  "oo  ib[e&]t>A.ji 
a  nt)ij  c«.|ic&  7  iocAn  &p  a  h-Aicbe.     UAngA-OAn  ha  h-^bb- 

(i°)  For  difference  between  Old  Ir.  accau  and  biu,  vide  Strachan,  "  Subst. 
Verb"  (Phil.  Soc.),  p.  53.  (2°)  -pe  h-et)  n-AcsoiriiT) :  the  eclipsis  of 

acjoiimt)  may  be  accounted  for  here  in  two  ways  :  (a)  et>  is  neuter  in  O.  Ir.,  and 
so  eclipses  in  nom.  and  ace.  sg. ;  (b)  the  ace.  masc,  fern.,  and  neut.  eclipse  in 
O.  Ir.,  and  j\e  governs  the  ace.  Distinguish,  however,  pefrom  ff\i,  governing  ace. 
and  pe  n-,  '  before,'  which  eclipses  in  O.  Ir.,  and  governs  dative.  (3°)  Mod. 

Ir.  ei|MonnAch.  (40)  ca^at)  is  the  hard  shingle  beach  on  the  edge  of  the 


CONGHAL  CLAIRINGHNEACH.  89 

crews  of  the  three  ships.  After  that  they  came  into  the 
hostel,  and  placed  their  arms  above  them,  and  sat  them  down 
in  their  own  places,— and  they  boasted  not,  indeed,  of  the 
deeds  they  had  done.1 

XXXVI. 

Then  Nabgodon  came  with  his  full  fleet  after  his  people,  and 
found  them  in  lacerated,  trampled,  stricken  heaps  under  the 
prows  of  their  ships,  and  their  ships  smashed  to  pieces.  "  Fearful 
is  the  state  of  our  people,"  said  Nabgodon,  "  and  fiercely  have 
they  been  all  slain  within  a  very  short  time  "  ;  and  they  heard 
a  great  exulting  shout  in  the  hostel.  "  Let  us  make  towards  the 
hostel,  O  men  ! "  said  Nabgodon,  "  till  we  avenge  our  people 
on-  the  Irishmen  that  are  in  it,  and  take  up  the  rocks  and 
stones  from  the  beach  so  as  to  have  them  to  break  down  the 
hostel."  In  this  fashion  they  came  to  the  hostel  with  great 
loads  of  wave-washed  stones2  from  the  strand,  and  when  they 
reached  it,  they  made  a  fierce  attack3  on  the  hostel  so  that 
they  left  their  shields  and  spears  and  swords  on  its  peaks  and 
against  an  old  column  that  was  standing  up  in  order  to  keep 
the  front  of  the  hostel  from  falling  on  them.  Then  Fergus 
rose  and  came  out,  and  Muiredhach  Mergach  after  him,  and 
they  made  a  quick  circuit  of  the  hostel,  and  they  fired  on  them 
bravely  and  in  manly  fashion  from  the  hostel,  and  a  hundred 
warriors  fell  ;  and  then  they  came  into  the  hostel,  put  up  their 
sharp-pointed  arms  in  it,  and  afterwards  drank  their  drink  to 
quench  their  thirst.4      All  the  foreigners  again   approached 

1  This  splendid  climax  is  a  fitting  ending  to  what  may  be  considered  a 
brilliant  example  of  vigorous  Irish  narrative.  2  Lit.,  '  wave-stones'  (?);  cf. 

however,  Stokes,  "Zeit.  fur  Celt.  Phil.,"  Band  i.,  p.  438,  s.v.  cuimT), 
'  stone  '  (?).     Can  cuinne  here  be  for  ctmifoe  ?  3  Lit.,  '  shower.' 

4  Lit.,  '  their  drink  of  thirst  and  of  parchedness.'  1oca,  gen.  iocati,  'thirst.' 
N.B. — tug,  O.  Ir.  ace.  of  •oeoch. 

high-tide  mark,  upon  which  the  boats  were  beached.  (5°)  Sic  MS. 

(6°)  reAticolAmAtt  :  for  this  feature  in  old  Irish  buildings,  cf.  Joyce,  "  Social 
History,"  vol.  II.,  p.  35. 


90  cAitnenn  con$Ait  ctAimn§ni5. 

rhA-pnAij  tube  Anir  -o'lonnroijji-o  ha  bntnjne,  7  -oo  ^AbA-OApi 
-ooinp  ha  b|un  jne  -oa  z^ac  Aipi-o  (1)  impe.  Oucomuic 
[AnA]"OAb  Guccac  niAc  1vi[^]  Concenn  conA  c]n  ce-o  ConceAn- 
nAc,  CAn^A-oAn  ahiac  7  cu^A-oAn  AnA  monA  [An  m]tnnciti, 
TlAb^A-ooin  ;  7  -oo  cui|ie-OA]\  a  pon  (20)  niA-oniA  7  moinceicln-o 
tube  ut)  o'n  inbjnnj;in  50  liAinin  a  nAibe  flAbgA-oon  ;  7 
CAnjA-oAn  ipn  mbntnjm  ce-onA  iA-ppn  7  -00  ibe-OAn  a 
1T015  cApiCA.  lA^pn  -oo  5^er(3°)  flAbgA-oon  a  niumcin 
-oocum  nA  bntnjne  50  1i-AcbAiii  7  cAn^A-OAn  -oa  ^ac  Aint> 
•oi,  7  "oo  §Ainet)An  unripe ;  7  cahiic  "pepiccur  aiiiac  7 
ftluine-OAc  1Tlen5Ac  Ani-p  7  -oo  cuine-OApi  ApiA  mo^A  A-p  nA 
-ptuAJAib  ^un  i'|\A0ineA"6  An  jac  tec  o'n  mbnuigm  ia-o, 
7  CAii^A-OAjt  ipn  mbntii^in  7  -oo  juiit>e'OA}\  mA  n-ionA-ouib 
-pen  Anip  1r  Annpn  A-oub>Ainc  TlAb^A-oon  :  "  61^15  -oumn," 
An  re,  "7  boi-pccen  An  bnuij;en  1m  cennAib  puib  mnce  -oo 
fbuA^Aib."  UAimc  -oinnn  mo\\  -oo  rhACAoriioib  H105  ha 
n-tlAn-oA  -o'lon-oroi^i-o  ha  bntnj;ne  7  "oo  -oiubnACA-OAji  -oo 
■pAig-oib  ceneA-6  An  bnuigm.  UAti^A-OAn  ahiac  Annpn  -6a 
tiiac  fli  [5]  ConnAcc  .1.  Aibibb  UeonA  5^ocn  7  Aibibb  UeonA 
Cnioc,  7  -oo  nonrA-o  copcAn  1116)1  A111U15,  7  CAngA-oAn  ipn 
mbnui^m  ia|\  pn,  7  -oo  cui}i  pn  rocc  rnon  An  bucc  nAh-UAp-oA 
tube.  "Hi  cuAiAtnAn  iomrtA-6  bpen  n-6neAnn  utia  n-engnAin 
nonne  ro  niAmh,"  An  TlAbjA-oon. 

XXXVII. 

A;gur  CAimc  cac  mon  -o'lonnroi^ro  nA  bnui^ne  7  -oo 
pob|\AX)A]A  *ooi|iri  nA  b]\ui  jne  -oo  bnire-oh.  Uaiuic  {Tenccup  7 
TTIuineA-oAc  tTlen^Ac  aiiiac  Anir,  7  cucca-oa^  a  n-oer  pnpn 
mbnuitpn,  7  -oo  cuineAt>An  a  nAibe  'nA  cnncibb  mbe  a  jiAen 
niA-oniA   noco    ^An^A-OAn    a   copcA-6,  (40)    7    cAn^A-oA^    ipn 

(i°)  Cf.  Burns,   "  Of  all  the  airts  the  wind  doth  blow."  (20)  O.  Ir., 

f\oen,    'a  way,   a  road.'  (30)  -oo  jpej* :    O.  Ir.   gjupAim,   'urge, 

incite,'  3rd  sg.  pret.,  ]\o  5]\eir- ;  later  5j\erpm,  3rd  sg.  pret.,  j\o  gpeir",  t>o  j^er. 
(40)  cofCAt> :  cf.  costud, 'halting,  staying' (Stokes,  "  Tog. Troi."),    'checldng' 


CONGHAL   CLAIRINGHNEACH.  91 

the  hostel  and  pressed  on  every  side  round  the  doors  of  the 
hostel.  When  Anadhal  Euchtach,1  son  of  the  king  of  the 
Conchenns,  and  his  three  hundred  Conchenns  saw  that,  they 
came  out  and  wreaked  great  slaughter  on  Nabgodon's  followers, 
and  routed  and  put  them  all  to  flight  from  the  hostel  towards 
where  Nabgodon  was  ;  and  they  came  afterwards  back  to  the 
same  hostel  and  drank  their  drink  to  quench  their  thirst. 
Then  Nabgodon  quickly  urged  on  his  people  towards  the 
hostel,  and  they  rushed  on  it  from  every  point,  and  shouted 
round  it.  Fergus  and  Muiredhach  Mergach  again  came  out 
and  wreaked  great  slaughter  on  the  hosts,  so  that  they  were 
beaten  on  every  side  of  the  hostel  ;  and  they  (Fergus,  &c.) 
came  back  to  the  hostel  and  resumed  their  own  places  again. 
Then  Nabgodon  said  :  "  Let  us  go,"  said  he,  "  and  burn  the 
hostel  over  the  heads  of  the  hosts  that  are  in  it."  A  great 
swarm  of  the  warriors  of  the  king  of  Uardha  approached  the 
hostel,  and  they  shot  fiery  darts  at  the  hostel.  Then  the  two 
sons  of  the  king  of  Connaught,  Ailill  Teora  Gaoth  and  Ailill 
Teora  Crioch,  came  out  and  made  a  great  heap  of  slain  out- 
side, and  came  back  afterwards  to  the  hostel,  and  that  put  a 
full  stop3  to  all  the  people  of  Uardha.  "  We  never  before 
heard  the  men  of  Ireland  boasting  about  their  dexterity  in 
arms,"  said  Nabgodon. 

XXXVII. 

A  great  band  approached  the  hostel  and  tried  to  break  in 
the  door  of  the  hostel.  Fergus  and  Muiredhach  Mergach 
sallied  out  again,  and  went  to  the  left  of  the  hostel  and 
routed  all  that  were  round  it  till  they  reached  their  halting- 
place.4     They  came  into  the  hostel  afterwards,  and  not  long5 

1  I.e.,  'active.'  -  Lit.,  'sat  in.'  3  Lit.,  'silence.'  4  Or  'till  they 

received  a  check.'  5  Or  '  scarcely  (had  they  taken  .  .  .  when).' 


(Meyer)  :  cf.  also  corctro,  'to  steady,'  •'  C.  M.  Rath,"  182.  N.B.  corru-o, 
'demeanour';  cofUAt),  'to  taste'  [vide  Hend.,  "  Fl.  Brie."  Irish  Texts  Soc. 
p.  lxiii).     For  further  reference  to  this  word,  vide  Additional  Notes. 


92  cAiunenn  ccm^Aii  ctAiRinjnig. 

inbntnjm  iaji  pn  7  ni  mop  50  rAimc  "661b  a  nt>eoch  t^'ibSe 
AntiAin  t)o  ^Ai^e-oAn  nA  rbtiA^A  Anir  rA'n  m-b^ui^in.  UAimc 
ahiac  Annpn  C]\iorhnAnn  corcAnAC  niAC  "PenccurA  pAincce  7 
CAinbne  Con^AncnerAc  mAc  CAinbne  Cptntn  ;  7  cug  reAjt 
•oib  a.  cte  jupn  mbntnjm  7  ren  ele  a  "6er,  7  t>o  £enA"OAn  a 
ccorhbAnn  cmicitb  ha  bntn  jne  gujt  T)icuinpoc  n&  -pt,« a.1  5  tube 
uwce;  7  111  aijmic  beo  acc  a  n-AnmA  -oo  cogbAib  m  CAn 
CAn^/vo^-p  ha  rbtiAig  ^|\i-p  "oocum  nA  bntn^ne.  fto  einij; 
pejicctir  7  tT)tnne,ohAC  ITIengAc  Am^c  A-pir,  7  gen'  biomiiAn  nA 
rboit;  'oo  "dictnnpoc  o'n  rnbntnjm  tube  ia*o  50  bAn  nA  n-Abb- 
liiAnfiAC,  7  cAngA-OA-p  ipn  [mbntn^m]  cne  b^-p  An  caca  t>'a 
n-^iTTToeoin  7  t>o  cogAib  Tntnne'OAC  a  lobAC  corcAifi  or 
Aint)  Annpn.  1r  Annpn  At~>ubAinc  tlAbgA'oon  :  "Ay  e  [cet)  ?] 
ecc|\ATO  (i°)  ceo  mo  fUiA^rA,"  a]\  re,  "  a  brAnnAt)  An 
cpbuAij;  aca  ipn  rnbntnjpn  7  enjro  tube,  a  nio^nAi-oe !  "  [An 
re,]  "50  mb}\ipom  An  bjunjm,  tiAin  ni  pinAib  "otnnn  (20) 
tube  ceAcc  "oa  1i-ioiropoi je."  UAn^At)A]i  nA  rbtiAi  j  [tube  'r] 
An  mbntn  jm  Annpn  7  x>o  JAine-oAn  "oa  ^ac  &iyo  7  x>il-  5^ 
Aincenn  t)i,  7  "oo  ctuneA'OAn  [cemix)  a]\]  j;ac  Aint)  mnce. 
tlo  encceo^n  cni  corhAbcA*6A  (30)  Con^Aib  aitiac  Annpn  .1. 
ITIepne,  Semne  [7  Lc*c]Ainne,  7  CAn^A-OAfi  CAn  "oonur  veycey- 
cac  11A  bntnjne  ahiac  7  t)o  rhucrAO  nA  cenc[i-6e]  ceiroAbA  7 
•oo  rhAnbVpA'o  bucc  a  n-A'onAro,  7  cuccrAT)  a  noer  nipn 
tnbntnjm  Ar  a  liAicbe  7  [mnJjAbA'o  niu  11050  nAn^A'OAn  An 
Donur  ce-onA,  7  ir  "oo  neAiroAib  (40)  a  fbei;  7  "o'j-AobnAib 
cbAToioni  ^un  ctnnpoc  nA  rbuAij  YA11  mbntnjin  iAt),  7 
nobenrA-o  nA  li-AbbrhAnnAij  50  bo|Ab  ]npn  mbnuijin  gun 
bnipoc  "ooinp  iia  bntnjne  jun  buAmenpou  6b  7  Aoibnef  urn 
bnee  nA  cau]\ac  ;  7  ntigfrAc]  Ar  An  oi"6ce  pn  50  -cuac-oa 
ruineACAin  no^o  ccAimc  bA  cotia  bAnfoibbri  An  n-A  niAnAc. 
Agur  [nuAin]  cahhc  An  bA  At)tit)Ainr  ConJAb:  "  6inccit),  a 


(i°)  Ccc|\ait>  :  leg.  •oec|AAi,o,  'difficulty,  strait';  ecpaice  means  'hostility.' 
(20)  Lit.  '  it  is  not  too  mrich  for  us.'  fur\Ait  =  pur\-6it,  '  over-much,'  r;ur»Ail 
.1.  irouj\cr\A,  O'Dav.  Gloss.  (3°)  corhAtcA'OA, 


CONGHAL  CLAlRINGHNEACH.  93 

after  taking  their  drink  the  hosts  again  shouted  round  the 
hostel.  Criomhtann  the  Valorous,  son  of  Fergus  Fairge,  and 
Cairbre  Congancnesach,  son  of  Cairbre  Crom,  then  came  out, 
and  one  of  them  went  to  the  right  of  the  hostel  and  the  other 
to  the  left,  and  they  fought  round  the  hostel  and  drove  off 
from  it  all  the  hosts.  They  had  only  put  up  their  arms  when 
the  hosts  again  came  to  the  hostel.  Fergus  and  Muiredach 
Mergach  went  out  again,  and,  numerous  though  the  hosts 
were,  they  drove  them  all  back  from  the  hostel  into  the  midst 
of  the  foreigners,  and  they  returned  into  the  hostel  right 
through  the  forces  despite  the  latter,  and  Muiredhach  raised 
aloft  then  his  shout  of  triumph.  Then  Xabgodon  said : 
"  That  is  the  first  disaster  my  hosts  met  with,"  said  he,  "  from 
the.  hosts  in  the  hostel,  and  let  you  all  go,  O  princes !"  [said 
he]  "  till  we  overthrow  the  hostel,  for  we  must  all  advance 
against  it." 

All  the  hosts  then  came  to  the  hostel,  and  shouted  on  all 
sides  of  it  and  from  all  points  of  it,  and  they  set  fire  to  every 
part  of  it.  The  three  foster-brothers  of  Conghal,  Alerne, 
Semne,  and  Lathairne,  then  went  out,  and  passed  through  the 
southern  door  of  the  hostel,  and  they  extinguished  the  lighted 
torches,1  and  slew  those  who  lit  them.  They  went  afterwards 
to  the  left  of  the  hostel,  and  they  were  not  resisted  till  they 
reached  the  same  door,  and  it  is  at  the  points  of  their  spears 
and  with  the  edges  of  their  swords  the  hosts  drove  them  into 
the  hostel.  The  foreigners  attacked  the  hostel  bravely,  and 
broke  the  doors  of  the  hostel,  and  troubled  the  drinking  and 
pleasuring  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  '  cathir,'  and  they  passed 
the  night  in  threatening  and  vigilant  fashion  till  day  with  its 
clear  light  came  on  the  morrow.  When  the  day  came, 
Conghal  said  :  "  Rise.  O  men,"  said  he,  "  and  seize  your  arms 

1  cermet,  '  fire-brand.' 


'foster-brothers';  como^lciOi,   'foster-sons.'  (40)  I.e.  Mod.  Ir.  tunn, 

'a  point ';  O.  Ir.  peno  also  means  'spear.' 


94  cAittieitn  conjMt  ctAitiin§m§. 

por>A,"  An  re,  "7  ^AbAno  bA-p  11-ApmA  7  CAbpAit)  bAp\ 
n-Ai£ce  A[n]  ooinpb  11  a  bntnjne."  1r  Annpn  -oo^AbAT) 
teopAn  j'cec  (i°)  o'a  rciAcpACAib  7  ptej;A  "o'a  n-Ai-obenoAib 
511J1  [cpiocjntnj  mi  bptnjion  tube  50  h-Aijmeit  AC^A-pb 
uaij\  ni  -pAibe  b-jMJijion  j\iaiti  nob'  lonnAnn  oo'n  bptnt[in] 
pn  o'n  cpiocnugAT)  cuccAOA-p  ti&  caca  ceccAntJA  pnrne.  1f 
Ann  pn  no  eipij  "pepecur  7  ■oo  §Ab  a  A-pniA  7  CAinic  AttiAc 
Ar  m  mbntngm,  7  cucc  a  a^ato  aji  iu  rtuAJoib,  7  An  aic 
bA  cit;e(20)  00  nA  rbuAJoib  Ar  Ann  00  lonnfoij  J-'enccur 
ie,°(3c)  7  X)0  t^inne  f^15e  r^tmiibeA-o  cnepiA  -ptuAJoib.  1r 
Ann  pn  CAinic  Con §Ab  aitiac  7  "oo  coi]\i  j  a  cac  a  n-A^Ano  nA 
n-ALbmA-p'pAC  con  a  riiep5e"6uib  Aibbe  lonroA  loboACACA  or  A 
cceAnx)Aib.  OoconnAic  Tli  ha  bUA-pt)A  pn,  t)o  coipi j  a  cAch 
7  t>o  jimne  beibionn  do  rciAcoib  aVIatta  AblrhAnt)A  mA 
tii-pcimciLL.  Agur  6t)connAic  cac  a  cebe  no  riieAbhAit)  (40) 
bboircbem  bcobA  no  nA  cACAib  1  cceAnn  a  cete  7  cuccax) 
piAfA  A15  7  lopjtnbe  eAUA-p^o  7  "oobein  cac  nib  a  benn 
caca  (50)  a  cac  An  oite.  Uaitiic  pepecup  Annpn  7  -oo 
neixngh  [re]  fbigit)  rrnbeAt)  1  ccac  ha  n-AttniA|\]AAC.  1r 
Annpn  Aiprin'oc'ep  ceope^cc  "JTepccupA  t>o  ceAcc  ajuaiti. 


XXXVIII. 

UAimc  AnAt)Ab  iitac  1li[j]  Concenn  con  a  epi  cet)  con- 
ceAnoAC  ro'n  ccac,  7  00  beccpeo  a  n-AHAtA  cencnoe  p&  nA 
rbuAJoib  7  -poben  bepn  caca  Ar  An  ccac  7  cuccpAC  rcAoi- 
t-eAt)  7  -pcAnnjvAt)  Api  ha  cAcliAib.  1p  Ann  rm  t>o  eipi^ 
tonnAr  7  biiAicpencc  TlAbgA'ooin  7  x>o  lonnpoij  pA  rtuA^oib 
ContjAit,  7  mop  JAb  cac  no  corhlAnn  -pip  7  cucc  "o'a  uro 
jtipb' rAOA  ua-oa  poipicm  7  bA  cuiiia  tep(6°)  bApT>'pA5Ail(70) 


(i°)  i^cec,  sic  MS.  pciACA  =  ordinary  nom.  or  acc.pl.     (20)  age,  comparative 
of  dug,  '  thick.'  (30)  I.e.  iat>.  (40)  -oo  nieAbliAiT)  :  lit.,  '  burst  forth.' 

(50)  I.e.  bejMiA  caca,  'gap  of  battle ':   cf.  beAfuiA  bAOJAit,   'gap  of  danger.' 
(6°)  /.  e.  leir.  (7D)  ■o'fAJjbAil. 


COXGHAL  CLAIRIXGHXEACH.  95 

and  face  towards  the  doors  of  the  hostel."  Then  their  shields 
were  taken  from  their  shield-straps,  and  their  spears  from 
their  rests,1  so  that  the  whole  hostel  shook  fearfully  and 
violently,  for  never  was  there  a  hostel  like  that  hostel  through 
the  shaking  the  armies  on  both  sides  gave  it.  Then  Fergus 
rose,  and  took  his  arms,  and  came  out  of  the  hostel,  and  turned 
towards  the  hosts  ;  and  the  place  where  the  hosts  were  thickest 
there  it  was  Fergus  approached  them,  and  he  cut  a  warrior- 
path  through  the  hosts.  Then  Conghal  came  out.  and  drew 
up  his  forces  with  their  numerous  and  many-coloured  beautiful 
standards  above  their  heads  in  front  of  the  foreigners.  When 
the  king  of  Uardha  saw  that,  he  drew  up  his  forces  and  made 
a  palisade  of  strong,  gigantic  shields  round  them  ;  and  when 
they  saw  one  another,  inimical  ringing-strokes  resounded 
from  the  two  armies  upon  one  another,  and  martial  and  valo- 
rous interchanges-  passed  between  them,  and  each  of  them 
cut  his  battle-gap  in  the  other's  army.  Fergus  then  came 
and  cut  a  warrior's  path  in  the  foreigner's  army.  Then  it  is 
related  Fergus  was,  for  the  first  time,  ever  angered.3 


XXXVIII. 

Anadhal,  son  of  the  king  of  the  Conchenns,  with  his  three 
hundred  Conchenns  came  to  the  attack,  and  they  breathed 
their  fiery  breaths  among  the  hosts,  and  he  cut  a  battle-gap  in 
the  army ;  and  they  scattered  and  scared  the  battalions.  Then 
the  wrath  and  quick  anger  of  Xabgodon  arose,  and  he  turned 
towards  the  hosts  of  Conghal,  and  neither  in  battle  nor  con- 
test was  he  resisted  ;  and  he  noticed1  that  assistance  was  far 
from  them,  and  he  cared  not  about  dying  provided  his  glory 


1  The  hanging  of  his  spear  and  shield  over  his  head  served,  amongst  other 
purposes,  that  of  marking  the  warriors  place  in  the  drinking-hall.  -  Lit.. 

'  showers  of  bravery  and  of  valour.'  3  Lit.,  '  the  first  anger  of  Fergus  is 

mentioned  to  have  come.'  i  Lit.,  '  he  took  to  his  heed.' 


96  cAitneim  con^Ait  ctAitunjrnj;. 

acc  50  mAij\it>  a  btA"6  "oo  bunA"6  ;  7  -puce  fiUACAft  fiioicoA 
no-nAiriroi  je  rr>A]t  a  jtAibe  ConjjAt  1pm  cac,  7  "oo  corhnmcpioc 
nA  cunATd  -pe  cete.     'Ooij  Amh  bA  corri-pAc  "6a  cu-pAt)  pn  7 
bA   tex^A-ine   t>a  teorhAn    7  bA  rm-pe  t)A   riiAC^AriiAn   7  bA 
lOA-pAcc    -6a    *6aiti    ntnteAnn,    7    nion    putumj;    ne&c   beic   1 
ccorripoccii-p  "061b  et>1i  r^iocA-o  c-poi^eA-o  (i°)   An  ^ac  teAC  te 
cnox>Acc  a  ccorhtAmn  7 -peh-ioinpoiccp  [An-]AnAtA7"oobAT)A-p 
ipn    ccorhfiAC  pn   6  foittp   nA  nuitine  rnince  jgtin  "oeineAT) 
•oo'n  to.    llo  ei-pig  teAncc  7  neniirn^e  flAb^A'ooin  cAft  Con^At 
Ann-pin  ;  7  Ar  AititAro   bAOAn  7  Aor  "oaiia  7  Aifip'oi'o,  mnA  7 
TDACAOITh     11A     CACflAC    mte    a^a     ccoitTi]pecetii    A    CCOTTl^OCCUr 
■061b ;  7  "oobi  Ojncne  Ann  ror,  7  ot>connAic  re  Con^At  a^a 
-po-pnAch,    fio    rcnech     Ofticne    or    cionn    nA    cacjiac    conAc 
fiAibe  -o'tlttcAib  mte    etrotnne    nA-p   fech   rAifi ;    7   Tobenc  : 
"One  "oo  cott  UAcbAir  a  CongAit !  "   An  bnicne,  "uaiji  ir 
Aine  "oo   lonnAnb   "peAnccu-p  ttiac  Lcoe   a  b-UttcAib   cu   fie 
Thet)   *oo  -mecAccA   7  t>o   irntAOCtnr,  7  ir  Aifie  benrAr  tlAb- 
gA-oon  -oo  cent)  *oioc  7  benAr  *oo  innAoi    uaic."     1]-  Ann-pin 
CAimc    a    neAnc    rem    7    a    curiiAccA    "oo    CongAt,    7    cug 
benn    nAniroije   [t>o     tlAb^A-oon     51^1    "otmj    a     rciAc     50 
r^eAiriAijjmAn  7  t)onA'o(20)  ah   c-Aicbern  x>6  ^un  ben  a  cenn 
*o'a  cottnnn,  7  -oo  ^Ab  An   cenn  hia  tAnri  7  •oo  coithiiaoto  a 
bpA'ontn-pe  An  crtuAij;  tnte  e  ;  lonnur  gun  mtnj  aji  tucc  nA 
h-UAn"6A  vnte  Ant)pn,   7  -oobAT)  coriiAng  a  cconAin  ceichit) 
mttnA  "oecDir  ipn  p-Aipi^e  7  pijibo  C1115  An  c-Afi  An  tACAin 
An    caca  -oobu    dje  1-pnA   h-Ainenoib    e  Afi  roccom   a  long 
-oo  nA  bAocAib ;    lonnur  gup  cuiccoAfi  rtuAij;  nA  h -11  Afro  a 
tube  te   ConJAt  coiiA   riunncin,   7  t»o  ninnet>An"    [cAfm]  -o'a 
cceAnnAib  7  "oihtia  "o'a  n-cotn 51b  An-opn  7  cucca-o  a  copcA^ 
ro  ConJAt,  7  5T0  ia-o  [mtun]ce]\  ConJAit  Ann  for  t>ob'  iomx)A 
a    n-eA-pbA-oA  7    "oobA   cneuccAc  a   cu|aato    7   loobi    CongAt 


(i°J   c]\oijeA-6,    gen.  pi.  of  cjaoij,    'a   foot.'  (2°)   O.   Ir.   •oojv&c,     'he 

gave';  3rd  sg.  perf.  of  ■oo-beip,   'gives.' 


COXGHAL  CLAIRIXGHXEACH.  97 

endured.  He  made  a  royal  and  most  fierce  onslaught  on  the 
place  where  Conghal  was  in  the  battle,  and  the  warriors 
fought  together.  For  that  was,  indeed,  a  combat  of  two  war- 
riors, and  it  was  the  mangling  of  two  lions  and  the  madness  of 
two  bears  and  the  rage  of  two  huge  stags  ;  and  no  one  could 
endure  being  near  them  for  within  the  space  of  thirty  feet  on 
every  side  through  the  bravery  of  their  fighting  and  the 
proximity  of  their  breaths  ;  and  they  were  at  that  fight  from 
dawn  of  the  early  morning  till  close  of  day.  The  anger 
and  hatred  of  Xabgodon  were  stirred  against  Conghal  them 
and  they  were  in  this  wise — the  scientists  and  entertainers, 
the  women  and  youths  of  the  whole  '  cathir '  were  watching 
them  near  at  hand.  Bricne  was  also  there,  and  when  he  saw 
Conghal  pressed  hard  (?),  he  shouted  over  the  '  cathir'  so  that 
there  was  not  one  of  all  the  Ultonians  that  did  not  look  at 
him,  and  he  said  :  "  On  you  is  your  dire  destruction1  !  O 
Conghal !  "  said  Bricne,  "  for  it  was  through  the  greatness  of 
thy  cowardliness  and  unmanliness  that  Fergus  mac  Lede 
banished  you  from  Ulster,  and  on  that  account  Nabgodon 
will  cut  your  head  off,  and  will  take  your  betrothed  from 
you."  Then  his  strength  and  his  powers  came  back  to  Conghal, 
and  he  made  a  fierce  stroke  at  Xabgodon  so  that  he  slit  his 
shield  fiercely  (?)2;  and  he  struck  him  again  so  that  he  cut  off 
his  head  from  his  body,  and  taking  the  head  in  his  hand,  he 
vaunted  it  before  the  whole  host ;  so  that  the  people  of  Uardha 
were  defeated  there,3  and  their  way  of  escape  was  narrow 
save  by  their  going  into  the  sea.  If  the  slaughter  was  thick 
in  the  midst  of  the  battle,  it  was  thicker  in  the  bays  when  the 
warriors  reached  their  ships  ;  and  thus  fell  all  the  hosts  of 
Uardha  by  Conghal  and  his  people.  They  made  a  cairn  of 
their  heads  and  a  mound  of  their  trappings,  and  Conghal 
received  the  victory  ;  and  though  his  people  were  still  there, 
their  losses  were  many,  and  his  warriors  were  wounded  and 

1  Lit.,  'violation.'  :  r5eAnij.iJTnj,p,  'fiercely'  (?,.     Cf.  rce-Mii,  'bark.' 

'yelp,'  '  growl,'  and  derivatives  (Dinneen.  "  Diet.'').     3  Lit.,  '  so  that  he  defeated.' 

H 


98  cAitnenn  conjAit  ctAininjmS. 

[rem]  'n&  cpeuccnu^A-o  co  mon.  UAimc  Hi  *Oonn  7  a  mgen  .1. 
U&ip  CAibgeAb  t)'):e^ch^inc  [Con  JAib.  U]ucc  An  injen  bAirh 
ca|i  bpAgoro  '06  7  "oo  JAb  a$  reucliAinc  a  cneAt>  7  a  cneucc 
[7  -oo  j;]Ab  a  5  ]:eucwnc  cmn  TlAbgcooin.  "1r  nio5t>A  ah 
cennrA,"  Ay  p,  "7  A-p  mAic  bmn  [1]  n-euccmtnr  a  AnmA  7  A-p 
mMc  -o'tllbcAib  ■po'p  beic  mAn  aca  7  ir  cumA  [tiom]  a^a 
nA"6  ";  7  1-obenc  An  Laoi  : — 

[m6n  a]ii  ceiro  ut)  ipiri  ccnoc  ! 
AnbA  a  n-'oenriA  ■o'Afi  n-obc  ! 
TDopmne  mon  •o'ulc  An  riUAin, 
TlAbjo-oon  tnoji  itiac  lonuATo  ! 

[tlAbjoJ-OOn   CA1tt1C  A  CCUA1T), 

tli  riA  1i-t)A]\t>A  50  Lion  rbuAi  j  ; 
CohjaI/  -ooben  a  cenn  v>e, 
[SjninfeAn  cbomne  ftuf>ntiit>e 

[51-OeAJt)  CAtl5AT>A|\  Ale 

CugAinri  50  cuaii  ftAcnumne, 
Ap  fe[\]\  ■ooib  'via  beic  A£  6t, 
1TIa|\  t>o  cuinriom  An  cac  mon. 

tTlor\. 

XXXIX. 

UAn^A-OAn  Anonn  ipn  rnbnuigm  Ar  a  h-Aicbe  7-00  ctnneAt) 
a  njjAiMTAn  gtoitn'oe  iat>  7  a  ccijcib  ponnA  rAinpon^A 
ponmiit>e ;  7  cuccat>  LeJA  •o'a  teller  7  -oobAOAn  CAOicoir  An 
mir(i°)  a  n-otniA-d  1ii  "Ouitro  mAn  pn  ;  7  bA  mAic  An  mumcen 
a^a  nAbAt>An  7  A-p  mAic  "oo  cAice-oAn  niu ;  7  6  cAinmc  T>oib 
a  teijer  7  a  mbeic  m-pubAib  7  An  pteAt)  mon  7  An  bAntnr 
pn  -oo  cAicem,  A-oubAinc  1li  'Oonn  :  "ITIaic,  a  Con^Ait," 
An  re,  "ben"  t>o  mnAoi  tec  7  iAnn  ren  reAnonn  An  ctAtroAib 
Tlu'onAi'oe  x>\  UAin  m  h-AiLl/iomrA  tlbtcAro-'oo  beich  mA  mbiot)- 
bhAibtiAm  unnpe."  "Hi  biATO  1-oin,"  An  Con^Ab,  "Acccei^hi-o 
AnjocA  mAc  An  Linn  7  unicne  hiac  CA|\bhne  50  n-6AiiiAin 
tilACA  7  lAnyuro  re]\onn  "OAmrA  t)om'  mnAoi  An  penccur  hiac 
t/e-oe    7    A|\    mAicib   l1b^■6    7    •om^eubA'orA    mo    coccaxj     7 

(i°)  cAoicoif  An  mif:  the  full  moon  divides  the  month  into  two  parts,  and 
this  division  the  Irish  followed  ;  hence  the  division  into  fifteen  days,  cAOici>ir. 
Vide  Loth,  "  L'Annee  Celtique,"  in  the  Revue  Celtique,  April,  1904. 


COXGHAL  CLAIRIXGHXEACH.  99 

Conghal  himself  was  severely  wounded.  King  Donn  and  his 
daughter,  Taisi  Taoibhgeal,  came  to  see  Conghal.  The  girl 
placed  her  arm  round  his  neck,  and  she  examined  his  wounds 
and  injuries,  and  looked  upon  the  head  of  Xabgodon.  "  Royal 
is  this  head,"  said  she,  "  and  glad  we  are  that  it  is  not  alive,1 
and  glad  also  are  the  Ultonians  that  it  is  so,  and  I  mind  not 
saying  so  "  ;  and  she  recited  the  poem  : — 

Great  is  yonder  head  on  the  hill ! 

Great  the  evil  it  wrought  us  ! 

Great  evil  he  wrought  betimes, 

Nabgodon,  the  great,  son  of  Ioruadh  ! 

Nabgodon  came  from  the  north, 

The  king  of  Uardha  with  all  his  power, 

Conghal  cut  off  his  head, 

The  elder  of  the  Clann  Rury  ; 

Though  they  came  hither 

To  us  to  Rathlin's  harbour, 

Better  for  them  than  drinking, 

The  manner  he  waged  the  great  fight. 

XXXIX. 

They  came  into  the  hostel  thereafter,  and  they  were 
conducted  into  their  glass  sun-bower,  as  well  as  into  their 
fair  capacious  bright  booths,  and  physicians  were  appointed 
to  heal  them,  and  they  were  a  fortnight  and  a  month  in  the 
dun  of  king  Donn.  The  people  they  were  with  were 
good,  and  good  was  the  time  they  passed  with  them,  and 
when  they  were  healed  and  able  to  walk,  and  the  great 
feast  and  marriage  ceremony  finished,  king  Donn  said  : 
"  Well,  Conghal,"  said  he,  "  take  your  wife  with  you, 
and  seek  yourself  a  territory  from  the  Clann  Rury  for 
her,  for  I  do  not  like  to  have  the  Ultonians  my  enemies 
on  her  account."  "  They  shall  not  be,  indeed,"  said  Conghal, 
"but  let  Angotha,  son  of  Anlun,2  and  Bricne  mac  Cairbhre  go 
to  Eamain  Macha,  and  seek  a  territory  for  me  for  my  wife  from 
Fergus  mac  Lede  and  the  chiefs  of  Ulster,  and  I  shall  withhold 

1i  n-eucctnmr  a  AnniA  :  lit.,  'in  the  absence  of  his  soul.'  Cf.  is  marbin  corp 
i  nd-ecmais  in  anma,  '  the  body  is  dead  in  the  absence  of  the  soul '  ("  Passions 
and  Horn."  from  L.  Br.,  8384).  -  MS.  has  AngocA  mac  lum. 

H  2 


ioo         cAiUTieim  conSAit  ctAimnsrnj;. 

cocca"6  penccuyA  1111c  TtorA  T>ibporh  t>'a  cionn."  UAn5At)An- 
psn  nompA  lAnpn  50  h-Crhoin,  7  Ar  CAop^A  nAn^AtDAn 
a  yceubA  50  h-6iiioin  mAf  iat)  rem,  UAin  bA  Wto  beo  tnte 
An  cac  pn  -oo  tonir  ConJAb  An  Uicc  11A  h-UApcA  |ie 
ce'ocinnrceA'OAt  a  coccAro  7  t>o  renAt>  psibce  nm  A5  via 
jno^tnb  pn  7  -oo  pAjtrAi^coAn  fceutA  An  caca  pn  t)iob  7-00 
mnre-oAn  pn  "061b  tnte.  "  Creo  imA  ccAn^AbAinp  Annro  ?" 
An  rriAice  "UIax).  "  [T)']iA]inAr6  renomn  oninbp  CAn^ArriAn 
■oo  rimAoi  CongAib,"  An  pAt),  "  .1.  T)'injm  tlifj;]  *Oumn 
7  tnn^eubAit)  Con^At  a  cocca"6  -pern  7  coccAt)  "pencctmA 
true  TlorA  "o'UblcAib  "o'a  cionn."  "Uicci"6  Con^At  rem  a 
n-6nmn,"  A]i  "pengim  hiac  be"oe,  "7  6  t)o  geAlb  a  cocca-6 
-oo  xnongbAib  "o'tllbcoib  "oobeunr a  nije  n-UbAt)  t>6,  uaija  Ar 
pne  7  Ar  tiAirbe  e  hia  mip."  "Hi  ^eubArAn  pn,"  An 
AngocA,  "  UAin  cu^  t)'a  bnecin  n&c  ^eubliAt)  jnjje  n-tlbAT)  no 
50  ccoireonA'6  tlige  n-e-neAnn  An  cup"  "  IHa-d  e  pn 
At)tibAi|icpon,"  An  penccu-p  itiac  Le^oe,  "  "oobeunf  a  ronn 
niAic  *6?A  rimAoipon."  "  Cia  An  renAntrpn?"  An  iAt)p\n. 
"  1n  cniocAt)  cet»  Ay  coniiyoi^p  •o'j:e|\Ann  a  h-ACAj\  ren,"  An 
pencciip  "  Ar  cumA  "otncp  "oo  CAbAiyc  '06,"  An  byicne, 
"uAtn  "oo  biA"6  ni^e  n-tlbAf)  ac5  yegmmr  acc  munA  ccut^ca 
pn  tiAic."  "'OAffiA'6  e  pn  bu  Aib  leip-ion,"  An  peyccur, 
"•oo^eubA  tiAirnp  5A11  imnerom  e."  1r  Annpn  CAn^A'oA-p 
nA  ceAccA  -o'lonnyoi jit)  Con^Aib  50  ceAc  1li  THnnn.  *Oo 
pAnrAij  'penccu-p  pgeubA  *6ib,  An  bpiAnAttAn  An  reAnAnt)  -oo 
cuA"OAn  "o'lAnnATo.  ""ptiAnAniAn,"  An  pA"o,  "7  -oobeunA 
"Pencctm  iiiac  LeToe  ni  je  n-tltA'o  •otncp  ■oahia'6  Aib  leAC  7 
cuj;  An  rniocA  cet)  Ar  nerA  t>'i?eiiAnn  o.  b-ACAn  tioc'  rrmAoi 
50  T)un  SobAince  ";  7  "oobA  mAir:  be  Con^Ab  pn- 7  "oo  cmn 
Tli  T)onn  a  mjen  7  niAicioy  iohtoa  be  a]\  m  cjuocax)  cex*  pn, 
7  -oo  nmneAt)  T)un  Aicep  Ann  .1.  T)iin  UAip  7  Thin  Uaii^i 
Ainm  nA  nennA  1  nAibe  ror. 

1  Lit.,  'welcome  was  made  for  them.'  2  MS.,  Fergus  ;  but  evidently 

this  is  a  scribal  slip  for  '  Conghal.'  3  The  territory  of  father  and  daughter 

would  therefore  stretch  along  the  Antrim  coast  from  Knocklayd  to  Dunseverick. 


COXGHAL  CLAIRIXGHXEACH.  101 

my  own  attack  and  the  attack  of  Fergus  mac  Rosa  from 
them  in  return  for  it."  They  came  on  thereafter  to  Eamain, 
and  news  of  them  reached  Eamain  quicker  than  they  them- 
selves ;  for  they  all  were  glad  of  the  battle  Conghal  won  over 
the  people  of  Uardha  on  his  entering  on  war.  They  were 
welcomed1  by  those  kings,  and  they  asked  them  about  the 
battle,  and  they  told  them  all  about  it.  "  Why  did  you  come 
here  ? "  said  the  princes  of  Ulster.  "  We  came  to  seek  a 
territory  from  you  for  the  wife  of  Conghal,"  said  they  ;  "  that 
is,  for  the  daughter  of  king  Donn,  and  Conghal  will  withhold 
his  own  attack  and  the  attack  of  Fergus  mac  Rosa  from  the 
Ultonians  in  return  for  it."  "  Let  Conghal  himself  come  to 
Ireland,"  said  Fergus  mac  Lede;  "  and  since  he  undertakes 
to  withhold  his  attack  from  the  Ultonians,  I  shall  give  the 
kingdom  of  Ulster  to  him,  for  he  is  older  and  nobler  than  I." 
"  He  will  not  take  that,"  said  Angotha ;  "  for  he  swore  he 
would  not  take  the  kingdom  of  Ulster  till  he  should  contest 
the  kingship  of  Ireland  first."  "  If  that  is  what  he  said,"  said 
Fergus  mac  Lede,  "  I  shall  give  a  good  estate  to  his  wife." 
"  WThat  territory  is  that  ?"  said  they.  "  The  cantred  nearest  the 
territory  of  her  own  father,"  said  Fergus.  "  It  matters  not  your 
giving  it  to  him,"  said  Bricne,  "  for  you  shall  be  deprived  of 
your  kingdom  of  Ulster  if  you  give  not  that."  "If  that  is 
what  he  would  like,"  said  Fergus,  "  he  shall  get  it  from  me 
without  dispute." 

Then  the  ambassadors  came  to  Conghal  to  the  house  of 
king  Donn.  Conghal2  asked  their  tidings,  whether  they  had 
got  the  territory  they  went  to  seek.  "  We  did,"  said  they, 
"and  Fergus  mac  Lede  will  give  the  kingdom  of  Ulster  to 
you  if  you  wish,  and  he  gave  the  cantred  nearest  her  father's 
territory  to  your  wife  as  far  as  Dunseverick.3 "  Conghal  liked 
that.  King  Donn  sent  his  daughter  with  much  treasure  to 
that  cantred ;  and  she  had  a  dun  erected  there,  viz.,  Dun  Taisi, 
and  Dun  Taisi  is  the  name  henceforth  of  the  district  in 
which  it  was. 


An  uneAs  cum 

XL. 

lomcuf^  Con  JAib  innirce&fi  ronn  rce^t  oiLe.  At)ubAinc 
]\e  n-A  ttitunci-p  a  cobbAc  "oo  co-putjA'o  7  -out  •o'lo-nnroi^i'd 
LocbAnn.  T)o  jbuAipcoAn  jiowpA  An  rnmn  7  An  rnonpconn^e 
7  jAobA  niojj'OA  An  cobble  pn  CoiijmI  7  nobA  moji  Leo  a 
meAnmA  7  a  rneipieAC  aj  "out  "o'lonn^oi^ix)  Locbonn  7  Ar  e 
t)obu  r.15  "LocbAnn  in  c&npn  .1.  ArhbAoi  mAc  Scomne  7  ir 
Ann  *oobi  a  -ounA-o  a  iroercert;  t,ocb&iro.i.  aj  CApnn'de.  Ar 
ipn  UAin  7  Aimpn  noli)!  1li  b[ocbAnn]  An  rntin  a  bAibe  7  & 
•onAoi  mA  fAnnA'o  .1.  fenccnA  pie ;  7  A'oconncA'OAn  in 
^°[1115eAr]  bAntrion  -o'a  n-ionnroi^-ro  7  nA  pint  ibbneACA 
lon^AncACA  UAipcib.  "  1r  A["6jb[At  An]  cobble  tit)  a-o- 
ciAmtnt),  a  "penccnA,"  An  Hi  LocbAnn,  "7  Ati  cc^b]\^i"6  Aicne 
ron]Ao?"  ["  T)obeir.irn]re  (i°)  Aicne  1:011110,"  An  "peAnccnA,  "  Ar 
e  cobble  Con  j;Aib  CbAinmgnij  nnc  ftu,6j\Ai'6i  e  7  [ir  beir]  -oo 
cine  fl&b^A'oon  nmc  1onuAi"65  ni  nA  b-tlAii'OA."  "  Cia  111 
rbuAg  aca  'ha  pypnAt)  ?"  [An  ni]  Locbonn.  "til  cahhc  a 
h-C-pinn  AtriAc  niAiii  itiac  1/105  Ar  reA-pn  rvunncine  niAr  e,"  An 
[■penccnA,]  "  UAi-p  acato  t>a  riiAc  |^[5](2°)  ConnAcc  mA 
yocAin  Ann  .1.  Aibbib  UeorA  5^°^  7  AiLbib  UeorA  C[nioc],  7 
tviac  ni[^]  Abb  An  7  time  ni[j]  LAit;en  7  mAc  ni[j]  Concent) 
An  11-A  n-ionnAnbA"6  Ar  a  ccniocAib  re[m  7]  neoc  Ar  renji 
inAix)(3°)  pn  mbe  .1.  penccur  m&c  HorA,  nignnLeA'o  CpeAnn 
7   mACun]AAi,6e(40)  eneAnn    6  pn    Abe";    7    A'oubiiAOAH  m 

bc>.oi  Anx) : — 

A  {TeAjAccnA  Af  ALumn  ah  •oj\eAtn 
CA1111C  a  1i-iac  e-poAii'o  ; 


(i°)  MS.  defective.  (20)  m,  ^15:   the  gen.  of  pi  is  ]\1 5.     In  our  MS. 

the  forms  are  confused:  we  have  as  gen.,  jvi,  nij,  1^105.  (3°)  niAit) :  pi. 

form  of  111A,  10HA.  (40)  sic  MS. 


PART   III. 


XL. 


As  to  Conghal  there  is  here  narrated  another  story.1  He 
told  his  people  to  fit  out  his  fleet  and  go  to  Lochlann. 
They  journeyed  over  sea  and  ocean  ;  and  regal  was  the  fleet 
of  Conghal,  and  great-minded  and  great-spirited  were  they 
going  to  Lochlann.  The  king  of  Lochlann  at  that  time  was 
Amlaff,2  son  of  Scoinne,  and  his  '  dun  '  was  in  the  south  of 
Lochlann,  viz.,  at  Eassuidhe.  Just  then  the  king  of  Lochlann 
was  on  the  wall  of  his  town,  and  his  druid  Fergna,  the  poet, 
with  him  ;  and  they  saw  the  very  big  fleet  approaching  and  the 
very  bright  wondrous  sails  above  it.  "  Dreadful  is  that  fleet  we 
see,  O  Fergna,"  said  the  king  of  Lochlann  ;  "  and  do  you  know 
them,  O  Fergna?"  "  I  know  them,"  said  Fergna,  "it  is  the 
fleet  of  Conghal  Clairinghneach  mac  Rudhraighe,  and  it  is  by 
him  fell  Nabgodon  mac  Ioruaidh.  king  of  Uardha."  "  What 
host  is  with  him  ?  "  said  the  king  of  Lochlann.  "  There  never 
came  out  of  Ireland  a  king's  son  with  a  better  following  than 
his,3 "  said  Fergna,  "  for  there  are  with  him  the  two  sons  of 
the  king  of  Connaught,  Ailill  Teora  Gaoth  and  Ailill  Teora 
Crioch,  and  the  son  of  the  king  of  Scotland,  and  the  son  of 
the  king  of  Leinster,  and  the  son  of  the  king  of  the  Conchenns, 
who  are  being  banished  from  their  own  countries,  and  one 
who  is  better  than  them  all,  Fergus  mac  Rosa,  the  royal 
champion  of  Ireland,  and  the  warriors  of  Ireland  further- 
more "  ;  and  they  recited  the  poem  : — 

O  Fergna  !  fine  the  people 
Who  came  from  Ireland. 

1  In  Part  III.  we  have  narrated  the  martial  exploits  of  Conghal  over  sea. 
2  Amlaff  is  quite  a  common  name  in  early  Irish  post-Norse  genealogies,  and 
is  to  be  found  in  the  surname,  MacAuliffe.  3  Lit.,  'it  is  better  of  following 

than  he.' 


104  cAiuneim  con^AiL  ctAmin$riiS. 

ttocA  (i°)  h^aca  mife  Abup 
SIuaj  no  biAt)  fo  a  ccorrntnbmp; 
Oonmif  acato  y\AX)  ha  pp.  ? 

lllAT)  CpCOA  tlA  CUjAAIt) 

ITlAn  ciAJAt)  1  ccenn  ca[ca]  ? 

CA1T>e  A1ltnA1111A  A  n-Ar\T)fbACA  ? 

C011  jaL  cbAininpieAC,  ah  |\i  ! 

tV)AC  ttlog'OA  T>0  1lUT>nU1T)i  ! 

■peApccu]'  inAC  Hop,  nerni  n^Le  ! 

'S  An  t>a  AiLilb  oiHt)iii'6e, 

C|\i  rmc  UAbAijine  ha  ccnep, 

te6  AtD^AOCfAC  Laoic  'd'a  luAic-cneA]* 

1n  cniAn  ete  Af  caIitia  1  ccbi  (20) 

tTlAC  pon  11  cum  imc  1luT>nuiT>i. 

AtlA'OAl  etlCCAC  A|\  t1UAir\ 

fti  ComcenT)  ah  coccato  cnuAit) 
CAinbne  iiA'cclep  ip  ha  cceA[|vo], 
niAC  ]u'[j]  tT)iT>e  tiA  rnoinceAnt) ; 
Cionmif  acato  fern  tiA  fij\ 
1in  jnioiiiAib  gAiLe  ip  jAifccro  ? 
Aiiat>  biAC  penccupa  a  mblAt)  ? 
An  Ab)\A  (30)  niom,  a  peAnccnA. 

A  £eA]\ccnA. 

XLI. 

1f  AtTopn  A-outoAinc  pepxcriA  be  ni[$]  LocbAtin  :  ""peprA 
fAilxe  ]MU]'ut)  50  rintbip.,"  a]a  re,  "  7  -oeriA  itiaic  ojittA,  uaija 
56  niA"6  Ariituro  "oo  beceA  a  toreuccrntnr  t>o  ri^e  •00  coireon- 
■OAOi-p  rut)  l^ge  "ouic  7  5T0  co[5A"6]  (40)  "oo  Ijeic  opx  "oo 
tnn^eu'bA'OAoir  -610c  e."  "  TDojeuto^yorAn  ttiaic  A^ArnrA  t>e 
nn,"  A]\  pi  Loctonn.  'Oog&'bA'OAjt^Avi  AconrAit)  (5°)  ipn 
cc^Ia-o  Atinpn,  7  t>o  ^AtoA-oAji  a  ti-a]aiiia  u[mp&],  7  "oononrAC 
c\\6  cotiroAingeAn  caca  -oiob,  7  CAimc  111  1li  iha  cconroAib  7 
refiAir  rAibce  rpiu,  7  A"outoAific  An  b&oi  Atro  : — 

tYlocen  t>uin,  a  Conduit  cnuAit)  ! 
CAmic  a  h-enmn  50  mbuAit), 
"Oo  jeubAip-p  pAilce  tie 
AjAtn-pA  'p  Ag  bebenne. 

(i°)  iioca:  hence  the  neg.  part,  ca  of  the  modern  Ulster  dialect.  (20)  cli, 

'heart ':  cf.  Cni  bioin-JAOice  (Atk.),  ceitj-rhiAiiA  tiA  cli.  (30)  Abr\A  : 

apparently  is  2nd  sg.  pres.                  (40)  MS.  defective.                  (50)  AconpMt) : 
vide  note  40,  p.  86. 


COXGHAL   CLAIRIXGHXEACH.  105 

I  myself  never  saw  in  this  life 

A  host  like  them. 

How  are  these  men  ? 

Are  the  warriors  brave 

As  they  go  to  battle  ? 

What  are  the  names  of  the  high  princes  ? 

Conghal  Clairinghneach,  the  king, 

The  royal  son  of  Rudhraighe ! 

Fergus  mac  Rosa,  bright  his  career,1 

And  the  two  Ailills,  the  eminent ! 

The  three  sons  of  Tabhairne  of  the  conflicts  ; 

Heroes  shall  fall  by  them  through  their  swift  attack. 

The  other  three,  brave  of  heart ! 

The  son  of  Fionntan  mac  Rudhraighe, 

Anadhal  Euchtach,2  moreover, 

The  king  of  the  Conchenns  of  the  hard  combat, 

Cairbre  of  the  feats  and  of  the  arts, 

Son  of  the  king  of  Meath  of  the  great  arts  ; 

How  are  these  same  men 

As  regards  deeds  of  daring  and  valour  ? 

Does  Fergus'  glory  endure  ? 

Do  you  tell  me,  O  Fergna. 


XLI. 

Then  Fergna  said  to  the  king  of  Lochlann  :  "  Give3  those 
yonder  pleasant  welcome,"  said  he,  "  and  treat  them  well ;  for 
even  were  you  absent  from  your  kingdom,  they  would  defend 
it  for  you,  and  whatever  [attack]  troubled  you,  they  would  ward 
it  from  you."  "  They  shall  be  treated  well  by  me  on  that 
account,'1  said  the  king  of  Lochlann.  They  then  anchored  on 
the  beach^and  took  up  their  arms,  and  made  of  them  a  strong 
battle-pen.  The  king  came  to  meet  them,  and  welcomed 
them,  and  recited  the  poem  :  — 

Welcome,  O  brave  Conghal ! 
Who  came  with  victory  from  Ireland, 
You  shall  find  welcome 
From  me  and  Bebherre  ; 

'Lit.,   '  bright  career.'  -I.e.  'active.'  3  Lit.,  'make.' 


106  cAiuueim  con^Ait  ctAirnnjniS. 

tJeiwoA  Af  f  Ar  FeAj\]A  •oo  ifinAib, 
Ajjur  A|\a1c,  ■oeAnb  An  •oaiL  ! 
■peAnpint)  f  Alice  juo  tnle 
©win  ni  Af  nooume. 
TlAoifi  mo  -ifiAC,  initio  •ptoj  ! 
VeAn  'ja  oruijjci  rAilce  itioja 
At>eunA  nioc,  ir  ni  ce&.t, 
A  Conginl  reACA  cac  rnoceAn. 

mo. 

Ajgur  (i°)  catija'oa^  niAice  Locbonn  tube  mA  n-A^hAiT)  7 
norenrAT)  pvibce  -jrpnj,  7  "oo  robmrn^eA-o  gniAnAn  in  Hi  [5] 
"ooibj  7  "oo  cinneAT)  Con JAb  50  rriAicibn  a  mtiinane  Ann,  7 
cucca-6  ci^e  oineg-oA  "oo'n  pAnbAch  (2°)  ^AircTo  6  -pn  attiac  ; 
7  •oo  -pmne'OAn  gbeine  roibcue  7  rocnmgte  "661b  tube. 


XLII. 

1r  Annpn  uuccat)  mAice  Locb&nn  t)ocum  nij  LocbAnn,  7 
AtDtibAinc  nm  :  "  cAroe  1i)An  ccoiiiAinbe,  a  mAice  LocbAnn,  ne 
ConjjAb  conA  nioj"6Ammiit>  ?"  An  re.  "  Ar  e6  A'oenmnone," 
An  pAt),  "An  iiiAiu  A-p  mo  fe'orom  (30)  -oo  -oenAm  Ain  co 
n^ion^nAm  1  7  'oenA-pA  ^ac  rnAic  A-preitun  Ainror."  "  uer-.ro 
btiATo  7bennACCAm,  a  rhAice,"  A-p  Hi  LocbAnn,  "Ar  comAinbe 
•oejmumcine  pn  ";  7  Ar  AmbAi-o  •oobthpum  7  rbco  mon  Aije 
-oo  mAicib  LocbAnn  7  *oo  cAirben  An  fbet)  t)o  Con^Ab  7  CI15 
An  a  cumur  7  An  a  on'on^hA'd  mbe  1.  "  Are-6  Awenimp,"  An 
Con^Ab,  "a  uAbAinn  -oAmrA  7  "oo  mAicib  LocbAnn."  "A 
n-enci^  be  cebe  7  niAice  l^ocbAnt)  biAr  cu  no  1  CC15  beu  ren  ?" 
A-p  tli  t-ocbonn.  "An  c-ionAt)  a  cctnnrem  111b  An  a  ceibe  1-p 
Ann  bemit)  t>o'n  cunrA,"  An  Con  JAb ;  7  cAn5At)An  a  rbtiAi  j- 
ceAC  m  U15  7  unccAt)  An  "OAnA  beic  *oe  "oo  mAicib  Locbonn 
7  m  Leiu  eibe  t>o  ConJAb  conA  mumon.     Agur  (40)  t>o  p.iiT> 

(ic)  MS.  ec.  (20)  MS.  contraction  p&l,-,  i.e.  piAnlAch,  -pAllAcn. 

(30)  -jre-ofom,  O.  Ir.  recrAtn,  1st  pi.  Cut.  of  recAim,  '  I  can.'  (40)  MS.,  ec. 


COXGHAL   CLAIRIXGHXEACH.  107 

From  Beiuda,  best  of  women, 

And  Aralt,  secure  the  meeting, 

They  shall  welcome  you  all 

Both  king  and  gentlemen  ; l 

Naoisi  my  son,  on  the  skirts  of  hosts,2 

One  from  whom  you  shall  receive  great  welcome, 

I  shall  tell  you,  and  I  shall  not  conceal, 

O  Conghal,  beyond  all,  welcome  ! 

And  the  chiefs  of  Lochlann  all  came  to  meet  them  and 
welcomed  them,  and  the  king's  sun-bower  was  prepared  for 
them,  and  in  it  were  put  Conghal  and  the  chiefs  of  his  people; 
and  a  splendid  house  was  set  apart  for  the  valorous  band 
from  that  out ;  and  they  prepared3  choice  head-baths  and 
body-baths  for  them  all. 

XLII. 

Then  the  chiefs  of  Lochlann  came  to  the  king  of  Lochlann, 
and  he  said  to  them  :  "  What  advice  do  you  give,  O  chiefs  of 
Lochlann,  as  to  Conghal  and  his  royal-stock  ?"  said  he.  "  We 
say,"  said  they,  "  to  have  us  treat  him  the  best  we  can,  and  do 
you  treat  him  also  in  the  best  possible  fashion."  "  Success 
and  blessing  to  you,  O  chiefs,"  said  the  king  of  Lochlann, 
"  for  that  is  the  advice  of  a  trusty  people."  It  was  so  with 
him  then  that  he  had  a  feast  ready  for  the  chiefs  of  Lochlann; 
and  he  presented  the  feast  to  Conghal,  and  took  upon  himself 
the  control  and  whole  ordering  of  it.  "  I  tell  you,"  said 
Conghal,  "  to  give  it  to  me  and  the  chiefs  of  Lochlann." 
"  Whether  shall  you  stay  in  one  house  with  the  chiefs  of 
Lochlann  or  in  a  house  by  yourself?"  said  the  king  of  Loch- 
lann. "  Where  we  shall  make  one  another's  acquaintance,  there 
we  shall  be  this  time,"  said  Conghal.  They  came  into  the  king's 
house,  and  one  half  of  it  was  given  to  the  chiefs  of  Lochlann 
and  the  other  half  to  Conghal  and  his  people  ;  and  Conghal  sat 

1  Lit.,  'gentleman.'  3  A  poetic  cheville  :   we  may  take  it  as  meaning, 

'  who  wages  war  en  the  skirts  of  hosts.'         3  Lit.,  '  they  made  a  preparation  of.' 


108  CAitueim  co n  5 Mt  cIai  1111151115. 

CoiijaI  A]\  yhoy  ah  nigcige  7  penccur  An  a  tAnii  beir  7 
tntnnet)Ac  "Wen^ec  [An  ajIaiiii  cti  7  t>o  ctnneAb  AnAt)At  m&c 
nij  ConceAnn  conA  cni  cet)  ConceAnbAc  ipn  p)c[t,A]  jremnib 
p^  nep&  x)o  ConjjAl ;  7  t)o  ctnneAb  A1H1I  UeonA  5aoc  7 
Alibi  UeonA  Cnic  ipn  [jocIa]  f-emnib  ele  7  CnioiiicAnn  rriAc 
penccurA  psinge  mA  bpsnn&b  7  CAinbne  CongAncn^Af &c 
m&c]  CAi]\bne  Cntnrn  ;  7  -oo  ctnneb  ttlenne  Serhne  7  LACAinne 
a  bpcxnnAb  [ConJAit]  (i°J  7  -oo  pub  Facoia  £inn  pie  7 
bnicneniAc  CAinbhne  7  "£nAoc-onAoi  a  bpAbntnps  [ConJAit] 
7  "penccupcv.     Stnbiu^Ab  tece  Con^Ait  contuse  pn. 

XLIII. 

Uahiic  1xi  LoctAnn  ipn  pVir  [ctiAibe]  t)o'n  cij  7  t>o 
ctnneAb  niojnAibe  Loclonn  An  a  Iauti  *6ef,  7  t>o  ctnneb 
1lAoip  [7  A]\]aLc  a  bA  riiAC  ipn  p)ct,A  pemmb  7  x>o  ctnneb 
bebeine  a  beAn  An  a  tAiiii  [ct]ic  7  beiut)A  a  mjen  50  Lion 
&  bAncpcci.  ipn  pDclA  psmmb  eite ;  7  -oo  t)AiteAb  pon  7 
remiinob  An  ha  -plu&j&i'b  7  *oo  z^bAb  ■ouaha  7  •oucconnA 
[a]ca,  7  "oo  ctnn  cac  a  n-Aicencur  An  a  cete  "oo  t,AocnAibe 
LoctAnn  7  "oo  cunAboib  C0115A1L;  7  -oo  i;Ab  bjncne  a^ 
t)enArh  cua|ica  Ag  niAiclnb  LoclAnn  7  piAin  rnAome  7 
[io]nmtirA  iombA  Ann  7  -oo  j,Aibet)An  pbeir  liion  a  mbnicne. 
UAimc  b|\icne  iAf\pn-A  bpAbntnre  peitmA  coiia  bAncnAcc. 
"  SIah    rone,     a    beiu-OA,"     An    re.       "  Cne-o     Ar   aiL   tec 

"o'f-A^Alt,  (2°)    A    oU,Airh  ?"   An  fl.      "  11l  p301"0  11  Alt)  (3°)  lllAOine 

lAjintnm,  a  mgen,"  Anb|ucne.  "Cne-o  oite  iAnnAi]\  ?"  An  p. 
"An  e  nAc  bprnn  cup}.,  a  mjen,"  An  bnicne,  "  cnet)  "oo 
iomtuAit)  Con^Ab  niAc  ftubnAibe  a  b-Cnmn  t)o'n  t)tit  ro  ?  " 
"  Hi  h-AgAmrA  acato  a  ]nbn,"  An  111  mgen,  "  acc  *oo  cuaLa 
gujiAb  An  lomiAnbAt)  cahhc."  "  1r  po]\  pn/'  a|\  bjucne, 
"7  jToeAt)  aca  AbbAn  eite  Ann."    "  C]\ex>  An  c-AbbAn  pn  ?" 

(1°)  ]\IS.  defective.  The  insertion  of  the  word  CongAit  is  tentative. 
(20)  £ajaiI  :  thus  our  MS.  for  the  more  etymological  form  ]?AJbAiL.  (30)  tiAit), 
pi.  form  of  11A  :  cf.  iua,  mAit);  -it>  represents  3rd  pi.  of  copula. 


COXGHAL   CLAIRINGHNEACH.  109 

on  the  side  of  the  royal  house,  and  Fergus  on  his  right  and 
Muiredach  Mergach  on  his  left,  and  Anadhal,  son  of  the  king 
of  the  Conchenns,  with  his  three  hundred  Conchenns,  was 
placed  in  the  champion's  seat  next  Conghal,  and  Ailill  Teora 
Gaoth  and  Ailill  Teora  Crioch  in  the  other  champion's  seat, 
and  Criomhtann,  son  of  Fergus  Fairrge,  with  them,  and  Cairbre 
Conganchneasach,  son  of  Cairbre  Crom.  Merne,  Semhne,  and 
Lathairne  were  placed  with  [Conghal],  and  Fachtna  Finn  File 
and  Bricne,  son  of  Cairbre,  and  Fraoch,  the  druid,  sat  in  the 
presence  of  [Conghal]  and  Fergus.  So  far  the  seating  of 
Conghal's  half. 

XLIII. 

The  king  of  Lochlann  came  to  the  northern  side  of  the 
house,  and  the  princes  of  Lochlann  were  placed  on  his  right, 
and  Naoisi  and  Aralt,  his  two  sons,  in  the  champion's  seat,  and 
Bebhere,  his  wife,  was  placed  on  his  left,  and  Beiuda,  his 
daughter,  with  all  her  female  retinue,  in  the  other  champion's 
seat.  Wine  and  mead  were  distributed  amongst  the  hosts, 
and  they  had1  songs  and  music,  and  the  princes  of  Lochlann 
and  the  warriors  of  Conghal  became  acquainted2  with  one 
another  ;  and  Bricne  approached  the  chiefs  of  Lochlann,  and 
received  treasure  and  much  wealth,  and  they  greatly  esteemed 
Bricne.  Bricne  came  afterwards  to  where  Beiuda  and  her 
female  retinue  were.  "  Hail,  Beiuda,"  said  he.  "  What  dost 
thou  want,  O  ollamh  ?  "  said  she.  "  I  seek  neither  jewels  nor 
wealth,  O  girl,"  said  Bricne.  "  What  else  dost  thou  seek  ?  " 
said  she.  "  Do  you  not  know,  O  girl,"  said  Bricne,  "  why 
Conghal  mac  Rudhraighe  journeyed  from  Ireland  this  time?" 
"  His  secrets  are  not  in  my  keeping,"  said  the  girl,  "  but  I 
heard  he  came  because  he  was  banished."  "  That  is  true," 
said  Bricne,  "  yet  there  is  another  reason."     "  What  is  that 

1  Lit.,   'singing.'     Cf.  beic  4.5   5AO&1L    Aifij\An,    'to   be   singing    songs.' 
*  Lit.,    '  put   their   acquaintance   on  one   another.' 


no         cAiuneim  COT15A1L  cLAminsrnj. 

An  ah  mjen.     "*Oo  cuaLa  t)o  beep  a  n-oige  7  a  n-AoncutriA 
7  hac  bpiit  t)o  ■pvttitnt,  "oo  innAib  mi  "ooiiiAin   7  a-)"  1  pn  ben 
-oob'Ml  LAipom,  6  -oeprcAij  rem  -oo  niACOib  niog  An  "ooriiAin, 
7  cur  jnAb  bine  7  av  *oo-o'  lAnnAib  (i°)   caihic  "oo'n  cu]\rA." 
"  *OixN  brAJ;A  (20)   rAn  -6 Mil r a. '11   coibce  lAnnoirn   aj\  niAcoib 
]\ioj  ele  mi  ■ooniMti  05  •ootn'  i&jipit)  p&oibre-o  Ler."    "  Cnet> 
mi  coibce  pn  ?"  An  D]ncne.     "  Uni  h-eom  inline  CAinncmn 
Ctnnn,"  An   ri,  "  7  "oo  [c]oix)eoboAoir  pn  7  mnA  n&  CAbrhAn 
acc    51b    a    n-eccombAnn    beoir    ne    ceot    nA    [n-]en   pn, 
7    cuing    cAnburo    Cinb   7    cACDAnn    IThcpcenmAir,    7    nocA 
ccAinic   pn   nojeubAb  bAmrA  nA  nece  pn   7   m  fAoibnn    a 
cceACC  7  beu-orA  a  n-AoncuriiA  50  brAJAn  uite  imd."     '"Oo 
geubAinp  pn,  a  mgen,"  An  Dnicne,  "uAin  Ar  AtiibAib  acait) 
cbAnnA    flubnAibe  7    An    ni    n&c    reoum    T>Aoine    eite    "oo 
benMti  *oo[j]ni"opoih  ne   li-eb  n-Acgoipro  e  7  mi    corhbAnn 
nAc  breouro  cunAib  do  betiAni  •oofgjm'o  cbAnnA   tlubnMbe 
e  7  ruAip;eobA  CongAb  H6.  cercA  pn  ";  7  AtiubAinc  mi  Laoi 
Ann  : — 

A  mgen  ttAT>CAitt-  (3°)  ceite  ! 
A  5«ui]*  50  ngite  gnene  ! 
■OiongiriALs,  -ouic  Af  gAC  tnco 
Cup  coriinAtnri[Ac]  (40)  mAtt.  ConjjAb. 
Jtd  111AIC  LecpA,  a  Drvicne  buAin  ! 

COHJaL  niAC  llUDJAAlfie  J\UA1T>, 
nOCA  CAjAAbfA  (5")   e  C)\A 

Uogo  n-iocA  mo  cejxA  (6°). 

C&roe  via  cefCA  cumge? 

50  bpomiAm  cAvoe  ah  -ooilje, 

nocA  npii5e(70),  colAib  %&l, 

Ace  tnuriA  bf?AJA  Con §aL. 

Uni  h-eoin  nigme  Cai]A]\cihii 

^o  cceot,  TAifbeAiiAt)  chAicbnvo  ! 

(1°)  MS.  •oot)'  -oiAnnAit).  For  this  form,  •oiAnnAiu  (•o'lAnnAVo)  for  iAnn&it>, 
cf.  Father  O'Leary's  "  Se\<yonA,"  p.  7  :  imAir\  a  buAit  •oume  bocc  tiime  a  (aj) 
•o'lAnAib  •oeAncA,  '  when  a  poor  man  met  him  asking  alms.'  (20)  fa§a, 

3rd  sg.,  pres.  subj.  ofr-AjjbAim,  'I  get.'  (30)  hat)  caij\  :  hat>  =  neg. 

rel.  particle.  (40)  comnAniliAC  :  cf.  Cac  11.  ha  U105  (Hogan),  p.  84  ;    |:a 

cofAib   ha   ccunAt)    corhnAiiiAC.  (50)  CAfXAbfA,  1st  sg.  conj.  B.  future  of 

CAnAmi,  '  I  love.'  (6°)  MS.,  cecA.  (7°)  nocA  njruije  :  vu15e  =  zn& 

sg.  fut.  of  ^A^bAim,  '  I  get.' 


COXGHAL  CLAIRINGHXEACH.  Ill 

reason  ?  "  said  the  girl.  "  He  heard  of  your  being  unwedded 
and  marriageable,  and  that  there  was  not  your  peer  amongst 
the  women  of  the  world,  and  that  is  the  wife  he  would  like, 
for  he  himself  excels  the  sons  of  the  kings  of  the  world,  and 
he  fell  in  love  with  you,1  and  he  came  to  seek  you  on  this 
occasion."  "  If  he  finds  for  me  the  tribute  I  ask  of  the  sons 
of  the  other  kings  of  the  world  who  come  to  seek  me,  I  shall 
go  with  him."  "  What  tribute  is  that  ?  "  said  Bricne.  "  The 
three  birds  of  the  daughter  of  Cairtheann  Corr,"  said  she, 
"  and  the  men  and  women  of  the  earth  would  go  to  sleep, 
though  they  were  in  dire  distress,  through  the  music  of 
these  birds  ;  and  the  yoke  of  Cearb's  chariot,  and  the  helmet 
of  Miscenmas  ;  and  none  have  come  who  would  give  these 
things  to  me^  and  I  do  not  think  they  shall,  and  I  shall 
remain  unmarried  till  I  get  every  one  of  them."  You  shall 
get  them,  O  girl,"  said  Bricne;  "  for  the  Clann  Rury  are  such 
that  they  would  do  in  a  very  short  space  of  time  what  others 
could  not  do  at  all  ;  and  the  combat  that  warriors  could  not 
sustain  the  Clann  Rury  would  ;  and  Conghal  will  meet2  these 
demands  "  ;  and  he  recited  the  poem  : — 

O  girl  who  lovest  not  a  lover, 

0  sun-bright  countenance  !3 
Fitting  for  you  in  every  way 
A  brave  warrior  like  Conghal ; 

Though  you  think  well,  O  steadfast  Bricne, 
Of  Conghal,  son  of  Rudhraighe,  the  red  ! 

1  shall  not  love  him,  however, 
Till  he  pays  my  demands. 
What  are  the  conditions  ? 

Till  we  find  what  is  the  trouble, 

You  shall  not  get  them  through  floods  of  valour ! 

Unless  Conghal  shall  get  them. 

The  three  birds  of  the  daughter  of  Cairtheann 

With  music,  melodious*  the  display. 

1  Lit.,  '  he  gave  love  to  you.'  2Lit.,  ;  solve  (these  questions;.'  puAirce6L&, 
3rd  sg.  fut.  offu^rjl-Mm.  On  the  origin  of  the  root  of  this  word,  vide  Atkinson, 
Tri  B.  Gaoithe,  Appendix,  p.  xvi.  It  must  be  remembered  that  the  '  e  '  futures 
from  which  the  mod.  fut.  in  "  eo''  has  developed  is  an  analogical  development 
from  -jeriA,  redupl.  tut.,  -oopim,  &c.  3  Lit.,  '  countenance  with  the  brightness 
of  the  sun.'  i  I.e.  cIaic,  '  gentle';  birro,  bum,  '  sweet.' 


112  cAitfieim  con^AH  ctAimnSmS. 

Af  cuing  cAnpAic  Onb  gAn  geif 

Apif  CAcbA|\n  micfcenmeif, 

X>o  geubAf a  fin  mle, 

A  mjen  pionn  folcbuit)e  ! 

5aca  fif. e,  ccoiiAip  ^aI, 

Do  jeuliA  uile,  a  m§en  ! 

A  mgen. 

XLIV. 

"  C'ait  a  bpuiliT)  iu  neice  pm,  a  m  jen,"  Api  Onicne,  "  co 
troecniAoi-p  t>'a  n-iAppiAfd  ?"  "Acait)  1  ccAcpAij  tTluinne 
bAm^AipccohAit;,"  An  -p.  "  C'a/ic  a  bptnt  ah  cACAip  pm  ?" 
Ap  tl)picne.  "  Gip.cci'op  t)'a  h-iAppAit>  poip,"  An  An  mjjen, 
"  7  niunA  bp^A^CApi  coin  1  eficci'6  fiA-p,  7  tmiriA  bpAJ;ui'6  ciApi 
einccit)  bA  "oeA-p,  7  rntmA  bpvs^CAoi  bA  t)eAp  1  einccit)  bA 
chuATo,  7  riA-pAb  niAc  mAic  t)Aoib  no^o  b^A^CAOi  T)'e6ltip 
tiAimp  acc  pn."  Ho  eipij  t)picne  iAn  pn  7  CAimc  a 
bpA'ontn-pe  Con  JAit  7  "PenccupA,  7  cut;  a  cenn  a  n-mirte  (l°) 
lomA^AbbAiTTie  op-pA,  7  Apco  AtmbAipc  :  "ITIaic  bAn  ccunup 
a  b-e-pmn  a  65A,"  Ap»  bnicne,  "uAin  An  mjen  rug  eupA 
cocniAinc  ah  mACOib  puoj  An  •oorho.m  .1.  UeitroA  mjen  nij 
LoclAnn  015  5^At)  cAntAnnAc  •oo  ConJAb  7  -oo  AtrcumjeAX) 
coibce  Aip  [.1.]  cni  n-eom  itijme  CAippcmn  7  cumj  CAnbAit) 
Ci-pb  7  cAcbA|\p  1Tlicrcen[mAir  .  .  .]  cAcnAC  tThnnne  bAnJAi- 
rge-onAit;  7  ■oo  ctnn  p  jeAfA  7  AintnTO  optnnn  An  coibce  pn 
-o'pAJAit  t)i  j.-oa  n-o  pitt  (20)  pop.  buAib-o  (30)  bAn  mbepcA  7 
bAp  [n-Ainm]  p-AonA  pnicnoccptnb(4°);  gupnob  pbeAtrmuijuen 
ne  h-otii  (50)  eApcomne  jjac  p[epAnn]  pop  a  pAlce.opcAoi  ; 
cpoit;  ThnA  cpiojum  (6C)  poptnb  ;    Sao^aI  neoit  CAitte  An  ... 

(i°)1infle:  'lowliness.'  (2°)  •oa  n-o  pill, 'two  ears  of  a  horse.'  Cf.  Strachan, 
"Notes  and  Glosses,  L.  na  hUidhre  "  (Archiv) ;  "  L.  na  H.,"  phill  .1.  eich 
(33b;  6.  b.  29);  Stokes,  "Irish  Metr.  Gloss, "  s.  v.  pell,  'horse.'  (30)  btiAilit), 
dat.  of  btiAile,  '  a  pen,  byre ' ;  buAile  is  a  D-stem.  (4°)  A-n-Ainm  f aoiia  fnicnocc 
fuib:  cf.  Hogan,  "  Cath  R.  na  Righ,"  p.  104,  1.  2,  and  note.  (50)  Om  : 
'raw  flesh,  blood':  cf.  O'R.,  s.  v.  ;  O'Dav.  "Gloss";  cnu  .1.  om.  (6°)  cf.015 
mnA  cf.0511111,  'the  pangs  of  a  woman  in  childbirth':  cf.  P.  O'C,  s.v.  cfojum. 
Cfoj;,  cnoijjeo  .1.  cIaito,  Stokes,  "Metr.  Gloss.,"  101.  cnogAn  .1.  CAlam, 
"Rev.  Celt.,"  xi.  442  ;  xiii.  226. 


COXGHAL  CLAIRIXGHXEACH.  113 

And  the  yoke  of  Cearb's  chariot,  without  prohibition, 

And  the  helmet  of  Micscenmas, 

Thou  shalt  get  all  these, 

O  fair  girl  of  the  flaxen  hair ! 

All  you  seek,  through  valorous  .  .  .  (?) 

You  shall  get  them  all,  O  girl. 

XLIV. 
"Where  are  these  things,  O  girl!"  said  Bricne,  "that  we 
may  go  to  seek  them  ?  "  "  Thev  are  in  the  '  cathair '  of  Muirn, 
the  woman-warrior,"  said  she.  "  Where  is  that  '  cathair'  ?"  said 
Bricne.  "  Go  east  to  seek  it,"  said  the  girl,  "  and  if  it  is  not 
found  in  the  east,  go  west ;  and  if  you  find  it  not  in  the  west, 
go  south ;  and  if  you  find  it  not  in  the  south,  go  north  ;  and  may 
you  have  no  good  son  till  you  learn  aught  save  that  from  me." 
Bricne  then  arose,  and  came  to  Conghal  and  Fergus,  and 
entered  into  converse  with  them,  and  said  :  "  Your  journey 
from  Ireland  is  a  successful  one,  O  warriors  !  "  said  Bricne, 
"  for  the  girl  who  refused1  the  sons  of  the  kings  of  the  world, 
viz.,  Beiuda,  daughter  of  the  king  of  Lochlann,  has  bestowed 
affectionate  love  upon  Conghal,  and  a  dowry  was  demanded 
of  him,  i.e.,  the  three  birds  of  the  daughter  of  Cairtheann, 
and  the  yoke  of  the  chariot  of  Cearb,  and  the  helmet  of 
Micscenmas  .  .  .  the  '  cathair '  of  Muirn,  the  woman-warrior; 
and  she  placed  a  bond  and  pledge  upon  us  to  find  that  dowry 
for  her,  i.e.,  two  ears  of  a  horse  over  the  pen  of  your  shaving,2 
and  your  weapons  prostrate  beneath  you  ;  that  every  [land] 
you  tread  maybe  as  slippery  as  raw-flesh  of  eel3;  the  pangs  of 
a  woman  in  childbirth  be  yours4;  the  life  of  a  cloud  of  a  wood 

1  Lit.,  '  a  refusal  of  wooing.'  2  Vide  Add.  Notes.     The  reference  is  to  the 

legend  of  the  king  who  bad  two  horse's-ears.  The  legend  gave  rise  to  the  popular 
phrase,  "  ca  da  cltiAf  cj,pAilb  A|\  tAbj\A  1 01  n preach,"  in  reference  to  anything 
of  a  secret  nature.  For  the  legend,  vide  Keating's  History.  I  need  not  point  out 
the  obscurity  of  this  incantation,  which  makes  any  attempt  at  rendering  it  so 
difficult.  3  e^rcoitine,  I  have  translated  '  of  eel ' ;  there  seem  to  be  two  nom. 
forms  of  the  word,  viz.,  eo.fcu  and  eAfconn  :  of  this  latter  form,  eifcoinne  is 
here  the  genitive.  Cf.  "  Silva  Gad."  (Ir.  Text),  p.  265,  '  Ocus  ba  sleimhne  ina 
mong  escuinne  i  niochtar  aibhne,'  '  and  slipperier  than  dorsal  fin  of  eel  on  river's 
bottom.'  *  Cf.  the  famous  nointmi,  or  'couvade,'  of  the  Ultonians. 

I 


114  cMtneim  con$Ait  cLAirtinsrnS. 

cnormi^A-d  (i°)  Agmb ;  nion  troniite  pb  norriAi'oe  munA 
brA^CAOi  An  coib[ce  pn]  t)o  h-iAn}\AT>  ontnb."  1r  Annpn 
cugufUAin  "pencctir  pneAb  a  rnbntnnne^un  benA[rcAin]  nipn 
c<mi&  (20)  norhoin  "oobi  mA  pA-ontnre,  ^unbo  uennobAin  -oo 
luce  pieAp:o[bA]  An  ci^e  a  AnACAb  tnn]\e.  U115  ConJAb 
btnbbe  t>'a  "6|tuiTn  nipn  b^oijit)  conAch  nAibe  Arcij  cobbA 
nA  cACAoin  nAn  cniocnAij.  OTJconnAic  Hi  LoclAnn  pn  7 
a  ACAin  -oobi  An  a  juAbomn  .1.  Scomne  rciACArnbAC, 
o^Iac  AnrAro  eiren  ;  "  Cnet)  no["o]cuin  (30)  a  piiorh  rriAn 
pn,  a  cAictrnbix),  a  Con^Aib?"  An  TLi  LocbAnn,  "7  c\\ex>  j:a 
nAbAbAin  t)A  bAn  n-obbArh  P" 

XLV. 

T)o  ei|\i5  "pAccnA  pnn  pie  mA  bpA*6ntnre  tube  Annpn 
50  ccuAbAt)An  mAici  LocbAnn  a  Aicep;  7  At)ubAinc  :  "CeAnn 
imcAipoe  Gnent)  pjt>,"  An  ^AccnA  "fmn  pbe,  "  .1.  OnicnemAC 
CA]\bne  7  t)o  nmne  coiriifencur  jAn  lAnnAno  eiT>in  'hm  jmp  7 
CongAt,  7  "oo  lAnn  tnnue  rem  'hmjenrA  gengo  n-oubnAX)  fnr 
e,  7  "oo  ctnn  ceArc  An  Con^Ab  nAc  rAoibce|t  -o'rAgAib  Toin." 
"tTlAincc  An  An  cumgeA-o  nA  ceArcA  pn,"  An  11i  t,ocbAnn, 
"uai]\  "oia  mbeoir  rbuAij  nA  CAbtriAn  A^An-iAnnAi-o  ni  bruig- 
■oir  iax)."  "An  bre-onuip,  a  H15,  c'aic  a  bpnb  riA-o?"  An 
"pACcnA  pnn  pile.  "  Acato  1  ccac|\ai5  lT)ui]\ne  TllobbchAi'oe 
a  nx>erceAnc  nA  piJAn'OA,"  An  erem,  "7  "oa  iroeeoAOir  pn 
■6oiiiAin  "oocum  nA  cacjaac  pn  t>o  jeubtJAoir  a  vaic  cAcmjce 
ne  cAcnAig  Aintnj  a  n-ionjnur  buccA  nA  cAcnAch  fen,  7  aca 
reobAt)  cAicoir  An  rhir  6  LoclAnnAib.  roinulun  "oo  iiiui|t  An 
CACAin    pn."      "  1r    "ooibig    bmne    An    ce]~o    rm    "oo    ctnne-6 

(i°)  From  cpocnuijim,  'I  notice,  perceive  '  (?).  (20)  caua  (?),  for  CAin, 

'  a  herd.'  caui,  in  Modern  Irish,  has  the  meaning  of  '  a  troop  of  persons, 
heroes.'     We  have  afterwards,  however,  uippe,  fern.  (30)  Leg.  pooemp  ; 

•o  lost  through  fraying  of  the  edge  of  the  MS. 

1  The  phrase  SaojaI  neoit  cAitle,  &c,  is  obscure  to  me.  •  noriiAioe, 

i.e.  '  nine  days.'  3  cjAeo  yAr\ADAbAin  oa  bAn  n-olbAtri  ?     I  am  indebted 

to  Mr.  J.  H.  Lloyd  for  the  following  interesting  illustrations  of  the  use  of  the 
verb  '  to  be  '  with  t>o  and  be  :  ir>  h-eo  mr-o  pornboch  oofr-Aiii,  '  this  is  why  they 


COXGHAL   CLAIRIXGHXEACH.  115 

.  .  .  (?)  be  yours  ;l  may  you  live  no  time2  unless  you  find  that 
dowry  asked  of  you."  Then  Fergus  gave  a  start  so  that  he 
struck  the  very  great  troop  (?)  which  was  before  him,  and  the 
serving-people  of  the  house  had  hard  work  in  protecting  him 
from  it.  Conghal  gave  a  thrust  of  his  back  against  the  wall 
so  that  there  was  not  a  couch  or  chair  inside  that  he  did  not 
shake.  The  king  of  Lochlann  saw  that,  as  did  his  father, 
who  was  beside  him,  viz.,  Scoinne  '  sciathamhlach,'  an  old 
warrior.  "  What  distressed  you  thus,  O  hero,  O  Conghal  ?  " 
said  the  king  of  Lochlann  ;  "  and  why*  were  you  angry  with 
your  '  ollamh  '  ?  "  3 

XLV. 

Fachtna  Finn  File  rose  then  in  the  presence  of  them  all,  so 
that  the  nobles  of  Lochlann  heard  his  address,  and  he  said  : 
"  Yonder  is  a  head  of  oppression  of  Ireland,"  said  Fachtna 
Finn  File, "  i.e.,  Bricneson  of  Cairbhre  ;  and  unasked,  he  caused 
mutual  affection  to  spring  up  between  your  daughter  and 
Conghal,  and  he  asked  your  daughter  of  herself  without  his 
being  told  so  ;  and  she  laid  a  task  on  Conghal  that  is  not, 
indeed,  thought  capable  of  accomplishment."  "  Woe  to  him 
upon  whom  these  demands  were  made,"  said  the  king  of  Loch- 
lann ;  "  for  were  the  hosts  of  the  earth  to  try  and  meet  them, 
they  would  not  do  so."4  "  Do  you  know,  O  king,  where  the 
things  demanded5  are?"  said  Fachtna  Finn  File.  "  They  are  in 
the  '  cathair  '  of  Muirn  Molbhthaidhe  in  the  south  of  Uardha," 
said  he,  "  and  were  the  men  of  the  world  to  advance  on  that 
*  cathair,'  they  would  get  their  surfeit  of  fighting  outside  the 
1  cathair,'  not  to  mention  that  with  the  people  of  the  '  cathair ' 
itself ;  and  it  is  a  fortnight  and  a  month's  sail  from  Lochlann 
east  to  that  '  cathair.'"     "  We  think  it  a  grievous  burden  that 


were  angry  with  him  ':  cia  bi  lej,c  ?  '  who  was  annoying  you  ?  '  bio  p  At)  bom 
t>o  bo  Arcoit>ce,  '  they  annoy  me  night  and  day.'  Cf.  Anglo-Irish,  ••  they  '  do  be' 
at  me."  4  Lit.,  '  if  the  hosts  of  the  earth  should  seek  them,  they  would  not 

get  them.  5  Lit.,  '  they.' 


I 


116  cAiuneitn  conjAit  ctAimriSniS. 

ojmmn,"  Afi  CongAl,  "  A-p  cceAcc  1  ccnic  LocbAnn."  "11a 
n-AbAiji  rm,  a  C0nJA.1t,"  An  pencci-ir,  "  uaij\  *oa  brAJA  ne&c 
irin  "oomAn  An  coibce  T)o  lA-pn  An  m^en  at  rmne  no  t;eubA, 
jion  50  nx)eAch  (i°)  neAch  eite  Ann,"  A-p  pepccur,  "-pACA-orA 
Ann."  "  RACATirA  Ann,"  An  Con  jaL,  "  7  Areo  A-p  "ooitje 
Lmn  eotur  An  mAnA  t/p-AJAit."  '"OobeunpA  Aipcro  t>tnc, 
a  Con^Ait,"  An  Scomne,  "  7  m  ^eubA  cac  no  comiAnn  nioc 
UAin  renoin  me  rem,  7  -ooben  mo  rciAc  "otncp  61-p  "oo  cAinn- 
ngenA-o  -oAmrA  nAC  brtn^mn  ci^ennA  CAn  eir  mo  bAip  no 
CA-p  m'ei-p  rem  acc  mAc  ^115  CpeAnn.  1r  curA  erem,  a 
ConJAit,  7  mn  §Ab  neAc  ne  a  gUALomn  rciAc  Ar  reAnn 
mA  1";  7  At)tibAinc: — 

A  ConJAib  ben  teAC  mo  pciAC 
tlnnuncA  a  qriAC,  obAif  (2°)  cnoTo 
"buAiie  cupAT>h,  enpce  ceAub  (30) 
X)ia  pan  5  ah  5A  -oepcc  a  cnoit)  ; 
SAOCAfV  ]"Aoinr^ei§i,  CplOCA  cacTi  ; 

re]A  50  pAC  111  pU|\Alt  T)1  ; 

mime  ■oobepnnr'  a  CAch 

no  50  tnbec  A]\  Ap  Lech  ct/i  ; 

50  n-eCCAp  (4°)  AipCCItl  pe  a  cnef 

Oi-oip  An  ■oer'  if  a  cuuatoIi, 

50  troeilb  LeomAin  Ap  a  CAOib, 

50  mbite  lApomn  caoiL  cpuAit), 

■Q'a  coppAn  (50)  cpicip  cAip 

Do  cetjjrmr'  a  ppAif  mop  ccop, 

mime  ■oobeptmp  An  cac1i  (6°) 

Con  pACcrmp  An  Agn  mop  con. 

A  ConjjAit. 

UticcAt)  An  rciAc  A-pceAc  iAp.pm,  7  cuccax)  "oo  Con^Ab  1. 
'O'p-ech  Con^Aim  rciAch,  7  -oo  ctnn  Api  a  -oeAbgAm  UAfA  (70) 
1.  "Aca  comAinte  xx^AmrA  time,  a  ConJAit,"  &n  AmbAib. 
"  Cpe-o  1,  a  Ain"oni5  ?"  An  iA"orAn.  "  Ctnnro  pcip  An  mAPA  7 
An  caca  t)o  ctnneAbAin  x>ib,"  A]t  re,  "7  LeiccTo  reACAib  An 
remneAt)  oin  "oogebcAoi  co  pommeAC  pAt>A[i]L  A^Ainp a  Ann,  7 

(1°)  3rd  sg.  «S-subj.  (20)  MS.,  obur  for  obAf,  '  who  refuses,'  perhaps. 

(30)  ceAnb :  O.  Ir.  cepp,  '  cutting,  slaughtering.'  (40)  eccAn  :  Mod.  Ir. 

eAgAp.         (5°)  MS.,  cou]\An.         (6')  MS.,  Ach.         (7°)  ua^a,  3rd  sg.  masc. 


COXGHAL  CLAIRINGHNEACH.  117 

has  been  laid  upon  us,"  said  Conghal,  "on  coming  into  the  terri- 
tory of  Lochlann."  "  Do  not  say  that,  O  Conghal,"  said  Fergus  ; 
M  for  if  anyone  in  the  world  shall  find  the  dowry  the  girl  asks, 
it  is  we  shall  ;  though  no  other  shall  go  there,"  said  Fergus,  "  I 
shall  go  there."  "  I  shall  go  there,"  said  Conghal  ;  "  and  what 
we  deem  troublesome  is  obtaining  information  about  the  sea." 
"  I  shall  make  you  a  present,  O  Conghal,"  said  Scoinne,  "  and 
I  shall  not  fight  or  battle  with  you,  for  I  am  an  old  man  ;  and 
I  shall  give  my  shield  to  you,  for  it  was  promised  to  me  that 
it  should  not  find  a  lord  after  my  death  or  after  me  save  it 
were  a  son  of  a  king  of  Ireland.  You  are  he,  O  Conghal ; 
and  no  one  ever  laid  on  his  shoulder  a  better  shield  than 
it  "  ;    and  he  said  : — 

O  Conghal,  take  my  shield  ; 

Daring  its  lord,  he  refused  battle  ! 

Defence  of  warriors,  stock  of  hewings, 

From  which  the  red  spear  springs  in  battle  ; 

The  work  of  a  noble  spear — thirty  battalions  ; 

One  with  a  subsidy  is  necessary  for  it, 

Often  we  gave  battle 

So  that  it  would  be  on  our  left  side 

With  an  array  of  silver  on  its  surface, 

Between  the  right  and  left, 

On  its  side,  a  lion's  form, 

And  a  slender  hard  rim  of  iron 

From  its  hook  shining  (?),  twisted 

We  cast  its  shower  great  .  .   -1 

Often  gave  we  battle  ; 

And  left  the  deer,  great  .  .  ,2 

The  shield  was  brought  out  then,  and  was  given  to  Conghal. 
Conghal  examined  the  shield,  and  put  it  up  on  its  rest  above 
him.  "  I  have  an  advice  to  give  you,  O  Conghal,"  said 
Amlaff.  "  What  is  it,  O  high  king?"  said  they.  "  Rest  from 
the  weariness  of  the  sea  and  of  the  battle  you  fought,"  said 
he,  "  and  let  the  winter  pass  by,  for  you  shall  be  pleased  and 

1  mop  ccop  :  cop  (?).     Atk.  ("  Brehon  Laws,"  Gloss.),  s.  v.  cop.  '  a  head,' 
gives  these  further  meanings  :   'tower,'  'bush,'  'lord,'   'array.'  3  This  line 

is  obscure. 


118  cAiuneirn  con§Ait  ct^miti$ni$. 

pciAriroAin^mcep.  bAp.  pcetr(i°)  7  rbiopcAp.  bAp.  rlejjA  7 
coipijcep  b^-p  ccboitmie  UAip.  aca  AgAtnpA  tie^c  "oobi  -o'a 
pogboim  '-p^11  CAcnAig,  7  Ap  e  mnpiop  pceubA  "othnn  .1.  tti-p- 
jpeAnn  T>p.Aoi,  mo  "6p.A0i-pi  pern,  7  AiuiAip.  bur  michiti)  [-oijbpi 
"out  "o'Apcctnn  nA  cAcpiAC  pm  p.AcbAi*6  pe  p,omtnb  &p  eolup." 
"  Ap1  1  pm  coriiAip.be  "oojenuimne,"  [Ap]  "pAccnA  "pmn  pie. 
Uucc  pn  pubAcnr  7  -pob-pon  (20)  mop  t)o  Conj;&b  conA  mum- 
on  7  "oopionpAC  mAp  AtmbAipc  An  ["opAoi],  7  t)o  beccet)Ap 
I'e&CA.  An  jjemneAt). 

XLVI. 

1r  Annpm  A-oubAipc  Con^Ab  pe  pij  LoclAnn  a  cceAnn  nA 
[geimpToe]  :  "  ubbmi^cep  Ion  7  bon^A  •oumn,"  A]1  re,  "  UAip 
Ar  midiTo  bmn  Dub'o'iAppAi'o  An  coibcet)o  b-iAppAt>[opAmn  "; 
7]  (30)  *oo  -ponAt)  AmbATo  pm  aca.  tlo  coccbAX)  mopcoblAc 
beopAn  A-p  inuiji,  7  "oobi  peolAt)  cAicoip  [Ap  mip]  o  cpiocriAib 
LocbAnn  co  cac|aaij  TDuipne  TnobbcliAToe,  7  "oobATJAp  A5 
-peobAt)  pemippvipchip.  [Hi  -pA]cA*oAp  ni  acc  An  popmAmenc 
or  a  ccionnAib  7  An  pAipicce  mA  comcilb,  7  t>o  conncA"OAp 
uaca  Ap.  a  ccenn  pbiAb  mop.  ApbAp  An  Aiccen(4°);  7  T>ob'A,6bAb 
a  p'A'o  7  ceAnn  x>e  bu  -oeAp  7  ceAnn  ebe  bn  [cu  a]t6,  7  a  mubbAC 
Ap.  "oepjbApvo.  "  Cnet)  e  An  pbiAb  ux>,  a  tlipjpmn  t)pAoi?" 
An  Con  jaI.  "  Ap  epu"o  m  [pbiAJb  cemeA-o  aca  pomuibp,"  A-p. 
m  T>p.Aoi.  "  Ca  conAin  a  pACAm  peACA  put)  ?"  Apt  ConJAb. 
"Hoca  npuib  [conAJin  bA  T>ep  no  bA  diUAive  -peAcbA  put) 
ajat),"  Ap.  m  t)piAoi,  "UAip  t)A  co  cu  t)o'n  bee  chuAit>e  tie 
•oojebA  [m]uipceucc(5c)  con  a  connAib  Ann  7  t)A  cci  *oo'n 
bee  *6er  "oe  "oogeubA  ciocJAbcbeA-p  (6°)  pneAccA  An  mApA(7°) 
rhoip  Ann  1  ccompAc  nA  h-UApoA  7  nA  ceincitte ;  7  r>Am&T> 

(i°)  .Sit  MS.,  for  rciACA.  (20)  Cf.  ■oubACAf,  -oobnott,  T>obr\onAc.  (30)  The 
insertions  in  square  brackets  throughout  are  due  in  almost  all  cases  to  defects  in 
the  MS.  arising  out  of  the  frayed  condition  of  the  edges  of  the  leaves. 
(40)  Accen  ;  O.  Ir.  oiciAn,  from  Lat.  oceanus.     Vide  Add.  Notes.  (5°)rnuiri- 

ceAcc;  O'R.,  muiriceACT),   'unnavigable  seas.'  (6°)  aoc,  '  shower  ';  gat, 

'  puff,  breeze.'  (70)  An  rhAr\A  :  inuir.  is  fern,  in  Mod.  Ir.  and  neuter  in  O.  Ir. 

In  Middle  Irish  it  is  masc,  as  here. 


COXGHAL   CLAIRIXGHXEACH.  119 

happy  with  me,  and  let  your  shields  be  strengthened,  and 
your  spears  be  polished,  and  your  swords  be  set  in  order  ;  for 
I  have  one  in  the  '  cathair '  who  learnt  that,  and  it  is  he  gives 
tidings  to  us,  i.e.,  Uirgreann  the  druid,  my  own  druid,  and 
when  it  is  time  for  you  to  go  to  harry  the  '  cathair,'  he  will 
lead  you  on  the  way."  "  We  shall  follow  that  advice,"  said 
Fachtna  Finn  File.  That  gave  great  pleasure  and  content- 
ment to  Conghal  and  his  followers  ;  and  they  acted  as  the 
druid  said,  and  they  let  the  winter  pass. 


XLVI. 

Then  at  the  end  of  the  [winter],  Conghal  said  to  the  king 
of  Lochlann  :  "  Let  provisions  and  ships  be  got  ready  for  us," 
said  he,  "  for  we  deem  it  time  to  go  and  seek  the  dowry  that 
was  asked  of  us";  and  they  did  so. 

They  launched  a  great  fleet  upon  the  sea  ;  and  it  was  a 
month  and  a  fortnight's  sail  from  the  territory  of  Lochlann  to 
'  Cathair  Muirn  Molbhthaidhe,'  and  they  were  a  month  sailing 
westward.  They  saw  naught  save  the  heavens  above  and  the 
sea  around  them  ;  and  they  saw  before  them  a  great  mountain 
in  the  midst  of  the  ocean  ;  its  length  was  great,  and  one  end 
of  it  was  to  the  south  and  the  other  to  the  north,  and  its 
summit  was  on  fire.  "  What  is  yonder  mountain,  O  druid 
Uirgreann  ? "  said  Conghal.  "  Yonder  before  you  is  the 
mountain  of  fire,"  said  the  druid.  "  By  what  way  shall  we 
pass  it  ?  "  said  Conghal.  "  There  is  no  way  for  you  past  it 
either  southward  or  northward,"  said  the  druid;  "for  if  you 
come  to  the  north  of  it,  you  shall  meet  there  with  the  rough 
sea  and  its  waves  ;  and  if  you  come  to  the  south  side  of  it,  you 
shall  meet  with  a  snow-shower  from  the  great  sea  where  the 
cold  and  the  heat  battle1  ;  and  were  every  single  ship  in  your 

1  Lit.,  '  in  the  meeting  of  the  cold  and  heat.' 


120  cAiuuenn  con$Ait  ctAimn$rn5. 

coin  moppipn  pbiAbh  r>o  gAc  en  bong  t>ot)'  cobbAc  "oobpippAt) 
gAC  uonn  "o'a  bptnb  Atppton  iAt) ";  7  At)tipAipc  m  bAoi : — 

'Se  pjTJ  A11  ■ptiA'b  A]\  tAf  AT), 
ClOT)  AjVO  A11   CACAIJAfOr-pyO, 

111  ri-ufuir'  a  teim,  •oa|\  LeAtn  ! 
11oca  npoccuf  a  cnnceAlX, 
niAt>  t>a  ccif  "oo'n  Leicli  cTitiATo 
"Do  jeubA  otc  }\e  1i-eiuiAir\, 
X)o  pA  mui|\ceucc  conA  comiA  (i°) 
1meo|\A]"  o|\c  AnjtormA  ; 
ITIat)  tja  ccif  'oo'n  tecli  Airoef 
Af  TjeAjVb  •oo  jeulJA  cpuATocrxep 
C'LaocLo'0]:ai'6  tjo  fiuAJ  a  115116 
ATjeirvnn  pioc  Afe. 

Are. 

"  Cionnup  t)0  "denArn  tntnepm,  a  tlipgpmn  ?"  Ap  CongAb, 
"  An  bpnb  eobup  eibe  AgA-opA  t)tiiiin  ?"  "  Aca  imtippo,"  An 
m  "opAoi,  "  tiAip  Ap  AriibAno  aca  An  pbiAb  tit)  7  pobb  cpit>,  7 
111  bptng-oip  pip  iia  CAbtriAn  eobup  *o'ionnpoigi-6  nA  cAcpAC 
gupA  ccei  gipi  acc  cpe  tAn  m  cpleibi  tit),  7  t>o  pet)AppA  ah 
cortiAipbe  Ar  "oennA  (20)  t)Aoib,"  An  m  "opAot,  "  ceAngAibcep 
bAn  bongA  t)'A  ceibe  7  cAbAncAn  bong  CongAib  An  cup 
nompA  7  imp  mnce  50  mbenAn  eobup  7  bongA  An  cobbAig 
tnA  t)iAi j,  7  cengAbcAp  coppA  nA  bong  "o'a  cebe  Aguib  t)iAig 
a  nt)iAig."  *Oo  ponAt)  AriitAfo  pm  aca  ;  7  bong  AnAt)Aib 
inic  pt[g]  Concenn  Api  "oobi  pA  -oeineAt),  7  do  cutppioc  ber- 
bAine  gbomnoe  An  gAc  bomg  t)ib  7  CAngAt)Ap  t)'ionnpoiccix> 
An  cpbeibe  niAp  rm  ;  7  "oobi  reobAt)  bAot  co  n-of6ce  t)6ib  t)ub 
cpepAn  pbiAbpm  7  iAn  nt)tib  cpro  t)6ib  t)obi  reobAt)  cAoieoip 
tiACA  co  cAcnAig  Tlltiipe  fflobbchAroe.  A  ccionn  ha  nee  pn 
At)concAt)An  cACAin  cemno'oe  tTluipne  uaca,  7  At>ubAipc 
Con^Ab :  "Cnet)  ah  cACAip  cemci'oe  tit)  (30)  AT>ciAinuit),  a 
thpgpmn?"  An  re.  "Ap  1  put)  m  CACAip  acacaoip  t)'tAp- 
pAit),"  Ap  m  -opAoi,  "  7  mup  cemeAt)  mA  omcibb." 

(i°)  connA  for  comiAib.  (i°j  ■oencA,  part,  necessitatis;  O.  Ir.  •oena. 

(30)  MS.,  ugA-o. 


COXGHAL   CLAIRIXGHXEACH.  121 

fleet  as  big  as  the  mountain,  each  wave  on  it  would  smash 
them  "  ;  and  he  recited  the  poem  : — 

Yonder  is  the  mountain  on  fire, 

Though  high  the  situation  of  the  '  cathair  ' ; 

Not  easy  its  storming,  methinks  ! 

Its  circuit  is  not  near. 

If  thou  comest  to  the  northern  side, 

111  shall  befall  you  at  once  ; 

The  tide  with  its  waves  shall  come, 

And  shall  wage  strife  with  you. 

If  you  come  to  the  southern  side, 

Certain  it  is  you  shall  have  a  hard  fight  ; 

Your  host  shall  change  their  countenance,1 

I  tell  you  so  it  is. 

"What  shall  we  do  in  this  matter,  O  Uirgreann?"  said 
Conghal  ;  "  have  you  any  other  information  to  give  us  ?"  "I 
have,"  said  the  druid  ;  "  for  in  this  way  is  yonder  mountain  :  it 
has  a  hole  through  it,  and  the  men  of  the  earth  would  not 
discover  a  way  to  the  '  cathair '  to  which  you  go  save  through 
the  centre  of  yonder  mountain  ;  arid  I  know  the  counsel  that 
you  must  follow,"  said  the  druid.  "  Let  your  ships  be  bound 
together,  and  let  Conghal's  ship  go  first  before  them  with 
me  in  it  to  give  guidance,  and  the  ships  of  the  fleet  following 
behind,  and  let  the  prows  of  the  ships  be  bound  together  one 
after  another."  They  did  so  ;  and  it  was  the  ship  of  Anadhal, 
son  of  the  king  of  the  Conchenns,  that  was  last ;  and  they 
placed  a  glass  lantern  on  each  of  the  ships,  and  in  that  way 
came  towards  the  mountain  ;  and  it  was  a  day  and  a  night's 
sail  through  that  mountain  ;  and  when  they  had  passed 
through  it,  it  was  a  fortnight's  sail  to  the  '  cathair '  of  Muirn 
Molbhthaidhe. 

At  the  end  of  that  time  they  saw  the  flaming  '  cathair  '  of 
Muirn;  and  Conghal  said  :  "  What  is  yonder  flaming  '  cathair  ' 
that  we  see,  O  Uirgreann?"  said  he.  "That  is  the'  cathair' 
you  are  seeking,"  said  the  druid  ;  "  and  a  wall  of  fire  is 
around    it." 

1  '  To  change  their  countenance,  colour,  Sec.,'  is  a  common  mode  of  expressing 
fear  in  Irish. 


122  cAitneim  congAit  ct^itiin$ni$. 


XLVII. 

1r  Annpn  "oo  gAb  ConJAb  a  6.|iiiia  7  ATjubAinc  nipiA 
rbUAJcnb :  "  Coi^iji-o  bAn  n-Ainm  11-A15  or  bAn  ccennoib  7 
bAn  rleA^A  or  bo]TOAib  b^n  tonj,  7  nijnoh  bAn  pint  a 
rnbAnrAib  bAp  ccnAnn  7  cAb]\Aro  rnAir  AmiAnrriAncAC 
iorn]\Ain1"iA  t)'ionn-poicci'6  tiA  CACpiAch  a  ccet)6in."  *Oo  nonAT) 
atViLato  pn  ACAfAn  no^un  jiAnjA'OAn  t)onur  tntnn  nA  cAcnAch. 
"  'OencA-p  teibennA(i°)  10&  bA-p  bonccAib  Anoir,"  An  in  t>nAoi, 
"  7  cengAitcen  rtior  jac  tnm^e  "o'a  ceite  Ajtnb  UAin  Ar 
•oeinnn  50  bpnj;ci  •oeAbhAit)  7  imneArom  50  h-At^oinTO,  7 
A-p  mAincc  (20)  bomccer  AinunL  CAinic  ipti  bpttnurA  UAin  m 
t>eAc1iAii)  neAc  mA  beACAno  A-p  "o'a  ccAirnc  Ann  niArh  7  ni 

IIIO    fAACAr    pbp  ;    UAin    ACA    CniU|\    ipn     CACptAlj    U"0,"    A|1    re, 

"  7  A-p  ia"o  ce'ocotiitAnn  •oo  geubuAoip  ia*o  7  vo  ctAOToreAX) 
pn  t)oniAin  o'n  cjnun  pn  .1.  cAitteAC  aca  Ann  7  SAije-o  m£en 
CAnncomn  Ctnnn  a  h-Ainm  7  mgen  rnACApi  -oo  tTluinn  1 ;  7  "oa 
oncom  aca  Ann  7  A-p  ia-o  teigceA-p  An  cur  no  cun  Ain  jac 
rUiAij  t)V  ccicc  Annro,  7  A-p  coihtAnn  cet)  jac  cu  *oiob  a 
n-eAgrhui-p  n&  CAiibji  ";  7  A-oubAi]\c  An  tAoi-oh  : — 

Ay  1  ro  An  cACAin  ceineA'6 

'tllA'ocA  111  nmn,  jac  m6inceiiieAbl(3c) 

O  •00  niAcuAtiiAn  111A  pone 

■OojeulJAm  mon  11-eccornnonc; 

t)A  oncom  aca  'pan  "o^" 

CugAinn  ■oobeunA'o  minun  ; 

Ap  coiiitAiin  cet)  ceccAn  ce 

A  n-ionjjnuip  11  a  CAitti  je, 

SoijeAtJ  mjeAii  CApncomn  Cuinn  ; 

Ppecceopuit)  pibpi  CAn  cmtin, 

Cb&Octoi'Op'O  T>0  tAOCUlb  ti, 

AT>epirnpi  nilipe  Af  1. 

Ap  1. 

(i°)  beibennA :  the  meaning  of  this  word  is  at  most  times  elusive  enough ; 
but  here  it  answers  admirably  to  that  of  '  platform.'  (2°)  niAif.cc  is  used 

with  and  without  -oo  ;  in  both  cases  it  is  followed  by  the  dative.  (30)  O.  Ir. 

cemel,   'darkness.' 


COXGHAL   CLAIRIXGHXEACH.  123 


XLVII. 

Then  Conghal  took  his  arms  and  said  to  the  hosts : 
"  Range  your  battle-arms  over  your  heads,  and  your  spears 
over  the  decks  of  your  ships,  and  hoist  your  sails  on1  your 
masts,  and  make  a  destructive2  attack  by  rowing  towards  the 
'  cathair  '  forthwith."  They  did  so  till  they  reached  the  door 
in  the  wall  of  the  '  cathair.'  "  Let  a  platform  be  now  made  of 
your  ships,"  said  the  druid,  "  and  the  ships'  sides  be  bound  to 
one  another,  for  certain  it  is  you  shall  meet  shortly  with  opposi- 
tion and  contention  ;  and  woe  to  the  unwitting  fleet  that 
came  into  this  harbour,  for  no  one  who  ever  came  into  it 
went  out  alive,  and  no  more  shall  you  ;  for  there  are  three 
in'  yonder  '  cathair,' "  said  he,  "  and  it  is  with  them  you  shall 
wage  the  first  combat,  and  the  men  of  the  world  would 
yield  to  those  three,  viz.,  a  hag  is  there,  and  her  name  is 
Saighead,  daughter  of  Cairthann  Corr,  and  she  is  a  daughter 
of  a  mother  to  Muirn  ;  and  there  are  two  leopards  there,  and 
it  is  they  that  are  first  loosed  to  inflict  slaughter  on  every 
host  that  comes  here,  and  each  of  the  hounds  in  the  absence 
of  the  hag  is  worth  a  hundred  "  ;  and  he  recited  the  poem  : — 

This  is  the  '  cathair '  of  fire, 

Round  which  is  the  wall,  each  great  cloud, 

Since  we  have  entered  its  harbour, 

We  shall  be  subjected  to  great  debility ; 

Two  leopards  are  in  the  dun ; 

They  shall  bear  us  malice  ; 

Each  of  them  equals  a  hundred  in  battle, 

Not  to  mention3  the  hag, 

Saighead,  daughter  of  Carthann  Corr, 

You  shall  answer  over  the  wave  ! 

The  colour  of  heroes  shall  change  !4 

I  tell  you  so  it  is. 

1  Lh\,  '  on  the  tops  of.'  2  AiniAnmAncAc,  lit.,  •  with  ill  consequences,' 

'ill-fated':  cf.  Cni  Dion-^.  (Atk.),  p.  186,  inneAtt  7  iorc\f  An  Antnr1 
AiniArmiAncAi  j  fin,  'the  arrangement  and  entertainment  of  that  ill-fated  abode 
[hell].'  3  Lit.,  'in  the  absence  of.'  *  Cf.  note  1,  p.  96. 


124         cAitnenn  con^Aii  cLAimnsniS. 


XLVIII. 

lomcupA  •ptuAij;  nA  cAcpc  6d  conn  cad  An  -ptuAij  tAn- 
monA  7  ha  poipne  p-enArhtA  reDintAiDine,  no^AbuncAin  ion- 
jAncun  ADbAt  tnon  tnte  iad  7  do  ctnneAD  a  rnun  rnontA-pnAc 
'ttia  ccnnciott  cemciDe  teo  pA'n  cc&cpi^  Accerioin  ;  7  mn 
ciah  "oo  cobtAC  Con^Ait  Ann  ah  cnAC  ADconncADApv  Aon 
•oume  tnon  d'a  n-ionnnoiccno  A-p  An  cAcpiAig,  peApi  cajVoda 
cAoboDAp  jnjfierhAji  noriion  e  7  idIi  itnj\etiiAH  lAnAinn  hha 
bnA  jato  7  rtAbnA  lAnomn  er*oe  7  idIi  eite  lApiomn  An  m  ccenn 
eite  Do'n  crtAbpiAtD  ;  7  uAimco'ionnroiccit)  cAtnnce  (i°)  thoin 
Dobi  A]\  m  cnAij  7  "oo  cjaaic  An  ntAbnAro.  "  CneD  [e]  jntD, 
a  DnAot  ?"  An  ConJAt.  ""pep  a  5  lAnnAtD  conitomn  ontnbp 
■ptiD,"  An  m  -onAoi,  "  7  A-p  tongnAD  m  coni[tAnn]  lAnnAr  .1. 
-pep  t)o  CA^Ainc  a  DnomA  nipm  cAtnnce  ud  Do'n  dajaa  teic  7 
epen  Do'n  tei[c  eite],  noli  lAnomn  rA  bjtAJAiD  gAC  pn  Dib  7 
•ptAbpiA  iAp\omD  euAnnA  rA  cenn  An  cAin[nce],  7  m  rtAbnA 
aca  ccoihuA-pptnng  ecAnnA  co  nDeACAD  An  ceccAn  Dib  7  ir 
ArntAit)  pn  benAr  [a  ceAnn]  da  jac  Aon."  "Uei^hiD  neAc 
UAibp  irm  ccotntAnn  ud,"  An  ConJAt.  "T)AmAD  corhnAC 
Ainm  no  [iot]pAobAn  e,"  An  riAt),  "DobAD  upAiDe  tinDe  a 
pnegnA  UAtp  An  neriiAicneAC  Dtnnn."  "  Racad  UAib  mA 
AjhAiD,"  A]\  AnAt)1iAt  Guccac  niAc  ni[j]  ComceAnt).  fto 
einijren  7  do  gAp  a  AnniA  7  [no]tmcc  1  ccmnncorAC  a 
ttnnje  50  nAibe  An  cut  nA  cnAJA,  7  cahhc  D'lonnpotgiD  m 
cAinnce  lAnrm  7  no  gAp  An  nob  lAnomn  miA  bpiAgAiD,  7  do 
gAb  An  pep  mop  An  no  eite,  7  C115  ah  peAp  mop  rpeAng- 
CApptnng  An  AtiADAt  50  nAimc  a  cent)  com  ApD  pe  cenn  An 
CAince,  7  c[uj]  An  ad  At  npcogbAit  An  a  ceAnn  7  An  a 
mtnneut  50  no  cogmb  An  p-ep  mon  ete  6  tAn  50  ccAptA 
Dpvnm  An  acIiaij  nipm  ccAipce.     U115  An  c-AiceAC  cAp]\vnn5 

(1°)  CAince,  O.  Ir.  copce,  '  a  pillar-stone.' 


COXGHAL  CLAIRIXGHXEACH.  125 

XLVIII. 

As  to  the  hosts  of  the  '  cathair,'  when  they  saw  the  very 
great  hosts  and  the  manly  and  mighty  crews,  they  were  seized 
with  very  much  wonder ;  and  they  set  forthwith  the  great 
flaming  wall  blazing  round  them  about  the  '  cathair '  ;  and 
Conghal's  fleet  was  not  long  there  when  they  saw  a  single  big 
man  coming  from  the  '  cathair '  towards  them  :  a  bull-like, 
grey,  very  stout  man  was  he,  and  round  his  neck  a  very  thick 
ring  of  iron,  and  an  iron  chain  to  it,  and  another  iron  ring  on 
the  other  end  of  the  chain  ;  and  he  came  to  a  large  pillar- 
stone  on  the  strand,  and  he  shook  the  chain.  "  What  is  that 
yonder,  O  druid  ?"  said  Conghal.  "A  man  challenging  you 
to  combat,"  said  the  druid,  "  and  wonderful  is  the  combat  he 
challenges  you  to,  viz.,  someone  is  to  place  his  back  to  yonder 
rock  on  the  one  side,  and  he  on  the  other  side,  an  iron  ring 
being  round  each  of  their  necks,  and  the  iron  chain  between 
them  thrown  over  the  pillar-stone,  and  so  they  were  to  tug1 
at  the  chain  between  them  till  one  of  them  is  overcome,2  and 
thus  he  cuts  off  everyone's  head." 

"  Let  one  of  you  advance  to  yonder  combat,"  said  Conghal. 
"  Were  it  a  fight  with  arms  or  sharp  weapons,"  said  they,  "  we 
should  deem  it  easier  to  reply,  for  we  are  ignorant  of  this 
combat."3  "  I  shall  go  against  him,"  said  Anadhal  Euchtach, 
son  of  the  king  of  the  Conchenns.  He  arose,  and  seized  his 
arms,  and  jumped  on  to  the  prow  of  his  ship  till  he  reached 
the  beach  ;  and  then  he  approached  the  pillar-stone,  and  put 
the  iron  ring  round  his  neck.  The  big  man  gave  a  wrench  to 
Anadhal,  so  that  his  head  rose  as  high  as  the  top  of  the  pillar- 
stone,  and  Anadhal  gave  a  great  heave  of  his  head  and  of  his 
neck,  so  that  he  lifted  the  big  man  from  the  ground  till  the 
giant's  back  came  against  the  stone.     The  giant  gave  another 

1  cotticj,p|\Ain5:  lit.,   *  pull  together.'  -  Lit.,  '  till  it  was  gone 

on  one  of  them.'  3  Lit.,  'it  is  unknown  to  us.' 


126  cAiunenn  congAit  ctAmin$ni§. 

oite  Ai])pen  50  ccAptA  AnA'6-Ab  mA  pinoe  An  rnuttAC  An 
CAipce.  1r  Ann  pm  *oo  eipi  j;  poc  7  Amgi-oeAcc  AnA*oAib,  7 
cug  benn  pepiy  peApi  AiiiAit  -o'a  -dntnrn  pnpn  ccAipce,  7  cuj; 
CAnnAinr  "o'a  ceAii-o  7  •o'a  rhuinel  An  m  p^AbpiAit)  gun  caji- 
ntnng  An  it)  lApiomn  cpie  muinet  An  acItaij  gupi  "oitibntiic  a 
ceAnt)  "oe  An  m  cpAi^h  50  cirmeApiAc;  7  cAmic  AnAx>At 
mA  Ltnng  lAppm  7  tio  coniriiAoiT)  An  corhbAnn.  TDobA  moi'oe 
menrriA  ConJMt  conA  iritnncipi  m  peAn  pm  t)o  ttncim  beo, 
nAin  mopb  loncoriiLtimn  (i°)  neAC  gontnge  pn  nip. 


XLIX. 

jgcnnit)  'oolbA'OAn  Ann  iApi  rm  mc&n  A'oconncA'OAn  p3Api 
mopi  ebe  t)'a  n-ionnpoigfd  Ar  m  ccAcpiAij  aiiiac,  7  Ar  e  pA 
mo  "o'pefuib  *>&  CAbiiAn,  7  mn  tiuibe  ^ngUAb  pDiteAC  Apt 
n-A  "bAciiAT!)  a  n-tnpce  mA  j;ac  bAbb  -oe  6  a  bonn  50  a  bA- 
cAip.  *OtnbrciAc  iAj\ttmn  pop  a  ctiu  (20)  conA  p^AbnA'otnb 
"oo^Anb  gbAipAnomn  pon  a  jtiAtomn,  7  cbAixnorii  Lecp-AobAin 
tAnirion  hia  Laiiti,  7  biop  botpbiApomn  ipn  Laiiti  eibe  tto 
mA-p  (30)  ctupeAT)  puogcomnbe  ci  je  'oeg-oume  7  Ap  1  pm  "oob' 
enrtej  t>o  n  AiceAc.  "  Cia  rnt),  a  thp^punn  ?"  An  ConjjAb. 
"DeojbAine  An  bAtbe-pi  rut),"  Ap  m  "onAoi,  "7  pen  con^rhAbA 
comnte  n&  cac]\ac  e,  7  Ap  1  Atpcfo  po  iAnn  An  bucc  m  bAibe 
a  teicceAt)  pern  "o'lonnpoi^ni)  An  cpbtiAig  Ainitnb  cicc  "oo'n 
cAcbnAi^  50  bp-enno  a  cbtnce  cupAi-o  juti."  T)o  JAb  Con^Ab 
Ag  p-eucliAmc  a  rhumcipe  mA  cnnciobb,  7  onconnAic  tTltnpe- 
t)Ach  ITlepgAC  itiac  ni[g]  AtbAn  pm,  vo  ^Ab  a  AnniA  7 
CAimc  •oocum  An  conibttmn  7  x>o  ben  cac  i>ib  pte  ceiLe  50 
■oi^Ain  "oejcApATo,  7  t>o  j;Ab  An  c-AiceAch  a  5  p-opnAch 
1Tlinpe,OAi5,  7  vo  cpeuccnAig  50  -oi^Aip  e,  7  ooconnAic  tia 
pttiAig    pn    tube    -oobA    T>oibij     teo     An     c-Anp-optonn     a 

(i°)  ioiicoiiituinn,    'fit   for  fighting';    loiicoriiltnnn   .   .  .  j\e,    'fit  to  fight 
with.'  (2°)  ctiu,  sg.  dat.  of  cle,   'leftside.'  (30)  MS.,  muj\. 


CONGHAL   CLAIRIXGHNEACH.  127 

tug,  so  that  Anadhal  was  landed  sittingi  on  top  of  the  stone. 
At  that  the  anger  and  fury  of  Anadhal  rose  up,  and  he  gave 
a  manly  and  virile  thrust  of  his  back  against  the  rock,  and  he 
gave  a  tug  with  his  head  and  his  neck  to  the  chain,  so  that  he 
drew  the  iron  ring  through  the  giant's  neck,  and  he  shot  his 
head  from  it  headlong  on  the  strand,  and  then  Anadhal  came 
to  his  ship  and  boasted  of  the  fight.  Conghal  and  his  people 
were  all  the  more  inspirited  by  the  fall  of  that  man,  since  no 
one  had  proved  his  match  in  combat  up  to  that. 

XLIX. 

After  that  they  were  there  only  a  short  time  when  they 
saw  another  big  man  coming  towards  them  from  the '  cathair,' 
the  biggest  man  on  the  earth,  and  every  limb  from  top  to 
bottom  of  him  was  blacker  than  a  dirty  cinder2  that  had  been 
steeped  in  water.  He  had  a  black  iron  shield  by  his  side 
with  its  very  rough  green-iron3  chains  over  his  shoulder,  a 
sharp-edged  very  great  sword  in  his  hand,  and  a  threatening 
iron  lance  in  his  other  hand,  like  the  pillar  of  the  great 
candle4  in  the  house  of  a  nobleman,  and  that  was  the  giant's 
sole  spear. 

"  Who  is  that  yonder,  O  Uirgreann  ?"  said  Conghal.  "The 
cup-bearer  of  yonder  place,"  said  the  druid,  "  and  the  light- 
keeper  of  the  '  cathair  ';  and  the  request  he  makes  of  the  people 
of  the  place  is  to  permit  him  to  go  to  the  unwitting  host  that 
comes  to  the  '  cathair,'  in  order  to  play  his  warrior-game  with 
them." 

Conghal  began  looking  round  at  his  followers  ;  and  when 
Muiredach  Mergach,  son  of  the  king  of  Scotland,  saw  that,  he 
seized  his  arms  and  went  to  fight  ;  and  they  struck  one 
another  vigorously  and  right  quickly,  and  the  giant  began  to 
overcome  Muiredach,  and  wounded  him  severely ;  and  when 
the  hosts  saw  that,  they  grieved  at  the  straits  in  which  Muire- 

1  Lit.,   'happened  in  his  sitting.'  •  Lit.,  'an  old  coal.'  3  Or,  '  bright 

iron.'         4  On  the  '  rigli-chaindell,'  cf.  Joyce,  "  Social  History,"  pp.  163-4. 


128  cAiutieitn  con^Mt  ctAimnjrnS. 

nAibe  IrUnne'OAc  niAC  ni[£]  AbbAn.  *Oo  einij;  bnicne  Ann  pn 
7  A"otibAinc:  :  "A  line  nij  Atb&n,"  &]t  re,  "  Ar  nAin  t)tiic 
gunAb  e  ren  con^bAbA  (i°)  comnbe  n*.  cacjuc  tnonsbAr  (20)  a 
ccorhnAc  tu."  *Oo  n-mroenjAt)  rA  tTltnne'ohAc'  6"ocuAbA  ha 
bniAcnA  pn  7  CAinic  a  fe^5  jnrAn  AiueAch  7  no  f&\i  a 
cbAToirh  mA  conp  gun  "oiAnbnireAt)  a  *6ntnm  ipn  "oeojbAine 
An  ntnib  cne  n-A  mmb  ^^n  pnneAc,  7  cng  beim  ebe  t>o  ^un 
tnubnuic  a  ceAnn  "o'a  cobumn  7  CAinic  mA  btnnj  lAnpn. 
"ftcopA  biiAit)  7  beAnnAccMn,  a  CAittrnbit),"  An  ConJAb, 
"  Ar  conibAnn  cunAit)  pn  7  ir  ni6|\  td'a  tube  piA-pAip" 
"Ar  mon,"  An  ITIiiine'ohAc,  "  uAin  T>ompypnAi5(3°)  cbAit>etii 
betrAobAin  An  comneAbbnA  " ;  7  robenc  An  bAoi  : — 

t3o  cuic  ah  ■oeojbAine  T>iArt, 

A  |A1g  nl/AT)  11A  11-A1|\t)j1ALL  ! 

Ay  met)  7  Aj\  Ainne  ati  f-in, 
Ar  mAincc  ■oobiA'o  'nA  ctmiAif>, 
A  cLyroio-m  lecrAobAin  tonn 
TDo  mibin  eijen  onum  ; 
N1  put  Anm  a  rfiAC^AtiitA  ; 
flomcnecnAi  5  (40)  in  comneAbbnA 
"OotnniAcc  (50)  ,oeoj;bAif\e  T)oncA 
mn  ceiTOAir,  An  ren  comcA,  (6°) 
Ar  x)om'  51110111  jjoibe  Ay  tienbli  t>uic 
An  m  cnAijfi  chtiATO  -oo  cuic. 

t)o  cuic. 

L. 

1r  Ann  pn  A,oconncA'OA}\  cniAn  coAn  AbbiriAn'oA  cnenfeAn 
A-p  An  ccAcnAi§  attiac  7  cni  rceic  "ouAibreACA  ronnA  7 
■pbeA^A  m6|AA  menjjACA  in&  bArriAib  beo  7  cni  cborotrie 
comneAb'OA  cnuArogeunA  aj\  An'oJAbAib  cunAt>  aca,  7 
CAngAiDAn   An   cub  nA  cnAJjA,  7  t)o  iAnnADA]t   corhbAnn    a 

(i°)MS.,  conjjriiAtA,  the  usual  interchange  ofm  andb:  cf.meAbAin  =  memoria, 
where  the  change  is  from  m  to  b  ;  here  helped  by  dissimilation.  (20)  MS., 

•oionpfiAf,  same  change  as  in  (i°).  (30)  MS.,  T)oinrAnn  =  •oo  +  m  +  fAnnAij, 
m.,  infixed  pron.  of  1st  person :  cf.  ttorrAj\nAi§  rontons  co  11-Aib.  (MacCarthy, 
"Todd  Lect.,"  iii.,  p.  412,  m.  4),  and  ■OAjuirrAnnAig  pec  AbAiin  (Id.,  p.  416, 


COXGHAL  CLAIRIXGHXEACH.  129 

dach,  son  of  the  king  of  Scotland,  was.  Bricne  then  arose, 
and  said  :  "  O  son  of  the  king  of  Scotland,"  said  he,  "  it  is  a 
shame  for  you  that  it  is  the  light-keeper  of  the  '  cathair'  repels 
you  in  fight."  Muiredach  felt  rebuked1  when  he  heard  these 
words,  and  his  anger  arose  against  the  giant,  and  he  drove 
his  sword  into  his  body  so  that  the  cup-bearer's  back  was 
broken  as  it  passed  unhindered  through  his  entrails,  and  he 
struck  him  another  blow  so  that  he  shot  his  head  from  his 
body  ;    and  after  that  he  came  to  his  ship. 

"  Success  and  blessing  to  you,  O  warrior  !"  said  Conghal  ; 
"  that  is  a  hero's  fight,  and  you  have  suffered  much."  "  I 
have,"  said  Muiredach,  "  for  the  sharp-edged  sword  of  the 
light-keeper  has  wounded  me";  and  he  recited  the  poem: — 

The  fierce  cup-bearer  has  fallen, 

O  king  of  Ulster  of  the  great  hostages  ! 

Through  the  size  and  loftiness  of  the  man 

It  is  pity  his  being  in  grief. 

His  sharp-edged  fierce  sword 

Has  wrought  trouble  to  me  ; 

There  is  no  weapon  like  it ; 

The  torch-bearer  wounded  me  : 

The  dark  cup-bearer  approached  me  ; 

In  sooth,  no  mild  companion  !  2 

Through  my  deed  of  valour,  it  is  certain, 

He  fell  on  the  strand  to  the  north. 

L. 

Then  they  saw  three  dun-coloured  gigantic  heroes  coming 
out  from  the  '  cathair,'  and  they  had  three  ominous-looking 
shields  and  great  standard-like  spears  in  their  hands,  and 
three  tapering,  hard,  sharp  swords,  for  attacking  heroes  ;  and 
they  came  to  the  beach,  and  challenged  to  combat  forthwith. 

1  Lit.,   'reddened.'  2  Lit.,  '  was  not  gentle,  the  companion  ! ' 


O.  I.).  (4°)  no  f  tn  +  crxecnAij  :  m,  infixed  pron.  of  1st  person  sg. 

(5C)  t>o  +  m  +  juacc  :  puce  =  T-preterite  of  pijim,   'I  reach.'  (6°)  ah 

^en  cotncA  =  '  the  man  of  partnership,  the  companion.'        Aorcomra,  infra. 

K 


130  cAiunenn  C0115A1L  cIaiih  115111 $. 

cceT)6in.     "  Cia  hi  -put),  a  Uin^num  ?"  An  Cong&t.      "  U|ii  nnc 

t)o  Soijir>  1115m  C^]i|\uoinn  rut)   -oo'n  CAitlij;  -oo  cuAtAbAin," 

An  m  *o|\aoi,  "  .1.  Unen  7  UnoctAih  7  U]nrcACAL  a  n-AnniAmiA, 

7  neiricnij;e  T>Aoibri  ^ac  coiiiLAnn  "o'a  bruAj\AbAin  jiiAiii  a^a 

breugliA-o    yux)."      "An    C]\ia}\    b]\ACAn   ia-o?"     An    bnicne. 

"  Arco    [50     -oejnrmi,"    A-p     in     "onAoi.       "  Cnet)    acc     cniA-p 

bnACA}\  eite  UAmne'nA  n-AJAro?"  a]\  0}iicne,  "  .1.  [1Tlenn]e, 

Seiime,     7     t,ACAij\ne,     cni     coitiaLca-oa     ConJAit."     "  HoIoa 

■ooiti5  -00111116  coriitonn  ['ha  n-AJAij'd,"  An   iA"orAn,  "7  tufts 

T)'&    runAit     o]\tnnii    acc    C10-6    bAp    "oogeubAni     Ann."     *Oo 

gAbA^An  [ia|\  pn]  a  n-AnniA  7  CAngA-OAn  gurAn  cnAig,  7  do 

"6itib|iuic   c&c  a    ceite  "610b   '11&  reren  .1.  An    cfUAn   tlttcAc 

7   An    cniAn   AttrnAnnAc,  7  no    cuAincc   cac  a   ceite  aca,  7 

■oo    einij  ^AirceA-o    [ha   nJ^^onoeAt  or  nA   h-AttniAnncAib 

gun  ctnccoAn  cni  nnc  injine  CAjincumn  irm   ccoriitonn  7  yio 

"6i[ceAnn]^At)  mic  "PionncAin  iat>  7  cu^A'OAn  a  ccmn  teo  *o'a 

mAOToioiii  50  Con^At.     "  Oeinro  buATo    7  beAnnAccAin,"  An 

ConJAt.     "  5^c  niAic  "otnc,   a  Ain*oni,"   aj\  iA"orAn,   "7   t^ac 

coiiitAnn   nij    cuicrA-p  oncrA   -oingeubAm   x>ioc    e  terrti"o  "  ; 

7  Tobenc  : — 

5ac  mAic  ■ouic,  a  ]M§  hIao  ! 
5o  lion  cen  Ajuf  cu^At), 
"Oo|\o|\c|\At)AH  Limn  nriALLe 
Uj\ia]a  cLoinne  ha  cAiVligne, 
[U|\]en,  C|Mf  acaL,  Af  U|\ocLaiti  ; 
Cperi  Tiobi  opmti  a  n-otriAn, 
Uo|\c|\At)A|\  50  tuAC  Inme, 
[A11]  cl/Atm  cofc^Ac  CAij\j\cirroe, 
A11  ccem  bem  a^a  111  ftuAJAt) 
5aii  Ainiof  gAn  ■ponn-puA|\A'o1i, 
"5ac  conibAtro  jAOTD-poic  (i°),  a  ^Laic ! 
'Oinjeu'bmAOi'one  t>ioc  50  mAic. 

■Jac. 

(i3)  j\o  +  t>  +  foic  :  ■©  =  2nd  pers.  sg,  infixed  pron. 


COXGHAL  CLAIRIXGHNEACH.  131 

"Who  are  these  yonder?"  said  Conghal.  "Three  sons  to 
Saighead,  daughter  of  Carrthann,  the  hag  you  heard  of,"  said 
the  druid,  "  viz.,  Tren,  Trothlamh,  and  Triscatal  are  their 
names,  and  every  fight  you  waged  up  to  this  is  nothing  as  com- 
pared with  that  with  these  yonder."  "  Are  they  three  brothers  ? " 
said  Bricne.  "  They  are,  indeed,"  said  the  druid.  "  What 
more  natural  than  for  three  brothers  of  us  to  oppose  them?" 
said  Bricne,  "  viz.,  Meirne,  Semhne,  and  Lathairne,  the  three 
foster-brothers1  of  Conghal."  "  To  wage  combat  against  them 
were  grievous,"  said  they,  "  and  yet  you  order  us  to  do  so 
even  though  we  shall  die  in  it."  They  then  seized  their  arms, 
and  came  to  the  strand  ;  and  the  six  of  them  attacked  one 
another,  viz.,  the  three  Ulstermen  and  the  three  foreigners, 
and  they  smote  one  another  ;  and  the  valour  of  the  Irishmen 
rose  against2  the  foreigners,  so  that  the  three  sons  of  the 
daughter  of  Carrthann  fell  in  the  fight,  and  the  sons  of 
Fionntan  beheaded  them,  and  brought  their  heads  with  them 
to  Conghal  to  boast  of  them. 

"  Success  and  blessing  to  you,"  said  Conghal.  "  Every 
good  be  yours,  O  high  king,"  said  they,  "  and  in  every  kingly 
combat  that  you  shall  engage,  we  shall  protect  you  in  it3 "  ; 
and  they  said  : — 

Even."  good  be  yours,  O  king  of  Ulster  ! 

"With  plenty  of  hundreds  and  warriors  ; 

There  fell  by  us  together 

The  three  children  of  the  hag, 

Tren,4  Triscatal,  and  Trothlamh  ; 

Strong  upon  us  was  the  dread  of  them  ; 

They  fell  quickly  at  our  hands, 

The  triumphant  children  of  Carrthann  ! 

As  long  as  we  are  on  the  hosting, 

"Without  pleasure,  without  refreshment, 

In  every  attack  that  comes  upon  you.  O  prince ! 

"We  shall  defend  you  well. 

1  corhAtcvoA  =  "  foster-brothers';  coriit>Al,CAt)A  =    '  foster-sons.'  -  Lit., 

'  over.'  3  Lit.,  '  we  shall  ward  it  off  from  you.'  4  I.e.,  '  Strong.' 

K  2 


132  cMtftenn  con^Ait  ct,Aiiiin$ni5. 


LI. 

1r  Ann  pn  t)o  teicceAb  bA  oncom  (i°)  cuca  A-p  An 
ccAcnuig,  7  6'oconncA'OAn  n&  rtuAij;  n&  bno"ooncom  jAinb- 
ponnpvoACA  gnAmeAThtA  pn  "oocuin  a  -pocc  tiion  ia*o  a 
bpcocpn.  "ITIaic,  a  Ao-p  curhcA,"  An  UingneAnn  "onAoi, 
"■oo  jeubA  pb  uite  t>Ar  teopj-o  UAin  A-p  ArhtAib  acato  nA 
com  i'it>,  m  tja'oui'o  nennA  nATo(2c)  rAobAin  iAt)  7  A-p  corn t Ann 
cex)  ^Ach  cu  biob."  "Hi  put  '-p*cm  cnumne  ni  bA  cert)  tmne 
acc  50  n-^A'b'OAoir  An  n-Atpni  ia"o,"  An  cac.  1r  Ann  pn  x)o 
eifnj  a  bpoc  conp-Aib  An  nA  con  tub  50  nAibe  "ounAcc 
ron"oe|i5e  An  jac  enpont)(3°)  -o'a  cconptnb,  7  t>o  piAibpoc 
An  rhuin  AtnAcli  wocum  nA  rttiAg.  O-oconncA-OAn  nA  rtuAig 
pn,  t)o  tion  orriAn  7  itnegtA  iii6|-\  tnte  iaxd.  0"oconnAic 
CniorhcAim  cAorh  mAc  "pengurA  "pAinnge  An  egtA  tiion  pn  An 
nA  rluA^oib  nif  nA  conAib,  -oo  tm 5  A-p  a  tumg  ipn  rnuin 
AniAc,  7  "oo  piAib  An  -pAinn^e  "o'lonnpoi^it)  nA  n-oncon,  UAin 
A-p  AthtAit)  nobi  An  -pe|\  pn  coinroer  An  mtnn  7  An  cin  7  t)o 
ionnroijet)An  nA  com  erpen.  *Oo  cuin-pen  a  ceAnt)  'rAn 
oigen  tiACA  7  t)o  cnornrAC  nA  "oobAncom  'nA  beAJAib.  *Oo 
etnijpon  ruA-p  uaca  Anip  7  •oo  uoccAib  a  cent)  7  A5  enje 
•66  no  enijpoc  nA  com  a  n-AomyeAcc  rAin  7  '00  ben-pAc  a 
reoit  7  a  pnntecApi  o'n  ccnAitii  conii^eAt  "oo'n  cunAb,  7  ^o 
cuAibren  uaca  Aj\ir  ro'n  rntnn  7  "oo  teAnAT>An  nA  h -on  com  e. 
tlo  enijren  Anir  e*oi]i  ha  conAib  7  gAbAi-p  cu  jaca  tAntie  -66 
bib  An  coir  7  cAinnnge-p  tep  iat)  gupMi  ccAnntnc  terAn 
enjenn(40)  An  conn,  7  -oo  cuAinj  ah  cAnnAic  biob  co  ccuc  a 
n-mcmn  ca]\  a  cctuA-pAib  ahiac,  gun  bfnr  a  ccnAtriA  1  rnebon 

(i°)  Oncom  :  nom.  dual  of  oncu,  '  a  wolf,'  '  leopard,'  or  some  species  of  wild 
animal.  We  have  infra  TiobApcu  applied  to  the  self-same  animal.  "OobApcu 
would  suggest  the  meaning  'otter.'  (2°)  Hato  =  pi.  form  of  ha.     Cf.  ioua, 

ioiiait>.  (30)  pioiiT),   'single  hair.'  (40)  MS.,  epg. 

1  pm-opAT),  '  a  hair ';  pionnpvo-Ac,  'hairy.'  2  Lit.,  '  put  them  in 

great  silence.'  3  Lit.,  '  a  tiling  that  would  be  a  difficulty  with  us,'  or 

'  we  would  deem  a  difficulty.'  *  Lit.,  '  hounds  ';  they  are  called  supra 


COXGHAL  CLAIRIXGHXEACH.  133 

LI. 

Then  two  wolves  were  loosed  at  them  from  the  '  cathair,' 
and  when  the  hosts  saw  those  rough-haired,1  ugly,  fierce 
wolves,  the  sight  of  them  completely  subdued  them.2  "  Well, 
O  companions,"  said  Uirgreann  the  druid,  "you  shall  all  die 
through  those  yonder,  for  it  is  thus  with  yonder  wolves, 
neither  pointed  nor  sharp-edged  weapons  harm  them,  and 
each  of  thern  is  equal  to  a  hundred  in  battle."  "  There  is 
nothing  in  the  world  we  should  have  to  cope  with3  that  our 
arms  would  not  injure,"  said  each  of  them. 

Then  wild  fury  was  aroused  in  the  wolves,4  so  that  every 
hair  on  their  bodies  became  rigid  and  very  red,  and  they 
swam  out  to  sea  towards  the  hosts.  When  the  hosts  saw  that, 
great  fear  and  dread  filled  them  all.  When  Criomhthann 
Caomh,  son  of  Fergus  Fairgge,  saw  the  host  so  terrified  at  the 
wolves,  he  jumped  out  of  his  ship  into  the  sea,  and  swam 
through  the  sea  towards  the  wolves ;  for  that  man  was  equally 
dexterous3  on  sea  as  well  as  on  land,  and  the  wolves  made 
towards  him.  He  plunged  his  head  in  the  sea  to  escape 
from  them,  and  the  water-hounds  dived  after  him.  He  rose 
up  again  to  escape  from  them,6  and  he  raised  his  head,  and 
as  he  rose  the  wolves  attacked  him  together,  and  they  ripped 
the  flesh  and  fair  skin  of  the  warrior  from  the  white  bone,  and 
he  escaped  again  from  them  under  the  sea,  and  the  wolves 
followed  him.  He  rose  again  between  the  wolves  and  he 
seized  a  wolf  in  each  hand  by  the  foot,  and  he  drew  them 
with  him  to  the  rock  against  which  the  wave  rises  ;  and 
he  struck  the  rock  with  them  so  that  their  brains  came  out  at 
their  ears,  and  so  that  he  broke  their  bones  under  their  skins ; 

oncoin,  'wolves,'  and  for  uniformity  I  have  translated  com,  'wolves.'  Infra 
they  are  called  water-hounds,  oobAncoin.  It  is  difficult  to  say  to  what  species 
of  animal  they  belonged.  5  Coiwoer  :  'equally  at  home  in.'  'equally  dexterous 
in':  cf.  Stokes,  "  Zeit.  fur  Celt.  Phil.,"  Band  i.,  s.  v.  coim-oer.  ;  having  an 
equal  right,'  'equally  entitled.'  Different  from  comioeAj*,  "as  handsome.' 
*  Lit.,  'he  rose  up  from  them.'  <  Lit.,  'in  the  midst  of.' 


134  cAiuneim  con$Ait  ctAminjnig. 

a  ccpoiccenn,  7  o-oconncA-oAr  ti*  rliiAij;  pn,  vo  corinnAoiT)- 
poc  An  c-ecc  50  n-ActAm.  "  1r  mo-p  *oo  JA-ip^ceAt)  -oo 
conncAbAip  niAiii,"  An  bnicne,  "7  Ar  6  pn  ^AircceAT)  Ar 
116  neAnc  7  Af  c-po-OACc;  Do]unneA"6  o  cur  An  "ooTriAin  jurAn 
cnAup)  7  ArniogenA-p  le  ccAngAir  o-o'  aj,  a  corhcbAij  !,  7 
Af  buAit>  n^AifciT)  t>o  511101T1  ";   7  robeA-pc  An  Iaoi  : — 

ITlAich  -oo  cunuf  6  r>o  coi 5, 

A  Cniotiicinrm  cAOirh  cofCAf.015  ! 

niocen  Le  ccAiigAif  a  tie, 

A  true  refccufA  tAinnge! 

"Oo  n<youif  terni  Af  -oo  Itnncc  ; 

UuccAif  ■oo  CAob  -pe  unencumti  ; 

Af  Af.  111  ftiAifi  50  cnen  coif. 

"Oo  niAnbuif  ah  oa  oncom  ; 

t)A  oncom  •oobi  'pan  t>un 

Cugumn  ■oo  jva'oj-a'o  rmntm  ; 

"Oo  rhAfbAif  puOAf.com  aj\  mbneAic,  (i°) 

"Do  congnAtii  lmn  Af  LAniriAic. 

rriAic. 

LII. 

^AijntD  "oo  bAT>An  Ann  Af  a  h-Aicte  AnnAn  A*oconncA- 
t)A|\  rongAnniAnjnuif  (2°)  o-oA-pcAitlige  cuinfe  cnAinliAi^e 
cf  AorgAinbe  atiiac  Af  m  ccAcnAij  7  eutDAC  coajvoa  mte 
tnrnpe  7  c-pi  h-eom  Aitte  longnACACA  An  a  ^UAittmn  7 
cIacc  bint)e  bAppAtuinn  "o'on  11111  ha  h-eunAib  7  en  Af  a 
guAlomn  t)eir  7  en  An  a  ^uAbomn  cti  7  en  An  a  h-ucc.  "  Cne1© 
rut),  a  tJi-p5|\inn?"  Af  Coh^aI.  "UfUAJ  pn,"  An  m  -ofAoi, 
"  Ar  1  rut)  citnt)iber  bAn  f  AoJAlfo,"  Af  re,  "  .1.  Saijco 
mjen  CAffcumn  Cuiff  7  Ar  iat>  fu-o  nA  cfi  b-eom  -oo  iAff 
m^en  r-15  LocLAnn  oftnbp  7  com  cpice  ia-o  7  t)o  conoeot- 
•OAOir  "luce  ^onA  7  gAbAif  ha  cjitunne  -pe  n-A  cceot.  An 
caii  cogbAf  SAijex)  mjen  CAfcumn  a  re"OAn  cmnbf  ajax) 
rnegntnx)  nA  b-eom  1  co  iroenATo  ^a-dahi  ^moiiiACA  jucbinne, 

(i°)  This  line  is  hypermetrical.  (20)  fongAninAnjnuif :  Windisch. 

s.  v.  fon^Af-mAm,  whilst  querying  the  word,  quotes  UiAclnchen  IocliAic  iajv 
yopjAf  aiaui,   '  as  quick  as  a  cat  (?)  alter  a  mouse  (?)  ';   and  s.  v.  IocliAic  quotes 


COXGHAL  CLAIR  IXGHXEACH.  135 

and  when  the  hosts  saw  that,  they  proclaimed  the  feat  right 
quickly.  "  You  have  seen  great  valour  heretofore,"  said  Bricne 
"  and  that  is  the  most  powerful  and  bravest  display  of  valour 
from  the  beginning  of  the  world  till  now,  and  welcome  are  those 
with  whom  you  have  come  from  your  home,  O  companion  !  and 
your  deed  is  a  victory  of  valour  "  ;  and  he  recited  the  poem  : — 

Good  is  your  journey  from  your  home, 

O  fair,  triumphant  Criomhthann  ! 

"Welcome  are  those  with  whom  you  have  come, 

O  son  of  Fergus  Fairgge  ! 

Thou  gavest  a  leap  out  of  thy  ship  ; 

Thou  didst  breast  the  strong  wave  ; 

And  swimming  strongly  eastward, 

Thou  didst  slay  the  two  wolves  ; 

Two  wolves  were  in  the  '  dun ' : 

They  bore  us  ill-will : 

Thou  didst  slay,  in  fine  (?),  the  noxious  hounds  ! 

Full  good  thy  help  to  us. 

LII. 

They  were  but  a  short  time  there  after  that  when  they 
saw  the  mouse-face  of  a  twisted,  bony,  rough-throated  dun  hag 
coming  out  of  the  '  cathair,'  and  a  grey  dress  round  her,  and 
three  beautiful  wondrous  birds  on  her  shoulder,  and  a  yellow, 
very  beautiful,  golden-trimmed1  garment  round  the  birds,  and 
a  bird  on  her  right  shoulder,  and  a  bird  on  her  left  shoulder, 
and  a  bird  on  her  breast.  "  What  is  that  yonder,  O  Uirgreann? " 
said  Conghal.  "  Woe  is  that ! "  said  the  druid.  "  Yonder 
is  she  who  shall  take  away  your  life,"  said  he,  "  viz.  Saighead, 
daughter  of  Carrthann  Corr ;  and  these  are  the  three  birds 
which  the  daughter  of  the  king  of  Lochlann  asked  of  you,  and 
they  are  magic  birds,  and  they  would  lull  to  sleep  the  wounded 
and  sick  people  of  the  world  with  their  music.  When 
Saighead,  daughter  of  Carrthann,  sends  forth  a  whistle  from 
her  throat,  the  birds  answer  her  so  that  they  create  vigorous 

1  Lit.,   'beautiful  top  of  gold.' 


'  quicker  than  a  cat  after  a  mouse,'  Stokes.     Vopj^P™-2111  m  tms  cass  would  be 
the  gen.  of  ^ori^AiMnA. 


136         cAiunenn  congAit  ctAitiin$niS. 

7  "da  cctum'oir  luce  nA  [uAbriiAn]  (i°)  eit)itA  pop  7  limAoi  iAt>, 
ciot)  mA  p3pMti  t)o  betnrir  'nA  ttn^e  T/pjicp-oir  [iAt>]  7&[e 
&  cco-oL/vo  *oo  utncAreAt)  ojaiia  tube  7  111  biAT>  nenc  limA  -peot^ 
111  jac  t)tnne  *oib  [7  1-p  e]  pn  "oo^encAjA  nibp  ;  cAnpnt>eji 
An  ceot  pn  T>Aoib  11050  cccotAii)  pb  inte  7  be[n£AiT>  p] 
bAj\  ccmn  m  bA-p  cccotAt)  T)ib  7  "oigeoiAit)  p  &  ctAnn 
ojAtnb."  Ho  35  Ab,  umojino,  UAtiiAn  7  nnfeAgJlA  ha  p^UAij; 
tnte  ne  h-inmpri  An  p^eoit  pn  "061b.  Ho  cocctnb  An  CAitteAc 
a  ceot  aicci  7  do  pAe^nA'OAn  nA  h-eom  50  Ii-acIa-iti  1. 
O-ocuaLa'oaia  nA  fluAij  pn  uu^a'daia  a  ngUAitfne]  ne  a 
tongtub  7  -oo  cine  a  cco-oLax)  tnte  oiaiaa  accitiax)  UijigneAnn 
•oiaaoi,  petAccup  7  Cong&L.  "Uiaua^,  a  -oegihumcin  !  "  An  m 
T)iaaoi,  "cAimc  m'pMpnne-p  "OAOib  7  aua  An  ccot&t)  Dom' 
ceAlgAX)  7  ctncpMt)  [pli>  m]  bA-p  cco-oLax),  a  ConjjAib  7  a 
peAnccuy  !  7  benpM-ocen  bAn  ccmn  m  bAn  cco-otAt)  -oiId." 
Cioc  caaa  acc  x>o  ctnc  a  ccot>lA'6  tnte  o|ajaa  acc  "Penjur  a 
AonAn,  7  A^e-6  cu^  •oopMn  jjah  cot)tA'6  .1.  cu^  ah  "oeAlg  oip 
t)o  li)Aoi  m[A]  b]AAC  7  t>o  ^Ali)  Ag  gum  a  c]\oi§eAt)  7  a  rhejA  7 
a  t)eA]AnAnn  tie  7  t)o  pec  CAinip  7  AT>connAic  ah  ptuAJ  tnte 
mA  cco-oIa-o  7  bA  *oerhm  t<yir  50  cciucpvo  pMpome  An 
"0|At)At)h  -661b  7  cug  a  Iaiti  a  ccobnAfo  (20)  a  p;eich,  7  cug 
teACAn(3°)  tAoicrhi'LeA'6  Ar  7  C115  uaacaia  pep^  p3]AArhAit  "oe  50 
ccA]\tA  a  rntittAc  a  cntiATocmn  t>o'n  CAitti  j  50  iauc  a  coiber 
•o'mcmn  a  ■oubeu'oumn  cia6  n-A  ceAnn  pA]\  pJAccAin  ctm 
ctnc  An  CAitteAc  An  tAjA  nA  cjaaja  50  cubtn-pceAc,  7  noting- 
ren  x)o  caiaiaaccaiii  ha  n-en  7  ni]\  CAiAiAAigpBn  (40)  noin  iAt> 
uaija  pjAnAt)An  nA  h-eom  bAr  Ag  ctncnn  "oo'n  cmIXij  mA 
cceAim  7  ah  p\t)  "oo  bAoipom  a^  cjAoniAt)  aja  nA  h-eunAib 
*o'a  n"oiub]AAJAt)   u^voa   "oOcuni   nA   tumge  CAngADAH   aitiac 

■o'lOITOpDIglT)    pen^UfA    p^UAIg    11A    CAC1\AC. 

(i°)  As  has  been  said  before,  the  words  restored  in  square  brackets  have  been 
lost  in  the  MS.  owing  to  the  fraying  away  of  the  edges.  Read  perhaps  luce  iia 
crunnne.  (20)  cobr^ATO  :  dat.  of  cobr\A,  gen.  cobfiA-o.  Wiudisch  translates  by 
'  shield';  more  correctly  applied  to  the  boss.  (30)  LeACAii  :  a  half-round  stone 
evidently  carried  in  the  hollow  of  the  shield,  and  cast  by  the  warrior  in  battle. 
Vide  Add.  Notes.  (40)  MS.,  pn.     For  CAppAijnn,  'seize':  cf.  Stokes, 


COXGHAL  CLAIRINGHNEACH.  137 

melodious  sounds,  and  if  the  people  of  the  earth,  whether  men 
or  women,  were  to  hear  it,  though  they  had  been  standing  up, 
they  would  be  left  lying  down,  and  they  would  all  fall  asleep, 
and  each  one  of  them  would  not  have  the  strength  of  a  woman 
in  confinement  through  what  shall  be  done  to  you  ;  that  music 
shall  be  played  to  you  till  you  are  all  asleep,  and  she  shall  cut 
off  your  heads  when  you  are  asleep,  and  she  shall  avenge  on 
you  her  children." 

Fear  and  dread  seized  all  the  hosts  during  the  recitation 
of  this  news  to  them.  The  hag  poured  forth  her  music,  and 
the  birds  answered  her  right  quickly.  When  the  hosts  heard 
that,  they  placed  their  shoulders  against  their  ships,  and  they 
all  fell  asleep  save  Uirgreann  the  druid,  Fergus,  and  Conghal. 
"  Woe,  O  good  people  !"  said  the  druid,"  my  prophecy  has 
come  upon  you,  and  the  sleep  is  deceiving  me ;  and  you  shall 
fall  asleep,  O  Conghal  and  O  Fergus  !  and  your  heads  shall 
be  cut  off  in  your  sleep."  However,  the)-  all  fell  asleep  save 
Fergus  alone ;  and  what  caused  him  not  to  sleep  was  that  he 
took  the  gold  pin  that  was  in  his  cloak,  and  kept  pricking  his 
feet  and  his  fingers  and  the  palm  of  his  hand  with  it,  and  he 
looked  and  saw  the  whole  host  sleeping,  and  he  was  assured 
that  the  druid's  prophecy  would  come  upon  them  ;  and  he 
put  his  hand  in  the  hollow  of  his  shield,  and  took  out  of  it  a 
warrior  stone,  and  cast  it  vigorously  and  in  manly  fashion 
so  that  it  struck  the  hag  on  the  top  of  her  hard  head,  and 
carried  an  equal  amount  of  the  brain  of  her  dark  brow  right 
through  her  head,  so  that  the  hag  fell  on  the  strand  in  grievous 
plight  ;  and  he  jumped  to  seize  the  birds,  and  he  did  not  seize 
them,  for  the  birds  died  when  the  hag  fell  before  them  ;  and 
whilst  he  was  bending  over  the  birds  in  order  to  cast  them 
towards  the  ship,  the  garrison  of  the  '  cathair  '  came  out 
against  Fergus. 

"  Fis  Adam."  (Simla  ed.),  p.  29  (169) :  UAj\]\5it>  lib,  a  &mgliti  mrm,  1n11.Min1.Mn 
necn-Mbui^reA,  'seize  with  you,  O  Heaven's  angels,  this  impious  soul  ';  and 
'•  Brehon  Laws,"  Gloss.,  s.  v.  cipp-Mt),  con^clicMn. 


138  cAiurteim  conjAit  ctAimn$niS. 


LIII. 

0-oconnc^'OA]\  *oi-Mnm  &pi  m  cn&ig  n&  &on&n  e,  ]\o 
tntj'bnuice'OAn  p\&r&  p-en'OA  -jrtntecA  pyin  7  n&  rbe&j;&  ]\o 
•ombp&ccAoi  p£i]\  no  pnioc&ibe-opiorh  a  iToennoifo  a  gb^c  7  & 
b&th  7  a  b^-o^i  tube  i&"o,  7  no  m&nb  "penccur  pep  5&C&  pbeije 
&ca  ;  j  A[  i  5^11A  1T1  Cft/u&.ijj  a  ccimciobb  "penccu-p^  aja 
-ponn&c  no  "otn-pj  Cong&b  cotia  c&ch&ib;  7  no  einir  Onicne 
7  ATxjonn&i-pc  a  cijenn&  btniAiT)  &^  a  b&otjbu  j&"6  .npengur, 
7  -oo  beigerccopi  c]M  gneuc^  bo-ob/N  &-p  xs  bnAg&i'o,  7  "oo  eini 5 
Cong&b  &.  cce-ooin  7  -oo  eAg&ipi  a  caca  j\e  li-.&ch&i'6  &on 
u&ine  -oo  rci^coib  "oomn-oeAnge  "o^cAitle(i°)  7  vo  rbejn&ib 
rbiopc&  rbmn§etin.<\  7  -oo  cbonomhib  on'ouinn  loncb&iri  (2°) 
Api  bApi  n^  cn^j^  co  cmne&rn&c  ;  7  no  corh-ptnc  tnon  rbuAg 
H1th}uie  7  c&c&  Cong&ib  "oo'n  cupi  pn,  7  x>o  h-egn/yo  & 
n-ionjtnb  ec&nn/s  7  no  •oicijje'6  rbu&g  n^  bomgri  50  t,Ain- 
•oiocnA  te  Ce^pib  7  be  tTltnnn  7  be  171ircenm&r,  7  &  cuing 
&buinn  o|\'6^  "o&mjen  "on&oice&ccA  1m  bnAg&no  Cinp,  7  a 
c&cb&nn  c^otii  curino&ccA  iiti  ce&nn  tTlircenrritiir  "o'a  -onoen 
&pi  &nmtnb,  7  m  5A.bx)xMp  ne&nn&  haixd  ■p&o'b.M-p  1^*0,  7  ni 
g^b^x)  c&u  110  cotnbonn  fputi,  7  cugrA-o  rp^on^T)  c&bm&  po]\ 
Cx\c1i^ili)  Cong-Mb.  1oincup&  p,enccup.&  nob&oipen  g^n  &nrn& 
xMge,  7  ^*oconn^ic  &11  c-eccen  a  n&'b&'OAn  nA.  h-tltbcMt)  7 
nob'  obc  be  p'engnr  &n  c-&np-o]\b&nn  pn  *o&  mbeic  cumur  a 
p-oipucme  ^ije,  7  nopech  bee  a  ctnb  ^n  111  cc&cn&ij,  7  &t)con- 
tiAic  gpi&n&n  glome  -oo  icsoh  -ooptnr  n&.  c^cp^c,  7  rrnc  beg& 
7  bb&icingen^  &nn  Ag  reiic^t)  uac&  7  aoh  con  p\iog,6x\  &g 
cocughAT)  An  c&oi-mgni&n.Mn  7  no  eipij  bnucrmbeAT)  7 
fe1A5  "FeH5l1rk  7  cAmic  c&ji  •oonup  n&  c^upc  7  no  1^*6  a 
•6a  "66ix)  nioj'o&um  m  uo]i  congb^b^  pn,  7  cucnrc&i}\  c|aoca,6 
x\nb)A.ib  mnpe(3°)  gnp  •oeigbpir  ah  5|\iMTAn  pA,  nuip  ik\ 
cau|iac  50  bp-ti^ip  x\  -p&ibe  &nn  mle  b^p,  7  cugr&n  ah  cop  a 

(1°)  AiLte  :  pi.  of  AtAnm.  (20)  lonclAip  :  cf.  Windisch,  s.  v. 

(3°)  «ilA^e:  i-e-  <on  ^e  tower.'     Corv  is  therefore  fem. 


COXGHAL  CLAIRIXGHXEACH.  139 

LIII. 

When  the  multitude  on  the  strand  saw  him  alone,  they 
shot  a  vigorous  wound-inflicting1  shower  at  him,  and  the 
spears  which  were  shot  at  him,  he  received  them  between  his 
palms,  hands,  and  fingers,2  and  Fergus  slew  a  man  with  every- 
one of  the  spears  ;  and  it  was  the  shout  of  the  host  round 
Fergus  attacking  him  that  awoke  Conghal  and  his  battalions. 
Bricne  arose,  and  he  saw  his  own  lord  in  danger,  viz.,  Fergus. 
and  he  gave  forth  three  war-shouts  from  his  throat  ;  and 
Conghal  arose  forthwith,  and  hastily  drew  up  his  battalions  in 
a  short  space  of  time  with  red.  beautifully  coloured  shields,  and 
sharp-pointed,  blade-keen  spears,  and  gold-hafted,  inlaid  (?) 
swords  on  the  strand.  The  great  host  of  Muirn  and  the 
battalions  of  Conghal  fought  thereon,  and  strife  was  set  up 
between  them,  and  the  ships'  host  was  terribly  oppressed  by 
Cearb  and  Muirn  and  Miscenmas,  and  the  beautiful,  golden, 
firm,  and  magical  yoke  was  round  Cearb's  neck,  and  a  lovely 
cased  helmet  was  on  the  head  of  Miscenmas  as  a  defence 
against  arms,  and  neither  pointed  nor  sharp-edged  weapons 
injured  them,  and  battle  or  combat  availed  not  against  them  ; 
and  they  repulsed  bravely  the  battalions  of  Conghal. 

As  to  Fergus  he  was  without  arms,  and  he  saw  the  straits 
in  which  the  Ultonians  were,  and  Fergus  grieved  at  that 
oppression  whilst  he  had  the  power  to  help,  and  he  turned 
round  towards  the  '  cathair,'  and  he  saw  the  glass  sun-bower 
beside  the  door  of  the  '  cathair,'  and  little  boys  and  fair  girls 
there  looking  on,  and  one  royal  tower  supporting  the  bright 
sun-bower  ;  and  the  martial-glow  and  anger  of  Fergus  arose, 
and  he  came  through  the  door  of  the  '  cathair,'  and  he  clasped 
his  two  royal  hands  round  the  supporting  pillar,  and  he  gave  it 
a  great  shake  so  that  he  shattered  the  bower  under  the  wall  of 
the  '  cathair,'  and  all  that  were  in  it  were  killed,  and  he  raised 
the  tower  from  the  ground,  and  came  with  it  towards  the  army 

1  Lit.,  '  bloody.'        H-vo-xrv  =  lit.,  '  the  interstices  between  the  toes  or  fingers.' 


140  cMUReim  con 5 Ait  cUm  111115111 5. 

CAbniAm  7  CAimc  be  t>'ionnpoi  jit>  An  caca  Accet)6ip  7  pogAb 
Ag  a  bpucrrnonu j&t)  50  bApbApx)A  biocnepcmAp,  7  pocuip 
cuiJAju  cpormiiopA  Ap  nA  cAcliAib  7  t)o  pmne  encAC  tube 
•oiob  ei"oep  a  pbuAguip  pen  7  mumcip  1T)uipne,  7  nob'  upA  be 
•out  1  ccerro  a  n-Aipm  7  a  n-iobpAobAppen  iua  beic  upcAppnA 
A]\  ceAnn  "peApccupA  ;  UAip  Ap  UAibb  iiac  ccuic[it>ip] 
cpiocA  cpenpep  bAip  -da  j;ac  aoh  buibbe  -o'a  mbenA'6  oppA 
gup  yAccAib  itia  bpttibe-oAib  piopriiApbcA  An  bAn  nA  cpAgA 
•o'popgb^  tube  iat>.  lomcupA  Cipb  pocmppen  An  AnbAib  An 
cAcliAib  [CongAib].  O-ocuaLa  pepccup  nA  peoibbeimen'OA 
pn,  CAimc  •o'ionnpoigi,6  Cipp  cpepnA  cACAib  [7  mAipb]cep 
biomiiAp  'o'An|\A>6Aib  eACAppA  ;  no  xnpcAOib  ^epccup  tube 
ia-o  no  50  nAirnc  gupAn  [Ain]m  1  pAibe  CeAnp  1pm  cAcb  7 
cug  beim  "o'lonnpoi  git)  Cipp,  7  t)o  coccAib  CeAnp  a  [pciAJc 
An  a  pcAc,  7  t)o  pmne  bbox>A  begA  po  copAib  An  cupAno  t)o'n 
CAoitTipcec  7  cug  [Aic]bein  "66,  7  6  nAC  curnAng  Aige  a 
lomgAbAbA,  "ooben  An  buibbe  a  riiutbAC  a  triAoite{i°)  [gup] 
pACCAib  gAn  AmnAin  1pm  lon&tipn  e;  yoo  gluAip  JTepccup 
ponrie  -oo  cuApcugAT)  [ah  c]aca  Ap  a  h-Aicbe,  7  no  pcAoib 
pbuAg  nA  cAcpAc  ponrie  6  "oo  cuic  CeApp  bAip,  [7]  ni  pAibe 
Acmomg  a  gAbAtA  pip  t>ia  eppm  aca. 

LIV. 

T)AbA  1TlipcenmAip  po  pepup[cAi]p  corhbAnn  pe  CAipbne 
CongAncnepAc  mAc  CAipbpe  Cpunn  7  cugpAn  opnA'd  eccorh- 
bAinn  [Ap  CAip]bpe,  7  -oo  cuAbA  "Pepgup  pm  7  CAimc  "o'poip- 
icm  CAipbpe  7  cug  )?ep ecu p  beim  -oo  1T)ipcenrnAp  gup  bpip  a 
pciAC  7  a  cAtbApp  1111A  cenn  7  pop  gup  bpip  rnumeb  An 
[cAicih]ibcAt),  7  pobA  -ooibig  be  ITlmpn  An  nnbe  pin  -o'a 
mumcip  -oo  rhApbAX)  7  pobAoi  pern  Ag  p'ge  An  caca  50 
cupACA  7  po  gAb  cac  a  petoin  caca  Annpm  7  Ap  e  oge  po 
pje'oh  An  cac  Annpm  50  poicpeAt)  cApbA'o^ceoppiA'OA  (20)  6 

(i°)  niAOite,  gen.  of  niAoit,  '  the  head  '  (Dinneen,  "Diet.").  (20)  ceci|\- 
jma'oa,  'four-wheeled';  cf.  Lat.  petorritum,  a  loan-word  from  Gaulish  petvar 
+  rith. 


CONGHAL   CLAIRIXGHXEACH.  141 

forthwith,' and  began  to  crush  it  in  wild  and  very  vigorous 
fashion,  and  he  inflicted  heavy,  great,  and  thick  slaughter  on 
the  battalions,  and  made  of  them  one  battalion,  both  of  his 
own  hosts  and  the  followers  of  Muirn  ;  and  they  deemed  it 
easier  to  go  for  their  arms  and  their  own  sharp-edged  weapons 
than  to  be  prostrate  before  Fergus  ;  for  almost1  thirty  heroes 
fell  at  his  hands  with  every  blow  they  received,  so  that  he  left 
the  best  of2  them  all  dead  in  their  gore  on  the  strand. 

As  to  Cearb  he  inflicted  great  slaughter  on  the  battalions 
of  [Conghal].  When  Fergus  heard  those  body-strokes,  he 
came  towards  Cearb  through  the  battalions,  and  a  great 
number  of  soldiers  were  slain  by  them.  Fergus  scattered 
them  all  on  either  side  till  he  reached  to  where  Cearb  was 
in  the  battle,  and  he  made  a  stroke  at  Cearb,  and  Cearb  raised 
his  shield  to  defend  himself,  and  he  made  small  fragments  of 
the  fine  shield  at  the  feet  of  the  warrior  ;  and  he  gave  him  a 
second  blow,  and  as  he  was  not  able  to  avoid  it  the  blow  cut 
off  the  top  of  his  head,  so  that  he  left  him  lifeless  in  that 
place.  Fergus  went  to  the  battle  after  that,  and  the  host  of 
the  '  cathair '  divided  before  him  since  Cearb  had  fallen  at  his 
hands,  and  they  were  not  able  to  resist  him  after  that. 

LIV. 

As  to  Miscenmas  he  waged  battle  with  Cairbre  Congan- 
cnesach,  son  of  Cairbre  Crom,  and  he  drew  from  Cairbre  the 
groaning  of  unequal  combat ;  and  Fergus  heard  that  and  came 
to  help  Cairbre ;  and  Fergus  struck  Miscenmas  so  that  he 
broke  his  shield  and  his  helmet  on  his  head,  and  he  broke  the 
neck  of  the  warrior  as  well,  and  Muirn  grieved  at  that  warrior 
of  her  people  being  slain,  and  she  herself  was  waging  the 
battle  right  bravely,  and  each  one  took  his  part  in  the  battle 
then  ;  and  so  closely  was  the  battle  woven  together  that  a 


1  Ar  uaiIL  tiac  :  lit.,  '  it  is  little  that  .  .  .  not.'  -  MS.  has  op^ta. 

■poj^l-i  =  '  the  choice  portion,  the  best.'     The  syntax  is  not  clear  to  me. 


142         cAitnenn  con5A.1t  ctAmin§ni$. 

n-uibtinn  50  cete  x>e,  7  CAimc  AnA-oAb  rnAc  ni5  Concenn  7 
IDuine-ohAC  lllein^eAC  tnAC  nij  AbbAn  7  CniotiiCAnn  ttiac 
T->e115tir'6-  "P^11A'P5e  7  OibibtUeoitA  5^°^  7  Oibbb  UeonA  Cnioc, 
7  •ooben^A'o  pn  uibe  a  inbet\n  caca  7  a  pbije  mibeAX)  A-p  cac 
1Tlui]\ne,  7  CAimc  ttlenne,  Setnne,  7  LAicenne,  J?nAoc,  pence, 
7  pcmur  (i°)  1  ccuAtpcenc  An  caca  ce-onA,  7  no  CAnuijpoc 
rin  ah  cac  a  cce*ooin.  TTluinn  umonno  no  JAbptie  a  5  -pLoijje 
ua  p^UAJ;  no  50  nAimc  50  h-Ainrn  a  nAibe  ConJAb.  t)A 
h-AtnbAropn  "oo  Con JAb  nobAoi  aj  a  h-iAnnAnop  An  rut)  An 
caca  50  cai_\la  Ain  1  7  cue  rciAc  ]\e  vciac  "61  7  [bA]  bAinne 
]\e  p\Air(2°)  7  bA  bejAn  a  p:Aib  monAin  gAcli  cotiibAnn  -o'An 
ctn|\eA*6  a  brAib  An  comntnepn  Con^Aib  7  1l1ui}\ne;  UAin  Ar 
AiiitATo  boi  1l1uii\n  .1.  50  mist)  poi]tneitc  An  penAib  An  beACA 
tube  ibbor  ^Aircif)  .1.  neA|\c  ce-o  1  ccac  no  1  ccoiiitAnt)  mnce, 
7  no  ^Ap  a  5  ronnAC  CongAib  ipn  corhbAnn  gun  jeir  (30)  a 
r^iAt  rAin.  O'-oconnAic  Onicne  rin,  no  rcjAecb  50  5AJ15  7 
50  gAibceAC  gun  pbbefrJoAin  cac  tube  rAin.  i£  One  t>o  cobb 
•ouAf3Air,  (40)  a  ConJAib!"  ob  Oiucne,  "UAin  ni  itiac  ]uj 
CneAnn  cu  7  Ar  t>ucca  "OA-mpA  111  nije  111A  t)uic,  7  AbAinp 
;cu]\  cu  Diucne  7  beicc  i)&mp  ah  corhbAnn  7  biAit)  mjen 
b1[5j  tocbonn  AgAm."  1r  Ann  pn  "oo  eiiug  rencc,  conpvo  7 
ci\ot)acc  Con^Aib,  7  "oo  j^b  A5  ronnAC  1T)uinne  50  ccAbnAt) 
•oa  benn  1111  jac  mbeim  "61,  Agur  cucc  cac  cao^a  cneeo  An  a 
cebe,  7  cuj  ConJAb  An  cneACc  uacca|\ac  tnnnip  .1.  -oo  ben  a 
ceAnn  "o'a  column  7  x>o  cj\aic  7  '00  corhmAoi-6  An  bA)\  An 
caca  e. 

(ic)  Also  occurs  in  text  as  rnicrnu|\  (20)  bAinne  pe  fpAif :  cf.  Meyer 

"  Contr.  to  Ir.  Lexic,"  s.  v.  bAiine  ;  bAmiA  ]ma  ppAip,  '  a  drop  before  a  shower. 
O.  Ir.  ppi,  ppiA,  and  pe-n,  |MA-n  have  fallen  to  -|Aein  Late  Middle  Irish.  I  should 
perhaps,  translate  }\e  here  by  '  before.'  Cf.  also  Windisch,  "  Worterbuch,"  s.  v 
b An  11  a  and  rie-n.  (30)  <;iin.  jeif:  3rd  sg.  pft.  of  gepin,  'moan 

resound,  roar.'  (40)  Cobb  •ouApAif:   the  expression  occurs  in  "  Silva 

Gadelica."  I  have  lost  the  reference.  Cf.  Hogan,  "Irish  Idioms,"  p.  82,  ope 
•00  cliob  AgUf  x>o  chonncpAchc  !    '  Woe  betide  you  !  '; 


COXGHAL  CLAIRIXGHXEACH.  143 

four-wheeled  chariot  would  stretch  from  end  to  end  of  it1  ; 
and  Anadal,  son  of  the  king  of  the  Concheanns,  and  Muiredach 
Mergeach,  son  of  the  king  of  Scotland,  and  Criomhthann,  son 
of  Fergus  Fairgge,  and  Oilill  Teora  Gaoth  and  Oilill  Teora 
Crioch  came,  and  they  all  cut  out  their  warrior-gap  and  their 
warrior-path  in  the  battalion  of  Muirn  ;  and  Merne,  Semhne 
and  Lathairne,  Fraoch,  Ferg,  and  Fithnius  came  to  the  north 
of  the  same  battalion,  and  they  thinned  forthwith  the  battle- 
throng. 

Muirn,  however,  kept2  attacking  the  hosts  till  she  reached 
the  place  where  Conghal  was.  Conghal  had  been  seeking 
her  through  the  battle  till  he  met  her,  and  he  opposed  his 
shield  to  hers;  and  it  was  as  a  drop  to  a  shower,  and  it  was  little 
as  compared  with  much,  every  combat  that  had  been  fought 
in  comparison  with  that  combat  of  Conghal  and  Muirn  ;  for 
it  was  thus  with  Muirn,  viz.,  she  would3  exercise  supremacy  over 
all  the  men  of  the  earth  through  (her)  valour, — she  had  the 
strength  of  a  hundred  in  battle  or  combat  ;  and  she  attacked 
Conghal  in  the  fight,  so  that  her  shield  resounded  on  him. 
When  Bricne  saw  that,  he  shouted  hoarsely  and  viciously  so 
that  all  looked  at  him. 

"  On  yourself  be  your  dire  ruin,  O  Conghal !  "  said  Bricne, 
"  for  you  are  no  son  of  a  king  of  Ireland,  and  the  kingship  is 
more  mine  than  yours,  and  say  that  it  is  you  who  are  Bricne, 
and  let  me  wage  the  fight,  and  the  daughter  of  the  king  of 
Lochlann  shall  be  mine."  Then  the  anger,  rage,  and  valour 
of  Conghal  were  awakened  ;  and  he  commenced  attacking 
Muirn,  and  he  gave  her  two  blows  to  every  blow,  and  they 
both  gave  one  another  fifty  wounds,  and  Conghal  dealt  her 
the  final  blow,4  viz.,  he  cut  her  head  from  her  bod}-,  and 
he  brandished  it,  and  boasted  of  it  in  the  battle. 

1  For  this  expression  cf.  11.  9-10,  p.  64,  Af  e  •ol.ur'  j\o  p  jeoh  ah  cac  pti  co 
r\oicp-oif  jaoc  CA]\bAiT>  o'n  uilbnn  50  cele  T)ib.  :  Lit.,  '  began.'  3  Lit., 

'  that  there  would  be.'  i  Lit.,  '  the  uppermost  blow.' 


144  CMtReim  con§Ait  ctAitiin$ni5. 


LV. 

X)o  cuwo  mnorno  a  n-;gnAin  7  a  n-^Aip^eAT)  -oo  trmmcin 
ttltiinne  6  X)o  ctnc  ITIiii^n  7  vo  rhuij;  enriiAoi'om  "61b  uiLe  ipn 
ccAcnAij  7  nion  '61'oion  "ooibpon  pn,  UAin  An  neAc  t>ob' 
ion-iriAfibchA  -oioli)  "oo  mA-pbA'6  uibe  iAt>  7  t^ac  Aon  nA-pb' 
ion-rriAnbcA  ■oo  ctuneAt)  a  ntDAoine  iat)  An  rA"o  'oobAOA-p  ipn 
ccAcp-Aij;  •oo'n  cupi  pn.  *Oo  Ai^cceAX)  7  "oo  h-m-opiATi)  (i°)  An 
cin  uile  teo,  UAin  t>o  bi  mob  ye]\  ccAtmAn  t)o  TiiAicer  mnce 
7  -oo  bA"OA]\p6.n  Airtipn  i"A,OA  innce  a^;a  bei  je-p  7  A5  cAiceiii 
jaca  rriAiceps  "6iob  pn  110  ^unbo  p^An  tube  iax).  lApi  pn 
AT>ub]\A'OA'p  mtnncen  Conj;Ait :  "A-p  rrnchit)  -otunn  itnce^cc 
A-p  m  ccac|\aijp,"  An  pAt).  1r  Ann  pn  cu5At>An  a  psoit)  7 
a  mAome  7  a  h-ionmftur a  -o'lonnpoi jit)  Con^Aib  7  x)o  nonpar; 
a  ccj\i  iat>  .1.  a  cpuAn  t)6  ven  7  An  -oa  ccniAn  (20)  oibe  -o'a 
rriAcoib  |\iog  7  t/a  mumon  An  cenA,  7  cug  a  cpuAn  p3m 
•o'  Uin^nent),  T>nAoi  -p.15  LocbAnn  ;  7  AntiAin  T>ob'  uVtArii 
m-imceACCA  iat>,  A"oubAi|\c  ConjjAt  niu  :  "  mu]\AiT>p  An 
CACAin-p  "oumn,"  Api  ye,  "conAc  p\Aibe  AicpeAb  innce  coToce 
■o'An  n-oei-p,  con ac  miblce}\  An  "oorriAn  epoe  m  bur  mo."  X)o 
mn]AA'6  beorAn  1  AihtAix)  pn  7  cAn^A'OAn  111  a  tonccAib 
lAnAtii  co  n-iomAt)  jaca  mAicerA  beo,  7  bA  mon  beo  a  menmA 
Annpn.  1lo  fee  bpnene  An  m  ccAcnAi^  "o'a  er  (30)  lApipn  7 
Ap3T>h  At)tibAinc  :  "  ir  rriAic  bmne  cacaija  ttltiinne  t/pMcpn 
AtiiLAix)  pjx>,"  An  pe,  "7  "oobi  uAin  7  nob'  longnAt)  a  bee 
AthbATo  7  munA  beic  "penccur  ttiac  tlopA  m  noicpeAt)  yey  a 
mbediATo  Agtnnn  ep-oe  6  rttiAJjoib  THuinne,  UAipi  Ar  e  t>o 
tiiAnb  Cipb,  IThrcenmAp  7  Sai^co  m  gen  Cd.|i)icuitin ";  7 
A"oubAi|\c  m  bAoi   Ann  :  — 

1mAp  cui]\femA|\  gAipe ! 

(1°)  Cf.  Atk.,   "Horn.  L.  Br.,"  s.  v.  1itojmc1i.  (2°)  t>a  cc|\iah  ; 

cr\iAii  is  neuter  in  O.  Ir.,  and  hence  it  is  eclipsed  after  the  nom.   neuter  t)A. 
(3°)  I.e.,  eir. 


CONGHAL  CLAIRINGHXEACH.  145 

LV. 

There  came,  however,  horror  and  courage  to  Muirn's 
followers  when  she  fell,  and  they  inflicted  a  single  defeat  upon 
them  in  the  '  cathair,'  and  that  did  not  serve  them,  for  those 
of  them  who  were  fit  to  be  slain  were  all  slain,  and  all  that 
were  not  fit  to  be  slain  were  cast  into  bondage  whilst  they 
were  in  the  'cathair'  on  that  occasion. 

The  country  was  plundered  and  attacked  by  them,  for 
there  was  sufficient  wealth  in  it  for  the  men  of  earth,1  and 
they  were  a  long  while  recovering  in  it,  and  enjoying  every 
good  thing  till  they  had  all  recovered. 

Thereupon  the  followers  of  Conghal  said  :  "  It  is  time  for 
us  to  set  out  from  this  '  cathair,'"  said  they.  They  then  brought 
their  jewels,  riches,  and  wealth  to  Conghal,  and  divided  them 
in  three,  viz.,  a  third  for  himself,  and  the  two  other  thirds  for 
the  kings'  sons  as  well  as  their  followers ;  and  he  (Conghal)  gave 
his  own  third  to  Uirgreann,  the  druid  of  the  king  of  Lochlann. 

When  they  were  ready  to   go,  Conghal  said  to   them  : 

"  Destroy  this  4  cathair',"  said  he,  "  so  that  it  may  never  be 

inhabited2  after  us,  and  that  the  world  may  not  be  harried 

from  it  any  more."     It  was  thus  destroyed  by  them,  and  they 

came  afterwards  to  their  ships  with  store   of  every  kind  of 

wealth,   and   they  were    then    in    high    spirits.      Afterwards 

Bricne  looked  back  at  the  '  cathair,'  and   what  he  said  was 

this :    "  We    are   glad    to    see    the     '  cathair '    of   Muirn     in 

yonder  state,"   said  he,  "  and  there  was  a  time  and  it  were 

wonderful  that  it  should  be  so  ;  and  save  Fergus  mac  Rosa, 

no  one  of  us  would  have  escaped  out  of  it  alive  from  the  hosts 

of  Muirn  ;  for  it  is  he  (Fergus,  who  slew  Cearb,  Miscenmas, 

and  Saighead,  daughter  of  Carrthann  ";  and  he  recited  the 

poem  : — 

A  desert  is  the  '  dun  '  of  great  Muirn 
Round  which  we  shouted  !3 

1  t>iot  pp  is  a  common  expression  to  express  the  idea  '  tit  for  one.'  pej\  cc*.l- 
triAn  here  translated  by  '  men  of  earth,'  in  Mod.  Irish  might  mean  '  weli-to-do 
men.'  2  Lit.,  '  so  that  there  may  never  be  a  habitation  in  it.'  3  Lit., 

•  we  sent  forth  a  laugh.' 

L 


146  cAiuneim  C0115A1L  cL&min5rn$. 

Paoa  •oo'bi  in  [m]Aicef ! 
t>o  irnbtpom  a  ifioniriAicep  ; 
tllutiA  beic  ^eApccup  iiiac  KorA 

T)0  jlHOlilAlb  gAp^A  gO^A, 

11t  cepnobAO  [pep]  UAirm  'oe 
O  ptojtnb  ffltnpne  mo[ipe]. 
t)o  riiiLipomA|\  uite  a  •oiin 

^Y  OO  lilupfAmAp  A  tT)Uf\ 

TDobo  CAOin   A  pO]AC  [AtDAc]  (l°) 

ACC  ge  CA  AHOCC  T1A  pAp&C. 

■pAfAC. 

LVI. 

*Oo  co^oA-OAn  a  pint  a  n-Ain-oe  lAjvpti  [7]  CAnjA-OAn 
nompA  ipn  rtijji-o  ce-onA  7  -oo  cua'daji  a  ngnAin  x>o  nA 
niAnoit)  t)|uo[i,6eA.cc&]  bA-OAjt  |\omp^  niAn  vo  cuato  •oo'n 
cachaij;  -pen  ;  7  "oobA-OAn  cAoicoir  Aft  mi[f  An]  nunn  no  50 
-nAn^A'OAn  cniocA  Loctonn  ;  7  cuccaxj  Aicne  pD]inA  a^  ceAcc 
■oocum  ci|\[e]  7  uAn^A-OAfi  nioj]iAi*6e  LoclAnn  mA  n-A5liA.1t) 
•o'jrefictnn  pcotce  pun,  7  nuccA"6  a  cceAc  A[n]  ju^h  \ax>,  7 
■oo'bA'OAn  A5  pte-6  6t  7  Ag  Aoibner  An  oi"6ce  rm,  7  50  cenn 
cpi  La  7  ceonA  1i-oi"6ce  mA  rnAij;.  Ho  pAp-pvige'OAn  niAice 
Loctonn  rcetA  xnb  iA|\rm  7  'oo  cuai-6  bnicne  a  ccent)  poet 
•o'mnipn,  7  "oo  mmr  jnioriifiA'o  7  coriinAC  jac  Aompn  p3  teic 
•oo  nA  tAocliAib.  "1r  mon  "o'  utc  ruAip.  jac  jren  Ann,"  ot  re, 
"  7  51-6  nioji  -oo  1HA1C  -oo  |ionrAC  mte,  -oo  cinn  (20)  penrur 
o|\]\a,  7  Oem-OA  Ar  1  po-oenA  (30)  jac  otc  -oa  bpiAnArriAn 
•o'^A^Ait  T)tnnn,"  An  Onicne;   7  nobenc  m  tAoi  :  — 

flAngAmAjA  cACAip  tllmpne  ; 
■puA|\AniA]\  mop  •oo  oinbjje, 
Ap  c]\u&y  a  cupAO  gAn  on 
Ay  A}\  gAipje  a  h-oncon. 
£eAncctif  -oo  niApb  Cipb  'p^n  cac  ; 
niipcenniup  ■oo'bi  'gAn  inbnAC  ; 

(i°)  M.  O'C.  supplies  aitiac  here,  and  the  line  is  transcribed,  with  the  word 
AmAc  added,  at  the  bottom  of  p.  29  in  MS.  by  E.  O'Curry.  (20)  -oo  cm 

.  .   .  An,   '  he  surpassed  ';  cf.  ci»(n)i6  An  a  coifiAorAib,    '  he  excels  his  fellows,' 
"C.  Tl.  ha  Uioj,"  Hogan,  p.  92.  (30)  pooepA  =  po  +t>  +  epA,   'id  efficit,' 

hence  the  ace.  obc. 


COXGHAL  CLAIRIXGHXEACH.  147 

Long-lived  was  its1  prosperity  ! 
"We  laid  waste  its  great  wealth  ; 
Save  it  were  Fergus  mac  Rosa, 
Through  fierce  deeds  of  strength, 
No  one  of  us  would  have  escaped  from  it, 
From  the  hosts  of  great  Muirn. 
"We  all  harried  her  '  dun,' 
And  we  razed  its  wall ; 
Its  harbour  was  fan- 
Though  it  is  now  a  desert. 


LVI. 

They  hoisted  their  sails  after  that,  and  came  the  same 
course  ;  and  they  were  horrified  now  at  the  spell-bound2  seas 
before  them,  just  as  they  had  been  at  the  '  cathair'  itself;  and 
they  were  a  fortnight  and  a  month  on  the  sea,  till  they  reached 
the  territory  of  Lochlann  ;  and  they  were  recognised  coming 
to  land,  and  the  princes  of  Lochlann  came  towards  them  to 
welcome  them,  and  they  were  led  into  the  king's  house,  and 
that  night  they  were  drinking3  and  pleasuring,  and  so  to 
daybreak,  and  for  three  nights  afterwards. 

The  chiefs  of  Lochlann  sought  information  from  them 
after  that,  and  Bricne  proceeded  to  tell  his  tale,  and  he 
recounted  the  feats  and  combat  of  each  individual  hero. 
""  Each  one  met  with  great  trouble,"  said  he,  "  and  though  it 
is  many  a  good  thing  they  all  have  done,  Fergus  surpassed 
them,  and  Beiuda  is  the  cause  of  every  trouble  we  met  with," 
said  Bricne  ;  and  he  recited  the  poem  : — 

We  reached  the  '  cathair  '  of  Muirn  : 

Much  sorrow  we  met  with, 

Through  the  vigour  of  its  heroes,  without  blemish, 

And  through  the  fierceness  of  its  wolves. 

Fergus  siew  Cearb  in  the  battle  ; 

Miscenmas  was  deceiving  us  : 


1  Lit.,  '  the.'  -  M.  O'C.  supplies  -oj\.xoibe..\cc..\.  3  A5  pleo 

ot ;  leg.,  0.5  pLeb  61L,  *  at  a  feast  of  drinking,'  or  .5.5  pleb-ol  as  a  cpd. 

L  2 


148  CAiutieim  con$Ait  ctAimrigniJ. 

A]A  A 11  CfLuAlg  6  ptl  AT11AC 

"Do  cuato  -pop  rhumuin  ha  cacj\ac.  (i°) 
A  li)eiut)A  gufAri  n-T)|\eic  n-x>iL  ! 
tTuAnAiiiAn  X1A1C  mon  11-11111115. 
An  An  "ounATO,  nAC  An  j;An  ! 
■Qo  cinnrem  6  nAiigAniAn. 

Kaii. 

LVII. 

"Th  cuAbAmAji  niAm  ^Aip^eAb  bA  ioti^ahcai §e  inA  pn," 
An  nij  t/octorm,  "  uaiji  -oa]\  tmn  51-6  iAt>  pn  nA  CAlmAn  -oo 
biAb  ac  coJAit  nA  CAcpc  pn  nocA  nAct)Aoir  tube  tnnne,  7 
ni  ciubntiToir  geibb  no  bnAij-oe  "o'a  n-Airiroeoin  epoe."  1r 
o.n"  A-oubAinc  nij;  LocbAnn  :  "  -oobeunp\  An  mjen  -oo 
Con^Ab,"  An  re,  "  7  CAicreo  ci  jennA-p  LocbAnn  nir  m  ccen 
biA-p  a  n-eccmtnr  Gnent)."  UuccAt)  An  coibce  -o'lnjin  nij 
Locbonn  Ann  pn,  7  o-ocuAbA  p  gniom-pAb  Con^Ait  cue 
jnAt)  DenniAin  "oo  7  -oobi  An  mgen  50  "oubAc  T)obn6nAc  -oo 
gnAt)  Con^Ait  7  t»o  pAnrAij;  ni  LocbAnn  -01  :  "  Cnco  An  T>ubA 
no  An  t)oiheAnmAin  pn  ope,  a  mjen  !"  An  p?,  "-oo  bicuiii  -oo 
beAbb  7  -oo  ben  Am  ?"  "Tli  tremnmp  pn  -oo  ceitc,  a  ni,"  An 
An  m  jen,  "  UAin  Ar  e  5^Ab  Con  JAit  aca  a^ahi  aj  -oicun  mo 
ci\oca  7  mo  beAbbA  biom."  ir  Annpn  cnccAX)!!  Con^At 
■o'lonnpDi^bTO  ]n[t;]  LocbAnn.  "A  ConJAib,"  An  re,  ;' m 
coin  "otnc  beich  ^An  mn<\oi  a^ax>  mAti  pn,  7  cAbAin  m'mj- 
enpx"  "Tli  cmbAnfA  1  to  en,"  aj\  Con^Ab,  "  uai]\  biobbA 
•OAm  1,  UAin  "ooctnn  p  jep^  7  Ainmit)  on  Am  ren  7  An  mo 
mtnnotA  rA  coibce  nAn  j-Aoibp  -o'p^Aibionnur  50  brAgmAoir 
bAr  a^a  Vi-iAnnAib,  7  ni  cmbAnrA  1  An  An  AbbAn  pn,  acc 
CAOAinp  "o'pon  eite  1,  UAin  m  biA  mo  hatha  urn'  beAbAibre." 
T)ala  mjitie  1115  LocbAnn  contuse  pn. 

(i°)  This  line  is  hypermetrical.     Omit  no  before  cua-to. 


COXGHAL  CLaIRIXGHXEACH.  149 

From  that  out  slaughter  of  the  host 

Passed  over  the  people  of  the  '  cathair.' 

O  Beiuda  of  the  pleasing  face ! 

Through,  you  we  have  met  with  great  hostility. 

Slaughter  of  the  host,  no  slight  slaughter  ! 

Have  we  inflicted  since  we  came. 

LVII. 

"  We  never  heard  of  more  wondrous  deeds  than  those, 
said  the  king  of  Lochlann,  "  for  it  is  our  opinion  that  were  the 
men  of  the  earth1  destroying  that  'cathair,'  the  whole  of  them 
would  not  succeed,  nor  would  they  take  from  it  hostages  or 
prisoners  in  its  own  despite."  Then  said  the  king  of  Loch- 
lann :  "  I  shall  give  the  girl  to  Conghal,"  said  he,  "  and  I  shall 
share  the  lordship  of  Lochlann  with  him  as  long  as  he  shall  be 
out  of  Ireland."  The  dowry  was  then  given  to  the  daughter  of 
the  king  of  Lochlann,  and,  when  she  heard  of  Conghal's  feats, 
she  fell  greatly  in  love  with  him  ;  and  the  girl  was  downcast 
and  sad  through  her  love  for  Conghal,  and  the  king  of  Loch- 
lann asked  her  :  "  What  is  this  depression  and  dejection,  O 
daughter,"  said  he,  "  which  has  taken  away  thy  comely  form2 
and  shape  ?"  "  I  cannot  conceal  that,  O  king !  "  said  the  girl, 
"  for  it  is  my  love  for  Conghal  that  takes  away  my  comely 
form  and  shape." 

Then  Conghal  was  brought  to  the  king  of  Lochlann.  "  O 
Conghal ! "  said  he,  "  you  ought  not  be  thus  without  a  wife, 
and  take  my  own  daughter."  "  I  shall  not  take  her  indeed," 
said  Conghal,  "  for  she  is  my  enemy,  since  she  placed  bonds 
and  prohibition  on  myself  and  on  my  people  in  regard  to  a 
dowry  that  she  did  not  think  obtainable,  and  so  she  thought 
we  should  meet  our  death  in  seeking  it  ;  and  for  that  reason 
I  shall  not  take  her  ;  and  do  you  give  her  to  some  other  man, 
for  I  shall  not  wed  my  enemy."  So  far,  as  regards  the 
daughter  of  the  king  of  Lochlann." 

1  On  p.  118  we  have  'of  men  of  earth,'  yep,  c^lmAn.  -  Lit.,   'form.' 

'  Comely'   s  included  in  the  sense. 


150  cAitReiin  con$Ait  ctAmin$ni5. 


LVIII. 

lomturA  ConjjAit  conA  mumcin  -po  cAicpAC  -pe  n-Aimp-pe 
1  ccjnocAib  t/oct&n'o,  7  thoiiV  Aoibne  t)o  nij  t,oct,Ann  mA  vo 
Con^At  conA  mumcin  acc  iiiuha  bee  a  jrAt)  teir  bech  a 
ti-eugmtnr  GneAnn.  Uucca'6  Aon  t)o  to  mAice  a  mumo-pe 
ctnge  "o'&  A^AttAim,  7  A-oubAinc  tvm  :  "  acc  ci"6  Aoibmn 
"otnnn  bee  a  bp^mvnr  CneAnn  m&p  acahuoto  aj  caiciotti 
fnje  Loctonn,  A-p  michi*6  -otnnn  -out  x>o  ^AbAit  Cnenn." 
"TTlApN  -oenmne'OAc  tec-p&  pn,  a  CongAit,"  A-p  pAt),  "ni 
Luja  Ar  e"oh  tmne";  "7  t)encA-p  a  corhAintiujjAt)  pn  be  -pig 
LoclAnn,"  An  cac1i.  *Oo  coriiAii\t.ij;eA'6  pn  rnpn  fufj].  "  Tli 
■oiongnA  pbp  pn,"  An  in  ni,  "gAn  a  comAinlmJA'd  ne 
rriAichib  Loctonn  mle."  T)o  nonA^n  pte-oh  irio^v  Ag  111  ni[j] 
■oo  mAicnib  "LocL&rro  7  cucca-o  cinge  iat>  tnle,  7  At>ubAi-pc 
juu  :  "  Con^At,"  [An]  p?,  "aca  a  5  "out  t)'ionrip3i  jto  CneAnn, 
7  cne-o  A-oenci  nif?"  "  A'oenmi-o,"  aj\  pA-o,  "[50  mJA.'d  obc 
t/mn  a  imceA.ee  acc  munA  "oo  gA-bAib  nije  n-C-peAnn  ceit),  7 
m^ype-o-  nAc[mAoi]T)ne  Iait  uite."  "11a  n-AbnA.1-6  pn,"  An 
Con^A-t,  "tiAin  111  ciucpN  tie&c  tiomp\  t)o  5Ab[Ait]  GneAnn 
acc  An  lion  CAinic  biom  epoe,  acc  AtriAin  ctn-pi'op  pee  cet> 

"OO     tAOCjltUt)     [l/OCJiATITl     t/impS      J     *o'a     n-O^OAT)   (l°),     7     "OA 

n-^A-bAnrA  tnje n-G-peATin  bu-6  ca-|aa  -oAOibp  me."  " 'Oofgejb- 
CAn  pn  50  pMtueAC  uwtine,"  An  mAice  boclAnn.  IDo 
cogbA-o  cobtAc  Con^Ait  An  mtnn,  [7]  "oo  ceiteAbAin  *oo 
mAicib  Loctonn,  7  bA  •oubAc  -oobnonAc  bAttAn  nA  mAice  pn 
A5  eipoeAcc  ne  a  ceteAbnA*6. 

[UA]mic  CohjaI  Uon  a  tomg-p  "o'lonnroipt)  "Pionn- 
toctAnn  7  nA  n-oiten,  7  "oo  56-b  pige  ttltnle  7  [1]te  7  Cmncijie; 
7  t)o  ctor  (20)  a  ccniochAib  b]\ecAn,  AtbAn  7  SAXon 
Con jjaI  "oo  beiu  A5  ^AbAit  p)f\neinc  (30)  An  nA  h-oiteAnAib 


(i°;  MS.  n-ogbhadk.  (20)  ■oo  cto]-  (|\o  cVitofp),  3rd  sg.  T-pret.  pass, 

of  ctoo|\,   '  I  hear.'  (3°)  MS.  fOj\ner\c. 


COXGHAL  CLAIRIXGHXEACH.  151 

LVIII. 

As  to  Conghal  and  his  followers,  they  spent  some  time  in 
the  land  of  Lochlann,  nor  was  it  pleasanter  for  the  king  ot 
Lochlann  than  it  was  for  Conghal  and  his  people,  save  that 
he  deemed  it  long  to  be  away  from  Ireland.  One  day  the 
chiefs  of  his  people  came  to  him  to  converse  with  him,  and  he 
said  to  them  :  "  Though  it  is  pleasant  for  us  to  be  away  from 
Ireland  as  we  are,  enjoying  the  kingship  of  Lochlann,  it  is 
time  for  us  to  go  and  seize  Ireland."1  "  If  you  think  it 
pressing,  O  Conghal !"  said  they,  "  not  less  do  we."  "  Let  that 
be  communicated  to  the  king  of  Lochlann,"  said  each.  It 
was  communicated  to  the  king.  "  You  shall  not  do  that," 
said  the  king,  "  without  communicating  with  all  the  chiefs  of 
Lochlann."  A  great  feast  was  got  ready  by  the  king  for  the 
chiefs  of  Lochlann,  and  they  were  all  brought  to  it,  and  he  said 
to  them  :  "  Conghal,"  [said]  he,  "  is  going  to  Ireland,  and  what 
do  you  say  to  him  ?  "  "  We  say,"  said  they,  "  that  we  think  ill 
of  his  going,  unless  he  is  going  to  seize  the  kingship  of  Ireland, 
and,  if  he  is,  we  shall  all  go  with  him."  "  Say  not  that,"  said 
Conghal,  "  for  no  one  shall  come  with  me  to  invade  Ireland 
but  the  band  that  came  out  of  it  with  me,  but  only  send 
twenty  hundred  of  the  warriors  of  Lochlann  and  of  their 
young  men  with  me,  and  if  I  get  the  kingship  of  Ireland,  I 
shall  be  your  friend."  "We  shall  give  that  with  pleasure," 
said  the  chiefs  of  Lochlann.  Conghal's  fleet  put  out  to  sea, 
and  he  bade  farewell  to  the  chiefs  of  Lochlann,  and  downcast 
and  sorrowful  were  those  chiefs  listening  to  his  farewell. 

Conghal  with  all  his  fleet  came  to  Fionn  Lochlann  and 
the  Isles,  and  he  took  the  kingship  of  Mull  and  [Islay]  and 
Cantyre ;  and  it  was  heard  throughout  the  lands  of  the 
Britons,  Scots,    and  Saxons  that    Conghal  was  dominating 

1  This  introduces  a  new  series  of  episodes  in  the  exploits  of  Conghal  outside  of 
Ireland.  However,  the  exploits  in  Lochlann.  the  Isles,  and  Britain  are  closely 
connected  in  the  development  of  the  story,  and,  for  this  reason,  I  have  not  made 
a  new  division  here. 


152  cAitnenn  con$AiL  ctAimri5ni5. 

7  at;  Diem  jad  a  nDAome;  7  do  coiiimojiAt)  rbtiAijce  rnojiA 
Ag  bucc  1nnp  D]iecMi(ic)  re  1i-a;c;1iaid  ConJAib,  7  DobiDir 
roc]\AiDeDA  10111DA  i]*n&  h-oinenAib  &c&  Ag  ronconiieD  An 
ConJAb  coha  cACAib. 

LIX. 

Ar  e  bA  -pi  OnecAn  An  c&npn  .1.  A]\cun  m6]i  rriAc  lubAiji, 
7  Ar  e  bA  nij  SAgron  Ann  .1.  Uo-pnA  hiac  Umne.  Agur  t>o 
ctnn  A]icu]\  niAc  1ubAin  ceAccA  50  Con  jaI  d'a  |iada  r>ir  50 
coubnAD  yen  ni^e  OnecAn  do  ;  "7  11&  CAb]iAD  a  bomber 
do  tinbbeAD  iia  c]iicep,"  An  re,  "  acc  ceiglnD  D'ionnroit;iD 
1115  SArrAn  uai-|\  bio-obA  DAiiirA  e."  UAiijAD&n  nA  ceAccA 
rm  D'lArnAiD  Con  JAit  a  ccnAi 5  OnecAn  (2C)  a  n-oinen  AbbAn, 
7  "o'pAnrAig  Con ^aL  ;  "  cAnAr  a  ccAnjjADA-p  ha  ceAccA  ud," 
An  re.  "  6  A]icu]\  ni«.c  1ub&in,  6  nij  bpeACAn  CAngAmA-p 
t)o  cAbAi]\c  nije  OnecAn  Dtncri  6  Anxun,"  An  riAD,  "7  d'a 
nAt)A  bee  do  fbtiAijce  do  bneic  1  cc|iiocnAib  SA^ron  docuiti 
Uojuia  1111c  Umne,  hai]a  biot)bA  Dtncri  7  DorAii  e,  7  ADein  50 
ccmbjAA  re  cac  Dtncp."  '"OenArop  nnceAcc,"  An  ConJAb 
nipiA  ceACCAib,  "  7  bi  rbeAD  a  5  1^i[j]  DjiecAn  ahi'  oincibb- 
p  ";  7  cugrAti  reoro  7  niAome  do  iia  ceACCAib,  7  do  imjeDAji 
50  bunoeAc.  *OaIa  ConJAib,  nifi  yAguib  An  c-oinen  pn  no 
■§u}\  giAbbpAC  ha  b-AbbAnAi j  do  ;  7  do  biADAOir  50  cnAig 
in-b|\eACAn  5ac1i  n-onoce,  7  ADubAinc  "Paccha  "pmn  pbe  ne 
Con^Ab :  "  itiaic,  a  nij,"  An  re,  "  A-p  nncliro  Dtncp  Dob  do 
JAbAib  ni^e  Saxoh,  6  do  gADAir  nije  AbbAn  7  ha  n-oiben." 
"111a]\  ADeujiA  111  nijmon  "PejiccAr,  ir  AriibAro  do  DenAm,"  An 
ConJAb.  "  ADe]nm-ri  nioc,"  An  "pejiccur,  "  rtnneAC  ad'  bong- 
po]ic  ren  7  Dobeun-fA  cac  do  ni[$]  SA^rAn  no  50  n^eubAD 
a  nije  Dtncri."  "Den  buAiD  7  bemiAccAm,  a  |ii  iiioin,"  A]1 
Con^Ab,  "  7  ir  pnn  mbe  nACAr  Ann." 

(i°)  "bpecAii  ;  gen.  pi.  of  bfucAin  :  Britons.  (20)  tT]\AJ  bjAecAn  :  a 

translation  of  '  Littus  Britannicum,'  a  parallel  phrase  to  the  well-known  'Littus 
Saxonicum.'  As  Dr.  Guest  has  shown,  the  word  '  shore '  meant  in  the  phrase 
4  Saxon  shore,'  not  a  shore  occupied  by  Saxons,  but  a  boundary  against  Saxons. 
Vide  Add.  Note. 


COXGHAL  CLAIRIXGHXEACH.  153 

the  islands  and  destroying  their  inhabitants.  Great  hosts 
were  got  ready  by  the  inhabitants  of  the  island  of  Britain 
against  Conghal  ;  and  they  had  gathered  great  numbers  in 
the  districts  in  defence  against  Conghal  and  his  battalions. 

LIX. 

The  king  of  Britain  at  that  time  was  Arthur  the  Great, 
son  of  Iubhar,  and  the  king  of  the  Saxons  was  Torna  mac 
Tinne.  Arthur,  son  of  Iubhar,  sent  messengers  to  Conghal 
to  tell  him  that  he  himself  would  give  the  kingship  of  Britain 
to  him  ;  "  and  let  him  not  bring  his  fleet  to  harry  this  territory," 
said  he,  "  but  let  him  go  against  the  king  of  the  Saxons,  for 
he  is  an  enemy  to  me."  The  messengers  came  to  seek 
Conghal  from  the  British  shore  into  the  district  of  Scotland  ; 
and  Conghal  asked  :  "Whence  have  come  yonder  messengers?" 
said  he.  "From  Arthur,  son  of  Iubhar,  the  king  of  Britain, 
we  have  come  in  order  to  hand  over  to  you  the  kingship  of 
Britain  from  Arthur,"  said  they,  "  and  to  tell  you  to  lead  your 
hosts  into  the  territories  of  the  Saxons  against  Torna  mac 
Tinne,  for  he  is  your  enemy  and  his  [Arthur's],  and  he  says 
he  will  attack  you."  "  Proceed,"  said  Conghal  to  the  mes- 
sengers, "  and  let  the  king  of  Britain  have  a  feast  ready  for 
me  " ;  and  he  gave  jewels  and  rich  store  to  the  messengers, 
and  they  went  off  right  thankful. 

As  to  Conghal,  he  did  not  leave  that  district  till  the  Scots 
gave  pledges  to  him,  and  they  came  to  the  British  shore  every 
night ;  and  Fachtna  Finn  File  said  to  Conghal :  "  Well,  O 
king,"  said  he,  "  it  is  time  for  you  to  go  to  take  the  kingship 
of  the  Saxons,  since  you  have  taken  the  kingship  of  Scotland 
and  the  Isles."  "  As  the  great  king,  Fergus,  shall  say,  so 
shall  we  do,"  said  Conghal.  "  I  say  to  you,"  said  Fergus, 
"  abide  in  your  own  encampment,  and  I  shall  give  battle  to 
the  king  of  the  Saxons  till  I  shall  seize  his  kingship  for  you." 
"  Success  and  blessing,  O  great  king,"  said  Conghal,  "  and  we 
shall  all  go  there." 


154  cMtneim  con$Ait  ctAitiin$ni$. 


LX. 

At^ur  X)o  cu&'OA]!  moipcionot  mop  Api  AOtt"ptuAij;eA'6i  ccpio- 
chAib  SAjpAn,  7  *oobAT)Ap  rriAice  SAXon  hiia.  tli[j;]  tnonoilce 
Apt  a  cceAnn  ;  7  6"oconricA"OApi  Con^Ab  covia  cAcliAib  cuca, 
•ooJAb  eA^lA  7  uMri&n  mop  iat>  a  5  a.  pAicpm.  "  e-pjit) 
•otnnn,  a  pojiA,"  Api  Tli  Saxaii,  "  7  coipi  jp-o  b&-p  ccaua  a 
n-c%;gnAix>  Contj&it."  "TIa  h-AbAij\--p  pin,  a  nigh,"  ai\  m&ice 
SA^pAn,  "  UAip  m  puitrm'one  lion  caca  no  Con^Al,  UAip  ^ac 
66111]'  "o'a  ccAbAi|\  a  a^Itato  av  "oo  Ap  cpepi,  7  ni  cucpAt) 
bAoepAToe  Locbonn  cac  "66,  7  TiobepAimne  Jtige  t)6,  7  Aucinp- 
p-em  tup  a  at1  "oo  pujge."  "  TtACAO-rA  *o'a  puA-pu  jja*6,  mApeb," 
A-p  1115  Saxoii, — UAip  m  obAnnpAn  o^bAc  *o'a  cci  iriA  ceAch 
acc  cio"6  jtaIa  biAr  x>6  pip.  t)o  gbuAi-p  ah  f\i  noime  50 
piAinic  jupAn  cca]1|\aic  "oobi  or  cionn  An  caIaix)  mAp\  JAb 
cobbAch  Con^Aib;  7  at;  ArhbAro  ■oob.cVoAppein  7  btnpix)  a  bon;g 
cen^Aitre  *o'a  cebe  aca  7  beibionn  bonjj'OA  Ap  n-A  rroeriArh 
x)ib.  *Oo  bAbAi-p  ni  Sajj'ah  ruti  "oo'n  cai\)Uiic,  7  Apet) 
A*otibAi]\c  :  "AConj;Aib,"  A]\  pe,  "ir  t>o  CAbAipc  t>o  b-pece 
|?en  *otnc  CAriA^-pA,  7  ceguix)  bA-p  n-Ao-pDAiiA  Am' AJjAro-re"; 
7  cAn^A'OAp  a  n-AJATO  An  1^[§],  7  nu^A'OAp  o'lonnroiccit) 
ConJAit  e.  "*Oa  bA|\  puAtuiJAX)  cAnAc-pA  "oo'n  cup-pA,"  An 
m  ni,  "  ca|\  ceAiin  mo  cpice  7  m'-penomn,  7  Ar  p[eApp]  x>ibpi 
mipi  t)A  bA-|i  puAnuJAT)  7  mo  "out  bib  -o'Anccum  oitein  ebe  itia 
Anccum  mo  cpice[-pi  "oo]  -6  en  Am  tjibri."  "1p  pio|i  fin,"  Ap 
Con^Ab;  7  t>o  bi  aja  n-A^AbbAim,  7  A'oubpA'OAp  in  bAoi 
runn  : — 

A  Loin^er1  An  rhAttA  nun  ! 

Ca  1iAiceAfc  glutei  •o'iAnnAi'5  ? 

All   ArvCCOHIII  1Aj\j\Alt>  HO  A11   [cAu] 

11  o  111  ngeubcAoi  p'c  5A11  aiiO]aac  ? 


1  Lit.,   '  From  all  the  information  his  appearance  gives.'  2  tomge)* 

=  ' fleet,'  'voyage,'   'exile.'  3  Lit.,   '  what  advice,  reply.' 


COXGHAL  CLAIRIXGHXEACH.  155 

LX. 

A  very  great  multitude  went  on  one  expedition  into  the 
territories  of  the  Saxons,  and  the  chiefs  of  the  Saxons  were 
gathered  round  their  king  ;  and  when  they  saw  Conghal  and 
his  battalions  coming  towards  them,  great  fear  and  dread 
seized  them  at  the  sight  of  him.  "  Rise,  O  men,"  said  the  king 
of  the  Saxons,  "and  draw  up  your  battalions  against  Conghal." 
"  Say  not  so,  O  king  !  "  said  the  chiefs  of  the  Saxons,  "  for  we 
are  not  a  match  in  numbers  for  Conghal,  for,  to  judge  from 
appearance,1  it  is  he  is  strongest ;  and  the  warriors  of  Loch- 
iann  did  not  offer  him  battle  ;  and  we  shall  give  the  kingship 
to  him,  and  we  shall  drive  you  out  of  the  kingship."  "  I  shall 
arrange  with  him,  if  that  be  so,"  said  the  king  of  the  Saxons, — 
for  he  refused  no  warrior  who  came  into  his  house,  even  though 
he  had  a  spite  against  him.  The  king  moved  forward,  till  he 
reached  the  rock  that  was  above  the  harbour  into  which  the 
fleet  of  Conghal  came  ;  and  these  had  the  decks  of  their  ships 
bound  together,  and  a  naval  platform  made  of  them.  The 
king  of  the  Saxons  spoke  to  them  from  the  rock,  and  said  : 
"  O  Conghal  ! "  said  he,  "  it  is  in  order  to  grant  you  your 
own  terms  I  have  come,  and  let  your  men  of  science  come 
before  me"  ;  and  they  came  before  the  king,  and  they  brought 
him  to  Conghal.  "  To  offer  submission  to  you  I  came  on  this 
occasion,"  said  the  king,  "  for  the  sake  of  my  territory  and  land; 
and  it  is  better  for  you  to  have  me  in  submission  to  you,  and 
to  have  me  go  with  you  to  devastate  some  other  island,  than 
for  you  to  devastate  this  land  of  mine."  "  That  is  true,"  said 
Conghal  ;  and  he  kept  conversing  with  them  ;  and  they  recited 
the  following  poem  : — 

O  fleet2  of  the  active  sea  ! 

What3  do  you  seek  ? 

Is  it  devastation  or  [war]  you  seek, 

Or  shall  you  take  peace  without  deceit4  ? 

Aice^rc,   'reply,'  'advice,'  'report,'  'tale,'  'word.'  4  o,nbj\AC :  cf.  Meyer, 

"  Ir.  Lexic,"  s.  v. 


156  cAitReim  conjAit  ctAimn5ni§. 

1TeA|\|\  Lint)  f1C  111A  CAC  CJUIAIT) 

Ar\  n-iA|A]AAit>  •ouirm  ceAf  Af  chuAif), 
UogliAT)  rnup  gu  co   .   .  .  (i°) 
5o  mAt)  uilroe  (20)  a]\  munice|\ ; 

•RACA'D-fA  lib"    50  f  AOlllT) 

luce  caoja  I0115  do  lAocuib 
■0'aj\ccuih  cipe,  co|\Ann  c[pe^]  ! 
niAt)  fer\jvoe  lib  mo  loinccej\ 

A  lomgep. 

"  UAbAiyyi  yije  tn 'yen 01  nn  yen,  a  ConJAib,"  Ay  yi§ 
SA^yAn.  Uuccat)  "ooyAn  ym  7  t)o  ymneAt)  catiac  7  cAyA- 
•oyAti  eACAyyA.  "  Uic[ct6]  a  cciy  yeAyoA,"  Ay  Uoyne.  1y 
Annyin  CAimc  Conj^Ab  a  cciy  con  a  rhtnnciy.  TtogAbAt)  'y[An] 
-puyc  becAnAyniAc  aca  Ann  7  cuccat>  ytnyeg  ybei"6e  moiye  6 
^1[5]  SAgyAn  "oo  [Con^At  7  "o'a]  cobbAC  ;  7  -ooliiot)  An  yi 
yen  a  byocAiy  Con JAib  j;ac  en  La.  UAimc  itiacaotti  cytiATo 
cAoriiAbtnnn  x)o  ybuA^Aib  Saxoii  a  ccuitia  caic  t/a  n-ionn- 
yoiccit),  7  Ay  e  111  "oo  ymne  [ye  "oo  ?]  "oenAiii  cbince  .1.  yiodi 
■ooboyo  n&luui^e  co  a  cebe  "oo'n  cAbbAC  tnberriAy  buAyfgA'o] 
AinnLe  no  yeybe  ^An  coiymeAyc  a  yeACA  mine;  7  "oobA"OAy 
niAice  An  cybuAij  tube  A5  a  yeucAin.  "  Cia  m  niAc  bet;  tco 
•oof^jni  An  gbiocuy  ^AiycTo  Ay  n&  bon^Aib?"  Ay  ConjjAb. 
"1TIac  "OAiiiyA  yux>,"  Ay  m  yi,  7  CAimc  ■oey^A'o  rnoy  tie  A5  a 
yA*oA.  "  Ca  1i-Ainm  aca  Aiy  ?"  Ay  Con  §Ab.  "  Aycuy  Aomyey," 
Ay  yi  SA^yAn.  "  5oiy^-e1A  cugomn  e,"  Ay  CongAb,  X)o 
^oiyeAT)  e  7  r>o  ytn*6  a  byiA'ontnye  ConJAib  7  *oo  JAb  Con^At 
a  5  Ainey(3°)  yAiy,  7  Ay  5L1C  yo  yyeACCAiy  An  mACAorn  e. 
CAimc  ubbrrm JAt)  ybeToe  [-oo]  yi[j]  SA^yAn,  7  cuccat)  "oo 
Con  jaL  conA  iiiumciy  1  no  50  ccAiymc  oit>ci.  1y  Annyo  benAy 
CAbbAnn  yceoib  oibe  •oo'n  cAicyemyi  Con^Aib  CbAiymgnig. 

(i°)  MS.  defective.  (20)  thlit>e  ;  the  sense  of  this  word  is 

not  clear.     Can  it  be  for  ulliue,  '  the  greater  thereby  '  ?     U1II1,  compar.  of  oil, 
'great.'  (30)  Airier-:  sic  MS.  for  Aijner-,   'pleading,'  'questioning.'     Vide 

s.  v.,  Meyer,    "Jr.  Lexic." 


COXGHAL  CLAIRIXGHXEACH.  157 

We  prefer  peace  to  harsh  fighting  ; 

After  having  searched  south  and  north 

A  wall  was  raised         .... 

So  that  our  followers  would  be  the  greater  thereby ; 

I  shall  go  with  you  gladly 

With1  fifty  ships'  crews  of  heroes 

To  devastate  territory,  thunder  of  wars ! 

If  you  prefer  my  voyaging. 

"  Take  the  kingship  of  my  own  land,  O  Conghal,"  said  the 
king  of  the  Saxons.  That  was  given  to  him,  and  an  alliance 
and  friendship  were  made  between  them.  "  Come  to  land 
forthwith,"  said  Torna.  It  is  then  that  Conghal  and  his 
followers  came  to  land.  They  then  went  into  the  broad-armed 
port,  and  a  great  feast2  was  given  to  Conghal  and  his  fleet  by 
the  king  of  the  Saxons  ;  and  the  king  was  with  Conghal  every- 
day. A  strong,  very  handsome  young  warrior  came  from  the 
hosts  of  the  Saxons  towards  them  ;  and  what  he  was  engaged 
in  doing  was,  performing  a  feat,  viz.,  running  from  the  deck  of 
one  ship  to  another  of  the  whole  fleet,  like  the  movement  of  a 
swallow  or  a  roe-deer,3  without  halting  in  his  running  ;  and 
the  chiefs  of  the  whole  host  were  watching  him.  "  Who  is  the 
little  fellow  yonder,  performing  feats  of  valorous  cunning4  on 
the  ships  ?  "  said  Conghal.  "  He  is  my  own  son,"  said  the  king, 
and  he  reddened  as  he  said  it.  "  What  is  his  name  ?  "  said 
Conghal.  "  Arthur  /\oinfhear,"  said  the  king  of  the  Saxons. 
"  Let  him  be  called  hither  to  us,"  said  Conghal.  He  was 
called,  and  he  sat  down  before  Conghal ;  and  Conghal  com- 
menced questioning  him,  and  the  youth  answered  in  clever 
fashion.  A  feast  was  got  ready  by  the  king  of  the  Saxons 
and  Conghal  and  his  followers  were  entertained  at  it  till  night 
came.  Here  belongs  a  portion  of  another  story  in  the  martial 
exploits  of  Conghal  Clairinghneach. 

1  ftac-yor^  .  .  .  luce  cao^a,   See.      Cf.   for  this  construction  the  English 
one,   '  we  went  fifty  strong.'  2  Lit.,  '  a  preparation  of  a  great  feast.' 

3  Ainnte  no  f  epbe  :  a  common  cbeville  in  Irish  tales.  i  Lit.,   'cunning 

of  valour,'  or  'valorous  cunning.' 


158  cAitneim  C0115A1L  ctAimri5ni5. 


LXI. 

TDaLa  Apictnn  rhoipi  true  1ubAin  .1.  ni  OpecAn  ;  AniiAin  tio 
JAb  UonnA  itiac  Uinne  n[ije]  SA^rAn  An  eiccm  A-p  cur 
•oonin-oe(i°)  cpeAC  aji  Ancun  tiiac  lubAipi,  .1.  Api  ni[j]t)necAn, 
7  t)o  Aincc  An  'ounA'd  1  piAibe  An  -pi  fen  7  t>o  rriAnb  a 
rrmmcin  7  rtiAi]\  ben  bAr  Ant)  ;  7  'oob'  e  ro  A*6bAn  a  bAir  .1. 
co|t]tAC  *oobi  -pi,  7  CAimc  Am  cui[rmi-6]  (20)  a  uoipincerA  "o'a 
h-ionnroiceit)  Ann  pn,  7  CAimc  ri  7  a  cumAb  coiniToeACCA  Ar 
m  c[eAch]  AmAcb  50  cAob  n&  cpA^A,  7  CAn5At)A-p  1t)Am 
cin-pmTo  (30)  a  coi]\cerA  x>'a  h-ionnroiccit>  Annpn ;  7  mAn 
*oo  cuaLa  (40)  ri  $Ain  An  crbiiAij;  a^  onnccAm  An  bAibe,  *oo 
nu^  An  gem  -oobi  rA  a  bpumne,  .1.  itiac,  7  -00  fpiceoib  An 
curriAti  ;  7  AniiAin  nAimc  An  cACAin  "o'A-pgom  x>o  •pcAOitet)Ap\ 
rbiiAij;  SA^rAn  •o'lApinAro  et>AbA,  7  cAnbA  o^Iac  ■oo  mtnnan 
ni[j]  SA^pAn  a  ccenn  11A  puognA  7  nA  curiiAibe  gun  mApib 
ia"o  An  Aon,  7  TOconnAic  ah  nAome  m-bej  Ag  ctncim  a  coim 
11  a  curhAite.  1lo  5&b  "oepcton  e  utia  oi]tleAC  7  cu^  ber  mA 
ncc  e  111  A]\  a  |'.Aibe  An  rti,  7  •oo  cAi-pben  "oo  e.  "  A5  ro,  a  tli !" 
An  re,  "  cuncuncA(5°)  ruApiupA";  7  "oo  mm-p  "oo  mApi  -puAipv  e. 
"  "PoIai  5  7  cAircix)  50  itiaic  e,"  Api  ni  SAjc;ron,  "7  otbeen  An 
mo  -peitbpi  e,  uai]\  111  pub  hiac  AjjAm."  lAnpn  -oo  h-oiteAt> 
An  re  Abb  ax)  (6°)  111  ni[g]  e;  7  Ar  e  pn  An  hiac  x>o  connAic 
Con^Ab  aj  nic  ron  nA  bongAib,  7  A-oubAinc  be  ni[j]  SAgrAn 
nA]\'  hiac  -66  An  hiac  65. 

(i°)  Mod.  Ir.,  T)o  jvirme.  (20)  cuipniT) :  cuipnet>A  is  the  older  form. 

(30)  Vide  (2°j.  (40)  do  ciiaIa  :  the  forms  atjcuaLa,  AT>corniAic,  ot>cuaLa,  ot>con- 
iiaic  occur  frequently  throughout  MS.  OdcuaLa  =  oaucuaLa,  'whenhe  heard'; 
ot>connAic  =  6  atjcohhaic,  '  when  he  saw.'  In  a  few  places  the  forms  otjcuaLa, 
ot)coiiiiaic  are  given  in  our  MS.  for  at>cuaL&,  at)coiiiiaic,  through  confusion  of 
the  cpd.  form  6  +  verb  with  the  simple  forms.  Further,  the  scribe  may  have 
understood  forms  like  cocuaIa  as  =  6  t>o  cuaIa.     However,  the  forms  6  t>o 


COXGHAL  CLAIRIXGHXEACH.  159 


LXI. 

As  to  Arthur  the  Great,  the  son  of  Iubhar,  the  king  of 
Britain  ;  when  Torna  mac  Tinne  first  seized  by  force  the 
sovereignty  of  Saxondom,  he  made  a  foray  on  Arthur,  son  of 
Iubhar,  the  king  of  Britain,  and  he  devastated  the  fortress  in 
which  the  king  was,  and  he  slew  his  people,  and  a  woman  died 
in  it ;  and  the  cause  of  her  death  was  that  she  was  pregnant, 
and  the  time  of  child-birth  had  come  to  her  there  ;  and  she  and 
her  maid-attendant  came  out  of  the  house  to  the  side  of  the 
strand,  and  the  pangs  of  childbirth  came  upon  her  there,  and 
as  she  heard  the  shout  of  the  host  devastating  the  place,  she 
gave  birth  to  the  child  in  her  womb,  viz.,  a  son  ;  and  the  hand- 
maid helped  her.  When  the  '  cathair'  was  devastated,  the 
hosts  of  the  Saxons  separated  to  seek  booty,  and  a  warrior 
from  the  followers  of  the  king  of  the  Saxons  happened  upon 
the  queen  and  the  hand-maid,  and  slew  them  both  :  and  he 
saw  the  little  baby  fail  from  the  lap  of  the  hand-maid. 
Disgust  seized  him  at  the  idea  of  destroying  it,1  and  he  took  it 
in  his  arms  to  where  the  king  was,  and  he  showed  it  to  him. 
"  Here  is,  O  king  !  "  said  he,  "  a  waif  I  found  "  ;  and  he  told 
him  how  he  had  found  it.  "  Cover  and  care  it  well,"  said  the 
king  of  the  Saxons,  "  and  let  it  be  reared  for  me,3  for  I  have 
no  son."  Thereafter  it  was  reared  for  the  king,  and  that  is  the 
lad  Conghal  saw  running  across  the  ships  ;  and  he  told  the 
king  of  the  Saxons  that  the  young  fellow  was  not  his  son. 


1  Lit.,  <  about  its  destruction.'  2  Lit.,  '  in  my  possession.' 


cuaLa,  6  tdo  comiAic  occur  as  well.  "  The  forms  have  been  printed  as  in  MS 
without  the  apostrophe ;  but  this  analysis  will  make  them  clear  to  the  student. 
(5°)  cupcuj\CA,   'a  waif:    cf.  cuj\CAij\che  mAj\A,   'a  sea-waif,'   'a  find  of  the 
sea,'  "  Br.  Laws,"  v.  321.  (6°)  Recte,  aj\  feilb. 


160  cAiuRenn  con$Ait  ctAmin$rn$. 

LXII. 

lorncurA  A}icuin  mic  1ubAi]\  .1.  -pi  OnecAn,  "oobi  a 
n-ertAmce  rii6i}\  -oo  curhAit)  rimA,  7  ni  nAibe  tiiac  no  mjen 
Aije,  7  Ar  ni6]\  "oo  ctnn  aiji  ^^n  x>o  ctomn  t)o  beic  Aige, 
ne^c  -oo^eubA-o  a  ionA"o  -oia  eir ;  7  x>o  ctor  ro  nA  cniocliAib 
rA  conimerA  "66,  j\i  bnecAn  t)o  bee  5A11  ctomn  Aige.  X)o  bi 
bnuJATd  a  n-oi|\e^]\  AtbAn  7  cni  1111c  imiorhACA  Aije  ]\e 
5AirceA"6  7  ino|\  rhiAT)  teo  An  c-acai]i  "oo  bi  ^ct),  7  t>o  ciiAtA- 
•OAn  ni  OnecAn  "oo  bee  j;An  ctonro.  "  1]"  otc  TDinnn  gAti 
■ouccur  i,m[x;]  eiccm  vo  beic  AgAmn,"  An  riAt),  "  6  t>o  beic 
■oo  51110111  7  -oo  gAiixeAb  7  -oo  cnobAcc  A^umn  a  cornATii, 
7  t^a  re]\|i  "oumn  ni  -o'a  irom^enmAir  mA  "out  [x)'i]oniiroicci"6 
ni[j]  D|\ecMi  7  a  ]i&i)&  jtqiAb  meic  t>6  rmn."  Ar  1  rm 
coriiAinte  is\\  An'  [cjinnoo  aca,  7  t)o  cionoitrioT>  rtuAij  7 
rocjiAToe  7  CAngA-oAn  ]\oiiipA  -o'lonnroi^hib  ]u[^]  OnecAn,  7 
6  rAn^A-OAn  e  ■oo  rneA-p'otA'6  7  t)o  rniceotA'6  50  niAic  iA*o  7 
•00  [bAT)An]  50  cent)  reAcc  tAice  Ann.  *Oo  pA]irAij;  Ar.cu]\ 
•oib  Annrm  cuic  iAX)  -pern.  "  [1f  e]AT>,  "OAn  tmne,  gunAb  nnc 
t)tncri  rmn,"  An  riAt).  "  C'aic  a  iroejmAt)  ph  ?  "  An  [fe]. 
"An  CAn  "oo  bxvoAir  A|i  ionnA]\bAt>  a  epiocAib  OnecAn  ir 
Ann  x)o  nmmr  rmn."  "  1r  [m6|\]  -oo  iimAib  *oo  bi  AgAmrA 
Annrm,"  A|i  m  ni,  "7  m  £et>An  ciAT>iob  bAn  niACAinri,  7  aca 
coiiiAnuA  AgAmrA  An  a  ccmbnomn  Arcne  An  1110  itiAicne 
bunAro,"  An  re,  "[7]  An  ce  nAC  bruit  "oiter  •oatH  m  geub 
ajahi  e  acc  ^e  cAim  jau  ctomn.  UuccAn  teAc(i°]  ubtntt 
cu^Ainn,"  A]\  re,  "7  aca  ubAtt  lAnomn  AgAmrA  7  CAicnbri 
m  teAc  [pti],  7  An  rej\  A^inb  bnirrer  An  teAc  -oo'n  cet> 
u]\cAn  (sy  niAc  "oahi^a  e  ^An  AiiiA]\nr,  (20)  UAi]i  Ar  AiiitAro 
aca    ah    Aicme    -o'a    bruitim-ri    n&c    ccAbAin    neAc    h|\ca|\ 

(i°)  MS.  LeACA, passim.  (2°)  Mod.  Ir.,  AtiijAAf. 


1  Af  m6|\  t)0  cui]\  aij\,   '  it  caused  him  great  annoyance,'  'he  was  much  put 
out.'     The  idiom  is  a  very  common  one  in  Irish.  2  x>o  clop,    '  it  was 

heard.'     3rd  sg.  T-pret.  pass,  of  cioor\,  '  I  hear.'  3  b]\uj&it>,  a 

'  brewy,'  or  '  hosteller,'  '  one  who  kept  open  house.'     In  later  Irish,    '  a  farmer.' 


COXGHAL  CLAIRIXGHXEACH.  161 

LXII. 

As  to  Arthur,  son  of  Iubhar,  the  king  of  Britain,  he  was 
very  unwell  through  grief  for  his  wife,  and  he  had  neither  a 
son  nor  a  daughter,  and  he  was  greatly  put  out1  at  not  having 
any  children — someone  who  should  take  his  place  after  him  ; 
and  it  was  heard2  in  the  neighbouring  territories  to  him  that 
the  king  of  Britain  had  no  children.  There  was  a  hosteller3  in 
the  district  of  Scotland,  and  he  had  three  sons,  active  in  deeds 
of  valour ;  and  they  considered  the  father  they  had  as  no 
honour  to  them,  and  they  heard  that  the  king  of  Britain  had 
no  children.  "  We  regret  not  having  some  kingly  inheritance 
of  our  own,"  said  they,  "  since  we  have  the  deeds  and  the 
valour  and  the  bravery  to  defend  it,  and  what  better  could  we 
do  than  to  go  to  the  king  of  Britain  and  tell  him  that  we  are  his 
sons  ?  "  That  is  the  resolution  they  adopted,  and  they  gathered 
together  hosts  and  multitudes,  and  they  came  to  the  king  of 
Britain  ;  and  when  they  reached  him,  they  were  well  served 
and  entertained,  and  they  were  there  till  the  end  of  seven 
days.  Arthur  then  asked  them  who  they  were.  "  We  are, 
we  believe,  your  own  sons,"  said  they.  "  Where  were  you 
begotten  ?"  said  he.  "  When  you  were  in  banishment  from  the 
territories  of  Britain,  you  begot  us  there."  "  I  had  more  wives 
than  one,"  said  the  king,  "  and  I  do  not  know  which  of  them 
was  your  mother  ;  and  I  have  a  sign  by  which  I  recognise 
my  own  sons,"  said  he,  "  and  he  who  is  not  kin  to  me  shall 
not  receive  it  from  me,  though  I  am  without  children.  Let 
an  apple-stone4  be  brought  us,"  said  he,  "  and  I  have  an  iron 
apple,  and  do  you  cast  that  stone,5  and  whichever  of  you 
shall  break  the  stone  at  the  first  throw  is  my  own  son  without 
a  doubt,  for  the  race  to  which  I  belong  have  this  peculiar  to 

4  leAC  ubuill,  'apple-stone,'  i.e.  a  stone  at  which  the  iron  apple  (ub^LL 
lAnomn)  might  be  cast.  '  In  c-ubuLl  clerr '  heads  the  list  oi  Cuchulin's  games 
in  the   "L.  na  H.  Caw,"  p.  73  a.  5  in  leAC  pn  :  we  should  expect  this  to 

refer  to  the  iron  apple,  and  not  to  the  stone,     te^c  really  means  '  a  flat  stone.' 

M 


162  cAiutieitn  con^Ait  ct^mm$ni$. 

n-ioinnoitb  aca."  "  [U]AbA]iuAn  An  teAC  pn  cu^Mtin,"  aji 
pAt),  "7  An  c-ubAlt  lAnoinn  50  ccti^Am  uncAn  ^ac  -ouine 
t>e";  7  cucc^t)  cuc&rAii  (i°)  iAt>,  7  "oo  cAicet>An  upcAjt  jac 
p-p  7  -oo  ctiiftet)A-p  cAinre.  "  1r  pon  pn,"  An  Ancun,  "  ni 
tneic  "OAiiirA  pili)pi,  7  •oobu'6  renr  bom  50  mA-d  eA"6  7  niofi 
•obijeAbAinp  brecc  *oo  rA*6  cu^^mp^s  ";  7  1-obenc  An  Iaoi  : — 

AcconiApc  T>AOib  liorn  ^ac  Laoi 

A  tflACJAATDe  t)0  LuATO  A11   JJAOi  !  (2°) 

11  oca  n-pnl  UAib,  uotAib  5AL  ! 
tleAc  ■oah'  -ouAt  j\i£e  bpeACAn. 
TDa  niAt)  meic  pb  too'ii  rmiAOi  niAic, 
O'ltijm  e-oerq'ceoit  ajathtiaic, 
Itobf  &t>  -oile  beui'  cproe, 
A  riiAcriAi'oe  co  moij\rhi|\e  ! 

S1T1  (3°)  "°°  f  ACcbAT)  ATTl'   AOt1A|\ 

50  mbA  moroe  1110  bAOJAb 
Sife  iioca]a  fAjinb  tiiac, 
SiAitJe  UAitn  a  li-Accor»iA]Ac. 

"  "OeuriAi'op  nnueAcc,"  An  re,  "7  56  CAirnp  jaii  [c]tomn 
AgAin  m  jeub  pbp."  T)o  1111  jet) A]1  mic  ah  bnu  JAit)  UAt)A 
Annpn. 

LXIII. 

1r  Ann  pn  CAirnic  -oo  Con jaL  a  -ptet)  a  cci 5  nij  SAgrAn, 
7  -oo  cuA*OAn  uibe  Ar  pn  50  ceAc  nij  [D]\]eACAn  7  piAnAt)Att 
rAibce  ihon  Ann  7  ,oobA'OA|\  Ag  cAiceAiii  nA  rberoe  t>obi 
[Ann]  50  ceAnn  cAoicoip  An  irnr  ;  7  "oobi  An  mACAoth  65  pn 
.1.  Ant  e-nfen  AbrAnr>A-6  [ConJAiJL  nipn  re  pn,  7  Ar  AmtAit> 
•oobi  ConJAb  7  ciAbt  b|\ecAiiioib  Ai^e  7  gbiocnr  nij.  A"ocon- 
nAic  gunAb  ia-o  ha  beurA  -o'roJAm  -oo  nij  OpecAn,  t>o 
jroJAin  t)o'n  mACAOiii,  7  Ar  ArhlAit)  "oobi  Con  jaL  7  nij  D|\ecAn 

(i°)  cucAfAii.      For  the  origin  of  the  aspiration  in  cuca,  &c,  vide  Pedersen, 
"  Kuhn's  Zeit.,"  xxxv.  (20)  5A01,  ace.  of  56,  'falsehood.'     O.  Ir.,  £au, 

5A0,  560,  56  ;  ace,  joe,  561,  56.  (30)  pp  (?). 

1  Lit.,   'it  is  thus  is.'  2  Lit.,   'put  beyond.' 

3  ACComAf\c:  O'R.,  s,  v.,  gives:  'a  permission,'  'a  request,'  'petition,' 
'question';  'asking'  'questioning.'  Stokes,  "  S.  na  Rami,"  jr.  v.  '  athcomarc  ' 
in   Index,    and    MacCarthy,     "  Cod.    Pal. -Vat.,"    Todd   Lect.,    p.    40,    give 


CONGHAL  CLAIRINGHNEACH.  163 

them,1  that  none  of  them  gives  a  false  throw."  "  Let  that  stone 
be  given  us,"  said  they,  "  and  the  iron  apple,  so  that  each  of 
us  may  give  a  cast  of  it " ;  and  they  were  given  to  them,  and 
they  threw  a  cast  each,  and  they  missed.2  "  It  is  certain," 
said  Arthur,  "  that  you  are  not  my  sons,  and  I  should  prefer 
that  you  were,  and  you  had  no  right  to  tell  me  a  lie  ";  and  he 
recited  the  poem  : — 

I  have  a  question3  for  you  every  day, 
O  youths  who  uttered  the  falsehood  ! 
There  is  not  one  of  you,  floods  of  valour ! 
To  whom  is  due  the  kingdom  of  Britain. 
Were  you  sons  of  the  excellent  woman, 
Of  the  daughter  of  Edersceol,  the  very  good, 
You*  would  be  dear  to  my  heart, 

0  youths  of  great  activity  ! 

1  was  left  alone 

That  my  danger  might  be  the  greater ; 

I  have  not  found  a  son, 

Farther  off  from  me  is  his  protection  (?). 

■"  Go  away,"  said  he,  "  and  though  I  am  without  children,  I 
shall  not  receive  you."     The  sons  of  the  hosteller  then  left  him. 

LXIII. 

It  is  then  that  Conghal  finished  feasting  in  the  house  of 
the  king  of  the  Saxons  ;  and  they  all  went  thence  to  the 
house  of  the  king  of  Britain,  and  they  received  a  hearty 
welcome  in  it,  and  they  kept  up  the  feasting  there  till  the 
end  of  a  fortnight  and  a  month ;  and  the  young  fellow, 
Art  Aoinfhear,  was  with  Conghal  during  that  time,  and  it 
was  a  characteristic  of  Conghal's  that  he  had  a  judicial  sense 
and  the  skill  of  a  king.  He  saw  that  the  habits  that  served 
the  king  of  Britain  served  the  youth  ;  and  Conghal  was  so 
situated  as  to  have  the  king  of  Britain  on  his  right  hand  and 

accoitiaj\c,  '  bulwark  (?).'  Cf.  Meyer.  "  Contr.  to  Irish  Lexic."  s.  v.  ACConiApc. 
None  of  these  meanings  seems  suitable  here.  4  Robf at>,   'you  were.'     In 

the  Glosses  the  pret.  of  the  copula  runs  thus  :  sg.  i,  popr-\  :  ?g-  -,  poppii*  :  sg.3, 
pobo.  Then  in  1st  and  2nd  sg.  we  have  the  persona!  forms  popf-Nm,  popy-ir; 
developed.  ftobfAT)  is  also  3rd  pi.  Here  I  take  it  as  2nd  sg.  in  agreement  with 
collective  rn^cp.M'oe,  and  not  with  pb  ;  otherwise  it  is  3rd  pi. 

M  2 


164  cAitnenn  conjAit  ctAimn§niS. 

An  a  LAirh  ber  7  nij;  SA^rAn  An  a  lAirh  cti,  7  At>ubAinc 
ConjjAt :  "ITIaic,  a  A}icuin  !"  An  re,  "  ati  bpnt  cLAnn  no 
iAnt)nAibe  aja-o  ?  "  "  Hi  bpnt,  it>e]i,"  An  re.  "  T)unrAn  -oo 
bee  AmtAib,"  An  ConjjAl ;  7  "oobA*OA}\  mAn  pn  An  atdIiai  5 
pn,  7  nuj  ConJAt  ]u[j]  SA^rAn  ter  An  n-A  rhAnAc  a  nun  7 
a  cco^An.  "TTIaic,  a  ni  SAgrAn  !"  An  CongAi,  "  mmr  t)atti 
An  pnmne  utn  -oAit  An  liiACAonii  ut>  A-ocim  a*o'  feitb,"  An  re, 
"  UAin  m  niAc  -ouic  e,  imn,  7  Ar  copriAit  a  beurA  7  a  unlAbnA 
be  ni[j]  D|\ecAn."  "A-oeun-fA  ]uocps  a  pnmne  pn,"  An 
nij  SAgrAn,  7  no  mmr  aii  reel  mte  Arhuit  cAntA  6  cur  50 
•Dene-oil.  *Oo  rui"6ijeAt)  ceAC  u-oIa  aca  lAnpn  AthAit 
•oo[j;]nichi  "oo  bun  At),  7  A'obe|\c  ConijAt :  "mAic,  a  Ancuin  !" 
An  re,  "  ca  Luac  -oobeuncA  -oAiiirA  t)a  brAJumn  uiac  "oiong- 
rhALA  bmc  ?  "  "  11i  bpnt  irm  bic  A^AinrA  ni  uac  coubnomn 
•ouic,"  An  Ancun,  "  acc  ^oniAb  uiac  "oiter  x)Aih  e."  X>o 
mmr  Con^At  An  reel  pne  mte  bo  7  cuccAb  bnecemnAr 
cucca,  7  -oo  mmr  mj  SA^ron  An  pnmne  "601b,  7  "oo  nugrAc 
•00  bneic  a  liiAC  ren  -o'Ancun  Annpn,  7  AtmbAinc  CongAt: 
""OeunA-rA  AtcnAnAr  7  cAnAD-pAb-pe  ni§  Sa^ati,  a  Ancuin, 
7  bichi  m  bA|\  ccAinmb  -o'a  ceite."  'Oobi  ConJAt  Ann  pn 
noco  ccAinmc  An  |-tet>  7  -oob'  Aoibmn  teo  tnte  a  menmA  Ann 
pn  UAin  "oo  ^AbrA-o  ]uje  SA^rAn,  OpecAn,  7  iu  n-oilen  uite; 
7  A-oubAipc  ContjAt  :  "  beAnnAcc  yonc,  a  Ancuin  !  "  An  re, 
"piA]\AiiiAn  iii6]\An  niAicerA  7  ononA  a^ax)";  7  x>o  JAb  ajj, 
cetAbjiA-6  bo,  7  nobe|\c  ha  bpiAC]tu-pA  Ann  : — 

niichiT)  ■ounin  T>uL  haja  tr>uij\, 

A  Aj\Cl11]\  1ll6lj\,    1111C  IlltJAln  ! 
■pUA|\A111A]A  T>0  111A1C,  f10j\  'OAlil  ! 
Af  fO  A11   pl-A1C  'gA  bpiAj\At1lA|A  ; 
rt1A|\A111A|\  T)0  fleAt)   JO  p'oj\, 

Aguf  c'fAitce  gAii  impuom, 
A^u)'  bo  iiiAice-p  p'o]\  tie  ! 
Ajuj'  ceA jLac  1)0  cige  ; 

1  Lit.,   '  about  the  state  of.'  •  Uiac,  '  reward.'     Uiac  is  sometimes 

translated  'price.'  InMuskerry,  as  I  was  told,  the  word  is  used  only  in  the  sense 
of  '  reward.'     '  What  is  the  price  of  that  ?  '  would  be  translated  by  ca  meim  pn  ? 


CONGHAL  CLAIRINGHNEACH.  165 

the  king  of  the  Saxons  on  his  left  hand,  and  Conghal  said  : 
"Well,  O  Arthur  !  "  said  he,  "  have  you  children  or  posterity  ?" 
"  I  have  not,  indeed,"  said  he.  "  It  is  hard  to  be  in  that 
plight,"  said  Conghal  ;  and  so  they  passed  that  night. 
Conghal  took  the  king  of  the  Saxons  into  secret  council 
and  consultation  in  the  morning.  "  Well,  O  king  of  the 
Saxons,"  said  Conghal,  "  tell  me  the  truth  about1  yonder 
youth  that  I  see  with  you,"  said  he,  "  for  he  is  not  your  son 
indeed,  and  his  habits  and  his  speech  are  like  the  king  of 
Britain's."  "  I  shall  tell  you  the  truth  about  it,"  said  the  king 
of  the  Saxons ;  and  he  told  the  whole  story  as  it  happened 
from  beginning  to  end.  Their  drinking-hall  was  then  set  up 
as  it  was  always  done,  and  Conghal  said  :  "  Well,  Arthur ! " 
said  he,  "  what  reward2  would  be  given  to  me  if  I  find  you  a 
worthy  son  ?"  "  There  is  not  anything  in  the  world  I  have  that 
I  would  not  give  you,"  said  Arthur, "  were  he  but  a  real  son." 
Conghal  told  him  the  whole  true  story,  and  judgment  was 
given  them  ;  and  the  king  of  the  Saxons  told  them  the  truth  ; 
and  they  brought  his  own  son  to  Arthur  to  be  judged  there, 
and  Conghal  said  :  "  Make  a  fosterage  and  friendship  with  the 
king  of  the  Saxons,  O  Arthur,  and  be  friends  to  one  another." 
Conghal  was  there  till  the  feast  was  ended  ;  and  they  were 
all  in  good  spirits  then,  since  they  had  seized  the  kingship  of 
the  Saxons,  of  Britain,  and  of  the  Isles  ;  and  Conghal  said, 
"  A  blessing  on  you,  O  Arthur  !  "  said  he,  "  we  have  received 
much  of  good  and  honour  at  your  hands  "  ;  and  he  commenced 
bidding  him  farewell,  and  he  spoke  these  words  there : — 

Time  for  us  to  go  over  the  sea, 

O  Great  Arthur,  son  of  Iubhar  ! 

We  received  of  thy  wealth,  I  speak  the  truth  !3 

Good  is  the  prince  from  whom  we  got  it ; 

"We  partook  of  thy  feast  truly, 

And  of  thy  welcome  without  anxiety, 

And  of  thy  riches,  true  it  is  ! 

And  of  the  household4  of  your  house  ; 

3  Lit.,  '  true  for  me.'         i  ce&gtAc,  '  household  '  ;  here, '  the  rights  and  services 
of  the  household.' 


166  cAiunenn  congAit  ctAiTiin$ni§. 

5e  pA|\AniA]A  fin  uite 

11A1C,  A  ]\1  'f  a  nooume  ! 

An  ccocc  •01111m  A-p  mtnn  1111c  bin 

CeiteAbpAT)  t)Uic  Ap  rmchit). 

tmchi'o. 

LXIV. 

HobA'DApi  niiV|i  pn  An  a-oaij;  pn,  7  "oo  co^oAt)  Leo  a. 
ccobLAC  A}i  n-A  iiia]\ac  Api  m[ui]i]  7  A-p  mo-ppAijipge,  7  geiLL 
7  bpAigi-o  ha  ccipche  tube  aca  11050  ^ahja'oa^  1^[if]  ^uaic 
ftoip  einitt  6|iiTin  7  ALbAin,  7  *oo  ^AbAT)  Lon^popc  Leo  mnce, 
7  UAirnc  CongAL  puAp  a  muLbAc  iia  cuLca,  7  CAiigA'OA'p  a. 
fLuAij  Leip.  "  1]"  pA"OA  Arioip  [aj\  rnbeic]  a  bpeccrnui-p 
CjieArm,  A-p  -pe,  "  7  •oenc&]i  peoLAT>  7  loin-p&rri  A^tnrm  11050 
-poipom  (1°)  e-i]Ainn,  7  mocen  a  piocctnn  ";  7  Atobepu  :  — 

AllOCC  A  11-1l11f  UUA1C  ftoif 

pttni'o  peAcu  ccaca  ■OAp  ccoir  (?) 
VeAjvp  liom  coLa  (20)  .   .  .  cLami, 

COoh&T)  A  11-1AC  Ol^eAITO. 

Cpi  bbiAtniA  •oeg  •oinnne  caLL 
1  ccpiocuib  beAbpA  bocb&nti, 
A  b^eu-mui]*  An  bpenui[nn]  x>e 
1r  An  ccuicdt)  50  CCAOIliie. 

^UAnAttlAp  T11A1C  111A   C01J 

Ag  Ancun  mop,  niAC  1ubAin. 

T)1  fUlb  jM  CO  11-10t11At)  po]\c 

1li]'A  pymieul-j-A  (y)  6  Anooo. 
1oiimuiii  cin  An  cin  im  ciAn, 
ULato  50  n-ioinAT)  [a]  n-^iAtb  ! 
ene  5°  11-iomAt)  a  pope 
1nnce  Af  Ait  liom  beic  (40)  aiiocc. 

Anoct). 

"  X)euncA]A  ppoirmiutjAt)  7  coiriALcup  Agtnb,  a  occa,"  aji 
CohjjaL,  "  7  bmccix)  in  bA]i  LonccAib  A-p  a  1i-AicLe  coiiac 
piAicijiT)  p\\  e-neiTO  pinn  11050  n-g^b^m  a  ii-iac  VILax)  ixnn"; 
7  no  peoLpAT)  be  LATrpoiLLpi  ah  eupcA  a  n-oipeA-p  Ut^x)  a 
tir>epeATi>  oit)ce  7  upcopAc  Laoi  ;  7  A'oubAipc'pe^i.ipinAcllopA: 

(l°)  Uoiriom  :     1st    pi.    S-fut.    of  ]\iccnn,    '  reach,'    '  attain,'    '  arrive    at.' 
(2°)  coIa  :   MS.  defective.  (30)  i'Aiiiieul|-A,  1st  sg.  redupl.  fut.  of  j'Arii- 

Lawi,    '  compare.'  (40)  MS.  a  beic,  which  makes  the  line  hypermetrical. 


COXGHAL  CLAIRIXGHXEACH.  167 

Though  we  partook  of  all  that 

From  you,  O  king  and  O  noble  man ! 

As  we  have  come  over  the  sea  of  the  son  of  Lir, 

It  is  time  to  bid  vou  farewell. 


LXIV. 

Thus  they  were  that  night,  and  on  the  morrow  they  put 
their  fleet  out  to  sea  and  out  on  the  great  ocean,  and  they 
had  with  them  the  hostages  and  captives  of  all  the  countries 
till  they  reached  the  island  of  Tuath  Ross,  between  Ireland 
and  Scotland  ;  and  they  encamped  in  it,  and  Conghal  came 
up  on  top  of  the  hill,  and  his  hosts  came  with  him. 

"  We  are  a  long  time  now  away  from  Ireland,"  said  he, 
"and  let  us  go  with  sail  and  oar1  till  we  reach  Ireland,  and 
glad  I  shall  be  to  reach  it "  ;  and  he  said  : — 

To-night  in  the  island  of  Tuath  Ross 
Are  we  seven  battalions  ... 

I  prefer  ...... 

To  sleep  in  the  land  of  Erin. 

Thirteen  years  we  were  yonder 

In  the  smooth  lands  of  Lochlann, 

Away  from  our  territory 

And  our  province,  gently. 

We  were  well  off2  in  the  house 

Of3  Arthur  the  Great,  the  son  of  Iubhar. 

There  is  no  king  with  many  strongholds 

With  whom  I  shall  compare  him  to-night. 

Dear  is  yonder  land  in  the  west, 

Ulster  of  the  many  hostages  ! 

Ireland  of  the  many  strongholds 

In  it  I  long  to  be  to-night. 

"  Do  you  take  food  and  nourishment,  O  warriors  !  "  said  Con- 
ghal, "  and  after  that  jump  into  your  ships  so  that  the  men  of 
Ireland  may  not  remark  us  till  we  go,  indeed,  into  the  land  of 
Ulster  ";  and  they  sailed  by  the  full  moonlight4  into  the  district 
of  Ulster  at  the  end  of  night  and  beginning  of  day  ;  and  Fergus 

1  Lit.,   '  Let  a  saiiing  and  rowing  be  made.'  2  Lit.,  '  We  found  good.' 

Lit.,  '  In  his  house  with.'  4  Lit.,   '  Bv  the  full  light  of  the  moon.' 


168  CAiutienn  congAit  cLAmin$ni5. 

"  1l&c&"opo.,"  &n  ye,  "  "o'por  -peel  T)&oib  c'aic  a.  bpuiL  pepiccup* 
m<\c  Let>e  ni  tll&t)."  Uaiihc  pe]\ccur  y&  t\y,  7  c&nLA.  *oume 
"66,  7  pu&i-p  &  pop  u&t)A  cixs  111  c-ion<vo  &.  p-.&ibe  penccur  m^c 
Le'oe  ;  7  cA.imc  "penccur  m&c  1lor&  m&pi  &.  pibe  &  rhumcepi. 
"1YI.MU,  Av  pepiccur,"  &]\  Contj&L,  "  c'aic  &  bput  jii  Ut^t) 
^nocc  ?"  "Aca  -pe  A5  ce<\cc  co  Sb&b  Sl&mt;e  50  ce&c 
GocIimx)  S^tbuToe  -miocc,"  &n  "pepecup.  "1p  iiimc  Lmne 
pn,"  £s]\  cac,  "iiMji  jeub&m  (i°)  .o.n  bpiuijenp},  .Mpi  &r.occ 
5A.11  ,6.111  .<ypor";  7  p.&n5&"0&]ip&n  -pe  -oepe&*6  -oo  to  •o'lonn- 
■poi^hni)  n&  bpuij;ne  11050  n^n^/vo&p.  50  h-1nbe^-p  n-5^oc 
■pir&n  .o.b&nc&p;  Uorm  TtujpMbe  7  1  cce&nt)  n&  g^^ibptije-oh 
nip.6,  |iwce|i  1orn,Mp\e  ITluitte^iTo  7  50  Co^inuic  n&  p&ipicc- 
pon&;  7  A'oconnc^'o^iA  •poittp  Locp^inx)  n&  bpui^ne  U.&X& 
Minpin.  "Soittp  luojcomnte  -put),"  &n.  ppiA.oc  x>p&oi ;  7 
i"obepic  riA  bpi.6.cn&-r&  Ann  : — 

SoLup  Locj\Aimi  piojtonuigne 

1 11 11  e  (2U)  T)Olb  co  cLeAcLuTOip 

Oa  peApp  •601'b  conomjAb'OAir  (3°) 

JettbtJAit)  eAttA  (40)  AicpeAcuip 

Sunn  pe  cLiacoiVj  ctoipoenA 

bn  cporoeApcc  cuipp  cpeuccnAijce 

We  pm  ci  La  LAiipoLinp. 

SoiLLpi. 

"  "P&ipnne  pn,  is  "Pn^oic,"  a.]\  Conj^L  "  Ap  et>h,  50  "oeirhm," 
&]\  "P]\aoc,  "7  bu  otc  -oo-o'  fUi&^oibp  7  •oo  flu&jh&ib 
"pepccup.6.  inic  be-oe  1,  7  bu  iom-6^  b&p  n-e&pb&'6&  o'n 
rn-bpuigm  ux>." 

LXV. 

U.&.ng&'o&N.pkn  inA  cc&nh&ib  coipij;ce  -o'lonnpoicci-o 
bpiui  jne  Ooipice  50  ce&ch  G&ch&ib  S^Lbume  ;  7  &r  &rhL.M,6 
•oobi  ,6.11  bp.u15e.Mi  pon  7  ]?epccup  m<\c  Leioe  innce  7  rmc 
■piot;  7  nopt^cA  tlL&t)   7   Gpenn   &p   coaha  'n&  poc«Mp  Ann,  7 

(1)  geurJAm,  1st  pi.  redupl.  fut.  of  gAbAitn.  (20)  nine,   '  bowel,  ' 

'  womb,'  '  inner  meaning  ';  O.  Ir.  uroe.  For  other  meanings  of  this  word-form, 
•vide  "Br.  Laws  Gloss.,"  s.v.  (30)  cono-tn-^AOOAif :  m,  infixed  pron.  of 

1st  person.  (40)  eAU,A,  'a  fit '  (O'R.). 


COXGHAL  CLAIRIXGHXEACH.  169 

mac  Rosa  said:  "  I  shall  go,"  said  he,  "  to  learn  news  for  you  as 
to  where  Fergus  mac  Lede,  the  king  of  Ulster,  is."  Fergus 
came  to  land  ;  and  a  man  met  him,  and  he  learnt  from  him  in 
what  place  Fergus  mac  Lede  was  ;  and  Fergus  mac  Rosa  came 
to  where  his  people  were. 

"  Well,  O  Fergus  !  "  said  Conghal,  "  where  is  the  king  of 
Ulster  to-night  ?  "  "  He  is  coming  to  Sliabh  Slainge,  to  the 
house  of  Eochaidh  Salbhuidhe,"  said  Fergus.  "We  are  pleased 
at  that,"  said  each,  "  for  we  shall  take  the  hostel  on  him  without 
a  doubt  to-night ";  and  they  proceeded  at  the  end  of  the  day 
towards  the  hostel  till  they  reached  Inbhear  n-Gaoth,  which  is 
called  Tonn  Rughraidhe,  and  towards  the  Rough  Way,  which 
is  called  Iomaire  Muilleann,  and  to  Carraig  na  Faircsiona  ; 
and  they  saw  the  lantern-light  of  the  hostel  off  from  them 
there.  "  That  is  the  gleam  of  a  royal  candle,"  said  Fraoch 
the  druid  ;  and  he  spoke  these  words  there : — 

The  light  of  the  lantern  of  a  royal  hostel, 
(Better)  that  they  should  change  their  intention, 
Better  that  they  should  receive  me. 
They  shall  endure  a  fit  of  sorrow, 
Here  through  wattles  of  listening  (?). 
Lacerated  bodies  shall  be  gory-red 
Before  the  full  light  of  day  comes. 

"  That  is  a  prophecy,  O  Fraoch,"  said  Conghal.  "  It  is,  indeed," 
said  Fraoch,  "  and  it  bodes  ill  for  your  hosts  and  the  hosts  of 
Fergus  mac  Lede,  and  many  shall  be  your  losses  through 
yonder  hostel." 

LXV. 

They  came  in  serried  battalions  towards  the  hostel  of 
Boirche,1  to  the  house  of  Eochaidh  Salbhuidhe  ;  and  the 
condition  of  the  hostel  was  this  :  it  had  in  it  Fergus  mac  Lede 
and  the  sons  of  the  kings  and  the  other  great  princes  of  Ulster 

1  Vide  Additional  Notes.     We  have  here  the  synopsis  of  the  lost  tale  of  the 
"  Destruction  of  Cathair  Boirche." 


170  cAioieitn  congMt  ctAitiiriSriiS. 

'oobA'OAn  peAcc  n-t)oippi  pon  ah  ni-bnuijm  -pin,  7  ni  piAibe 
enDonup  5&n  cpenpen  conA-p'OA  no  gAn  nij^AirinA  nocAbniA 
no  cpeobb  c]\en  nenoiiAn  "o'pe&nAib  6peAnn  icca  ccoirhet). 

tlAn^ATDAn  mumcen  Coni;Aib  7  "penccupA  true  TlorA  jun 
JAbpAc  copcA*6(ic)  An  m  cubAig  op  An  rn-bptnjm  7  'oo 
cu-i^eAt)  rbuAJ  uaca  -o'Apccom  n&  bntnjne.  'Oo  bi  Api 
■oonur  •oo'n  bptn 51  n  rm  ha  c|ai  T)inb  a  h-1nmr  Umn  7  "oobi 
An  -oonur  ebe  -61  tTlerce-onA  itiac  Atnc  ttle-p'oeAbbAinn  mAC 
puj;  LAigen,  7  -oobi  An  "oopup  eibe  Cec  mAc  THa^ac  7  e  1 
cconrn-oeAcc  ni[j]  UbA'6  Ann.  tlAin  A-p  AitibAno  'oobi'oip 
puo^nAroe  UbA'6  7  buA-m  n-o^tAcmr  7  n-gAirccTo  onpiA  acc 
cohiax)  ac,c  •oogeubA'o  An  c-ogbAC  a  ceDAnm  7  Ar  t>o  ha 
ce'ooi'ocib  Ar  cpuAToe  mA  piAibe  Cec  niAtri  An  bntn  jen  pn. 
*Oo  bi  An  t)onur  eibe  t)i  tlorA  nuA-o  mAC  flu jnAroe  7  t)obi 
^ACcnA  "pACAC  a  TTiAc  An  x>o]iu[  ete  t)i,  7  "oobi  TtlAobcpoic 
ACAin  CAcbAit)  An  "oonur  oibe  [t)i]  pop,  7  jbepe  rbuAij  "Ub«yd 
7  6nent)  6  -pm  awac.  *Oo  jjAineoAn  pbuAij  Con JAib  xxs  jac 
Aint)  [,oo],n  bnuijpn  Ann  rm.  "Con^Ab-po,"  An  bucc  ponAine 
nA  cAcpAC,  "  7  rbu&i^  An  "oorriAin  [p]oip  m  pApp^e  Ant)." 
"  1r  pon  50  bpuibiT),"  An  "penccu-p  mAC  Le-oe,  "7  -oenunopi 
tnAic,  a  riiumcin  .  .  .  (20),"  An  re,  "  7  nA  coinrneApcAit)  put) 
bAn  n-6b  no  b&n  n-AoibneAr  umuib  acc  p,nic[eob]Ai'6  -peAc 
bA]\  ccombAnn  a  n-"oonup  nA  bnuijne  50  cci  bA  conA  bAn- 
-pobup."  lr  Annpm  "oo  [einjJcoAn  nAcpi  *Oinb>  a  h-1nnip  Uuip, 
attiac,  7  cAn^At)An  omcibb  nA  bnuijne  7  *oo  cuip[pec]  Apv 
mon  An  nA  rbuAgViAib  Atnui^  7  ccVnccA'OAn  lorn-plAn  ipn 
rnbpui^m  lAnpm.  UAn^ADfA-p  nJA-pbtiAij  Apir  cupn  m-bnin  jm 
7  -oo  caiccoap  -pnApA  "o'a  poi5"oib  50pm a  7  "o'a  bp[A5A]x)tiib(30) 
•pAobpiACA  rmbeACA  ronnA  511^  no^onpAC  (40)  bucc  coiriieT)A 

(1°)  cofCAt)  :  vide  note  (40),  p.  90.         (20)  MS.  defective.     M.  O'C.  supplies 
•mAic.  (30)  fAJA,   'a  spear';  -vide  Windisch,   "  Worterbuch,"  s.v. 

(40)  ^u^^ojoiifAC,  3rd  sg.  s.  pret.  of  po-gonAim,  'I  wound.'  Ho  is  an  intensive 
particle. 


1  I.e.,   '  Received  his  first  training  in  arms.'  2  There  is  a  peculiar  ellipsis 


CONGHAL  CLAIRINGHNEACH.  171 

and  of  Ireland  with  him  ;  and  there  were  seven  doors  on  that 
hostel,  and  no  door  was  without  a  towering  champion  or  very 
brave  royal  prince  or  strong  powerful  hero  of  the  men  of 
Ireland  guarding  it. 

The  followers  of  Conghal  and  Fergus  mac  Rosa  proceeded 
till  they  came  to  a  stand  on  the  hill  above  the  hostel,  and 
they  sent  a  host  to  devastate  the  hostel. 

There  were  on  one  door  of  that  hostel  the  three  Dubhs 
from  Tory  Island,  and  on  another  door  of  it  was  Mesgedra, 
son  of  Art  Mesdealbhann,  the  son  of  the  king  of  Leinster, 
and  on  another  door  was  Cet  mac  Maghach,  and  he  was 
accompanying  the  king  of  Ulster. 

The  way  with  the  princes  of  Ulster  was  this  :  that  theirs 
was  the  victory  in  heroism  and  valour  save  it  were  that  the 
warrior  received  his  first  weapon1  from  them  ;  and  at  that 
hostel  Cet  spent  the  hardest  first  night  he  ever  spent.2  On 
another  door  was  Rosa  Ruadh,  son  of  Rury,  and  his  son, 
Fachtna  Fathach,  was  on  another  door,  and  Maolchroich, 
father  of  Cathbadh,  on  still  another  door,  and  the  pick  of 
the  hosts  of  Ulster  and  Ireland  furthermore.  Conghal's 
hosts  shouted  from  every  point  of  the  hostel.  "  Here  is 
Conghal,"  said  the  sentinels  of  the  '  cathair,'  "  and  the  hosts 
of  the  world  there  on  the  sea."  "  Truly  they  are,"  said 
Fergus  mac  Lede,  "  and  act  well,  O  people  .  .  .  ,"  said  he, 
"  and  let  not  that  interrupt  your  drinking  and  pleasuring,  but 
wage  your  combat  in  the  door  of  the  hostel  till  day  arrives 
with  its  full  light." 

Then  the  three  Dubhs  from  Tory  Island  came  out,  and 
passed  round  the  hostel,  and  they  inflicted  great  slaughter  on 
the  hosts  outside,  and  they  returned  after  that  unscathed  into 
the  hostel.  The  hosts  came  again  up  to  the  hostel,  and  they 
launched  a  shower  of  their  blue  darts  and  of  their  sharp- 
edged,  bloody  spears,  so  that  they  wounded  the  guards  at  the 

in  this  idiom.  Lit.,  it  means,  '.It  is  of  the  hardest  first-nights  in  which  Cet 
was--that  hostel.' 


172  CMttieim  con$Ait  ctAimr)5ni5. 

nA  n-T>oi|ife-6.  UA[mic]  IDerce-onA  iiiac  jn[j]  t/Ai^en  Ann  pn 
7  ce-o  t&oc  bep  J  pjAin  t)eAbw6  7  nn|ieApMn  Amtnj  [co  n]o 
tnAnbA-o  a  tntnncen  Ann  7  ■oo  x>icui|i  ha  pbuAig  o'n  mbntntm 
co  bonb  7  cahhc  ipn  m-bntnjm  Anonn  [ai]]\  pn.  UAn^AOA-p 
■oocum  ah  -oontnr  -oerceAncAij  iAn  pn  bucc  intip  5A^b  7  "^ 
n-oibe&n  tube,  7  if  An  m  -oonup  pn  "oobi  "pAccnA  "JTauac  tiiac 
UorA,  7  "oo  eini§  ahiac  7  -oo  JAb  a  a|utia  7  -oo  benAT>An 
cao^a  Laoc  vo  gbepe  a  nmmcine  e,  7  -oo  f  Aicpoc  1  ccenn  An 
cpbtiAij  fA  ne^A  -661b  7  -oo  piAome-OAn  o'n  mbntnjm  ia-o 
tube,  7  CAimc  pein  ipn  mbnmjm  iaj\  pn.  UAn^A-OAn  ha 
pbti<yi5  Anif  gupn  rn-bntntjm,  7  •oo  gAine-oAn  tnmpe. 

LXVI. 

UAimc  Cec  mAc  HIa^ac  hia  AonAn  atdac  "o'lonnfoigit)  nA 
fbtiAg  7  CAimc  yo  cni  a  ccimcibb  nA  bnmjne  7  vo  p  Agtnb 
cof  aij\  cno  mb  mA  bm^e  bitnn.  UAimc  pem  Anif  lomfbAn 
ipn  m-bntnjpn  iAn  pn.  1]-  Ann  fin  "oo  JAinet>An  nA  fbtiAij 
tube  p\'n  m-bntn^m  Anif  7  x>o  CAiccoAn  tdo  cAinngib 
cenn JA]\bA  co  h-AcbArh  1,  7  t)o  cuAbA  Ooipce  CAfunbAc  ttiac 
e-AcliA-m  Scsbbutoe  pn  7  e  1  ccacaoija  a}\  fofA"6bAn  nA 
bntn^ne,  7  cpi  caoja  mACAOih  mine  aito,  7-00  en  get)  An  aidac 
7  -oo  tmc  cpi  cao^a  bAOc  beo  Amtnj,  7  CAngAt^n  fern 
lompbAn  ipn  m-bptnjm  Anif  7  ■oobAf  a^a  mobA"6  50  mop. 
UAimc  fceubA  An  combtnnn  pn  co  CongAb,  7  A-oconnAic  Ape 
Aompep  mAc  Apctnp  mA  piATmuipe,  7  AtmbAipc  ConJAb  pip : 
"  Bpijp  "OAiTirA,  a  Ainc  Aompp,  nA  cpi  cao^a  mACAorh 
nio^-oA  CAimc,  7  cAbAip  ceAnt)  Ooipce  true  CacIiaix)  •oom' 
lonnfoijefe."  Uah^a-oap  oocum  nA  bptnjme  7  "oo  jjAipeT)Ap 
•oa  jac  Ainx>  tnmpe;  7  6-ocuAbA(i°)  boipce  gupAb  aja  iAppAix> 
pen  -DobA-DAp,  x>o  lonnpoi^to  co  1i-AcbArh  ia*o,  7  ir  Aim  CApbA 
•oa  ceibe  iat)  An  tipbAp  nA  bntnjne  7  *oo  i:enAX)A|\  conibAnn 

(i°)  MS.  o-o  cuaI/A.     6t>  came  to  be  considered  evidently  as  a  conjunction 
meaning  'when.' 


1  Lit.,  'In  their  lying  of  wounding.'      tuije  bum  :  bum,  gen.  of  teoti, 


CONGHAL  CLAIRINGHNEACH.  173 

doors.  Mesgedra,  the  son  of  the  king  of  Leinster,  came  there 
and  a  hundred  warriors  with  him,  and  he  met  with  strife  and 
contention  outside,  so  that  his  people  were  killed ;  and  he 
drove  the  hosts  from  the  hostel  in  fierce  fashion,  and  came 
thereon  back  into  the  hostel.  The  inhabitants  of  Innsi  Gall 
and  of  the  Isles  then  came  to  the  southern  door ;  and  it  is  at 
that  door  that  Fachtna  Fathach  mac  Rosa  was,  and  he  went 
out  and  seized  his  arms,  and  fifty  warriors  from  the  pick  of  his 
people  followed  him,  and  they  shot  at  the  host  nearest  to  them, 
and  they  beat  them  all  off  from  the  hostel,  and  he  [Fachtna] 
himself  came  thereafter  into  the  hostel.  The  hosts  came  up 
again  to  the  hostel,  and  they  shouted  round  it. 

LXVI. 

Cet  mac  Maghach  came  out  alone  against  the  hosts,  and 
he  passed  thrice  round  the  hostel,  and  he  left  a  gory  heap 
of  them  lying  wounded.1  He  himself  then  came  back  again 
unscathed  into  the  hostel.  Then  all  the  hosts  again  shouted 
round  the  hostel,  and  they  plied  it  quickly  with  rough- 
topped  rocks,  and  Boirche  Casurlach,  son  of  Eochaidh 
Salbhuidhe,  heard  that  when  he  was  in  a  seat  on  the  resting- 
place  of  the  hostel  with  one  hundred  and  fifty  warriors  round 
him  ;  and  they  went  out,  and  one  hundred  and  fifty  warriors 
fell  at  their  hands  outside  ;  and  they  themselves  came  back 
again  into  the  hostel  unscathed,  and  were  greatly  praised. 
Tidings  of  that  fight  reached  Conghal,  and  he  saw  Art  Aoin- 
fhear,  son  of  Arthur,  before  him,  and  Conghal  said  to  him  : 
"  Raise  for  me,  O  Art  Aoinfhear,  the  thrice  fifty  royal  warriors 
who  have  come,  and  bring  the  head  of  Boirche,  son  of  Eochaidh, 
to  me."  They  came  to  the  hostel,  and  they  shouted  from  every 
point  of  it  ;  and  when  Boirche  heard  that  it  was  himself 
they  were  seeking,  he  approached  them  quickly ;  and  it  is 
on  the  floor  of  the  hostel  that  they  met  together,  and  they 

'affliction,   a  wound'  (O'R.).     The  word  is  common  in  modern  poetry  in  such 
phrases  as  '  1f  hi  teom  •o'aj\  n-AOf  65,'   'It  is  a  sad  day  for  our  young  folk.' 


m  cAitneiin  con$Ait  cL£iiun$ni$. 

\\e  cete  7  Dob'  e  &  cc]aioc  ]gun  iwc  Ooipce  C&pj]At&c  m&c 
e-&ch&i"6  S^tbtn-oe  conA  cni  C&05&  rn&c&oiri  te  h-A]\c  Aomt?er\ 
m&c  ^15  0|Aec&n,  7  c&imc  yen  lompt&n  a.itia.c  7  cucc  ce&nn 
Ooince  te]"  50  h-&ij\m  1  ]A&ibe  C0115&L.  "  A5  pn,  &  Conj&it, 
in  ceAiro  do  i^]\]\Aif  oj\m,"  ^]\  p3.  "De|i  bu<MD  7  be.\nn- 
&cc&m!"  &]\  Conj&t,  "7  Den.6,  imue&cc  p3&pr.6,  •oocum  do 
t')]\e  yen  7  ]aoV  pt<yn  qienw."  (i°)  Tto  11TIC15  xsn  rn&c&orh 
i&npn  Docum  a  ci]Ae  .1.  C]\ioco.  OjAe&c&n  7  do  j&bi^n  ni$e 
0]\e&c&n  di&  eir  51^'  corh&impn  Con^&t  te  h-Anc  Aoint?e]A 
Depn.  0'Dconnc&D&]A  pn  iia  cpi  T)tnb  o.  n-1ni]-  Uui]A  Ooince 
C&pi]\to.c  do  cuicirn,  b&  *ooiti  j  teo  e  7  Do^bpsc  .0.  n-&nrn& 
7  CAn5<yo&]\  &m&c.  "  til  ciuc]?&m  &-pce.6.c  50  n-Dio^t^m 
tn&c  CacIuid  &]a  no.  h-o.ttmo.]\]ACo.ib  ";  7  mop  jo.b  co.c  no 
corhto.nn  ]\iu  co  cco.]Ato.  Ano.D&.t  eucco.c  rno.c  1A15  Concenn 
]aiaj  7  do  ]>eo.]Ao.D&]A  coiiito.nn  cjaoda.  cu|1o.ca.  ]\e  cete,  7  do 
ponuo-mto-i 5  (20)  Ano-Do-t  o]A]Ao.]"o.n  jjun  ben  a.  ccni  cmn  Dib 
co  De0.5c0.p0.iD,  7  do  cui]A  o.  bpo,Dnuip3  Con50.1t  10.D.  "A5 
pn  cmn  no.  cc]ai  n-"Oub  duic,  o.  Con5A.1t,"  o-ia  ye,  7  iDbepc: — 

Cmn  -Dine,  a  ConjjAil  ClAnAigriAij  ! 
Cni  mic  oobi  'guc'  ojaacaija ! 
Donoj\cr\AOAr\  (20)  turn  'niAte  ; 

CATlgA'OAJA  A  C1UJlA1C1  ;  (4°) 

Ha  cni  Duil!)  oo  tiiAnbur-A, 

Cni  meic  CeAcbA,  cniun  cunAO  ! 

Ay  iAopn  |\omcnecutiAi  jfe,  (50) 

•RomyAjfAt)  yo  c|\u  ctniiAfoh  ; 

Ha  c:|\i  Dinb  a  h-1nnp  Cuin 

Do  concnAt)A|\  (6°)  tiom  50  jnnin. 

SocliAioe  no  ifiApbr'ACAn, 

1f  T>'An  CAtLpiCAp  A  CCItltl. 

C. 

(i°)  cneiiAi,  comp.  of  cpeAii  (cnen).  (20)  troncAmtAij, 

3rd  sg.  pret.  of  pDncAmbAignn,   'I  prevail.'  (30)  00  |\opcj\A,OA]\ 

=  00  r\o-no-CA]\-At)Ar\.  (40)  cuijIaici,  'last-day':  cf.  Windisch, 

s.  v.  cit>5  ;  Ho«an,  "  Cath.  R.  na  Rig,"  p.  190.  (50)  Ro-m-cpeccnAij^e  : 

111,  infixed  pronoun  of  1st  person  sg.  6°)  00  copcnAOAn  :  00  oo-no-CAn- 

AT)Ar\. 


COXGHAL  CLAIRINGHNEACH.  175 

fought  together  ;  and  the  end  of  them  was  that  Boirche  Casur- 
lach,  son  of  Eochaidh  Salbuidhe,  fell  with  his  thrice  fifty 
warriors  at  the  hands  of  Art  Aoinfhear,  son  of  the  king  of 
Britain,  and  he  himself  came  out  unscathed,  and  he  brought 
with  him  the  head  of  Boirche  to  where  Conghal  was.  "  Here, 
O  Conghal !  is  the  head  you  asked  of  me;''  said  he.  "  Success 
and  blessing  !  "  said  Conghal,  "  and  proceed  forthwith  to  your 
own  country,  and  be  well  and  stronger."  The  warrior  pro- 
ceeded after  that  to  his  country,  viz.,  the  territory  of  Britain, 
and  he  assumed  the  kingship  of  Britain  afterwards,  so  that 
in  that  way  Conghal  was  contemporary  with  Art  Aoinfhear. 
When  the  three  Dubhs  from  Tory  Island  saw  Boirche  Casur- 
lach  fall,  they  grieved  at  it,  and  they  seized  their  arms  and 
came  out.  "  We  shall  not  go  in  till  we  shall  avenge  on  the 
foreigners  the  death1  of  the  son  of  Eochaidh,"  [said  they]  ;  and 
neither  in  battle  nor  in  combat  were  they  resisted  till  Anadhal 
Euchtach,  son  of  the  king  of  the.Concheanns,  met  them,  and 
they  fought  in  brave  and  warrior-like  fashion  together,  and 
Anadhal  overpowered  them  and  cut  their  three  heads  off 
right  quickly,  and  brought  them  to  Conghal.  "  Here  are  the 
heads  of  the  three  Dubhs  for  you,  O  Conghal,"  said  he ;  and  he 
said  : — 

Here  are  the  heads  for  you,  O  Conghal  Claraighneach, 

Three  sons  your  brother  had  ! 

They  fell  at  our  hands  together  , 

Their  last  days  had  come. 

I  slew  the  three  Dubhs, 

The  three  sons  of  Ceathba,  three  heroes  ! 

It  is  they  who  wounded  me, 

They  left  me  in  grievous  plight2 ; 

The  three  Dubhs  from  Tory  Island 

Fell  by  me  exactly. 

Numbers  they  had  slain 

And  from  them  cut  their  heads. 


1  Lit.,  '  Till  we  avenge  the  son  of  Eochaidh.'  •  Lit.,   •  in  <*ore  of 

grief.' 


176  cAittieim  conjAit  ct^minjnig. 


LXVII. 

X)o  cuaLa  ^enccur  tiiac  Le-oe  An  cniA-p  pn  "o'a  rriuinciii  X)o 
ctncim,  7  -oo  g&b  a^a  n-eccAome  50  in  on  7  a^a  n-A-orhotAt), 
7  A-oubAinc  :  "An  rA^Aim  ne^c  -o'a  n-TnoguiLc  -put)  ?"  An  re. 
"  Uaca-o^a  ^nn,"  A]i  Cec  mAC  ITIa^acIi,  "7  ni  cmcAb  (i°) 
Arce^c  noco  ccu^cAn  ceAnn  nnc  ]ti[j]  Concenn  cu'CA'orA." 
UAimc  ahiac  7  -oo  pm  ah  cac  mLe  co  ccAnLA  AnAT>AL 
euccAC  Ain  7  'o'f-eA-pA'OAn  coriilAnt)  pocT>A,  reApAttiAil, 
caLiiia,  cunACA,  neAnnriAn,  nAnh'oijje,  AJriiAn,  lon^AncAC,  7 
•00  cmc  AnAT)[AL]  a  ccniocViAib  (20)  An  coriitumn,  7  cucc  a 
ceAnn  leir  ipn  m-bntn^m  Anonn  a  bpA-onuire  "pencc[urA] 
nnc  Let)e,  7  A*oubAi]\c  An  Laoi  Ann  : — 

CeAnn  ouic,  a  penccur  uLat) ! 

6in  Af  rrnri  nornutAO  (30); 

CeAnn  ni£  ComceAnn,  c)\[uai'6]  ctm  ! 

A  n-'oioJAiL  cirni  (40)  ha  ccni  nDub, 

Ar  e  •oo  cuin  An  An  rLuAij 

An  "ooinpb  bnmjne  50  m-btiAio  ; 

Af  Aine  cu   .  .  .  .  (50)  mm  j 

A  n-'oioJAib  [ceAnn]  ha  ccni  nOub. 

fli  cug  a  tAin  a  LAim  niogh 

OccIac  ■oob'  freAnn  cneiri  gniotri 

I11A  AnAT)AL  .  .   .  (6°)  neAiTo 

Ce  •oonA'our  (70)  bom  a  cenn. 

C. 

O-ocuaLa  pn  UonnA  mAc  Umnenit;  SAjp^n  -oobA  ttoitig 
teir  AnAt)AL  "oo  ctncnn  [Le]  cnuAr6benieAnT)Aib  Ceic,  7 
CAimc  Anonn  ipn  ni-bntnjin  ;  7  -oo  emu  nAonbA-jt  vo 
bAinib  (8°)  nA  bntnjne,  7  -oo  pJA^Aiji  coriijiAc  aii  luce  ha 
bnui^ne.  A-o[connAic]  tTlep^e-onA  hiac  Ainc  TnepoeALbAiTo 
.1.  rtiAc  ni[$]  LAigen  mA  ajjato,  7  'o'yenA'OAn  c[oriitAnn] 
cAimA,  coiiiLAnoin,  cu-pACA  \\e  cele,  7  bA  nuACAn  "oa  ]\ig  aca 
7    bA    jur   "6a     ^[AirJgeAbAcli    7    bA     cenne  (90)    •oa    "oaiii 

(i°)  m  cmcAb,  1st  sg.  conj.  B-fut.  ofciccmi.  (20)  cniocnAib ; 

MS.,  cniodi~.  (30)  no-r-nuiAt),  r,  infixed  pron.  3rd  sg.  (40)  cum  : 


COXGHAL  CLAIRIXGHXEACH.  177 

LXVII. 

Fergus  heard  of  the  fall  of  these  three  of  his  followers,  and 
he  bewailed  them  very  much  and  praised  them  ;  and  he  said : 
"  Can  I  find  anyone  to  avenge  these  ?  "  said  he.  "  I  shall  go," 
said  Get  mac  Maghach,  "  and  I  shall  not  come  in  till  you  get 
the  head  of  the  son  of  the  king  of  the  Concheanns."  He  came 
out,  and  he  searched  through  the  whole  battle  till  Anadhal 
Euchtach  met  him,  and  they  waged  a  fierce,  manly,  brave, 
warrior-like,  vigorous,  hostile,  dire,  wondrous  fight,  and  in  the 
end  of  the  fight  Anadhal  fell,  and  he  (Cet)  brought  his  head 
with  him  into  the  hostel  to  Fergus  mac  Lede,  and  he  recited 
the  poem  there  : — 

Here  is  a  head  for  you,  O  Fergus  of  Ulster ! 

For  it  is  I  who  overthrew  it, 

The  head  of  the  king  of  the  Concheanns,  brave  the  warrior  ! 

In  revenge  for  the  heads  of  the  three  Dubhs. 

He  it  is  who  inflicted  slaughter  on  the  host 

At  the  doors  of  the  hostel,  victoriously  ! 

That  is  why         ...... 

In  revenge  for  the  heads  of  the  three  Dubhs. 
There  placed  his  hand  in  the  hand  of  a  king1 
No  warrior  better  in  vigour  of  deeds, 

Than  Anadhal 

Though  I  have  brought  with  me  his  head. 

When  Torna  mac  Tinne,  the  king  of  the  Saxons,  heard 
that,  he  grieved  at  Anadhal's  falling  by  the  hard  strokes  of 
Cet,  and  he  came  into  the  hostel  ;  and  nine  of  the  chiefs  of 
the  hostel  fell,  and  he  proclaimed  war  on  the  inhabitants 
of  the  hostel.  He  saw  Mesgedra,  son  of  Art  Mesdealman,  the 
son  of  the  king  of  Leinster,  before  him,  and  they  waged  a 
brave,  very  strong,  and  warrior-like  fight  together ;  and  it  was 
an  onslaught  of  two  kings,  and  it  was  the  fierceness  of  two 

sic  MS.  (5C)  M.  O'C.  supplies  cug^r  attiui§.  (6°)  MS.  defective: 

M.  O'C.  supplies  ConceAtin.       (70)  O.  Ir.  -oopACup        (8°)  b^ijvib  for  b^ib  ? 
Cf.  Lismore,  fol.  156,  b.  c.  1.       (90)  cemie  :  abs.  noun  from  adj.  ceAtni,  '  strong.' 

1  I.  e,   '  There  swore  fealty  to  a  king.'      Vide  Add.  Note. 

N 


178  cMtrieim  con$Ail  ctAminsins. 

n--oite^riri  (i°),  7  "oob'  e  cnioc  An  coiiiLumn  -^uy  cine  UonnA 
[time]  Cmne  be  tT)erce"onA,  7  nucc  a  ce^nn  ley  niAn  a 
nAibe  penccur  hiac  Lcoe  ;  7  Tobenc  in  Laoi  : — 

CeAnn  •ouic,  a  £enccuf  Gaiihia  ! 
JunAb  moi'oe  -oo  rhetimA, 
tli  ceAtm  act)  cetin  ConiiA  c]\ein 
Uaiiiic  ca]\  muiH  50  monceibl ; 
ConnA  triAC  Ceinne  50  m-buAfo, 
1li  Sa^i'aii,  r-Aoipe  ]*Iuai§, 
Ay  e  ah  yeyx  pn  co  bpntib 
Do  cuin  a|\  'mAti  Afvobntii 5111. 
"Oo  fenfAniAn  coiiitArm  cpuAit) 
niip  Ay  ConnA  ne  h-enuAin ; 
Ay  e  notncneuccnAi  5  (20)  co  cent) 
5e  •oonA'ouf  Liom  a  ceAim. 

CeAtin. 

LXVIII. 

Ciou  cnA  act:  6t>cuaLa  Con^Ab  a  cnenpn  t>o  cmcim  7  a 
tin  bit)  "oo  iriAnbAX)  7  a  cupwo  t)o  cnuATdbe-onAT)  7  &  thrice 
■oo  trm-ohugA'o,  -oo  einig  yem  7  penccur  rtiAc  UopA  7  &n 
corcA^  (30)  mbe,  7  "oo  cm  net)  An  ce[init)]  7  ceiTOAbA  ipn 
tn-bnm  j;m  a  n-enjreAcc  ;  7  Atmb  aijac  peAnccur  mw  Leoe  : 
"  djACdt),  a  p|{^]  !"  A]\  ye,  "u&in  acaca]\  aj  borcA"6  ha 
bnmjne  onmnn,  7  cAtojunt)  bAn  n-Aijce  nocAbiriA  eirt)e,  UAin 
Ay  urA  i)Aoib  b&n  rnAnbAT)  1  ccac  mA  bAn  LorcAt)  a  cc[ij]." 
Do  encccoAnrAn  mbe  Atinpn  7  -oo  cniocnAig  An  CAbArh 
cnomfofoeAC  mA  ccnncibb  bA  [benneAnnAib]  (40)  ua  nnbeA'd 
^5  b]\ireA"6  iu  bnmgne  -o'a  n-gtiAibbib  (50)  7  aja  cogbAib 
•01b.  1r  Annpn  *oo  coinigeA-o  CAi  penccurA  1111c  Leoe  co 
h-AcbAiii  a  ccencA^Afd  caua  Con^&ib,  7  *oobA  ce-ops-oAc  An 
•oa  cac  pri  .1.  Con  JAb  conA  AtbniAnchAib  7  penccurmAc  Lcoe 
con  ^  tlLtc.6x.Mb.  fto  ben  At)  benn  bonb  1  ccen-o  a  cebe  -oo'n 
x>a  CAi  rm.  "OobA  "obmc  An  "oeAbAno  7  -cob'  jroccu]'  An 
nn]\eroin    "oo    fionrAt)    cb^nnA    TiusnAToe    a    n-A^Afo     ha 

(i°)  MS.,  ■oilmn,  gen.  to  later  110m.  •oiteAnn.  (20)  notncneuccAig, 

nomcneuccnAij:  throughout  the  MS.  the  asp.  after  1st  sg.  infixed  is  omitted. 
(30)  CopcAt)  or  CofUATO  (?) :  v.  infra,  p.  90,  note  (40).  (40)  benneAnnAib  (?) ; 

MS.  defective;  M.  O'C.  reads  rnuinn.         (50)  5uAitLib  for  gUAilmb. 


COXGHAL  CLAIRIXGHXEACH.  179 

warriors,  and  it  was  the  strength  of  two  huge  deer,  and  the 
result  of  the  combat  was  that  Torna  mac  Tinne  fell  at  the 
hands  of  Mesgedra,  and  the  latter  took  his  head  with  him  to 
where  Fergus  mac  Lede  was.  and  recited  the  poem  : — 

A  head  for  you,  O  Fergus  of  Eamhain ! 

May  your  spirit  be  greater  thereby, 

No  head  is  it  but  the  head  of  Torna,  the  strong, 

Who  came  over  the  sea  with  great  skill ; 

Torna  mac  Tinne,  victoriously, 

The  king  of  the  Saxons,  freedom  of  a  host ! 

He  it  is,  with  wounds, 

Inflicted  slaughter  round  the  great  hostel. 

We  waged  a  hard  fight, 

I  and  Torna  together  ; 

It  is  he  who  severely  wounded  me 

Though  I  have  brought  his  head  with  me. 

LXVIII. 

However,  when  Conghal  heard  of  the  fall  of  his  champions, 
and  of  the  death  of  his  warriors,  and  of  the  severe  lacerating 
of  his  heroes,  and  of  the  destruction  of  his  chiefs,  he  himself 
and  Fergus  mac  Rosa  and  the  whole  company  (?)  arose,  and 
they  set  fire  and  flaming  faggots  to  the  hostel  at  one  time ; 
and  Fergus  mac  Lede  said  :  "  Rise,  O  men,"  said  he,  "  for 
they  are  burning  our  hostel,  and  face  out  bravely,  for  it  is 
easier  for  you  to  die  in  battle  than  to  be  burnt  in  a 
house."1  They  all  rose  then,  and  the  heavy-sodded  earth 
shook  round  them  through  the  [strokes]  of  the  warriors  who 
were  overthrowing  the  hostel  with  their  shoulders,  and  raising 
it  with  them. 

It  is  then  the  army  of  Fergus  was  drawn  quickly  up  right 
opposite  the  army  of  Conghal  ;  and  keen  were  these  two 
armies,  viz.,  Conghal  and  his  followers,  and  Fergus  mac  Lede 
and  his  Ulstermen.  The  two  armies  struck  boldly  at  one 
another.  Close  was  the  strife,  and  at  close  quarters  the 
struggle    which    the    Clann    Rury    maintained    against    the 

1  a  cag,  'in  a  house';  Afcij,  adv.,   'inside.' 
N  2 


180  cAitrieim  con$Mt  cLaiih  1151115. 

n-ALtrriA-pnAC  jun  ctnneAT)  A-p  AnbAib  ecAnnA  co  pi.M'op'oi-p 
trnc  Trno-o-Aoiri  aja  nA  tmnob  jrobA  yoyve^e  t)obi  yo  corAib 
nA  ccunA-6,  7  -00  "ben  "Fen^ur  itiac  UorA  a  bnAicbernen-oA 
bio-ob^t)  onnA,  7  vo  nefohij  Con^Ab  conAin  cunAi-6  cnernA 
CActiAib  ^un  tiiui5  An  cac  A-p  "Pe-pccup  tiiac  "Le-oe  7  A-p 
UtbCACAib;  7  -oo  ia-6  UorA  nuA"6  itiac  Tlu^ivuToe  7  pAccne 
£acac,  a  tiiac,  a  ccnncitt  penccurA  mic  Le-oe,  7  cuccA-OAn 
rciAc  CAn  ^°1^5  "oo'n  tAOcrhiteA-6,  7  ^u^a-oa^  A-p  nio-pc  a 
n-eriorriuib  7  a  n-en^nArho  e,  7  -oo  boipceA-6  An  bAite  tube 
Ann  pm  be  Con^Ab  coriA  CACAib  7  o-oconnAic  ^ACcnA  "pmn 
pte  nA  h-AnA  monA  rm  cimcibb  n&  b]un§m,  Ape-6  A-oubAinc  : 
"1r  lortroA  leACCA  tlltcA-6  punn,"  A-p  re,  "7  A-p  neirimAic 
biornpA  a  m-beic  ArhtAi-o  pm,  7  -oo  pe-OAnpA  tec  Api  tec  .1. 
ctingeAn  7  cecpe  cet)  Ape*6  -oo  cine  -o'tlbbcAib  Ann,  7  x>eic- 
neAbApi  7  pice  cet)  "oo  cine  -oo'n  cpbUAJ  CAinic  Lmne  can 
muiiA  7  cAn  monpAi-pnge"  ;  7  -oo  bi  aja  n-eccAome  co 
h-A-obAbrnon  con-ebenc  : — 

£uib(i°)  pinn  beAccA  £0  burn  cjao 
T)'a  bpuit  1,1  om,  •DAiiiiiA  ■005116  ! 
Saoc  L10111  aj\  tltlcAC  -o'a  CC015 
Aj;uf  AiibuAin  |ie  h-iopjjmb ; 
Cuigep  Af  cecpe  ceo 
Ape-6  (20)  cuccat)  ■o'tlblcoib  a  n-ecc  ; 
SurmA  "oo  cuice-OAp  q\A 

1f  AHO  ACAIT)  A  LeACCA  (30) ; 

T)eiciieAbAp.  Af  pice  ceo 

"Oo'n  cfltiAgli  CAimc  pumi  aj\  fex>, 

1pn  cac  cenriA  no  cuip. 

A  LeAcuA  punn,  conuf  (40)  puib. 

£uiL. 

LXIX. 

"[Ace]  ciox>  otc  -oo  cac  An  bnuToenpA,"  (50)  A|\  "£AccnA 
■pmn  pie,  "  A-p  meApA  x>'  eocliAi-6  SAbbm-oe  i,  6ip  "oo  etne 
[a]  itiac  itiaic  mnce  .1.    Doinco   CA-jnintAC  hiac  6AchAi"6(6°) 

(i°)  -puii  for  Mod.  Irish  aca:  Strachan  ("  Sub.st.  Verb,"  Phil.  Soc,  p.  55), 
says: — "  So  far  as  I  have  noted,  this  (usage  of  yuit)  is  foreign  to  the  prose  of  all 
periods,  and  must  be  regarded  as  a  poetical  license."  (20)  Pronounce  'ye, 


COXGHAL  CLAIRIXGHXEACH.  181 

foreigners,  so  that  between  them  they  made  such  great 
havoc  that  young  children  could  swim  in  the  pools  of  very 
red  blood  at  the  feet  of  the  warriors  ;  and  Fergus  mac  Rosa 
struck  at  them  with  his  inimical  mighty  blows,  and  Conghal 
cleaved  a  warrior's  path  through  the  battalions,  till  he  won  the 
battle  over  Fergus  mac  Lede  and  the  Ulstermen  ;  and  Rosa 
Ruadh  mac  Rudhraighe  and  Fachtna  Fathach,  his  son,  closed 
in  round  Fergus  mac  Lede,  and  they  covered  the  escape  of 
the  hero,1  and  carried  him  away  by  dint  of  their  valour  and 
their  dexterity  ;  and  the  whole  place  was  burnt  by  Conghal 
and  his  battalions  ;  and  when  Fachtna  Finn  File  saw  the 
great  havoc  around  the  hostel,  he  said  :  "  Here  is  many  an 
Ulster  grave,"  said  he,  "  and  I  like  not  its  being  so,  and  I  know 
how  it  is  on  both  sides,  viz.,  five  persons  and  four  hundred  of 
the  Ulstermen  fell  there,  and  of  the  host  that  came  with  us 
over  the  sea  and  ocean,  there  fell  ten  persons  and  twenty 
hundred  "  ;  and  he  bemoaned  them  very  much,  and  said  : — 

Here  are  graves  under  a  pool  of  blood, 

Of  all  who  are  with  me,  cause  of  ill ! 

Sad  to  me  is  the  slaughter  of  Ulstermen  from  their  home, 

And  dismay  through  valour. 

Five  persons  and  four  hundred 

Of  the  Ulstermen  it  was  that  were  put  to  death. 

Here  fell  they  however  ; 

It  is  there  are  their  graves  ; 

Ten  persons  and  ten  hundred 

Of  the  host  that  came  hither  on  the  way, 

In  the  same  battle  they  put 

Their  graves  here,  whence  it  is  (?). 

LXIX. 

"  However  ill  for  everyone  that  hostel  has  been/'  said 
Fachtna  Finn  File,  "  it  is  worse  for  Eochaidh  Salbhuidhe, 
for  his  good  son  Boirche  Casurlach  mac  Eochaidh  Salbhuidhe 

otherwise  line  hypermetrical.  (3°)  MS.,  LeACCAOA,  which  makes  the  line 

hypermetrical.         (40)  Conuj*?         (50)  MS.  buTOenp,.       (63)  e^chara:  gen.  in 
O.  Ir.  e-AchtiAch,  e^cfiAOA  ;  here  MS.  contraction  for  ait>. 
1  Lit.,  '  they  placed  a  shield  over  the  track.' 


182  cAiuueim  con^Ait  ctAitunsniS. 

SAbbuit>e,  7  ca  yeyy  Ainni  t>A  mb[ei'6e&]'6  innce  mA  bnmjen 
Doi-pce."  "*OencAn  cpeACA  Ut^'6  Agtnnn,  a  occa!"  aia 
ConJAl,  "7  Aijigcen  [cnio]c  GocItato  SAlbtn-oe  binn."  "11a 
h-AbAin  pn,  a  Ai]voni5  ! "  An  "£AccnA  |?inn  pie,  "  oin  A-p 
bon  a  nt)ennAir  "o'ubc  [aia]  h-tlbbcAib  acc  copom  nije 
n-e~peAnn  An  cup  7  but)  beAC  UbATo  iai\  pn."  1-p  Ann  pn 
A"oubAinc  CongAb  [be  u-a]  riiuinci]\ :  "j&cne&c  Ar  cuAbomj 
z:.Mrce/y6  no  buAigibb  Aguib  ciccto  biomrA  co  UerhnAij;  [*o'ionn- 
fojijix)  A-p  ni[j]  CneAnn  50  ccuici-obmn  750  ccorn&nr&(i°) 
nije  n-CneAnn  nir;  7  cAinic  ConJAb  [1A11  pn]  (20)  caia 
pejACAir  Utnne  n^'A  pATocen  CuAn  SnAiriA  AigneAc  7  cajv 
pe-pcAir  ii«.  ...  .  nip&  pAit)ce]\  pocAint)  ITIuincerhne  7 
^'fencA  Conuine  7  t)o  CornAnrtiApA  7  CA-p  1bAc  7  CA-p  Oomn 
7  50  UeriipAij  tiA  nioj,  7  nion  Trioctnjrio'o&n  pbuAigh  UeAiii- 
nAch  iAt>  aia  -pcu]\  -o'a  n-oipp-oij;ib,  (30)  7  aia  n-encce  -oo'n 
jai 5  noniie  50  bp^ACA]  An  An  cac  An  n-A  conujjAt)  aca  Afi 
m  pyicce  7  ua  me]\;gex>&  An  n-A  ccogbAib.  *Oo  h-innrco  x>o 
bu  jato  LuAit;ne  pn,  7  t>o  biot>j;  co  p^ennroA  bepn  p^eb  pn. 
"  [T)o  peoA'prjA  cmc  iax>  pn/'  a]\  Lu^Iiaix)  Luai  j;ne,  "  Con^Ab 
niAc  Tin 511  ato e  1U15  An  nenn  nij  pn  [7]  nuACAn  cunA*6,  7  t»o 
jurine  An  p3An  pn  mbc  iii6]\a  a  n-epemt)  A|\ei]\,  7  cei^hit) 
neAC  UAimp3  [50  buA]ijnib  UerrqiAC  7  50  cuAcoib  OneA^h 
7tTlit)e";  7  t)o  iin^eAtiAn  aa  ceAccA  50  cmneApiAC  [be]r 
nA  copsuippn,  7  AtiubAinc  ContjAb  ne  ^acciia  pmn  pbe  : 
"Citngp  jo'LugbAi-o  btiAijne,"  An  p^,  "7  AbAin  nir  rA^bA-oh 
UerhAin  cotiA  jiAbbAib  AgAtrip^  no  cAbnAt*  cac  t>Amh." 
UAimc  1?AccnA  pmn  pbe  co  UeAtiinAig,  7  A-oubAinc  ne 
btiJAit) :  "Aca  ConjjAl,"  ob  ye,  "An  -pAicce  ha  UerhnAcb  7 
At>nbAi]\c  bec^A  UeAiiiAi|\  con  a  giAbbAib  "o'-pA^bAib  no  cac 
■00  cAbAinc  t>6  yen."  "Hi  1115  t>A  n-obAt)b  cac,"  aia  Ln^Ait), 
''7  ni  becceAppN  (40)   UeAiiiAi]i  hahii   gAn   cacujIiax)  caji  a 

(i°)  CoftiAjA^A:  1st  sg.  subj.  deponent  of  copiAun,  'I  defend.'  For  the 
extension  of  dep.  forms  in  1st  sg.  subj.,  vide  Strachan,  "Dep.  Verb,"  p.  115,  &c. 
(20)  Or,  rioiifie.  (30)  An  fcu|\  -o'a  n'opfmigib  ;  MS.  oppt) ;  read  perhaps 

onp'oeAt).  (40)  becceAppA  :   1st  sg.  conj.  B-fut.  of  lecitn,  beicnn, 

'  I  leave.' 


COXGHAL  CLAIRIXGHXEACH.  183 

fell  in  it,  and  what  better  name  could   it  have  than  Boirche's 
Hostel  ? ' 

"  Let  us  harry  Ulster,  O  warriors,"  said  Conghal,  "  and  let 
is  destroy  Eochaidh  Salbhuidhe's  territory."  "  Do  not  say  so, 
0  Ardrigh,"  said  Fachtna  Finn  File,  "  for  you  have  wrought 
enough  evil  on  the  Ulstermen,  but  do  you  contest  the  king- 
ship of  Ireland  first  of  all,  and,  after  that,  Ulster  shall  be 
yours."  Then  Conghal  said  to  his  followers  :  "  Let  everyone 
of  you  who  is  capable  of  deeds  of  valour  or  activity  come  with 
me  to  Tara  to  attack  the  king  of  Ireland,  so  that  he  may  fall 
at  our  hands,  and  so  that  I  may  defend  the  kingship  of 
Ireland  against  him."  Conghal  then  came  through  Fertais 
Ruire,  which  is  called  Cuan  Snamha  Aighneach,  and  over 
Fertais  na  .  .  .  ,  which  is  called  Fochaird  Muirthemhne,  and 
Ferta  Conaire  and  Comarmara  and  Hath,  and  over  the  Boyne 
to  Tara  of  the  Kings  ;  and  the  hosts  of  Tara  did  not  perceive 
them  when  their  musicians  ceased,  and  the  king  arose  and 
saw  the  army  in  array  on  the  plain,  and  the  standards  raised 
aloft.  Lughaidh  Luaighne  was  informed  of  that,  and  he 
started  up  quickly  at  the  news.  "  I  know  who  these  are," 
said  Lughaidh  Luaighne ;  "  it  is  Conghal,  son  of  Rury,  who 
leads  that  kingly  course  and  warrior-onslaught ;  and  that 
man  created  great  evils  in  Ireland  heretofore,  and  let  some 
one  go  from  me  to  the  tribe  of  the  Luaighne  of  Tara  and 
to  the  people  of  Bregia  and  Meath  "  ;  and  the  messengers 
went  off  rapidly  on  these  errands  ;  and  Conghal  said  to 
Fachtna  Finn  File :  "  Go  to  Lughaidh  Luaighne,"  said  he, 
"  and  tell  him  to  leave  Tara  and  its  hostages  to  me,  or  else  to 
give  battle  to  me."  Fachtna  Finn  File  came  to  Tara  and 
said  to  Lughaidh :  "  Conghal  is,"  said  he,  "  on  the  plain  of 
Tara,  and  he  tells  you  either  to  give  up  Tara  and  its  hostages 
or  to  give  battle  to  himself."  i:  He  is  no  king  if  he  should 
refuse  battle,"  said  Lughaidh,  "  and  I  shall  not  part  with  Tara 
without   fighting    for   it,  and  ask,  O    ollamh  !    a  respite  for 


184  cAitneirn  coh$aiL  ctAimn^nig. 

ce&nn,  7  lAfifips,  a  ottAiiiAm  !  cAin"oe  n*.  1i-oit>ce  Anocc 
•OAtiirA  An  Con §At  11050  cci  mo  cionot,  UAi-p  ni  pAt  "dopyir 
m'  i'A^Ail  Ain'  AonAp"  Uaiihc  Pacciia  pnn  pte  50  Coii^aL 
[7  AjoubAinc  ah  CAi]iT>e  pn  *oo  cAbAipu  "oo  LU5AT6  LuAi^ne. 
UujpNn  ah  cAi|\,oe  rm  "66  7  ["oo]  5Ab  Con j^t  ton^ponc  a 
n-AcAitt  An  oroce  pn  11050  cc&niic  pAu^cnAu  en^e  vo 
to  [a]\]  n-A  1llA]\Ac1l. 

LXX. 

T)o  ei]nj  coriiAtcA  Con^Ait  Airopn  .1.  piAoc  -onAoi  : 
"  111  aic,  a  nij  a  [ConJ^Ait !  "  An  re,  "  cAt)Aij\  ah  cac  p3ApoA 
uai]\  CAimc  nenc  ipn  crem  7  ipn  [c^otAno]  (i°)  7  piA5Aij\ 
cau  An  "Lujjait)  ipn  to  rA.."  TDo  ei]M5  ConjgAt  7  no  coinij  a 
cac  a  [cce]-ooin,  7  CU5  teibionn  *oo  rciAcoib  CAtcniAnA  mA 
cimcitt,  7  t>o  co^bAt)  a  mei^e-ohA  7  a  n-oncom  o-beut[c]A 
UAirtnb,  7  -oobi  5}\Am  7  unpJAC  nij  A-p  ConjjAt  "oocum  An 
caca  pn.  1]^  Ann  rm  CAimc  a  cionot  50  111  [5]  Cnionr>,  7  r>o 
einij  7  t>o  C011115  a  cac  50  h-ActArh  7  'oobA'OAn  bAnob  7 
bnAmen  7  piACA  7  rAoibmn  11111  UeArhnAi5  "oo 'n  cojmmn  pn, 
UAin  *oobi  cac  *6ib  a  5  cuiiiimuj^t)  a  bp\tcAnAir  "o'a  cete, 
tiAin  "oob'  pi-tA  t)o  ConJAb  nirem  7  e  pen  'iia  iiiac  nij 
Cjnonn  a  lonnAnbAt)  ,66pMi  Ar  a  cuijeAX)  pm  7  a  '6eAn[b]- 
t>]iACAin  t)o  liiAnbAt)  "66  noniie  a  5  copiAiii  mje  rur  .1.  OfierAt 
DotnobA'oli  ni ac  RujnAi-oe.  1lob'p\tA  *oo  Lu^ai-o  pipn  a 
tiiAC  "oo  iiiA|\bA*6  A|\  a  ceopogn Aiii  "oo.  1r  Annpn  *oo  corh- 
ntuce'OAn  nA  caca  ceAccAn"OA  ym  An  cutAij;  ha  UeArri]iAC  7 
•oo  cAicetDAn  a  cce"OAnni  c&ca  re  cete  7  x>o  1111115  btoi-pcbem 
botibA  "oo  nA  cAcoib  ceccAi\t)A  a  ccenn  a  cete  51m  "otuichijg 
ah  "oeAbAno,  511];  lom-poiccpj;  a  11-10111511111,  7  "oo  5AbrAC 
cuaca  D|Ae5li  7  111i-6e  7  LuAi^ne  UeAiiinAC  A5  coiirotncu^AX) 
ah  caca  51111  cui]\poc  a]ia  iii6|ia  An  iiiumui]i  Con^Ait  11050 

(i°)  CAinic  nej\c  ipn  cfem  7  ipn  croLAio.  For  the  phrase  cf.  Stokes,  "  Tog. 
Troi,"  Gloss.  Index,  s.  v.  "seniiaire";  "  cAmciiepcoo'ii  feoti  7'oon  cfot-AiT)," 
and  the  AjjAl/tAtri  ("  Silva  Gad.,"  p.  132),  1p  Annpn  inioni\o  cahhc  a  nenc 
ipn  ren  ocu]'  ipn  rotA'oh.     Sen  is  evidently  treated  in  the  text  as  a  fern.  noun. 


COXGHAL  CLAIRIXGHXEACH.  185 

to-night  for  me  from  Conghal  until  my  muster  comes  together, 
for  it  is  not  generous  of  him  to  come  on  me  alone." 

Fachtna  Finn  File  came  to  Conghal,  and  asked  that  that 
respite  be  granted  to  Lughaidh  Luaighne.  He  gave  that 
respite  to  him,  and  Conghal  encamped  in  Acaill  that  night 
till  dawn  of  day  on  the  morrow. 

LXX. 

Conghal's  foster-brother,  Fraoch  the  druid,  then  rose  : 
"  Well,  O  king,  O  Conghal,"  said  he,  "  give  battle  forthwith, 
for  there  has  come  strength  for  prosperity  and  for  [aid],  and 
challenge  Lughaidh  to  battle  this  day."  Conghal  arose, 
and  he  drew  up  his  army  forthwith,  and  he  made  a  breast- 
work of  strong  shields  round  him  ;  and  their  standards 
were  raised  aloft,  and  their  open-mouthed  leopards  were  above 
them,  and  the  majesty  and  fearfulness  of  a  king  were 
Conghal's  in  that  battle-array.  Then  there  came  the  muster 
of  the  king  of  Ireland,  and  the  latter  rose  and  drew  up  his 
army  quickly,  and  royston-crows  and  ravens  and  spectres  and 
sea-gulls  came  round  Tara  at  that  noise  ;  for  both  of  them  {i.e. 
Conghal  and  Lughaidh)  were  mindful  of  the  enmity  of  one  to 
the  other  ;  for  Conghal  was  angered  that  he,  a  king  of  Ireland's 
son,  should  be  in  banishment  from  his  own  province,  and  that 
his  brother  should  have  been  slain  in  his  presence  whilst  de- 
fending his  kingdom,  viz.,  Bresal  Bodhiobadh  mac  Rudhraighe. 

Lughaidh  was  enraged  at  his  son's  being  slain  on  his  first 
service.  Then  the  battalions  on  both  sides  fought  on  the  hill 
of  Tara,  and  they  clashed  their  first  weapons  of  battle  together ; 
and  the  mighty  hostile  clash  of  the  battalions  against  one 
another  resounded  on  either  side,  so  that  the  strife  became  knit 
and  the  attacking  was  at  close  quarters.  The  men  of  Bregia 
and  Aleath  and  the  tribe  of  the  Luaighne  of  Tara  kept  urging 
on  the  attack,  so  that  they  inflicted  great  slaughter  on  the 
followers  of  Conghal  till  they  came  to  the  spot  in  the  battle 


186  cAiuneirn  congAit  clAittin5tn$. 

^AngAtiAp  ipm  Iacai]i  cac&  ipAibe  ConJAl  7  "penccup  m&c 
TlopA  ipn  cac.  1f  Annpm  AtmbAipu  Pacoia  pnn  "pile  : 
"  ITIaic  Aiii,  a  AnAim,  a  Con^Ait!"  Api  re,  "t>etmApem  ttiaic 
7  coptim  ni§e  n-CpeAnn  UAip  t)o  rtiApbAt)  'h  AtliiiAnnAij; 
tnte."  "11i  Ii-ia-o  t>o  copom  mje  An  "ooiiiAin  -OAiiipA  neoc 
no  JAli)A-p  tie,"  A-p  ConjjAt,  "  acu  meic  nioj;pAit)e  GneAnn 
t>obi  11111  pocAin  7  A-p  ia"o  bjnppeAr  An  cAcrA  An  ttiAchAib 
UeATiipAc  7  An  luJAit)  "LuAijne";  7  t>o  ctnn  pn  men[mA]  mon 
1  ccAcliAib  Con 5 Ait  gun  bpipiot>Api  beAjmA  cet>  jac  cunAX> 
•oili)  1  ccau  ni[j  CneAnn]. 


LXXI. 

1r  Annpm  t>o  JAp  Con^Al  a  5  ploije  nA  rUi&j  7  t>o  beAn 
a  bpAC-bement)A  b[iot>bA,6]  opnA  7  "oo  teAiiA'OAn  a  cni 
cotiiAtcA'OA  e  .1.  tTlepne,  Setime,  7  t,A€Aipne  [7  "oa]  iiiac 
CpincneAc  til  At)  .1.  "peAp^ur  7  pcner.  Cioc  cjia  acc  bA 
bfiAc  A|\  b[iot)bAt)Aib]  An  cAicnnteAt)  Con^Al  An  Ia  pn,  7 
bA  t>icli  A]\  t)ejt)Aoinib  a  ^motiipA-o  Ag  cuATncugAt)]  An 
caca  nogo  nAimc  niApi  a  nAibe  "Lu^ato  LiiAi^ne  ipn  cac,  7 
ctl5  pciAc  p[e  pc]iAcn  t)6  7  pAobAp  ne  popmnA,  7  "oobA 
cotiipAc  t»A  AnnAt)  7  t)A  nAi[peAc]  (i°)  lon^Aite  7  t»A -ponn 
caca  An  coiiicuA]\ccAin  pm,  7  t>o  teicceAt)  tACAip  pAinpm^ 
r[op]leACAn  ipn  lonjtnt  pm  t)6ible  binpbe  a  m-btiitleAt>(2°) 
7  te-  nenimij;e  a  n-Anm  7  t)o  [ctiAit)]  neA-pc  7  mAt>ACAr, 
CAlmACc  7  cupAt)Acc  Con^Ait  CAn  Ia^Itato  LuAi^ne,  7  cug 
bemi  A[t)bAt]  AiceApAch  -66  511)1  ben  a  cenn  "o'a  column,  7 

CtlCC  A  10tAC  COpCAip.    7    C01111T1  AOTOTlie    Of    A1]VO.       T)o  1111115  An 

cuAcliAib  UeAiii-p&c  7  A|i  p'epmb  Ope^li  7  1Tlit)e  7  An 
Luai jmb  UeAiiipAc  Annpm  6  -oo  cmc  a  ccniAC  7  a  coi;ennA 
An  ccun  Aip  7  npbAt>A  oppA,  nAip  Ar  e  pm  An  Ar  mo  cuccAt) 
Ap.  LuAijmb  UeAiii|iAc  piAtii.     UAimc  Coii^aI  -poniie  t>o  C15 

(i°)  The  top  of  the  letter  p  is  still  visible  in  MS.    UAifeAC,  '  a  noble,  knight  * 
(O'Reilly).  (20)  MS.,  buitteAX>A. 


COXGHAL  CLAIRIXGHXEACH.  187 

where  Conghal  and  Fergus  were.  It  was  then  that  Fachtna 
Finn  File  said  :  "  Well  indeed,  my  soul,  O  Conghal  ! "  said  he, 
"  perform  yourself  a  good  deed,  and  defend  the  kingship  of 
Ireland,  for  all  your  foreigners  are  slain."  "  It  is  not  they  that 
I  took  from  it  who  defended  the  kingdom  of  the  world  for  me," 
said  Conghal,  "  but  the  sons  of  the  princes  of  Ireland  who  were 
with  me,  and  it  is  they  who  shall  gain  this  battle  over  the 
people  of  Tara  and  Lughaidh  Luaighne";  and  that  gave  great 
spirit  to  the  battalions  of  Conghal,  and  every  single  hero  of 
them  cut  a  gap  of  a  hundred  in  the  army  of  the  king  of 
Ireland. 

LXXI. 

Then  Conghal  commenced  hewing  down  the  hosts,  and  he 
dealt  them  his  mighty,  inimical  blows,  and  his  three  foster- 
brothers,  Merne,  Semhne,  and  Lathairne,  and  the  two  sons  of 
the  Picts  of  Ulster,  Fergus  and  Fithneas,  followed  him.  How- 
ever, on  that  day  the  hero,  Conghal,  was  a  doom  to  enemies, 
and  his  deeds  were  destruction  to  noblemen  as  he  passed 
through  the  battle-throng  till  he  reached  where  Lughaidh 
Luaighne  was  in  the  fight ;  and  he  opposed  his  shield  to  the 
latter's,  and  his  sharp-edged  weapon  to  his  shoulder  ;  and  that 
conflict  was  the  battling  of  two  warriors  and  of  two  valorous 
heroes,  and  of  two  props  of  battle  ;  and  a  large  and  very  wide 
space  was  left  them  in  the  fight  on  account  of  the  fierceness 
of  their  blows  and  the  violence  of  their  weapon-play ;  and 
Conghal  exerted  his  strength  and  heroism,  bravery,  and 
warriorship  on  Lughaidh  Luaighne,  and  he  dealt  him  a  terrible? 
triumphant  blow,  so  that  he  cut  his  head  from  his  body,  and 
he  raised  aloft  his  shout  of  triumph  and  of  exultation. 

He  defeated  then  the  people  of  Tara,  and  the  men  of 
Bregia  and  Meath,  and  the  tribe  of  the  Luaighne  of  Tara 
when  their  chief  and  lord  fell,  and  they  were  slaughtered 
and  decimated  ;  for  that  is  the  greatest  destruction  that  was 
ever  inflicted  on  the  tribe  of  the  Luaighne  of  Tara.      Conghal 


188  cAitiienn  congAit  cLAimnsmj;. 

nA  Uerhf\Ac1i  lAjApn  iAn  ni-buAit)  ccorcAirt  7  ccorhrriAoi,6irie. 
"De|i  btiMt)  7  beAtmAccAin,  a  ConJAib,"  aia  ]?AccnA  £mn 
"Pile,  "hai-|\  Ar  111  OjieAtm  5A11  AniAnur  cu  Anoir,  UAin  acato 
jeiVt  GyieAnn  a^at)  a  cUeArhtiAij,  7  J&i'pceri  wnm  T^fe] 
•610c."  'Oo  bi  Congest  7  niAice  a  rrmmcine  a.  CC15  nA 
Ueiii]\Ac  ait  onoce  pn,  7  t>o  JAb  51ALLA  reyi  rn-One^h  7  Hlnoe 
7  SenctiACA  nA  UerhnAc,  7  CAn^A'OAn  ctujeohAit;  6neAnn 
Ann  rm  *o'a  ^ioja[/6]  7  d'a  niAnuJAt)rAn  .1.  'OeA^hA'o  tiiac 
Sm,  111  x>a  coicceA'6  fflurtiAn,  7  ConnAc  cAr  ni  Con[nAcc],  7 
Anc  TTIir'oeAtmAn,  ruj  LAijjen,  7  cugrAc  jnje  -oorAn  7  -oo 
JAb  Ainxment  Cn[eAnn]  tnle  Ann  rm,  7  cu^urcAin  fuje  ^ 
cdnnreAtAi5  ■oo  CniorhcAnn  itiac  p'en^urA]  ^Ainge,  7 
cujurcAin  *oa  ccriiAn  ConnAcc  •o'Oit'li'l'l  UeonA  "^boi  7 
'o'Oittil'L  UeonA  [Cnioc],  7  cugurcAin  a  -ducato  *oa  jac 
nejituine  "o'a  nAibe  mA  yocAirt  An  ionnAnbAt>. 

LXXII. 

lomcurA  ^eAnccurA  1111c  Lcoe  Arex>  jio  tiAi-6  |ienA  rhtnncin 
6  -oo  ^Ab  Con^At  nije  n-G]\en,o  7  6  t>o  cuic  Lu^ato  LiiAijne 
teir:  "Hi  teiccre  a  n-6|\mn  nnri  7  "oo  "oenA  rn'ionnAnbA-6  a 
1i-6nmn  aitiac  7  nACA-orA  50  UeriinAij  *o'a  ruAnujjA'o  ";  7 
f\Aimc  "pen^ur  hiac  Le-oe  noniie  50  UeAiiirtAi 5,  7  mori 
rnocinjheA'o  1  cUerrir\Aij  e  no^o  nAimc  50  ccotntceAch 
Con^Ail.  "  *Oo  bneic  rem  'ouic,  a  cAicrintit),  a  Con^Aib/' 
An  re,  "  7  m  imp  -oo  runne  'h  AimruAn  riAiii  acc  Lu^Iiait) 
LuAijne  700  cAnccnrA(ic)  ruje  n-tlU'O'ouic  nogun  •oiutcAir 
rem  1."  "  totro  rriAic  -otucri  cocc  50  UeAiiinAij  rnAn  fin,"  An 
Con^At,  "uAi-p  m  cmneAbf a  (20)  a  h-Cnmn  chu  niAn  •oo 
ctnn  Lu  JA1-6  l/UAi^ne  imp  ";  7  -oo  feji  rAitce  50  rmocAin  jur. 
bA  rAitro  peAnccur  -oo'ti  coiiinA-6  rm  ConjAil,  7  "oo  bAt)An 
a  cUeiiinAij  An  oix>ce  pn,  7  *oo  eijnj  ConJAl  50  tnoc,  7  "00 
cuaix)  rem  7  niAice  a  iiitnnci]\e  00  t)enAiii  coiriAinbe  cia'o'a 

(i°)  •oo  CAixccufA  :  1st  sg.  pft.  of  CAipgim,  '  I  offer.'  (20)  1H  cui|\eADr-A: 
1st  sg.  conj.  B-fut.  of  cuifmn. 


COXGHAL  CLAIRIXGHXEACH.  189 

came  after  that  to  the  House  of  Tara  after  his  triumphant 
and  exulting  victory.  "Success  and  blessing,  O  Conghal!" 
said  Fachtna  Finn  File,  "  for  you  are,  without  a  doubt,  the 
king  of  Ireland  now,  for  yours  are  the  hostages  of  Ireland  in 
Tara,  and  let  you  be  named  king."  Conghal  and  his  chiefs 
were  in  the  house  at  Tara  on  that  night,  and  he  received  the 
pledges  of  the  men  of  Bregia  and  Meath  and  the  natives  of 
Tara  ;  and  the  provincial  kings  of  Ireland  came  there  to 
acknowledge  him  as  king  and  to  render  him  service,  viz., 
Deaghadh  mac  Sin,  king  of  the  two  provinces  of  Munster, 
and  Conrach  Cas,  king  of  Connaught,  and  Art  Mesdealman, 
king  of  Leinster  ;  and  they  gave  the  kingship  to  him,  and  he 
received  the  high-sway  over  all  Ireland  there,  and  he  gave  the 
kingship  of  Hy  Kinsella  to  Criomhthann,  son  of  Fergus  Fairge, 
and  he  gave  the  two  thirds  of  Connaught  to  Oilill  Teora 
Gaoth  and  Oilill  Teora  Crioch,  and  gave  his  native  possessions 
to  each  nobleman  who  was  with  him  in  banishment. 

LXXII. 

As  to  Fergus  mac  Lede,  he  said  to  his  followers  when 
Conghal  received  the  kingship  of  Ireland,  and  when  Lughaidh 
Luaighne  fell  at  his  hands  :  "  He  will  not  leave  me  in  Ireland, 
and  he  will  banish  me  out  of  Ireland,  and  I  shall  go  to  Tara 
to  offer  homage  to  him  ";  and  Fergus  mac  Lede  came  to 
Tara,  and  he  was  not  perceived  in  Tara  till  he  had  reached 
the  sleeping-booth  of  Conghal.  "  Yours  is  your  own  judg- 
ment, O  hero,  O  Conghal !  "  said  he  ;  "  and  it  was  not  I  who 
opposed  you,  but  Lughaidh  Luaighne,  and  I  offered  you  the 
kingship  of  Ulster,  till  you  yourself  refused  it."  "  You  did 
well  to  come  thus  to  Tara,"  said  Conghal,  "  for  I  shall  not 
drive  you  out  of  Ireland  as  Lughaidh  Luaighne  drove  me  " ; 
and  he  gave  him  friendly  welcome.  Fergus  was  glad  at  that 
speech  of  Conghal,  and  they  were  in  Tara  that  night ;  and 
Conghal  rose  early  and  went  with  the  chiefs  of  his  people  to 


190  cAiurieim  congAit  ctAiniti$ni$. 

cciubjiuiTHf  IM^e  n-tlt^-6  7  &y  .mji  x>o  pjif^e&T)  aca  tube  &. 

u&b.o.ittc  vo  Koy&  ttu&'o  m&c  Hujjn.M'de  7  p^opcu.Mnc  tlt^'6 

•do  trA-b^inc  •o'penguj"  m&c  Let^e,  7  "oobi  penccur  m&c  Le-oe 

^liitAix)  pn  no  ^un  j;&b  "P^ccn^  "P&c&c  yuje  n-6neATin,  7  50 

ccu^  fuge  n-UtAt)  *66p&n  &n  m^nbliA>*6  ftor&  tlti&iT)  1  cc&ch 

Loc&    "pe^li>Ait  b&  1i-&blni&p|Ach&ib  ;    7  T>otoi   "Penccur   nii-c 

Lcoe  m&]\  pn  ipn  nije  nogun  m&nb&'o  bepn  b-perc  (i°)  .0.5 

Utnnn  flu  j|A^i-6e  e  ;  7  56  T>obi  Conjj&b  m&ji  pn  [m]&  ni^e  &r 

e  penccur  m&c  1lor.o.  t)ob'  £enn  cuit>   '01  ne  n-,6.  bmn,  7  x>o 

bepM^h  pA-ccriA  "Pionn  ^ite  7  Onicne  m&c  C&]\bhne,  &n  rcet 

pn,  con^t)  1   C^icnem   Con^^it  CbMneimj  true  Tlujn.M'oe,  7 

5nioiii|\Ai-6e   )Te.6.ncctip^    irnc    Ho]^    contuse    pn,    7    t)o    bi 

Conjj&b  cuig  bbuvon^  "065  1  juge  n-e-jnonn  m.6.  "oe^hMt)  pn 

nogun  cuic  be  T)tiA.c  "o&bbcA  'Oe&^oi'oh   Airiuib   &pbenc   &n 

pbe  : — 

CoiijaL  cuig  btiAtmA  t>ecc  •0615, 
Do  niAC  Uuj|\uit)e  -pomoip, 
tepn  TDuac  •oaVIca  "OeAJOToh 
£uaij\  5aij\  7  gAl^tj-DeAbllAlt).  (1°) 


prnp 


(i°)  Vide  Additional  Notes. 


CONGHAL  CLAIRLXGHNEACH.  191 

advise  as  to  whom  he  should  give  the  kingship  of  Ulster  ;  and 
they  all  decided  to  give  it  to  Rosa  Ruadh,  son  of  Rury,  and  to 
give  the  free-circuit  of  Ulster  to  Fergus  mac  Lede ;  and 
Fergus  mac  Lede  was  in  that  position  till  Fachtna  Fathach 
assumed  the  kingship  of  Ireland,  and  the  latter  gave  the 
kingship  of  Ulster  to  him  when  Rosa  Ruadh  was  killed  in  the 
battle  of  Lough  Foyle  at  the  hands  of  the  foreigners  ;  and 
Fergus  mac  Lede  was  thus  in  the  kingship  till  he  was  slain 
by  the  monster  at  Tonn  Rughraidhe  ;  and  though  Conghal 
was  thus  in  the  kingship,  it  was  Fergus  mac  Rosa  who  had 
the  best  portion  of  it  during  his  time  ;  and  Fachtna  Finn  File 
and  Bricne  mac  Cairbre  amended  that  story ;  so  that  that  is 
the  military  career  of  Conghal  Clairinghneach  mac  Rughraidhe 
and  the  feats  of  Fergus  mac  Rosa  so  far ;  and  Conghal  was 
fifteen  years  in  the  kingship  of  Ireland  after  that,  till  he  fell 
at  the  hands  of  Duach,  fosterling  of  Deaghadh,  as  the  poet 
said  : — 

Conghal  was  fifteen  years, 

The  son  of  the  great  Rury, 

At  the  hands  of  Duach,  fosterling  of  Deaghadh, 

He  met  with  grief  and  rough  strife. 


THE   END. 


ADDITIONAL  NOTES. 


PART   I. 

P.  2. — The  following  verses  from  the  famous  poem  of  Gilla-Coemain,  h-e-piu 
A]vo  mif  tiA  nig,  contain  references  to  the  kings  mentioned  in  our  text : — 

[B.C.] 
piAin  t1i&  SejAtnuin  a  j-ecc  [o11] 

Of  itto  enirro  cen  «s,n-onecc  : 
"Oop. ocAir*  in  CAnpuec  CArp 
La  heiinA  n-Aipjpoec  11-ATnnAfp. 

entiA  Aip g-oec.  Aptra  a  blAO, 

■Rocaic  cecpi  coic  bliAOAti  :  [3°4] 

fti  OAtibA,  ■oocep  1  cac 

1a  Cr\imcAti-o  CAlmA  CopcpAC. 

Cecpi  btiAT>TiA  CjMtncAiTTO  cAipp  [284] 

Op  inx>  hepirro  itnmelslAip : 
T)ocep  pi  c«m|\Ai-oein  CAipn 
t)e  Laitm  Rut)|AAi5e  po^Aipb. 

tluT)|AAi5e,  pi  "pAit  co  m-blAiT>, 

Secc  -oeic  bb  aoma  Tie  bliAt>n&ib  :  [2^o] 

bpAC  ip  bee  too  b_\nbA  binn 

ec  AcbAC  1  n-ApgACjLin'o. 

1n  pncAicTTlip  AtnumAin  mAir, 

A  noi  ■00'n  curiAn  cotttoaic  ;  [2I°] 

■OopocAip,  triAp  popip-'1'0* 

bApn  ni-bpepAt  m-bo-oib.yo. 

bpep..\l  bornbAC  co  becc, 

TI61  tii-bliAtitiA  op  hep itvo  a  nepc ;  [2QI] 

T)ocep  pi  CuAtfijne  'con  cpAic, 

t)o  Lauti  buAgne,  rrnc  JTrnncAic. 

tugATO  tuAjne,  teip  a  btAt>, 

Cen  buAnne  cni  coic  btiATortA;  CJ92] 

■Oonoc^in  Iiua  Ainc  Imbj 
Do  5I-AIC  CongAil  ChlAniiigrng. 
O 


194  ADDITIONAL  NOTES. 

CohjaI,  coic  btiAT)iiA  t)ec  t>6i5  [T77] 

Do  mAC  1lux)|AAi5e  |\omoi|\  ; 
tAftn  T3I1AC,  ■OAiiec  'OeoAi'O, 
•puAijA  C|\A15  ocuf  cr\omt>ebAi,o. 

"Ouac,  ■oa'Lca  tDet>A1g,  111D  A15, 

1]A|M'ge  of  Cemr\Aij;  coIjaic  :  [J62] 

11 61  iri-btiA-oiiA,o'A  ftnAcc  ntiniAC, 

Cor\omAr\ b  ITAccnA  £acac. 

pXCCttA,  f1C1,  ACC  A  cecAi-|\,  Ti53] 

t)o  mAC  Uor-p  a  if\]M5  becATO  ; 

1a  ecA1T>  •peiT)tl5,  1T1AC  £1TT0, 

T>ocep  in  |\i  x>e  r\UAt>  imito. 
[Translation.] 

[B.C.] 

Received  Nia  Segamain  seven  [years  in  kingship]  [311] 

Over  Eriu  without  injustice  ; 

Fell  the  charioteer  curled 

By  Enna  the  Raider  the  cruel. 

Enna  the  Raider,  exalted  his  fame, 

Spent  he  four  [times]  five  years :  [3°4] 

The  king  of  Banba,  fell  he  in  battle 

By  Crimthand  brave,  the  conqueror. 

Four  [were]  the  years  of  Crimthand  the  accomplished  [2§4] 

Over  Eriu  the  green-bordered  : 

Fell  the  king  pleasant  of  the  Cam 

By  the  hand  of  Rudraige  the  very  stern. 

Rudraige,  king  of  [Inis]fail  with  fame, 

Seven  [times]  ten  years  of  years  [reigned  he] :  [280] 

Doom  and  evil  [was  it]  to  Banba  pleasant, 

[Plague]  death  died  he  in  Argatglend. 

The  great  Fintait  from  Munster  good, 

Nine  years  [were  reigned]  by  the  champion  active  ;  [2I°] 

Fell  he,  as  hath  been  certified, 

By  Bressal  of  the  Cow-plague. 

Bressal  of  the  Cow-plague  with  perfection, 

Nine  years  over  Eriu  [was]  his  power  ;  [201] 

Fell  the  king  of  Cualgne  at  the  contest, 

By  hand  of  Luagne,  son  of  Fintat. 


ADDITIONAL  NOTES.  195 

Lugaid  Luagne,  manifest  his  fame, 

Without  molestation  [reigned  he]  thrice  five  years  ;  [I92] 

Fell  the  grandson  of  Art  Imlech 

By  hand  of  Congal  Flat-face. 

Congal,  five  reputable  years  [and]  ten  L1"?] 

[Were  reigned]  by  the  son  of  very  great  Rudraige  ; 
By  Duach,  fosterling  of  Dedach, 
Received  he  reverse  and  heavy  destruction. 

Duach,  fosterling  of  Dedach,  of  the  good  fortune, 

In  kingship  over  haughty  Tara  [succeeded  he]  : 

Nine  years  of  his  sway  |  had  passed]  away,  [^2] 

When  slew  [him]  Fachtna  the  Prophet. 

Fachtna,  twenty  [years],  except  four,  ['53] 

[Were  reigned]  by  the  son  of  Ross  in  royal  life  ; 
By  Eocho  Feidlech,  son  of  Find, 
Fell  the  king  by  the  red  [spear-]point. 

The  above  poem  has  been  edited  and  translated  by  Dr.  MacCarthy,  in  Todd 
Lect.,  R.I.A.,  vol.  iii.,  pp.  142-213,  from  the  "Book  of  Leinster  "  (twelfth 
century).     The  verses  end  with  the  following  reference  to  the  author  himself:  — 

5itl/A-CAem^in  cen  ^Ainne 
tllic  51  lie  f*&e[i"hA  S^mcAinne, 
■pAiliT)  m'n  5Aj\[5]j;nim  nomp^t, — 
A-p  n-Ajvim  Arvoju'j  hfrpenn. 

Gilla-Caemain,  without  penuriousness, 
Son  of  noble  Gilla  Samthainne, 
Thanks  for  the  difficult  feat  he  has  earned, — 
For  recital  of  the  arch-kings  of  Eriu. 

P.  2,  11.  5=15. — O'Donovan,  in  the  "  Annals  of  the  Four  Masters,"  has  the 
following  note  under  a.m.  5058,  referring  to  Eochaidh  Feidhleach  : — "This 
monarch  rescinded  the  division  of  Ireland  into  twenty-five  parts,  which  had  been 
made  three  centuries  before  his  time  by  the  monarch  Ugaine  Mor,  and  divided 
the  kingdom  into  five  provinces,  over  each  of  which  he  appointed  a  pentarch,  or 
provincial  king,  who  was  obedient  and  tributary  to  himself.  These  were — 
Fearghus,  son  of  Leide,  King  of  Uladh,  or  Ulster  ;  Deaghadh,  son  of  Sen,  and 
his  relative  Tighernach  Tedbhannach,  Kings  of  the  two  Munsters ;  Rossa 
Ruadh,  son  of  Fearghus,  King  of  Leinster ;  Oilioll,  who  was  married  to 
Meadhbh,  the  monarch's  daughter,  King  of  Connaught.  Flann  synchronises 
Fearghus,    son   of   Leide,    with   Octavianus."      In    the    above    extract    from 

O  2 


196  ADDITIONAL  NOTES. 

O'Donovan's  notes  to  the  Four  Masters  the  appointment  of  the  provincial  kings 
referred  to  in  the  opening  passage  of  our  text  is  ascribed  to  Eochaidh  Feidhleach, 
and  not  to  Lughaidh  Luaighne.  Ballymote  Synchronisms  (MacCarthy,  B  Text) 
give  Concobar  mac  Nessa  and  Cairpre  Niafear,  instead  of  Fergus  and  Rossa 
Ruadh,  and  ascribe  the  division  to  B.C.  27  ("  Todd  Lect.,"  vol.  hi.,  p.  305). 

P.  2,  1.  18. — The  following  is  the  Dinnseanchus  of  Beanna  Boirche,  from 
"  Book  of  Lecan,"  p.  512  b  : — "  Beand  Boirchi  canas  rohainmniged  ?  Ni  ansa 
Boirchi  boaire  mic  Rosa  rigbuidi  7  ba  hed  a  suidi  buachalla  an  bend  sin  7  is  cuma 
do  irgaireadh  each  mboin  ota  Dun  SobaircicohIn;zfo?rColptha  7  oBomd  co  Beind 
Boirchi  7  ni  gealta  bo  mir  foralma  seach  aroili.  JJnde  Beand  Boirche  dictiur.'" 
"  Whence  is  Beann  Boirche  named  ?  Not  hard  (to  reply).  Boirche  was  cow- 
herd to  the  son  of  Ross  of  the  yellow  wrist,  and  that  mountain  was  his  herdsman's 
seat,  and  equally  would  he  herd  each  cow  from  Dunseverick  to  Innber  Colptha, 
(Drogheda,  Boyne  mouth),  and  from  the  Boyne  to  Beann  Boirche,  and  no  cow 
pastured  beyond  another.     Whence  is  named  Beann  Boirche." 

P.  3,  1.  19. — "From  Mulladh  (Mullagh)  to  Beanna  Boirche  ....  from  the 
Bann  to  the  Drowes."  The  following  verses  of  Fintan  from  the  "Book  of 
Leinster,"  p.  8  b,  give  the  five  chief  divisions  of  Ireland  : — 

pncAn  cecinit  t>o  pAint)  11A  coiceT> : — 
Coic  u|\|aaiiiia  henent)  ecij\  mui]\  7  cin 
AT)T>eAcfA  ha  coemcAinte  caca  coicto  t>ib, 
O  "Onob&ip  •01A11  AiigbAit)  in  c1iecf\AiiT>  cAit> 
Cojin  •tii'boin'o  TiibAriA'obAiL  cepbAince  bAin, 

O  t>011TO  bl1T0  bA1lb|AUCA15  CO  CeCAlb  CUA11 

Co  Common  •OAtnuchAi^  ha  cjm  n-uccn-UAn 

O'n  Common  cectiA  fAin  co  puinciux)  CA]*f 

O  t3eoto  itit>  AiijbAi'o  con  •oiAn^Ainchen  gtAfr 

O  tuimnec  long  At>bAt  tecAn  a  tAn 

Co  t)|\obAif  ro^ont;  AnmjtAn  jufciben  fAb 

SuiceuiAit  rheccugut)  An  fAijcen  puic 

ComtAii  111  cencu^ut)  niAj\oiT>  1  coic 

P.  12,  1.  16. — enic  7  eneAcLMin.  Judging  from  "  Glossary  to  Brehon  Laws" 
(q.  v.  s.  v.),  the  exact  meaning  of  these  terms  is  not  certain.  Cjvic  seems  used 
generically.  There  are  said  to  be  four  eirics,  viz.,  aithgin,  dire,  tairgille,  and 
enecland.  We  have,  however,  an  apparent  distinction  between  the  two  in  the 
fact  that  -pi  aca,  'debts,'  is  glossed  by  en  eel  Aim,  and  coinp-'oine,  'body-fine,' 
by  enic. 

P.  18,  1.  18. — Hi  |\a  ccacc  net)'  ■fiAicmi'A.  A  better  rendering  is:  "They 
have  not  come  to  seek  sway  over  your  kingdom." 

P.  20,  1.  2. — t>A  •oo  jeAfAib  II15  eneAiin.     We  have  here  a  case  of  geAf, 

obligation,'  'tabu,'  so  common  in  the  lives  of  our  early  kings  and  heroes.     In 

the  economy  of  the  Seanchuidhe's  art,  the  jjeAf  is  often  made  the  pivot  upon 


ADDITIONAL  NOTES.  197 

which  the  heroic  deeds,  or  even  fate,  of  the  hero  turns.  The  following 
curious  instance  of  a  £eAf  of  Finn  mac  Cumhail  from  the  Agallamh  ("  Silva 
Gadelica,"  p.  195)  may  be  of  interest.  In  his  case  the  geAf  was  in  the  nature  of 
a  left-handed  pledge  :  — 

1f  Annpn  cucpvoAp  An  mgen  cuacJi  ponn  ApgAic  Af  a  corni  ocur1  aIah  ■oo 
ttito  fo-otA  Ann  ocur  cue  itlAim  JTmn.  "  Cnec  fo,  a  mgen  ?"  a|\  ponn.  "  TTIi-o 
fo-6tA  pDrneproA,"  An  p.  Ocup  bA  jeip  •o'ponn  p\ex>  ■o'obAO  ocup  SAbup  m 
cuAch  ocuf  ibir*  tmj  Ar  ocuf  aj\  n-6b  nA  Tiije  t>o  po  mercbuAronet)  e.  Ocur1 
cucpAT)Ap  a  ajait>  aj\  m  pemn  ocur  jAch  ole  ocur  JAch  Aimm  ocur  gAch  ben 
CAchA  ■oopxnn  An  jAch  p>|\  t)iob  no  chuib  mA  n-A^Ait)  tApn  meycAO  cue  Ati 
mgen  Ain. 

' '  Out  of  her  bosom  then  the  young  woman  brought  a  cuach  of  white  silver, 
containing  its  fill  of  delicious  mead,  and  reached  it  to  Finn,  who  questioned : 
'Young  woman,  what  is  this?'  '  Mead,' was  her  answer;  'delectable,  potent 
to  intoxicate.'  Now  to  Finn  it  was  prohibition  (^eAj*)  to  refuse  a  regalement ; 
he  took  the  cuach  therefore,  drank  a  draught  from  it,  and,  that  swallowed, 
straightway  was  all  demented.  Upon  the  Fianna  he  turned  his  face,  and  every 
harm,  and  flaw,  and  mishap  of  battle  that  he  knew  against  any  man  of  them  he, 
by  operation  of  the  frenzy  that  the  young  woman  had  worked  in  him,  threw  in 
their  teeth." 

P.  20,  1.  3. — Jo  ciobnuit»  nA  tAocnAi,6i.  The  name  of  this  well  does  not 
occur  amongst  those  enumerated  by  Petrie  in  his  Essay  on  Tara  (Trans.  R.I.A.). 
Could  it  be  a  1'olks-etymologie  for  Iaoc  cobAp,  the  famous  well  marked  on 
Petrie's  map  ? 

P.  20,  1.  5. — TTluitten  CiAnnAToe.  The  following  extract  describes  the  origin 
of  this  name: — "  Cuan  O'Lochain,  chief  poet  and  lawgiver  of  Ireland,  whose 
death  is  recorded  in  the  Annals  of  Tighearnach,  at  the  year  1024,  states  in  his 
poem  on  the  ruins  existing  at  Tara,  that  Cormac,  the  son  of  Art,  chief  monarch 
of  Ireland  in  the  third  century,  had  a  beautiful  cuma.1,  or  bondmaid,  named 
Ciarnaid,  who  was  obliged  to  grind  a  certain  quantity  of  corn  every  day  with  a 
'  bro,'  or  quern :  but  that  the  king  observing  her  beauty,  took  her  into  his  house, 
and  sent  across  the  sea  for  a  millwright  (cuj  y aoj\  muibbint)  caj\  mopatit)),  who 
constructed  a  mill  on  the  stream  of  Xith,  which  flows  from  the  fountain  of 
Neamhnach  to  the  north-east  of  Tara." — Petrie's  "Tara,"  p.  164. 

P.  22,  last  fine. — Coimleuet)  a  Ai§ce  -o'on.  The  face  was  very  commonly 
taken  as  a  standard  of  measure  in  primitive  times,  just  as  are  the  foot,  hand, 
and  arm  in  the  English — '  a  foot,'  '  two  hands  high,'  '  at  arm's  length,'  Sec.  For 
the  phrase  cf.  "Book  of  Leinster,"  p.  54,  1.  14,  comlechec  c'Ai^crti  t>o 
T3eps-6p. 

P.  29,  1.  12. — The  "  Dinnseanchus  "  is  a  collection  of  legendary  accounts  of 
the  origins  of  Irish  place-names.  Copies  of  it  are  found  in  our  principal  Irish 
MSS.,  the  Books  of  Leinster,  Ballymote,  Lecan,  &c.  Stokes  has  published  the 
Rennes  edition  in  the  "Revue  Celtique '';  and  the  poetic  passages  have  been 


198  ADDITIONAL  NOTES. 

selected  by  Mr.  E.  Gwynn  for  his  Todd  Lectures.  Very  skilful  use  has  been 
made  of  it  in  the  present  story ;  and  the  circumstances  under  which  the 
Dinnseanchus  of  Ath  Fuar  was  composed  are  probably  unique.  In  the  Books  of 
Leinster  and  Ballymote  Dinnseanchus  the  usual  formula  lor  commencing  one  is 
CAriAf  f\o  h-Animrnge'o  .  .  .  m  AnnfA  ?  The  phrase  has  here,  been  reduced  to 
the  less  formal  and  more  colloquial  Ca  h-Aimn  .   .  .? 

P.  29,  11.  24,  25. — tlocA  n-puiL.  Really  not  a  question.  The  literal  transla- 
tion is:  '"Your  warriors  have  no  cause  to  attack  us,  O  Criomhthann,"  said 
Conghal.     "  That  is  so,"  said  Criomhthann.' 

P.  30,  1.  18. — ttlAg  Irnjmn.  This  may  not  be  a  place-name.  The  difficulty 
is  in — (1)  the  particle  00  preceding,  and  (2)  in  the  phrase  triAg  1mnim  itself. 
It  is  possible  that  there  may  be  a  wrong  division  of  the  words.  trlAJ  Itnfutn 
might  be  a  cheville  of  some  kind.  Stokes  has  given  a  word  mAJ  as  meaning 
'  great,'  which  may  possibly  be  the  present  one.  1mr\im  has  the  meaning 
'  running.' 

P.  37, 1.  6. — A  better  translation  might  be :  '  Unless  you  come  in  order  to 
plunder  us  with  Conghal  Clairinghneach,  there  is  nothing  for  you  to  destroy 
on  us.' 

P.  40,  11.  11,  12. — The  MS.  has  Air»c  for  at\c,  and  AOCormAinc  for  At>con- 
riAf\c.  Ai]\c  of  course  may  mean  'necessity,'  'straits':  cf.  phrase  cne  Ai]\c  no 
eipn  ;  but  then  we  should  expect  A"ocomiA|\c,  not  AOcontiAirvc.  Dr.  Meyer 
suggested  a  word  A|\c,  '  valour,'  to  me,  and  I  have  adopted  it  tentatively. 

P.  42,  1.  20 — gebcAjA  bjAUigen  oj\c,  i.e.  '  a  palace  shall  be  attacked  on  you.' 
The  translation  in  the  text  is  not  correct :  cf.  p.  84. 

P.  45  {2>rd  line  from  bottom). — Translate  'let  you  go,'  instead  of  'let 
them  go.' 

P.  46,  last  line. — uAin  •omgeubA'Of a  a  coigeAt).  Restore  MS.  reading 
cojat),  and  translate,  '  for  I  shall  ward  off  his  attack  from  the  Ulster-men.' 
Omit  note  (20). 

P.  48,  1.  16. — For  coijeAt)  read  cojat)  as  above,  and  translate:  'He  would 
ward  off  your  attack  from  the  Ulstermen.' 

p.  49. — Semne  has  given  his  name  to  InbejA  Sentine,  Larne  ;  Maghseimne  in 
Dalaraidhe;  Inis  Seimne,  Island  Magee.  Larne,  Co.  Antrim,  derives  its  name 
from  Lathairne. 

P.  50,  1.  19.— 'Oun  t>a  "beAnn.  Monsignor  O'Laverty,  in  his  "History  of 
Down  and  Connor,"  vol.  iv.,  in  referring  to  Dun  da  Beann,  now  Mount  Sandel, 
Coleraine,  quotes  the  following  from  the  Ordnance  Memoir  MS.  (written  in  1835 
by  J.  Blakely)  :— 

"  Mount  Sandell  is  of  an  oval  shape,  and  measures  175  feet  north  and  south, 
by  140  feet  east  and  west,  with  a  trench  in  the  centre,  which  runs  east  and  west, 
and  is  about  17  feet  from  the  bottom  to  the  top  of  the  ford.  There  are  two 
'  giants'  graves,'  one  near  the  west  side,  and  the  other  near  the  south  side  of  the 
fort,  each  25  feet  by  16  feet.     The  fort  is,  from  the  planting  at  the  west  side  to 


ADDITIONAL  NOTES.  199 

the  top,  about  40  feet  high,  and  30  feet  high  from  the  bottom  of  the  trench  to 
the  top  of  the  fort  at  the  east  side,  and  40  feet  high  at  the  north  side.  The  south 
side  is  grown  over  with  blackthorn.  The  parapet  is  almost  level  with  the  top  of 
the  fort.  There  were  two  excellent  springs  about  150  perches  north  of  the  fort 
in  a  wood." 

P.  56,  1.  28. — eAy  CjAAOibe.  "  The  ancient  name  of  the  Cutts,  on  the  Bann  at 
Coleraine,  was  Eas  Craeibhe,  the  cataract  of  Creeve.  This  Creeve  was  a  princess 
who  was  drowned  here :  she  was  the  daughter  of  Owen  mac  Duirtheacht,  and 
she  resided  in  the  great  fortress,  Dun  da  Bheann,  now  Mount  Sandell.  From 
this  cataract  the  tribe  which  dwelt  between  it  and  the  River  Roe  was  named 
Fir  na  Craeibhe,  '  the  men  of  Creeve.'  The  territory  in  later  ages  belonged  to 
a  branch  of  the  family  of  O'Kane." — O'Laverty,  *'  Down  and  Connor,"  vol.  iv., 

p.  156. 

P.  57,  1.  T,from  bottom. — TrlAice  uIao  aj\  certA.  Translate  'the  rest  of  the 
chiefs  of  Ulster,'  instead  of  as  in  text. 

P.  61, 1.  10. — AonAch  of  Inber  Tuaighe.  The  origin  of  the  name  is  related 
in  a  metrical  Dinnseanchus  in  LL.  and  Ballymote.  In  these  it  is  called 
Tuag-Inber. 

P.  61,  11.  20,  21. — Literally:  'should  doubtless  be  .  .  .  should  possess  .  .  . 
should  contest.' 

P.  62, 1.  1. — "Do  ctActnb  cpuinne.  Remarking  upon  this  passage  in  "Manners 
and  Customs,"  p.  274,  &c,  O'Curry  says:  "The  reference  to  the  general  use  of 
round  stones  in  this  battle  is  curious  indeed ;  but  the  round  stone  must  not  be 
taken  to  be  the  same  as  the  Lia  Lamha  Laich.  or  '  champion's  hand-stone,'  for 
the  latter  weapon  was  apparently  always  reserved  for  some  particular  occasion  or 
opportunity  of  a  more  important  character,  in  some  difficult  contest  of  skill ;  while 
the  round  stones  are  here  represented  as  having  been  cast  promiscuously  with  the 
darts  and  spears  on  the  advance  of  both  parties  to  close  combat,  in  which  their 
'  long  heavy  spears '  and  their  '  broad  green  spears '  for  thrusting,  and  their 
swords  for  cleaving,  were  called  into  requisition.  It  is  remarkable  that  in  no 
details  of  any  battle  before  or  after  this  Battle  of  Aenach  Tuaighe  is  there  any 
reference  to  'showers'  of  stones  such  as  we  have  here,  down  to  the  battle  fought 
near  Limerick  by  the  celebrated  CeAllAcriAn  of  CAipt  against  the  Danes,  so  late 
as  about  the  year  920,  in  which  it  is  stated  (Book  of  Lismore)  that  '  their  youths, 
tneir  champions,  and  their  proud,  haughty  veterans  came  to  the  front  of  the 
battle  to  cast  their  stones,  and  their  small  arrows  (or  darts),  and  their  smooth 
spears  on  each  side  at  one  another."' 

P.  63,  1.  25.  —  'The  three  foster-brothers.'  Notwithstanding  the  corn-OAt- 
cvoa  of  the  text,  it  is  clear  that  they  were  Conghal's  foster-brothers  (corhAt- 
caoa),  and  not  his  foster-sons  (conroAtcA-OA).  Their  relation  to  Conghal  is 
shown  by  the  fact  that,  on  p.  49,  their  father,  Fionntan  mac  Rudraighe,  is  said 
to  be  Conghal's  foster-father  (oine}.  Elsewhere  the  MS.  has  coitiaIca'oa 
correctly. 


200  ADDITIONAL  NOTES. 


PART  II. 


P.  70,  1.  2. — llAbgA'oon  tnAC  1ojuiaiu.  The  Irish  seanchuidhe  had  no 
qualms  of  conscience  in  laying  all  sources  under  contribution  for  the  work  he  had 
in  view.  Here  we  find  the  Biblical  name  of  Nabuchodonosar,  son  of  Herod,  of 
which  tlAbgATDon  tnAC  Iojuiaic  is  the  Irish  variant,  introduced  to  us  as  king 
of  the  mythical  land  of  Uardha  (the  Cold).  For  the  form  nAbj;A'oon  cf.  "Thes. 
Pala^ohibernicus,"  Index  Nom.  : 

€Hiitmof\A'OAc1i  yooem 

Da  tnAC  tlAbcoooin  tiAf\  -peih. 

K.  Meyer,   "  Zeit.  fiir  Celt.,"  B.  hi.,  p.  19  ; 

riAb5ATionAffoj\,  "Book  of  Ballymote  "  (MacCarthy,  Todd  Lectures,  vol.  hi., 
p.  298). 

P.  70,  1.  3. — bebi-o  may  be  for  the  common  bebino.  The  form  might 
possibly  be  due  to  the  omission  of  the  «-stroke  over  the  i,  so  that  for  bebro  we 
would  have  bebit).  It  is  needless  to  say  that  the  first  syllable  '  be '  of  such  names 
is  the  word  '  be,'  '  a  woman.' 

P.  70,  1,  7. — CefOA  11A  cAinjjne,  6t  tia  AOibnef,  a  summary  of  the  business 
and  pleasure  of  a  king.  CAingen  is  translated  in  Brehon  Laws'  Gloss,  by  'case,' 
'cause,'  'question,'   'dispute,'   'plea.' 

P.  72,  1.  10. — HAcjumm  a  ii-t)Ab|MA'OA.  Rathlin  in  Dalriada,  to  distinguish 
it  from  islands  of  the  same  name  in  Ireland.  The  oldest  form  of  the  name  was 
Tlecnti,  an  "n"  stem  like  e-juu,  'Ireland.'  The  declension  therefore  was  ftecjvu, 
•Recf\erm,  ftecrmin  (tlAcfunnn),  like  ejuu,  e)\enn  (O.  Ir.  e-|\eiro),  e-[vmn.  The 
tendency  in  these  stems  is  to  adopt  the  dat.  sg.  as  nom.,  hence,  e.g.,  the  popular 
name  of  Erin,  and  hence  ftAcjuunn,  as  here.  The  further  change  of  1lAC|\uinn  to 
the  sound  '  Rathlin  '  is  easily  explained  on  phonetic  grounds.  The  combination 
cr  tends  to  develop  an  intermediary  sound,  or  '  glide,'  t  between  the  c  and  r  ; 
compare,  for  example,  the  phonetic  development  of  French  naitre  from  nascere : — 
nascere  (Classical) ;  nascre  (popular  Latin)  =  nasctre  =  nascTtre  =  naistre  =  naitre. 
Similarly  ftecnmmi  develops  a  dental  '  glide  '  t,  and  so  develops  thus — *Racc- 
junnn,  *tiAC}uiinn,aand  then  ■RActirm,  the  dental  /  changing  r  to  the  dental 
liquid  /.  The  change  has  been  further  essentially  helped  out  by  the  influence  of 
the  dental  group  nn  on  the  first  group  of  consonants.  We  have,  besides  Rathlin 
off  the  Antrim  coast,  a  llAcjunnn  island  in  Lough  Neagh,  another  off  the  Donegal 
coast,  and  the  well-known  llecnu  (TlAcntmin)  off  the  coast  of  Dublin,  now  called 
Lambay  Island.  Our  author  evidently  adds  'in  Dalriada'  to  avoid  confusion 
with  these  latter. 

P.  72,  1.  18. — Co  tnbmne  11-50CA.  h-joca  is  a  case  of  what  Pedersen 
(Kuhn,  Zeit.  xxxv.)  calls  dynamic  eclipsis  and  aspiration.  The  following  are  two 
early  examples  which  he  cites  : — a  btmr'Aij;  rhbAip  tiiburibor-cci,  LL.  62  a,  48  ; 
copbo  puApnAel  ■ouboeirnp  cliAf  clutvoub  bA  fopcp  pMp,  LTJ.   103  b,  4,   5. 


ADDITIONAL  NOTES.  201 

This  latter  sentence  exemplifies  the  phenomenon  of  dynamic  aspiration  in  the 
case  of  chirvoub.  Quite  a  number  of  examples  may  be  collected  from  our  text. 
Cf.  p.  50,  it>ij\  cj-ocpuroe  7  crboj  ;  p.  136,  eiT>irv  pon  7  trmAOi. 

P.  74,  1.  2. — Ki  Tjonn  triAC  1omcriAT)A.  I  have  translated  this  proper  name 
by  '  King  Donn,'  as  the  scribe  who  copied  the  text  evidently  considered  it  to 
stand  for  such.  The  aspiration  of  the  letter  v>  in  TJorm  suggests  at  once, 
however,  that  we  have  to  deal  with  a  compound  Kroonn  taken  as  one  word,  of 
which  ru  is  simply  the  well-known  Irish  word  |\ij,  '  the  wrist,  forearm,'  the  whole 
word  therefore  meaning  'brown-wrist,'  Kij-oonn.  Such  a  collocation  as  K15 
Worm,  King  Donn,  would  be  strange  in  Irish,  save  that  we  considered  it,  as 
here,  a  volks-ety?nologie,  brought  about  by  the  influence  of  English.  The  name 
of  the  daughter  of  King  Donn,  CAip  CAOibgeAl,  is  a  common  one  in  Irish 
story :  cf.  e.g.  UAip  UAOibgeAl,  daughter  of  the  King  of  Greece,  in  the  Gilla 
Decair  ("  Silva  Gadelica,"  Trans.,  p.  307). 

P.  90,  last  line. — CofCAX).  I  met  the  following  interesting  occurrence  of  this 
word  in  the  Stowe  MS.,  C.  I.  2.  (R.  LA.),  fol.  21,  b  2,  11.  11-15  :— 7  cahcacat\ 
nompo  cat)  cor-CAjj  (I.e.  coprAt>)  ^ati  comnAiji  cun  gAbj-AC  r-or-AX)  7  tongponc 
AjVCAib  leicrveAc  ftuigi.  3am  comnAiji  shows,  of  course,  the  force  of  copcAJ, 
viz.,  '  halting,  staying.' 

P.  101,  last  line. — T_)un  UAip.  The  following  extract  from  the  "History  of 
Down  and  Connor,"  by  Monsignor  O'Laverty,  is  most  interesting  as  embodying 
the  opinion  of  one  well  familiar  with  the  scenes  here  described.  In  his  chapter 
onRathlin  Island  (vol.  iv.,  p.  384),  Monsignor  O'Laverty,  after  quoting  from  this 
tale,  makes  the  following  remarks  : — *'  Whoever  wrote  this  tale  must  have 
resided  in  Rathlin ;  it  is  so  faithful  to  the  topography,  though  everything  is 
described  in  an  exaggerated  style.  The  palace  prepared  by  Donn  for  his  son-in- 
law  is  Doonbeg;  the  Grianan  of  Taisi  is  Greenan ;  the  harbour  where  Fergus 
'was  listening  to  the  murmur  of  the  sea  on  the  northern  side,'  is  Port  Doonna- 
giall.  After  their  defeat  the  invaders  '  had  a  very  short  way  to  pursue  in  their 
flight  unless  they  plunged  into  the  sea  ' ;  the  harbour  is  about  400  yards  north  of 
Doonmore,  the  palace  of  King  Donn ;  Crocknashanvan  is  where  the  women 
witnessed  the  fight.  The  Tow  river,  that  flows  along  the  western  side  of 
Knocklayd  into  the  harbour  of  Ballycastle,  is  supposed  by  Mr.  Hill  to  preserve 
the  name  of  Taise.  Certainly  the  Four  Masters  call  the  glen  Glen  Taise ;  the 
palace  built  for  her  in  it  was  perhaps  the  great  fort  in  Broommore,  under  the 
shadow  of  Knocklayd,  which  seems  still  to  preserve  the  name  of  Leide,  whose 
son,  Fergus  mac  Leide,  gave  to  Taise  all  the  territory  as  far  as  Dunseverick." 


202  ADDITIONAL  NOTES. 


PART  III. 

P.  108,  1.  16. — t)UAnA  7  "OuccormA.  "In  the  description  of  a  festive  enter- 
tainment in  the  old  tale  of  the  Triumphs  of  Conghal  Clairingneach  we  are  told  that 
poems  (Duana)  and  Duchonda  were  sung  for  the  company,  from  which  we  may 
perhaps  infer  that  the  poems,  or  Duana,  are  laudations  of  the  living  heroes, 
whilst  the  Duchonda  were  the  dirges  of  the  meritorious  dead." — O'Curry, 
"  Manners  and  Customs,"  vol.  hi.,  p.  380.  For  Duchand,  vide  s.  v.  Esnad  in 
"  Cormac's  Glossary": — epiAo  .1.111  nAC  acc  ifoucriAiTO  ;  aijv  bA  nernAT)  Amm 
111  chiuit  ■oipucif  11A  pAriAe  urn  a  11  bpil,Achc  pAiifAe. 

P.  H2,l.  23. — t)ennA.  "bencA  here  may  mean  'of  the  top  of  the  head':  cf. 
O'Curry,  "Manners  and  Customs,"  vol.  iii.,  p.  107,  a  bennAch  =  mublAch  a 
chirm  ;  LL.  93  b  4,  42  :  oua  bennAT)  co  a  bonnAib,  '  from  head  to  feet-soles.' 

P.  112,  1.  23. — It  is  interesting  to  know  that  a  story  similar  to  that  of  Labhra 
Loingseach  is  told  by  the  dwellers  on  the  Nile  near  Cairo.  Along  the  Nile 
wheels  are  used  for  raising  water,  and  their  rotation  produces  a  peculiar  creaking 
noise.  In  explanation  of  this  noise,  it  is  told  how  King  Alexander  possessed 
the  ears  of  an  ass,  and  this  secret  was  known  only  to  his  barbers.  One  of  the 
latter,  unable  to  keep  the  secret,  whispered  it  to  a  water-wheel,  and  ever  since 
these  wheels  repeat  it  in  their  creaking,  saying,  'King  Alexander  has  two  ears 
of  an  ass.'  The  story  apparently  reached  Ireland  through  some  channel  or  other, 
and  was  fathered  on  our  Irish  king.  The  story  is  more  commonly  ascribed  to 
King  Midas. 

P.  118,  1.  18.— Aiccen,  gen.  sg.  Strachan  has  pointed  out,  in  Zeit.  fur  Celt. 
Philologie,  Bd.  iii.,  pp.  414,  415,  that  the  gen.  of  nouns  ending  in  An  is 
commonly  An,  e.g.,  uucaic  bAite  ITI0115A11,  '  the  cause  of  the  madness  of 
Mongan,'  LU.,  p.  134  b,  and  hence  Aiccen  (oiciAn),  gen.  sg.  in  text. 

P.  123,  1.  9. — 'Unwitting.'  Ameoi,  used  as  here  adjectivally,  generally 
means  'strange.'  The  etymological  meaning  seems  applicable  here;  the  transition 
from  '  unwitting  '  to  '  strange '  is  obvious.  P.  126,  1.  21,  I  should  perhaps  have 
translated  AI111U1L  by  '  strange.'  In  Saltair  na  Rann,  Stokes  translates  Aneoil  by 
<  hostile.' 

P.  124,  1.  7. — Tli§r\eriiAn  may  possibly  mean  'wrist-thick.'  The  alliteration 
pi jnerhAn  norhon  and  imnerhAr\  ia|\aihii  tends  to  show  that  nij  is  an  intensive 
particle. 

P.  126,  11.  19,  20. — 'OeojbAir>e,  'cup-bearer';  yen  cohjiiiaIa  comnte, 
'  light-keeper.'  It  must  be  remembered  that  these  were  offices  in  the  household 
of  a  king,  or  great  prince,  and  that  in  primitive  times  such  offices  carried  with 
them  a  great  amount  of  authority.  The  feudal  titles  still  in  use  in  Court  circles, 
such  as    'chamberlain,'    'sword-bearer,'  'lord-in-waiting,'  represent  a  similar 


ADDITIONAL  NOTES.  203 

set  of  circumstances  in  more  recent  times.    It  is  well  known  how  menial  were  the 
offices  performed  by,  for  example,  French  nobles  in  attendance  on  their  kings. 

P.  128,  1.  14. — A  ni§  tjIao  tiA  Ti-Aijvogi .jit,  '  O  King  of  Ulster  of  the  great 
hostages/  The  number  of  hostages  possessed  by  a  king  or  prince  was  a  measure 
of  his  power.  Hence  each  king  had  a  ceAcli  ha  tijiaLI,  '  house  for  the  hostages,' 
or  tmn  tia  ti^iaII,  '  fort  for  the  hostages,'  in  which  they  resided.  Their  position 
was  pleasant  enough  as  long  as  the  tribe  from  which  they  came  remained  on 
friendly  terms  with  the  prince  or  king  in  whose  court  they  were.  This  custom  of 
taking  hostages  accounts  for  many  names  of  places  ;  at  Tara  there  was  a  ceAch 
ha  ti^iaII,  and  in  Rathlin  {vide  Add.  Note,  p.  101)  we  have  Port-Doonnagiall, 
i.e.  pope  "Oum  ha  ti^'aLL. 

P.  134,  1.  28. —  e6m  epee,  'magic  birds.'  The  eoin  cpie  are  a  common- 
place in  Irish  story-telling.  The  following  is  an  interesting  reference  to  them,  in 
the  healing  of  Caeilte,  in  the  AjaLIa™  ("  Silva  Gad.,"  Ir.  Text,  p.  223) :  "  Do 
riachtsat  lucht  in  tsidha  amuigh  a  haithle  in  chiuil  do  chluinsin  ocus  ro  fhiarfaig 
Caeilte  scela  diob  :  ocus  cret  in  cairche  ciuil  atchualamar  ar  se.  Uainebhuide  a  sid 
Duirn  bhuide  andes  o  thuinn  Chliodna  ocus  enlaith  thire  tarmgaire  ina  farrad. 
ocus  ba  hairfitech  tire  tarmgaire  uile  i.  ocus  a  mbliadna  is  lei  techt  d'innsaigid 
in  tsida  so  ocus  bliadain  gacha  sida  ar  an  ingen.  ocus  tancadar  isin  sid  anunn 
iar  sin  ocus  tainic  in  enlaith  gur  shuidset  ar  chorraib  ocus  ar  cholbadaib  an 
tsida.  ocus  tainic  tricha  en  diob  i  tech  na  narm  in  bhaile  amboi  Caeilte 
ocus  do  ghabsat  cliar  istig.  ro  ghab  Cascorach  a  thimpan  ocus  gach  adhbann 
ro  sheinned  ro  ghabdais  in  enlaith  leis.  is  mor  gceol  do  chualamar  ar  Caeilte 
ocus  ni  chualamar  ceol  a  chommaith  sin,"  "After  having  heard  the  music, 
the  sidh -people  that  had  been  abroad  returned,  and  Caeilte  sought  news  of 
them,  saying :  '  What  was  the  burst  of  music  that  we  heard  ? '  '  It  was  Uaine- 
bhuidhe,  out  of  the  sidh  of  Dorn  buidhe  from  Cleena's  Wave  in  the  south, 
and  with  her  the  birds  of  the  land  of  promise,  she  being  minstrel  of  that  entire 
country.  Now  is  her  turn  to  visit  this  sidh,  and  every  year  she  takes  some  other 
one':  thus  Bebhionn.  By  this  time  the  new-comers  had  entered  the  sidh,  the 
birds  as  well  coming  in  and  perching  on' the  cornices  and  couches  of  the  dwelling. 
Thirty  of  them  penetrated  into  teach  na  narm,  where  Caeilte  was,  and  there 
within  struck  up  in  concert.  Cascorach  handled  his  timpan,  and  to  even-  piece 
that  he  played  the  birds  sang  him  an  accompaniment.  '  Many  's  the  music  we 
have  heard,'  Cascorach  said,  'but  music  so  good  as  that,  never.'" 

P.  136,  1.  21. — CU5  a  tim  a  ccobnAfo  a  fceich  7  cuj  teACAn  lAOiorfnleA-6 
at-.  Referring  to  this  passage  as  a  classical  description  in  "Manners  and 
Customs,"  p.  277,  O'Curry  says :  "  It  was  leACAti,  that  is  a  half,  or  modified  flat 
stone  :  for  leAC  means  a  perfectly  flat  stone,  so  that  leACAn  must  mean  a  stone 
partaking  somewhat  of  the  flat  form,  but  not  entirely  flat ;  and  than  this,  no  more 
accurate  description  need  be  desired  of  those  stone  implements  in  our  museums 
which  it  has  been  the  unmeaning  fashion  to  call  'celts.'  "  The  following  refer- 
ence to  the  cobpA  in  the  A^AlUm  ("Silva  Gad.,"  p.  101)  is  interesting:  1r 


204  ADDITIONAL  NOTES. 

Aiinpn  cue  cAiLce  a  tAim  pecliA  1  compAT)  a  pceich  ocup  cucApcAp  Lia 
•opumniech  TDepjoip  AppAbACAp  cpi  CAecA  umge  x>o  pAcpAic  Ap  bAipcet)  in 
nonbAp  •06  bin',  '  Then  Caeilte  put  his  hand  in  the  hollow  of  his  shield,  and  gave 
to  Patrick  a  ridgy  lump  of  gold,  in  which  were  thrice  fifty  ounces  for  baptizing 
the  nine  were  with  him.' 

P.  152,  1.  5.— -Apcup  mop  mAC  1ubAip.  If  we  have  to  do  here  with  the  great 
King  Arthur,  we  may  equate  lubAp  to  Uther  (Pendragon).  The  most  obvious 
Irish  source  for  the  name  is  the  Irish  Nennius.  In  his  "  Nennius  Vindicatus," 
p.  258,  Zimmer,  dealing  with  King  Arthur,  says:  "Arthur  war,  so  weit  die 
altesten  Zeugnisse  der  Heldensage  einen  Ruckschluss  gestatten,  einum  die  Wende 
des  5.  und  im  Beginn  des  6.  Jahrh.  sich  auszeichnendei  Fiihrerder  Britten  in  den 
Kampfen  gegen  die  Angeln  und  Sachsen."  There  are  a  number  of  Arthurs  in 
Irish  Literature,  e.g.  Arthur  of  the  Norse  Gael  (A^aIA-ait),  "  Silva  Gad.," 
Eng.  Tr.,  p.  212) ;  Arthur,  son  of  Beine  Brit,  King  of  the  Britons  (id.,  p.  105). 
In  the  "Voyage  of  Bran"  (Meyer),  p.  84,  we  have:  "  Mongan  mac  Fiachna 
Lurgan  ab  Artur  filio  Bicoir  Prctene  lapide  percussus  interit."  A  collection  of 
the  '  Arthur '  episodes  is  a  desideratum. 

P.  152,  1.  11 — A  ccpAij  "bnecAn.  The  following,  from  "Nen.  Vindic." 
(Zimmer),  p.  285,  may  be  of  interest  here  :  "  Darauf  weisst  ja  auch  Gildas  '  De 
excidio,'  par.  18,  deutlich  hin,  wo  er  mittheilt  dass  die  abziehende  letzte  Legion 
den  Wall  im  Norden  zur  Vertheidigung  den  Britten  in  den  Stand  gesetzt  und 
an  der  Siidkuste  (in  litore  oceani  ad  meridianam  plagam)  wo  im  letzten  Jahr- 
hundert  der  Romerherrschaft  der  '  comes  litoris  Saxonici  per  Britanniam ' 
postiert  war  Thiirme  in  Zwischenraiimen  mit  dem  Blick  aufs  Meer  gebaut  habe, 
um  die  auf  dem  Meer  herannahenden  Barbaren  beobachten  zu  konnen.  Hier  ist 
uns  durch  Gildas  deutlich  der  Fortbestand  des  Dux  Brittanniarum  und  des  Comes 
litoris  Saxonici  der  romischen  Organisation  gegen  Ende  der  Herrschaft  auch  fiir 
die  Zeit  nach  Abzug  der  Romer  in  irgend  einer  Form  bestatigt.'' 

P.  156,  1.  23. — Apcup  Aompep.  Elsewhere,  e.g.  p.  162,  we  have  the  name 
Ape  en  pep  (Ape  Aompep).  It  is  clear  that  the  author  has  here  made  use  of  the 
name  of  the  son  of  Conn  Ce'dcathach,  viz.,  Art  Aoinfhear,  as  a  name  for  the 
reputed  son  of  Tinne,  and  real  son  of  Arthur.  The  variant  Apcup  for  Apr  shows 
the  reason.     Ape  was  naturally  a  convenient  name  for  the  son  of  Apc-up. 

P.  168,  1.  28. — 50  ueAch  eAcliAit)  SAlbuioe.  In  an  article  in  the  Irish 
News  and  Belfast  Morning  News,  for  Saturday,  August  13th,  1904,  on  Cathair 
Boirche,  written  by  Monsignor  O'Laverty,  apropos  of  the  appearance  of  the 
present  work,  the  following  interesting  account  is  given  of  what  he  considers  to 
be  the  remains  of  the  original  Cathair  Boirche  and  House  of  Eochaidh 
Salbhuidhe,  the  father  of  Nessa,  mother  of  the  famous  Connor  mac  Nessa  :  — 
"  The  capital  of  Achy's  (Eachaidh)  little  kingdom,  which  comprised  the  southern 
part  of  the  present  county  of  Down,  was  situated  in  the  parish  of  Kilcoo,  on 
those  hills  that  slope  up  to  the  Mountains  of  Mourne.  I  found  it  fortified  in  a 
manner  that  would  do  credit  to  the  greatest  strategist  of  that  or  any  succeeding 


ADDITIONAL  NOTES.  205 

age.  But,  alas,  more  than  twenty  centuries  have  reduced  those  great  stone 
fortresses  to  a  few  feet  above  their  foundations,  and  have  not  left  of  many  of 
them  even  a  trace.  On  sheet  No.  43  of  the  Ordnance  Survey,  Co.  Down,  there 
are  marked  in  the  townlands  of  Tullyree,  Drumena,  and  Moneyscalp  nine 
'  cashels  ' — a  cashel  is  a  stone-built  circumvallation,  without  any  apparent  moat 
or  ditch.  These  are  disposed  in  a  circular  form,  around  what  seems  to  have  been 
a  centre,  which  is  represented  on  the  map  as  '  site  of  fort ';  from  this  they  stand 
at  an  average  distance  of  120  statute  perches.  Outside  this  circle  of  forts  are 
marked  on  the  map  other  cashels,  which  seem  to  have  been  outlying  fortresses  ; 
one  in  Moneyscalp,  50  perches  from  the  circle  ;  one  in  Burenreagh,  containing  a 
cave,  stands  50  perches  from  it ;  and  two  in  Burenban  are  about  250  perches 
outside  the  circle,  while  similar  stone  circumvallations  in  Slievnalargy  guarded 
the  approaches  from  that  side.  I  examined  only  two  of  these  cashels,  both  in 
Drumena,  one  in  the  farm  of  Mr.  Walsh,  the  wall  of  which  is  twelve  feet  broad, 
but  reduced  to  the  height  of  about  six  feet  ;  its  interior  diameter  measures  130  feet ; 
within  it  is  a  cave  nearly  three  feet  broad  and  five  feet  high,  covered  with 
immense  blocks  of  stone ;  the  foundations  of  walls,  which  once  divided  the 
interior  into  compartments,  present  themselves  in  several  places.  The  other 
cashel  which  I  visited  is  in  Mr.  Mooney's  farm.  Its  interior  diameter  is 
160  feet;  it  had  two  entrances,  one  facing  the  south-east,  and  the  other  facing 
the  north-west.  A  few  stones  of  one  side  of  each  of  those  gateways  still  remain. 
The  wall  is  eleven  feet  broad.  Both  these  cashels  are  nearly  circular,  and  their 
walls  built  of  dry  stones.  In  front  of  the  last-mentioned  cashel,  and  at  a  distance 
of  about  ten  perches  from  its  north-western  gate,  the  map  marks  another  cashel, 
which  is  now  reduced  to  a  heap  of  stones.  This  is  locally  named  Cruckakinney, 
'  the  Horse-head  Hill.'  .  .  .  These  remains  of  a  remote  past  are  situated  a  little 
to  the  north-east  of  Loughislandreavy,  about  three  miles  from  Castlewellan,  and 
two  miles  from  Bryansford.  .  .  .  Benna  Boirche,  '  the  Peaks  of  Boirche,'  was 
in  ancient  times  the  name  by  which  were  designated  the  Mourne  Mountains,  and 
the  territory  immediately  adjoining  them,  while  Cathair  Boirche  translates  '  the 
Stone  Fortress  of  Boirche.'  Now,  as  the  cashels  in  Kilcoo  are  the  only  stone 
fortresses  on  or  around  those  mountains,  and  as  they  are  in  the  vicinity  of 
Dundrum  Bay,  where  Conghal  landed,  it  is  almost  certain  that  there  was  the 
residence  of  Achy  Salbwee  (Eachaidh  Salbuidhe),  and  the  birthplace  of  his  still 
more  celebrated  daughter  Nessa,  the  mother  of  Connor  mac  Nessa."  In  thus 
locating  Cacaij\  boir>ce,  Monsignor  O'Laverty  differs  from  old  John  M'Alinden, 
who  told  Dr.  O'Donovan  that  the  great  earthen  mound  in  the  townland  of 
Ballymaghery,  parish  of  Clonduff,  was  called  TTIoca  t)eAmiA  t)oir\ce. 

P.  174,  1.  9. — 'gun'  corhAimpn  Congal  te  h-Apc  Aoinfen  nepn,  '  So  that 
from  that  Conghal  is  contemporary  with  Art  Aonfher.'  This  synchronism  is 
indefensible,  whether  we  take  Art  Aonfher  as  the  real  son  of  Conn  Cedcathach, 
or  the  son  of  Arthur.  In  the  former  case  the  chronology  would  be  in  error  by 
over  200,  in  the  latter  by  over  400  years  !     In  the  poem  of  Gilla-Coemain,  quoted 


206  ADDITIONAL  NOTES. 

in  notes  to  p.  2,  we  saw  that  the  initial  regnal  year  of  Conghal  Clairingneach 
was  177  B.C.,  and  in  the  Synchronisms  51  B.C.  We  may  compare  with  the  events 
dated  in  that  poem  the  following  regnal  synchronistic  dates,  ox  floruits,  derived 
from  Book  of  Ballymote  Synchronisms  (ed.  MacCarthy,  Todd  Lect.,  vol.  iii.): — 

[A.]     B.C. 

307     Cimbaeth,  son  of  Fintan,  King  of  Emain  Macha. 
28     Eochaidh  Salbuidhe  died. 

A.D. 

278  Cormac  mac  Airt. 
[B.]      B.C. 

325  Cimbaeth,  son  of  Fintan. 

81-51  Congal  Clairingneach. 

42  Fergus  mac  Lethe,  King  of  Ulster,  began  to  reign. 
A.D. 

187  Death  of  Conn  Cedcathach. 

187  Art  (Aonfher),  son  of  Conn,  began  to  reign. 

The  origin  of  the  discrepancies  in  the  native  regnal  chronology  Dr.  MacCarthy 
has  elaborately  discussed  in  vol.  iii.  of  the  Todd  Lectures.  The  native  annalists 
started  from  some  Biblical  event,  such  as  the  Deluge,  and  forced  the  regnal 
sequence  into  harmony  with  Biblical  or  Classical  ones.  Hence  arose  discrepancies, 
according  to  the  starting-point  and  system  chosen.  On  the  value  of  the 
traditional  regnal  sequences,  apart  from  the  chronology,  he  has  the  following 
remarks  : — 

"The  design  and  contents  of  the  Tracts  next  demand  attention.  That 
the  Irish  possessed  letters  before  the  introduction  of  Christianity  may  be 
taken  as  established  by  one  fact.  In  substance  the  same  as  the  present  language 
the  Ogham  script  belongs  to  a  stage  centuries  older  than  that  to  which,  according 
to  the  progress  of  linguistic  development,  the  most  archaic  of  our  other  literary 
remains  can  be  assigned.  When,  in  addition,  the  vitality  of  tradition  is  taken 
into  account,  there  appears  nothing  improbable  in  the  transmission  of  the 
number,  order,  and  leaders  of  the  various  so-called  Invasions,  or  Occupations. 
Much  less,  coming  to  later  times,  does  it  seem  impossible  to  have  preserved  the 
remarkable  story  of  the  foundation,  and  the  names  of  the  rulers  of  a  kingdom 
established  and  maintained  in  despite  of  the  central  government. 

"  Next  came  the  Christian  missionaries.  With  them,  or  soon  thereafter, 
along  with  compositions  of  a  similar  kind,  arrived  the  works  of  St.  Jerome. 
Among  the  writings  of  that  Father  was  a  version  of  the  (lost)  Chronicle  of 
Eusebius.  A  reflex  of  the  natural  order,  whereby  many  events  have  a  simul- 
taneous origin  and  progress,  that  compilation,  with  some  defects  of  detail,  stands 
in  design  beyond  the  reach  of  emendation.  To  adjust  the  traditional  history  to 
such  a  system,  and  thereby  invest  national  events  with  the  certitude  arising  from 
co-ordination  and  dated  sequence,  was  too  obvious  to  remain  long  unattempted 
by  native  literati.     Such  was  the  origin  of  the  Synchronisms." 


ADDITIONAL  NOTES.  207 

P.  177,  1.  20. — '  There  placed  his  hand  in  the  hand  of  a  king,'  cug  a  Laiti  1 
Laiiti  p.15.  The  following  extract  from  the  A^aLIai^  ("  Silv.  Gad.,"  p.  132) 
illustrates  the  use  of  this  term  for  swearing  fealty  :  "  TTlAich  a  AnAtn,  a  3huilL 
mheic  TTIonnA,"  Af.  Conn  ce-ocAcrtAch,  "  no  nAgViAtiuic  e-ine  ■o'jtacoaiI,  no  r>o 
1/Atn  -oo  criAOAinc  1  Laud  pnn."  "beinim  bneichiu,"  An^olX,  "if  1  mo  l-im 
■ooben  1  I, Aim  pnn." 

P.  181,  11.  14-17. — Xote  the  proportion  of  Ulstermen  to  foreigners  slain. 
The  patriotism  of  the  writer  is  well  in  evidence  here. 

P.  184,  1.  13. — 7  a  n-oncom  o-beul[c]A  UAipoib,  '  and  their  open-mouthed 
leopards  above  them.'  I  take  this  to  refer  to  figures  on  their  standards. 
Referring  to  the  Roman  custom,  in  which  this  reference  may  have  its  source, 
Zimmer  ("Xennius  Vindicatus,"  p.  286)  has  the  following: — "Von  der  Sitte 
der  Romer  in  der  Standarten  der  Kohorten  das  Bild  einer  Schlange  (draco)  zu 
fuhren,  stammt  bei  den  Britten  der  Gebrauch  im  Draco  das  Bild  der  militarischen 
Macht  zu  sehen.  .  .  .  Es  kann  daher  pen  dragon  d.  h.  wortlich  caput  draconum 
nun  den  Sinn  haben  '  Anfiihrer  der  kriegerischen  Macht.'  " 

P.  184,  I.  21. — bner-Al  booiobA-oh  ttiic  UugnAi-oe.  Bresal,  brother  of 
Conghal,  had  been  slain  by  Lughaidh  Luaighne,  King  of  Ireland.  This  event  is 
referred  to  in  the  following  verses  from  Gilla-Coemain's  poem  henm  Ant),  inif 
nA|\i§:— 

1n  pncAic  min  a  TTlumAin  mAic, 

A  1161  no'ti  cu|\at>  conTOAic; 

TDonocAin,  ttiip  nop'riAt), 

1-Apn  mbnej-Ab  mbo-oibAt). 

bnej"AL  bombAC  co  becc, 
TI01  mbliA'onA  6f  h-e-nmt)  a  tiej\c  ; 
■Qocen  fvi  CuAiLngne  'con  cr»Aic, 
t)o  liim  LuAjne,  mic  puncAic. 

The  great  Fintait  from  Munster  good, 

Nine  years  were  reigned  by  the  champion  active  ; 

Fell  he,  as  hath  been  certified, 

By  Bressal  of  the  Cow-plague. 

Bressal  of  the  Cow-plague  with  perfection, 
Nine  years  over  Eriu  was  his  power  ; 
Fell  the  king  of  Cualgne  of  the  contest, 
By  hand  of  Luagne,  son  of  Fintat. 

According  to  the  reckoning  in  Gilla-Coemain's  poem,  this  event  took  place  in 
b.c,  201  ;  yet  in  the  Synchronisms  ascribed  to  Flann  we  have  the  following 
entry: — ColAmenr1  AtexAn-oen,  •oeic  mbliAT)nA.  Ocuf  UujnAToe  1  n-A  pe. 
Ocur-  ecitio  A-omAin  ocuj-  bnepil  bombAt)  0cur-l.u5.MT>  tuAipie  -on  gAbAii 
nije.     <  Ptolemy  Alexander,  ten  years.     And  Rudraige  was  in  his  time.     And 


208  ADDITIONAL  NOTES. 

Etind,  [son  of]  Admar  and  Bresal  of  the  Cow-plague  and  Lugaid  of  the  Spear, 
took  the  kingship.'  This  synchronism  gives  us  as  date  B.C.  89.  The  origin  of 
the  discrepancy  is  referred  to  in  note  to  p.  174,  1.  9. 

t)nefAh  boxnobAt)  owes  his  name  to  the  famous  plague  referred  to  in  the 
Book  of  Leinster,  p.  23  a,  cAmc  nic  no  biiAib  comiA  cejwiA  x>ib  acc  CAf\b  7 
f AmAifc  1  n5liiTo--p AmAifce,  '  Destruction  came  upon  the  kine,  so  that  none 
escaped  save  a  bull  and  heifer  in  Glend-samaisce.'  "  Gleann  Samhaisg,  or  Glen 
of  the  Heifer,  is  the  name  of  a  remarkable  valley  in  the  county  of  Kerry,  where 
this  tradition  is  still  vividly  remembered"  (O'Donovan,  F.  M.,  vol.  i.,  p.  86). 

P.  190,  1.  4. — 'gu]A  JAb  "Pacciia  £acac  jM§e  n-eneAnn.  For  reference  to 
this  event,  vide  verses  of  Gilla-Coemain  quoted  in  Add.  Notes  to  p.  2.  The  date 
from  these  verses  is  B.C.  153  ;  but  the  following  synchronism  from  Book  of 
Ballymote  Synchronisms  (Todd  Lect.,  vol.  iii.,  p.  302)  gives  as  date  B.C.  49  : 

"  CbeopAUnA,    1X5011,    111    niJAII,    OCUf    1f  1     XJeOJptAIC    5^e5i     "°A    bllAT>A111     X)1 

Vaccha  "Pacac  1  11-A  f\e.  'Cleopatra,  namely,  the  queen,  and  it  is  she  [was] 
last  ruler  of  the  Greeks,  two  years  [were  reigned]  by  her  [when  Julius  Caesar 
became  Dictator].     Fachtna  the  Prophetic  [was]  in  her  time.'  " 

P.  190,  11.  5-8. — An  account  of  the  slaying  of  Fergus  mac  Leide  by  the 
monster  (peist)  is  to  be  found  in  the  Aix>ex>  ■pejAjriur-A,  or  Death  of  Fergus, 
edited  by  O'Grady  in  "  Silva  Gadelica,"  pp.  238-252. 

P.  190,  verse. — These  four  lines  of  poetry  quoted  at  the  end  of  our  tale  are 
taken  from  Gilla-Coemain's  before-mentioned  poem  h-ejMU  Ajvo,  imp  ua 
|\ij  (g.  v.).  Of  this  poem  two  early  copies  exist,  one  in  the  Book  of  Leinster, 
p.  127  a,  the  other  in  the  Book  of  Ballymote,  p.  45  b.  The  following  are  the  two 
readings  of  the  quatrain  : — 

LL.  CoujaI,  coic  bbiAXDHA  x>ec  x)6ig 

T)o  rtiAc  KuxinAige  r\oui6ij\ ; 
t,Apin  TJuac  r>Aitec  T)ex)Aix), 
■puAiji  crvAig  ocuf  cnomx)ebAiX). 

Ballymote.  CohjaL  coic  btiAX)HA  xjeg  xjoi^ 
"Do  mAC  ftujnAixri  ]\om6in 

bAfAII  'OUAC  XJAtcA  t)eX)AXJ 

Piaij\  5A1|\  ocuf  gAir>5X)ebAix). 

It  is  clear  that  the  verse  quoted  in  our  tale  is  either  borrowed  from  a  similar 
source  to  that  of  Ballymote,  or  else  borrowed  from  it  or  a  copy  of  it.  The 
restoration  of  tepn  for  La^aii  and  of 'OeAJoixb  for  T)ex)AX)  stands  to  the  credit  of 
our  author  or  scribe. 


GLOSSARY. 


ACAproit),  anchor,    aj   jAbAib  aca|\- 

•poine,  86,  note  (40). 
Acmoin^,  able,  140;  tii  r»Aibe  Acmomj 

A  JAbil-A  pif. 
ACOprAIT),    IO4,  Vide  S.  V.  ACApfOIT). 

At>AiT>,  night,  20. 

At>bA,  abode,  rallying-point,  26. 

AobAb,  great,  terrible,  fearful,  42. 

At>bAf\,  material,  cause;  A-ob&p  rbACA, 
46/ 

&b-n&x>,v.n.,  burning,  bghting  ;  gen.  sg., 
AT>nAit>,  92. 

At>]\acc,  3  sg.  T-pret.  of  ACpAijpm,  rise. 

Aj,  a  calf,  deer,  ox ;  aj  rpi  T15LAC,  a  calf 
three  hands  high,  34. 

A§  ti-aIIait>,  wild  deer,  28. 

Aiccen,  masc,  ocean;  gen.  id.,  118. 

ATObeAiin,  AitAetro,  Aijletro,  a  spear- 
rest,  24,  94. 

A151UL  r\o,  conversed  with,  3  sg.  fret,  of 
AgALlAim,  address,  converse  with. 

AijleAtin,  vide  s.v.  AroLeAtin, 

Aijnep,  AijneA]',  Aione^r-,  pleading, 
questioning.  MS.,  Aire]"  for  Aijnep, 
156 ;  '  aj;  Ainef  pAip,'  questioning 
him.  Vide  Meyer,  Archiv  fiir  Celt. 
Lexic,  and  Dinneen's  Diet.,  s.  v. 

&\\Xe,pl.  of  Altmin,  beautiful,  94,  134. 

AimjUAft,  opposition,  opposing,  188. 

Arh,  indeed. 

Amer.      Vide  s.  v.  Aijnef. 

Amer1,  mirth,  pleasure,!  70  ;  dat.  sg., 
Airnor,  130. 

AmjjroeAcc,  fury,  126, 

AiniAjAmApcAC,  vigorous,  merciless,  122. 

Amiuib,  unwitting;  tomccef  aithuiI, 
122,  126. 

Amnle,  a  swallow,  156. 


Ainrep^AC,  co,  adv.,  furiously,  60. 
Airicenn,  point,  part,  92. 
Aiponepc,  sway,  dominion,  188. 
Airier*,  bay,  inlet,  dat.pl.,  96. 
Airvijce,  honorific  portions  (of  food,  &c), 

82. 
Aipmro,  pledge,  112. 
Aifcro,  a  request  (?),  gift,  16,  126. 
Aipling,  dream,  vision. 
Aicbem,  second  blow,  return  blow,  96. 
AiceAc,  giant ;  gen.  sg.,  acai£,  124. 
Aicerc,  address,  114. 
Ait^eAb,  habitation,  144. 
AILaca,  adj.,  strong,.  94. 
AltrriArvoA,   wildly  ;    50   h-ecciAU.Aro 

AblrhAri'OA,  36. 
AllmA|\riAC,  a  foreigner. 
AlcrvAnAr-,  fosterage,  164. 
ArhArtor",  ArhApur  =  ArhpAr- ;  jAn  ArhrtAf, 

doubtless,  168,  188. 
Arhne,  adv.,  thus,  16. 
Arh]\A,  wondrous  ;  pip  ArhpA,  38. 
Amur,  an  attack,  62. 
AiiacaI,,  AnACAlt,  v.n.,  protecting,  114. 
AuaIa,  misdeed,  crime  ;  gen.,  AtiAlAO  : 

dat.pl.,  AiiAtcAib,  26. 
AnbA,  adj.,  great,  98. 
AnbAiL,  great,  fearful,  40. 
AnbpAC,  deceit,  154. 
AnbuAin,  AnbuAin,  dismay,  56,  180. 
AneuccAc,  50  h-AtieuccAc,   very  vigor- 
ously, 62. 
AnpAimne,  we  shall  await,   I  pi.  F-fut. 

of  AiiAim,  wait. 
AnptAic,  tyranny. 
AtiflAicior,  tyranny. 
An  pop.  1.  Arm,      Anroptomi,     oppression, 

straits,  ^difficulty,  126,  138. 


210 


GLOSSARY. 


AnpopATO,  adj.,  restless;  a|\  An  Aiccen 

11-AnpOfAlt),   72. 

An^lonnA,  strife,  120. 

AnnpA,  if  AiinpA,  dearest,  22. 

AnnAti,  a  soldier;   AnnAt>Aib,  dat.  pi., 

140. 
AoncotiiA,  fitness  for  marriage,  70. 
Aop,    people ;    Aop  ■oaha    7    AippiT>it>, 

scientists  and  entertainers,  96. 
Aop  cmiicA,  companions,  132. 
Aor-ogbAit),  youthful  warriors,  34. 
An,  slaughter  ;  gen.  sg.,  ApA,  £ip. 
Ape,  valour  (?),  40.     MS.  has  Aipc  and 

AnconnAipc,    and    in   this   case   Aipc 

would  mean  '  necessity,'  '  hardship  '  ; 

cf.  Ap  Aipc  no  615m. 
Ap^um,  v.n.,  havoc,   destruction  ;  gen. 

Aipccne,  56. 
ApnAro,  coil-,  fiercely,  62. 
ApfAi-6,  adj.,  ancient,  old,  114. 
Ac1iax>,  time,  while,  gen.  sg.,  70. 
AcViait),  pe  h-,  for  a  while,  80. 
AcAin,  form  of  3  sg.  pt.  of  Aicmm,  I 

recognise,  know. 
Accom  Ape,  question,  bulwark,  162.  Vide 

note  2,  162. 
Acj;oipi-o,    adj.,    short,    88;    pe    h-ef) 

n-AcgoipTO. 
Acgoipit),  50,  adv.,  shortly,  122. 
AcLaui,  quick  ;  50  h-AclAiii,  quickly,  38. 
AcpAcc,  T-pret.  of  AcpAijpm,  rise,  16. 

t)<yob,  royston-crow  ;  no?n.  pi.,  bATob, 

184. 
t>Ait> ;  in  phrase  bA  bAro  teo,  they  were 

glad,  100. 
t)Ainne  (bAnne),  a  drop,    142 ;  bAinne 

pe  ppAif . 
t)Aipib  (?)  for  bApAib,   dat.  pi.,   chiefs, 

176. 
TDAUAip,  fern.,  a  marriage  ;  gen.,  bAinpe, 

bAinnpi ;  dat.,  bAnuip,  32,  80. 
bAiTOA,  womanly,  54. 
bAtn,  1  sg.  fut.  of  copula,  32. 
bACAip;  in  phrase  6  a  bonn  50  a  bACAip, 

from  top  to  bottom,  126. 
t)eAnn,  point,  top,  peak, 
bet),  contention,  10. 


"belpgAlA,  huts,  38. 

Uo  benc&,  pass.  2  fut.  of  benAim,  taken 

from,  10. 
bepiiA,  gap  ;  bepnA  caca,  gap  in  battle  ; 

bepn  caca,  94. 
bep,  custom;  n. pl.,be\iif&,  [62. 
bepium,  rel.  3  sg.  of  copula,  32. 
t>iot>bA,  an  enemy ;  gen.,h\oxi\}&X) ;  dat., 

biot>bAro  ;  n.  pi.,  biot/bAro,  36. 
bic,  bioc,  world,  72,  164. 
bicej,  jealousy,  treachery  (?),  8. 
bbAt),  bLxg,  fame,  50. 
btAJ,  a  portion,  part,  30  ;  pi.,  blot)  a, 

140. 
bbAirj,  sweet,  smooth;  guc  blAic,  54. 
bbAicejAip,  smooth,  18. 
bbAic-mjenA,  fair  girls,  138. 
btot)A,  vide  s.  v.  bbAJ. 
bloipcbetn,  mighty  stroke,  184. 
bor,  a  shed,   cabin;    n.  pi.  boc&,   38. 

Cf.  Mod.  Ir.  bocAn. 
bocAince,  herds,  52. 
bpAJA,  neck  ;  gen.,  bpAJAT)  ;  dat.,  bpA- 

§Ain,  38,  124. 
bpAije,    a  captive;  nom.  and  ace.  pi., 

bpAijro,  bpAi§T)e,  148,  166. 
bp Amen,  raven,  184. 
bpAicbem,  mighty  blow;  acc.pl.,  bpAic- 

bemenDA,  180. 
bpAnnub,  chessmen,  52. 
bpAC,    v.    n.,    deceiving,    146 ;    '5  Ap 

mbpAC,  deceiving  us. 
bp£c,  doom,  186. 
bpAcrmteAt),  warrior-stroke,  62. 
bpeAic  ;     in    phrase    Ap    mbpeAic  (?), 

134. 

bpecc  (bpej),  a  lie,  162. 

bpeic,  v.  n.,  judgment;  t>o  bpeic  pem 

■OU1C,  188. 
bpecAinoib,  judicial,  162. 
bpij,  power;    account,  estimation;  no 

ponpA-o  bpij  bej  -oibpi,   they  made 

small  account  of  you,  48. 
bpot),  captivity;  1  nibpoiu,  in  captivity, 

SO. 
bpoT)oncu,  fierce  leopard,  wolf,  132. 
bpom,  n.  pi.  of  bpAii,  a  raven,  42. 
bponnj   ?),  56. 


GLOSSARY. 


211 


bpocpAc,  couch,  bed,  56. 
bpui§en,/i?>w.,  a  hostel ;  gen.,  bpuijne  ; 

dot.,  b]AU1jm. 
bpuc,    rage,    heat,    fury,     108  ;     bpuc 

tniteAt),  warrior-fervour. 
bu^bAlt,  a  horn,  drinking-horn,  18. 
buAile,  a  pen,  enclosure  ;  buAibro,  dat. 

sg.,  112. 
buAine  btAt)  ha  ^aojaL,  fame  is  more 

lasting  than  life,  52. 
buToeAc,  50,  thankfully,  152. 
bunAt>,  foundation,  origin  ;  gen.,  buiiAit) 

used  as  adj.,  meaning  '  fundamental,' 

'  original.' 
bunAT>-pperhe,  prime  stock,  74. 

Cat)  ac,  alliance,  1 56. 

CAethcoir-c,    quietness ;    in    phrase    pe 

CAeriicoipc,  with  quietness,  24. 
CAmg&n,  business  ;   gen.  sg.,  cAingne, 

70. 
CAir\t>e,  fern.,  respite,  delay,  184. 
CAippce  (O.  Ir.  copce),  masc,  a  pillar- 
stone,  124  ;  gen.  sg.,  An^CAippce. 
CaLao,    hard   shingle    beach,    harbour, 

gen.,  86. 
CAtiAf,  whence,  74,  152. 
Cajv;     in    phrase    CAp    An    caoiviIaoi, 

throughout  the  day.     Vide  note  (30), 

64. 
CApA'opA'6,  friendship,  164. 
CApcAnnAc,  loving,  112. 
CACAin,    a    cathair,    stronghold,    stone 

fort;    gen.    sg.,   CAcpAch  ;     dat.    sg., 

CACpA1§. 

CACAippoppAt),  situation  of  a  cathair, 
120. 

CAcbApp,  helmet,  138. 

CeAiin,  head;  o'a  cionn,  t>'a  cmn,  in- 
stead of  it,  54. 

CeApb,  v.  n.,  cutting,  hewing,  116. 

CeAr-c,  a  task,  problem,  114. 

CeccAj\t>A,  on  both  sides,  64. 

CeopA-OAC,  keen,  76, 178.    Vide  note  (3°), 

""• 
CeopepAnn,  fi^t  territory  assumed  by  a 

king  or  noble,  34. 
CeopogiiArii,  hrst  senice,  184. 


CeoteAjAt),  first  attack,  62. 
Ce-ocni]*ceAT)AL,  commencement,  ico. 
CetTOAif,  gentle,  128. 
CepceAbl,  fern.,  a   pillow;    dat.,    cep- 
ceAibt,   38 ;    Lat.   cervical,    a  pillow. 
Cf.  Gaelic  cliiApAg  (cluAp,  ear)  with 
Fr.  oreiller. 
CeppcA,    lacerated,  p.p.    of  cepbAim, 
42. 
I    Cepo,  trouble,  difficulty,  20. 
I    CepoA,  n.,  questioning,  70. 
j    CepcA,  7i.pl.,  questions,  no. 

CecApciuriipAC,  four-edged. 
j    CenppiAT3A,  four-wheeled,  140 ;  CApbAt> 
cenppiA-OA.  four-wheeled  chariot. 
CiAn,  distant ;  pi.,  ctaua,  42. 
|    Cinnim,  I  agree  upon,  24. 
j    Cionn,  dat.    of  ceAnn  ;    in  phrase   ■o'a 

cionn,  in  return  for  it,  100. 
1    Cionc ac,  adj.,  guilty,  44. 

Ciop,  a  tribute  ;  ciop  nnlecA,  a  military 

tribute,  34. 
CiocJAbcleAp,  a  shower,  118. 
CiurhpAC,  adj.,  bordering. 
ClAipemeAc,  flat- faced :  CoiijaI  cIai- 

pemeAC. 
ClAipuigneAc,      flat-nailed  :       CoiijaI 

ClAipinjjneAC. 
Clip,  smooth,  40. 
cIapaca,  pi.  of  clip,   a  plank,  beam, 

86. 
Cte,  left  side  ;  dat.  sg.,  ct/iu,  126. 
CleArhnAf,   marriage  affinity;  gen.  sg., 

cteAtrmupA,  74. 
Cti,  heart,  104. 
cIiaca,  weaving  (lit.,  threads)  ;  cIiaca 

leiner>h,  weaving  of  a  shirt,  64. 
CliAC   bepnA,    wattle-gap    (or  body  of 

warriors  filling  a  gap),  62. 
Cloipoen  a,  of  listening;  gen.  sg.,  168. 
Cluirii,  down-covers,  82. 
Cluithtepjuigce,    down-strewn ;    -oep- 
guijjce;    p.p.     of    oeApuigim,     or 
•oeApgAini,  I  prepare,  get  ready,  20. 
CtiAtnAC,  adj'.,  bony;  gen. /em.,  ctiArh- 

Aije,  134. 
CneAt),  wound,  gen.pl.,  98. 
Cnep  (cneAf),  surface,  116. 


P  2 


212 


GLOSSARY. 


CobpA,  the  boss  of  a  shield  ;  the  hollow 
centre  of  the  shield  where  the  warrior- 
stone  was  kept;  gen.  sg.  cobj\AT> ; 
dat.  sg.  cobjAATo,  136. 

Cot>nAip(?),  112  ;  ccoriAip  JJaI. 

CojiAAnn,  to  decide  upon,  determine ; 
p.  6,  1.  18,  read  co£f\A'OATk  (3  fil-  pt. 
of  cogjAAim),  instead  o/cnioccnA-OAn. 

Coihce,fem.,  a  dowry,  148. 

Coibep,  equal  portion,  136. 

Coiccjm'oca,  n.  pi.,  neighbours,  70. 

Coijje-OAt,  ring,  clash  ;  coije'OAb  a 
cctoToioni,  64. 

CoitceAt),  couch,  acc.pl.,  82. 

Coim'oep,  equally  dexterous,  equally  at 
home  in,  132,  note  (50). 

CoiniToeAcc,  company,  170 ;  1  ccoirm- 
•oeAcc  |A1§  tltAt). 

ComneAtbnA,  light-keeper,  128,  gen.  sg. 

ComneAboA,  tapering,  flaming,  128. 

Coif  (?) ;  in  phrase  •oAp  cco-if,  166. 

Colt  (cot),  violation,  sin,  142  ;  one  t>o 

Cott     T)UAfDA1f ;      96,      Cott    UAcbAlf. 

Cf.    "fair  a  chol  ocus  a  dhuabais," 

Silva  Gad.,  242  (Ir.  Text). 
CoIXa,  bodies,  for  cobiiA,^/.  of  cot  An  11, 

body,  cottA  cr\6t)ep5A,  42  ;  cottAib, 

dat.  pi.,  58. 
CoiiiA,  a  reward,  conditions,  terms;  pi. 

COtilAt)A. 

CothAt>Ar,  n.,  one  suitable,  70. 
Cort-iATHif,  fitting,  50.     Recte  corhA'OAir'. 
ConiAitjceAC,  foreign,  42. 
ConiAimpn,  contemporary,  174. 
CoihAtcA,  foster-brother;  n.pl.,  comAt- 

ca"5a,  92,  184,  186. 
ConiAiig,  adj.,  narrow,  96. 
CortiA|\c,  a  share,  16. 
CorhAjvoAt),  equality  of  rank. 
Corhcnioc,  neighbouring  territory,  d.pl., 

70. 
CothcnuAr,  bravery,  2. 
Corht)AtAC,  equally,  accompanying,  66. 
ConroAtcA,  fosterling,  foster-son,  foster - 

daughter. 
CoriipuAgnA,  a  challenge,  44. 
CoriimorvAim,  to  get  ready,  to  entertain. 
Corh]\AriiAC,  brave,  110. 


ComcA,  cotiiCA  ;  in  phrase  pep  couica, 

companion,  128. 
CouicuA]AccAin,  conflict,  186. 
Con  (?),  116. 

ConceArm,  conceAtin,  hound-head. 
ConceAmiAC,  hound-head,  gen.  pi.,  90. 
Conpvo,  n.,  rage,  fury,  142. 
Conpyro,  wild,  fierce,    132 ;    poc  con- 

pM"6. 

ConcAbAijAC,  5  An,  without  a  doubt,  60. 

CopAToeAcu,  union,  26. 

ConAijim,  I  place,  arrange  ;  (with  a|\)  I 

place  over. 
Conn,  prow,  beak  (of  a  ship) ;    n.  pi. 

COf\|\A,  120. 
ConnAc,  restless,  uneasy,  24. 
ConnAn,  a  hook,  116. 
ConcAin,  a  fringe,  edge,  52. 
Coj\ncop\c   (cuinncopxc),   prow,    beak 

(of  a  ship),  88. 
CnAmi,  a  mast,  122. 
C|\AOfJAinbe,     gen.     of    cnAorJAnb, 

rough-throated,  134. 
CneAc,  spoil,  54. 
CjMoptAc,  border,  rim. 

C]\1Cin  (?),    Il6. 

Cno,  a  pen  ;  in  phrase  c]\6  ai 5  7  in  §Aite, 

a  pen  of  battle  and  onslaught,  36. 
Cnot>,  cattle,  wealth,  32. 
Cj\oicenn,  skin,  134,  gen.  pi. 
Cnumne,  the  world,   132  ;  ni  put  'y&n 

cnumne. 
Cop&in  cno,  gory  heap,  172. 
CofCAnAch,  adj.,  warlike,  48. 
CopcnAc,  triumphant,  victorious,  130. 
CopcA'6,     halting,     staying,     checking. 

Vide  90,  note  (40),   170. 
CofCAt)  (or  cofCAit))  (?),  178. 
Cuat1,  •oo  cuAf,  3  sg.  per/,  passive,  it 

was  gone,  68. 
Cuibue,  fitness,  affection  (?),  22. 
Cuic,  who,   182 ;  t>o  jrecAnf  a  cuic  iat> 

pn. 
Cuiget)Ac,  a  provincial  king. 
Cuing,  a  yoke,  no. 
Cumgib,  dat.  pi.,  battalions,    28.      Cf. 

Hogan,  C.  R.  na  Righ,  Gloss.,  Index, 

j.  v. 


GLOSSARY. 


213 


Cum^im,  cuinccitn,  I  ask,  demand,  36. 
Cinppe,  adj., gen.  of  copp,  twisted,  134. 
CuippcofAc,  prow,  beak,  86. 
CurhA,  cotiii,    n.  sg.,    grief;    gen.   sg., 

cuttiat);  dat.  sg.,  curhAit),  70. 
CurhAl,  handmaid;   gen.  sg.,  curnAile, 

54,  158. 

CumATig,  able,  140;  6  nAch  cumAnj 
Aige  a  -iom^AbAlA,  since  he  was  not 
able  to  avoid  it. 

Crnnu]',  power,  138. 

Cumtifc,  a  fight,  encounter,  40  ;  in  adv. 
phrase  a  ctimufc  caic,  34. 

Cup,  warrior,  hero,  tio,  176. 

Cujaaca,  adj.,  warrior-like,  176. 


•OaiL,  state,  condition,  164;  a  portion, 
part.  24. 

X)aiI  ceAbtAc,  TDAib  ceAttAig,  house- 
hold meeting,  12,  24. 

■OArh,  ox;  compc  ca  t>Ani  n-tnteArm, 
64. 

"OeAbAi-6,  strife,  contention,  38,  122, 
172,  17S. 

"OeAgAit  (?),  2. 

"OeAJgAbtAtiAc,  14,  for  ■oegAbtAnAc, 
forked;  uIca  •oejAbtAtiAC,  a  forked 
beard. 

"OeAlj,  peg,  shield-rest  ;  dat.  sg.,  ■oeAt- 
5AIT1,  116. 

"OeApnAnn,  gen.pl.  ofneApriA,  palm  of 
the  hand,  136. 

T)eACAt>,  smoke  (?),  dat.,  52  ;  O.  Ir.  x>6  ; 
gen.,  -oiat)  ;  dat.,  •oiait).  It  may  pos- 
sibly be  a  mistake  for  ■oeACAc. 

"Oecc,  excellence  ;  used  as  superlative  of 
mAic,  76. 

■OeJAit ;  in  phrase  jati  -oeJAib,  without 
cease,  10. 

"OejlArh,  handwork,  "2. 

■OejcApAit),  50,  very  quickly,  right 
quickly,  30,  126. 

T>eip 51m,  to  sit  down. 

■Oenmner>Ac,  pressing,  urgent,  150. 

"Oennoib,  dat.pl.  of  ■oenn,  grasp,  clasp  (?) 
133. 

■OeojbAipe,  cup-bearer,  126. 


TJepb,  adj.,  certain,  82. 

UencAif,  T,sg.S-pret.  (abs.)  ofTiepcAirrt, 

see. 
■Oen.ccAt),  bed,  70. 
"OerifCttAijim    (-oepfCAijim),   to  excel ; 

no  t)eij\fcnAij  00  ThnAib  Ap  t>eilb, 

12. 
Oep  51m,  I  sit  down. 
TJefcion,  disgust,  158. 
Dibepcc     (-oibenss),    fem.,     robbery, 

plunder ;    gen.   T>ibepcce.       Vide   36 

note   (30),   50.     In  addition  vide  the 

following: — Zimmer,  Gott.  gel.  Anz., 

1891,    p.    195 ;     Stokes,    Bezz.    Beit. 

xviii. ;    Meyer,    Zeit.    Celt.   Phil.,    I. 

Band,  p.  498. 
TDiceAnnAim,  to  behead,  30. 
TJicup,  v.  n.,  banishing,  26. 
T3i^Aip,  50,  vigorously,  126. 
■Qijei,  I  sg.  redupl.fut.  of  T>io§l,Aim,  I 

avenge,  30. 
t)ite,  the  beloved,  22. 
■OileAtm,huge,in  phrase -OAtri  n-tnleAtin 

64.      Vide  note  (i°)  64,  96,  178. 
■OimbpAf,  weak,  56.      Vide  note. 
T)innfeAncAf,  History  of  Place-names  ; 

gen.,  tunnpeAnCAip    28. 
■Oio§aiI,  vengeance  ;  gen.,  t)io§1,a,  42. 
■OiojlAim,  I  avenge  ;  no  ■oiojai'Lc,  inf., 

26. 
T)iot,  sufficient  for,  fit  for :  in  phrases 

like  mol  pep  ccAbmAn,  fit  for  the  men 

of  earth,  144. 
•oiprni,  troop,  swarm,  multitude,  90. 
X)tijit),  adj.,  lawful. 
■Objf,  closeness,  64. 
■OobAp-ceo,      mist,      80;     t>obAp-ceo 

■OpAOICeACCA. 

OobApco,     water-hound,     otter,      132; 

n.  pi.  riA  'oobApcoin. 
TDobeApfA,  1  sg.  redupl.  fut.  of  T>obei- 

pim,  I  give. 
■OopAoc,  3  sg.  s.fut.  of  cuinm,  fall. 
■Oogno,  evil,  misfortune,  180. 
"Goto,  hand;  dual  nam.,  t)A  i>6ix>,  $8. 
■Qoibje,    for   t>oilij,  passim,   e.g.     38, 

grief.      In   MS.    used   for  t>oiti§    in 

phrase  bA  •ooitje  teo. 


214 


GLOSSARY. 


"Ooibij,  grievous ;   oa  t>oiLi§  Leo,  they 

deemed  it  grievous. 
■OorheAtimAin,  dejection,  148. 
Wojicat),  v.  n.,  spilling,  destroying,  22. 
■OrveAtin,  strife,  42. 
T)j\erhnA,  gen.  sg.  of  "orveim,  opposing, 

clashing,  10. 
T)juiA,oh,  gen.  sg.  of  t>pAoi,  a  druid,  136. 
T)}\uirte,  embroidery,  gen.  sg.,  72. 
T)UAibfeAC,  dire,  ominous,  128. 
"OuaI,  due  to,  proper  to,  belonging  to, 

162. 
"OuAtiA,  poems,    108.     Cf.  -ouAriAirie,   a 

collection  of  poems. 
"OuAjbAif,  TniAbAir-,  dire,  142. 
"OuriiA,   a  dwelling,   mound-dwelling,   a 

mound,  22,  96. 
■OuriA-o,   a  host,  fortress,   148  ;  gen.  sg. 

Ar»  ah  •ounAit),  slaughter  of  the  host, 

78,  152. 
Umi-buAite,  a  fortress  pen,  52. 
TDurvAcc,  rigidity,  132. 
'Ourvr'An,  hard,  164. 
"Oucato,  native  territory,  188. 
■OuccomiA,  music,  108. 

eA^rvAim,  I  set  in  order,  I  array;  inf., 

egA-p. 
0AtAt>An,  science  ;   gen.  sg.,  eaX&x>r\&., 

3°- 
eAttA,  fit  (O'R.),    168  ;    eAtt,    essay, 

trial,  proof  (Dinneen). 
eAfbAT>A,  losses,  168. 
eAfcomiie,^.  of  eAfconn,an  eel,  112. 
eAf|\Aim,  to  strew  rushes. 
©ccAr\  (eAgAfi),  array,  decoration,  116. 
©cciAtA/Ait),  frantically;    50    h-ecciAt,- 

bAit),36. 
eccoi-|\  cugAbAifvp  oriAiri^A-oo  ■oenAiri : 

idiom,  you  caused  me   to  commit  an 

injustice,  32. 
e-ccomL&rm,  distress,  unequal   combat, 

no,  140. 
eccomnopc,  debility,  122. 
GccrvAro  (?),  92. 
ecc  (eucc,  eAcc),  a  deed,  134.     ecc  is 

a  deed,  good  or  bad.     In  cpd.  moirt- 

eAcc,  10,  it  means  '  magnanimity.' 


et>,  time,  88  ;  jie  h-eo  n-AcjjoirvTO,  in  a 
short  time. 

GdaLa,  gen.  sg.  of  e'OAit,  booty,  158. 

eoe,  armour,  48. 

e'oe'ouijue,  14.  The  word  occurs  in 
Silva  Gadelica.  I  have  lost  the  refer- 
ence. Presumably  it  means  '  clothed 
in  armour.'  The  MS.  contraction 
e'oe'o  is  given  in  text. 

eopAjjAin,  space  between,  interval,  64. 

&5p   (eigr-e),  gen.  of  eigeAf,  wisdom, 

30. 
eiuervgteo,  adjudication,  judging,  70. 
eineAc,  hospitality,  74,  75,  note, 
©in,  inter j.,  indeed. 
eneActAim,  honour-price,  12. 
enfioriT),  a  single  hair,  132. 
enpiAiri,  dexterity  ;  gen.  sg.,  enpiAtrio, 

90,  180. 
GoLai  je,  guide,  84. 
er\ge,  epje,  eirȤe,  v.  n.,  rising. 
er\fce,  stock,  vessel,  116. 
&f,  ei-p;  in  phrases  like  tma  efjin,  after 

that,  140  ;  •o'a  ey,  144. 
e-p  =  eAf,  a  ford,  56. 
efccAjAA,  an  enemy,  54. 
epom,  3  sg.pron.,  with  suffix,  8. 
©poriiAL,    valour;  gen.   sg.,    eponitnL, 

180. 
er-tAince,  ill-health,  160. 
ec&p,  a  vessel,  ship,  gen.pl.,  66. 
OcAjAcriAchAt),  v.  n.,  shaking,  86. 
euccmuir-,  1  n-,  in  the  absence  of,  98. 
Cucca,  n.  pi.  of  eucc,  a  deed,  88.    Id., 

s.  v.  ecc. 
CHjjaa,  refusal ;  eur»A  coctriAipc,  refusal 

of  wooing,  24,  112. 
€Hir-CA,  moon,  gen.  sg.,  166. 


Vat),  n.,  length,  118,  150. 
Vaja,  a  spear;  dat.  pi.,  r/AJAtnnb,  170. 
•pAilio,  glad,  188. 

VAitceAc,  50,  gladly,  with  pleasure,  150. 
pMr'oine,  a  prophecy. 
Purpii,  v.  «.,  seeing,  54. 
£aLa,    dislike,    spite ;    x)ob'    t:aLa    t>o 
ConJAt,,  Conghal  was  angered  at,  184. 


GLOSSARY. 


215 


•fAlcAnAf,  enmity  ;  gen.  ^.jfAtcAn&if, 
184. 

JTAOileArm,  sea-gull;  nom.  pi.,  pAOilinrt, 

sea-gulls. 
pAOibit>,  50,  gladly,  156. 
fAOiriAiTn,  I  assent  to,  adopt,  agree  to, 

10. 
■fAon,  supine,  lying  flat,  prostrate,  112, 

note  (40). 
Pa   dp :   CAnic  p.  f-*  cip>   F.  came  to 

land,  16S. 
•peAtl,  a  breach    (of  hospitality,   &c.)  ; 
peAtl  Ar»  emeAc,  breach  of  the  rights 
of  hospitality.      Cf.    s.  v.  enec,  Br. 
Laws,  Glossary. 
JTeAfiAiin,  pour,  \2. 

■peceriiAncA,  contentious  (?).     Vide  s.  v. 
peichem,    Pass,  and  Homilies,  Atk., 
Glossary. 
feoAn,  whistle,  134. 
Vejmuir'.      Vide  euccmuif. 
peocAip,  ferocity,  40. 
•peoilbeimen'OA,  body-strokes  ;  nom.  pi. 

of  pe6il-beim. 
fepAim,  I  make  ;  po  pep  pi.1l.ce  ppif, 

he  welcomed  him,  38. 
pepbe,  a  roe-deer,  156. 
■peuJAt) :  in  phrase  aj  a  b^euJAt),  in 

comparison  with,  130. 
pAchA,   arrears ;    piActiA  cavia,  arrears 

of  tribute,  36. 
•piAntAch,    pAblAch,    band   of  heroes, 

dat.  sg.,  106. 
fiAf*,  twisting,  winding,  40. 
piAp-CAppriA,  cpd.  prep.,  across,  16. 
ftp,  v.  n.,  weaving,  42. 
pnntecAp,  fair  skin,  132. 
poc,  anger,  fury,  126,  132. 
ponJAl,    gen.   pioriJAile,  murder  of  a 

relative. 
•piotinpyoAC,  hairy,    132;    gAipbpionri- 

fAT)ACA. 

■pionnpuApA-6,  refreshment,  130.  Cf. 
A'r-  ni  bpuAip  me  pem  puApAT)  da 
■ptiucA'6  mo  beil,  Hyde,  Love  Songs 
of  Connaught,  60. 

porvoicmJAt),  destruction,  destroying. 

piopmAmenc,  firmament,  sky,  118. 


pip,  a  vision. 

VicceAt-bA,  chess-boards (?),  52. 
■ptiuccAornnA,  bath,  82. 
po,  adj.,  good,  164. 
pobApcAc,  attacked. 
pobpAim,  to  undertake. 
PocLa    feintiTO,    a    distinguished   seat, 
place  :  originally  the  warrior's  seat  in 
a  chariot, 
pocpuijce,  gen.  sg.  v.  n.  of  foqAAijim, 

bathe,  106. 
pcoepA  =  po  +  t>  +  epA,  id  efficit;  in 
Mod.  Irish  treated  as  if  it  were  a  cpd. 
of  r/A  and  a  noun,  -oepA,  cause,  146. 
poJAil,  an  attack,  a  foray;  gen.  pojt-A, 

52  :  dat.  pojtnl,  44. 
■pojnAirt,  v.  n.,  service,  fulfilling,  74. 
■JTojpA,     order,     proclamation ;     pojpA 

fojlA,  orders  to  attack,  52. 
poitcce,  gen.  sg.  v.  n.  of  poilcim,  wash 

(the  head),  106. 
■poirxeigmoc,  oppressed, 
poipionn,    a    crew,    86 ;    poipionn    cpi 

t-ong  !  Sen-  sg-i  poipne. 
poipinn,  assistance,  94. 
poipnepc,  oppression,  domination,    su- 
premacy, 142.     Cf.  s.  v.  popneApc. 
PoIa,  distress.      Vide  2,  note. 
•JTolcAti,  act  of  bathing  (the  head),  gen. 

sg.,  82,  106.     Vide  82,  note  (6°). 
•ponn,  territory,  estate,  land,  100. 
popAipe,   sentry,   watchman,  36 ;    luce 

popAipe,  the  sentinels,  170. 
popnepge,  very  red,  132. 
popglA,  the  best,  choicest;  T>'pop5lA(?), 

140. 
popjJApmAti  ;  in  cpd.  popJApmAnjnuif. 

Vide  134,  note  (i°). 
popjpAtinA,  hideous. 
poplArhAf ,  chief  place,  command,  38. 
VojvmnA,  shoulder  (?),  186  ;  pAobAp  pe 
popmtiA.     Vide    s.   v.,    Atk.,  Gloss. 
Breh.  Laws. 
popneApc,   gen.  sg.,    popneipc,   supre- 
macy, dominion,  tyranny. 
poppAc,  v.  n.,   attacking,  96,  138,  142  ; 
po    §Ab    A5    poppAc    C0115A1I    ifin 
comlAnn. 


216 


GLOSSARY. 


"Fofijujj'OAibitn,  to  distribute  (food). 

Vor\j\mAT>,  envy,  8. 

tTopyobAn,  resting-place,  12,  172. 

fo  ipi,  thrice,  172. 

■poquicAt),  act  of  bathing  (the  body), 
gen.  sg.,  82.      Vide  82,  note  (6°). 

■pjvicnocc  (?),  112,  note  (40). 

•ppoijiT),  dat.  of -p|\Aij,  a  wall,  24. 

V«Act)A,  threatening,  92. 

•fUAC,  a  spectre  ;  nom.  pi.,  -ptiACA,  184. 

pn^eAC,  stoppage  ;  jjah  fui|\eAc,  128. 

■ptnr\eACAi]A,  50,  adv.,  carefully,  watch- 
fully, 92  ;  fiercely  (?),  86. 

£uij\ej;,  preparation ;  puipej  •pteioe, 
156. 


SATJAn,    sound,    noise,     134;    ace.  pi., 

j-At>Am. 
5AibceAc,     50,     dangerously,    terribly, 

viciously,  142. 
5ai]a,  grief,  trouble,  190. 
5Aij\m,  a  shout,   call,   naming;   gAinm 

|\ij,  naming  of  a  king,  34. 
5a!,  valour ;  gen.,   gAibe,  goite ;  dat., 

gAit,  501b ;  ace.,  501b,  58. 
jAiAnn ;    in    phrase    gum    jjAbArm,    a 

wound  of  lances.      Vide  52,  note  (50). 
5aoi,  ace.  of  50,  falsehood,  162. 
5AOit>eAt,  Irishman,  gen.pl.,  130. 
JeAf  a,  n.  pi.  of  geAr-,    a   prohibition, 

112. 
Jem,  child,   158 ;    An    ^em  t>obi  ^a  a 

bjitnnne. 
5eip,  dat.  sg.  of  jeAf,  a  prohibition,  112. 
51  Abb,  hostage  ;  acc.pl.,  geibb,  1. 
5be,  bright ;  r\eim  nj;be,  104. 
5beine,  gbene,  the  best,  choicest,   106, 

170,    172;  gbene  a  vhuincine,  gbene 

fbtlAlj  tlbAt). 

5bifro,  torment,  20.      Vide  21,  note  (20). 
5biocup,  cunning,  skill,  162. 
5bomii-benieAmiA,w.j^i'.,  strong  strokes, 

64;  sg.  nom.,  gbomn-bem. 
SkuA-ir  CongAb  An  bAirh  fAin  :  idiom, 

Conghal  seized  him,  30. 
5oibe,  gen.  of  jjAb,  valour,  40. 
SoiriTo,  short  time,  adv.,  126. 


"Soife  (O.  Ir.  corye),  up  to  this,  46. 

$r\Ainim,  I  show  disgust  at,  hate,  28. 

5neAT>Ari,  shout,  outcry,  88. 

5r\eucA,  shouts,  138;  grveucA  bot>bA. 

5|\ib,  a  hero,  warrior,  16. 

3uin,  wound  ;  gum  gAbArm,  a  wound  of 

lances,  52. 
Suf,   fierceness,    bravery,    176;    cobAib 

sur.  42- 

5uc,  voice,  epithet  (?),  38. 

Tl  :  form  of  x>o,  thy :  before  vowels. 

1aii,  a  vessel ;  iau  meAfccA  caojat)  00 

■mioo  110  00  cuinm,  a  mixing  vessel 

for   fifty   of  mead   or  ale,    34.     Vide 

Atk.,  Gloss.  Br.  Laws,  s.  v. 
lA]Accuib,  back,  remote  corner,  84. 
lAjvonAioe,  posterity,  164. 
lAi\niAinc,  consequence,  result,  46. 
1au,  land  ;  iau  e^eAtio,  102,  166. 
lT>h,  a  ring,  124. 
1t)Ain,  pangs;  TOAin  cuifmTo,  pangs  of 

child-birth,  158  ;  nom.  sg.,  10U  ;  71.pl., 

1-oha,  Gloss.  Br.  Laws. 
1euj\Ait>  (?),  MS.  reading  uncertain,  16. 
1b,  adj.,  many;  dat.pl.,  ibib,  14. 
ImcAifoe,  gen.  of  v.  n.,  oppression,  114. 
1mcr\ine(?),  rounded  (?),  16. 
ImegbA,  great  fear,  132. 
1mj\eAfAin,  contention,  172. 
1mnerhAr\,  adj.,  very  thick. 
1rnjvim(?),  30. 
Imrniorh,  anxiety,  164. 
lr\&vo,  pi.  form  of  111A,  1011A,  102. 
Incbea,    adj.,     secret,    80;     cuitiacca 

mcben. 
liToibe, pi.  of  irmiobb,  state,  preparation, 

retinue,  apparel. 
IneuccA,  active,  fit  to  fight,  52. 
1mfbe,  lowliness,  112;   a  n-ivnr-be  10m- 

AjAbLAnhe. 
1n-imbe|ACA,  fit  to  be  played  upon,  fit  to 

be  wreaked  upon,  76. 
1n-nnueAccA, ready  to  go,  78,  144. 
1nne,  bowel,   entrails ;    dat.  pi.,  intnb, 

128. 


GLOSSARY. 


217 


1rme,  intention,  meaning,  168. 

1nnp a,  O.  Ir.  Anpe,  Anp*,  hard,  difEcult, 

14.     The  form  innr-A  is  used  after  ip. 

Vide  Thumeysen,  Zeit.  fiir  Celt.  Phil. 

i-5- 

1n-fiubAiL,  adj.,  fit  to  walk,  98. 

lonchAib,  Ap,  under  the  protection  of, 
in  presence  of,  84. 

1o6iia,  spears,  60;  iotmia  ai§,  battle- 
spears,  36. 

1oLac,  shout;  ioLacIi  cor-CAip,  shout  of 
triumph,  66,  92,  186. 

longnACAC,  adj.,  wonderful,  134. 

1omAj\CAc,  adj.,  numerous,  66. 

1omoA,  a  couch,  resting-place ;  dat., 
loniTJAit),  38. 

loniApjo,  contention,  30. 

1omJAbAiL,  v.  n.,  avoiding  ;  gen.,  10m- 
JAbitA,  140;  with  A1]\,  attacking,  28. 

1onnbAim,  I  wash  ;  3  sg.  pret.,  po  ion- 
nAib  ;  po  lonnAil  a  Lahia  7  a  jtirnp, 
'  he  washed  his  hands  and  face,'  20. 

1ombuAt>,  going  on  an  expedition,  em- 
bassy, 46;  gen.,  iomUiAi-6. 

lom^At),  v.  «.,  boasting,  90. 

1omr\Am,  v.  n.,  act  of  rowing,  166; 
feobAt)  7  lompAih. 

lompoibb,  false,  unsuccessful ;  upcAp 
n-iompoibb,  162. 

1omfbi.n,  unscathed,  whole,  well,  170. 

1otnuAbbAc,  adj.,  proud,  82. 

loncortibumn,  adj..  fit  to  fight,  126. 

lonpiur-,  lonpiuir-;  in  phrase  a  n-ioti- 
5nuij-,  in  the  absence  of,  besides,  46, 
114,  122. 

1on-niAj\br;A,  fit  to  be  killed,  144. 

lonnmuj*,  wealth,  gen.  sg.,  78. 

lonclAip,  138,  note  (2D). 

1op;juib,  strife,  valour,  180. 

1oca,  thirst ;  gen.  sg.,  10CA11,  88. 

1ub,  ace. of  eoL,  knowledge,  106;  cuipjrem 
mbAp,we  shall  become  acquainted  with. 


bAOAp,   interstices  between  the  toes  or 

fingers,  138. 
bAtfiAc,  shooting,  62. 
bAOTOetij,  boat;  71.pl.,  bAOioen^A,  66. 


leAbpA,  smooth,  fertile,  166. 

beACAti,  the  flat  stone  kept  in  the  shield, 
136. 

be-o^Aipe,  mangling;  beu^Aipe  t>a 
beomAn,  96. 

beibeArm,  platform,  bulwark ;  ace.  sg., 
leibionn,  194  ;  n.  pi.,  beibennA,  122  ; 
beibionn  bonpbA,  a  naval  platform,  a 
platform  of  ship's  decks,  154. 

beijim  (Leiccim),  with  Ap,  I  let  pass, 
lay  aside,  8. 

ler-  (leAf ),  good,  advantage ;  in  phrase 
Ap  ber-  7  Ap  bich,  for  the  good  and 
prosperity,  8. 

LerbAipe,  lantern,  lamp,  120. 

bee ;  in  phrase  bee  Ap  bee,  ou  both 
sides,  180  ;  in  phrase  bee  a  cuib,  back, 
round,  13S  ;  po  pech  bee  a  cuib. 

bi,  colour,  122. 

bion,  «.,  numbers,  multitude,  130. 

biotiAim,  to  fill,  to  fill  with  corpses, 
slain,  56. 

bich,  prosperity  ;  in  phrase  Ap  bep  7  Ap 
bich,  for  the  good  and  prosperity,  8. 

biuin,  gen.  of  beon,  affliction,  a  wound, 
172;  niA  buije  biuiti. 

bocpAnT),  lantern ;  loan-word  from  Latin 
lucerna;  gen.  sg.,  bocpAint),  168. 

boitijeAr,  fleet,  expedition. 

bomne,  dehght,  joy,  16. 

bonn,  brave,  fierce;//.,  bontiA,  62,  128. 

bomiAf,  anger,  94. 

bop-OAOCAin,  plenty,  full  measure,  74. 

bopg  :  in  phrase  euccAt>Ap  fciAe  CAp 
bops,  they  protected,  covered  the 
retreat  of,  180. 

buAijibb  (luAit)ibb),  activity,  move- 
ment, 182. 

buAfgA-6,  movement,  156;  niAp  buAp- 
gAt>  Ainnbe  no  pepbe.  Cf.  Ag  buAf- 
gAt)  An  cbiAbAni,  rocking  the  cradle; 
niAp  buAf  Amte  110  peipbe  no  mAp 
p-oe  jAOiee  jbopAige  Ag  t>ub  CAp 
cenn  mAchAipe  no  moipfleibe  1 
meoon  nn'j-A  mipcA,  like  the  flight  of 
a  swallow  or  roe-deer,  or  like  a  fairy- 
wind  sweeping  over  a  plain  or  great 
mountain  in  the  middle  of  the  month 


218 


GLOSSARY. 


of  March  (Silva  Gadelica,  Irish  Text, 
262). 
Lucaija,  adj. ,  bright  (?),  72. 

1TlACfAtrit,A,  the  like  of,  128. 
™AJ(?),  3o;  111A5,  great  (?). 
HIaha,  cause,  reason ;  iiiaiia  br\6m,  58. 
tllAOite,   gen.  of  mAOib,  the  head  (vide 

Dinneen,  Diet.);  in  phrase  mubbAc  a 

riiAOibe,   140. 
1TlAC5AiriAii,  a  bear,  96. 
tneAOAiL,  treachery;  gen.,  meAbiA. 
TDeAiig,  deceit;  gen.  sg.,  memge;  dat. 

sg.,  meuig. 
nieAini,  clear,  limpid,  78. 
tTleAn,  adj.,  active  ;  gen.  sg.  masc,  nun, 

154- 

ITleipieAC,  courage,  spirit,  102. 

tWengAc,  standard-like,  128. 

frieze  (mer\cce),   a  standard  ;    n.  pi., 

mef\ccet>A,  mer^eoA,   60,    182  ;  dat. 

pi.,  merijeoinb,  94. 
fllecAcc,  cowardliness  :  gen.  sg.,  rnecAc- 

ca,  96. 
tThAO,   honour,    160;    mor»   miAO   beo, 

they  thought  it  no  honour. 
tlliiAocAf,  unmanliness  ;  gen.  sg.,  rmtA- 

ocuip  96. 
tThbecA,  martial,  military, 
■niinpnpge,  pure  affection,  22. 
THiocaij\,  50,  friendly,  188. 
tTlio-6-AOip,    full-grown ;     rmc    rmoo- 

Aoip,  full-grown  boys,  180. 
mine,  madness,  fury  ;  impe  oa  mAcgA- 

niAti,  96. 
ITI05,  a  slave;  gen.  sg.,  mo§A  ;  dat  pi., 

moJAib,  12. 
moij,  dat.  of  uiAg,  a  plain. 
moineAcc,  magnanimity,  evil,  10. 
tTl6i|\iriirie,  great  activity,  162. 
tn6ir\cerrieAbb,  great  cloud,  122. 
ITlongAri,  roaring  of  the  sea,  86. 
tllojAC,  large,  big;  1  morvc  inoirvceint), 

in  a    very    big    fire,    14.      Cf.    Hyde, 
5iotbA  ah  £111  ja,  Gloss.,  s.  v.  cor\. 
1111111115111,    to     consult;     in     phrase    a 

1111111115111  a  feAj'A,  40. 
T11uiiiceAr\Af,  kinship,  union,  26. 


t11uir\ceucc,  unnavigable  sea,  118. 
1Tlur\Aim,  I  raze,  52. 

tIaio,^.  form  of  nA,  nor,  108,  138. 

tlAifcmi,  I  betroth,  32. 

TlAiiiA,  enemy ;  gen.  sg.,  nAmAO  ;  dat. 

Sg.,   llAtilATO. 

TlAoioeAiiCA,  sleek  (like  a  child),  14. 
tlecm,  nAcm,  (?)  10. 
tleriiAiciieAc,  unknown,  124. 
tleiimiAic,  not  good,  undesirable,  180. 
Tleiiicmje,  nothing,  naught,  130. 
tleoib  cAibbe,  gen.  sg.  (?),  112. 
11i,  a  thing,  156. 
TlUAfobA,  new  distress.    Vide  s.  v.  f oIa. 

O,  an  ear,  112  ;  t>a  11-0  pibb,  two  ears  of 

a  horse. 
0-beub[c]A,  open-mouthed,  184. 
OcIa  femiiTo.     Vide  s.  v.  pDcba. 
Ooa|a,  adj.,  dun,  grey-coloured,  134. 
Ooajvoa,  grey,  134. 
OgbAO,  young  men,  warriors,  150. 
OgbACAf,  warriorship,  heroism  ;  gen.  sg., 

OgbACUlf,    I/O. 

Oioe,  foster-father,  tutor,  48. 

Oi^e,  virginity,  no. 

OilcubA,  contention,  trouble,  56. 

Oi]\cil,b,   v.  n.,    prepared,   ready;    Am' 

oif\cibbp,  ready  for  me,  84,  152. 
Oi|\cireAcc,  help;  50  r^obAO  7  n-oir\ci- 

p3Acc,  with  warning  and  help,  36. 
Oinomoe,  adj.,  distinguished,  eminent, 

104. 
Oi-peAccAf ,  a  meeting,  38. 
Oi]\eAf\,  a  district,  a  bay,  inlet;  dat. pi., 

oi]\eAr\Aib,  152. 
Oir>ej-oA,  adj.,  noble,  magnificent,  72. 
OippooAC,  musician ;  dat.pl.,o^yiX>^\b, 

182. 
Oif\leAc,  v.  n.,  destroying,  158. 
Oij\rvij,  chief,  ruler,  n.  pi.,  58.    Cf.  J.  v. 

ervjMS  (Pass,  and  Homilies,  L.  Breac, 

Atk.,  Glossary). 
Oif\cer\,  the  east. 
Oigen,  ocean,  132. 
OtbArh,     an     ollamh,    professor  :     voc. 

obtAiiiAHi,  184. 


GLOSSARY. 


219 


Qm.  raw  flesh,  112,  note  (5°). 

OthAn,  dread,  fear,  130. 

Oncu,  leopard,  wolf;  gen.  sg.,  oncon  ; 
dat.  sg.,  on  coin. 

Onb&,  an  inheritance  ;  opbA  fbAn  a  cuig 
btiAt>nA,  34. 

OppAc  (jtohuac),  a  standard  measure. 
Vide  64,  note  (7°). 

OfAjvoA  (?),  80.  For  of  ajat),  or  con- 
nected with  ofAn,  junior,  Br.  Laws 
Gloss.  (?). 

OpiAt),  v.  n.,  groaning,  140. 

pell,  a  horse  ;  gen.  sg.  pill.  Cf.  L.  na 
H.,  6  b  29,  wherepilt  (gen.  is  glossed 
etch. 

petoi-oe,  a  palace,  Lat.  palatium,  72. 

perc,  a  monster;  dat.  sg.,  perc,  190. 

PpAippuipc(?),  72. 

pr\Ap,  adj.,  quick,  56. 

PpoirmiuJAo,  act  of  taking  food,  166. 

puf>Ancu,  noxious  hounds,  134. 

pupAll,  masc,  a  tent ;  gen.,  pupAitt; 
dat.,  pupAtl,  38  ;  n.pl.,  pupmll,  38. 

RAtbce,  n.  pi.,  bands,  troops,  78,  80. 
RAice  :  luccpAice,  people  of  dispensing, 

dispensers,  56. 
■RAtriAC,  adj.,  rowing,  68. 
RAOn,    nAen,    a   way,    read,    path  :    in 

phrase  pAon  niAtmA,  rcut,  90. 
Rac,  a  subsidy,  116. 
RAcriiAp,  adj.,  prosperous,  22. 
ReAbAc,  pleasant,  dat.  fern.,  46. 
Reil,  bright,  42. 
Reim,  career;  pemi  njte,  bright  career, 

104. 
RennA,  pointed  weapons,  spears,    132  ; 

nennA  naiT)  pAobAip. 
ftiAf\Ac,  submissive  to,  subject  to. 
RijpeniAp,  very  thick,  very  stout,  124. 
Riojcomnle,  great  candle,  126. 
■RiojtJATrmA,  royal  stock,  materies  regis. 
■RobAt),  warning  ;  50  pobAt)  7  n-oipci- 

peAcc,  with  warning  and  help,  36. 
ftobAncA,    flood-tide ;   pobApc/A  mAfA, 

16. 


Ropbi,   po-p-bi,   who   slew  him.     Vide 

30,  note  (20). 
Rope,  eyesight ;  gen.  nuifc,  14. 
Ruat),  strong ;  po-p«AX)A,  very  strong, 

60. 
RuAt>ctAr\Ac,  adj.,  strong-beamed,  68. 
RuArAp,  onslaught,  176,  182. 
RucctA-oh,  scraping,  noise,  86. 
RugA'OAp  Ap  An  AbATD  pin  :  idiom,  they 

passed  the  night. 
RuroneAc,  covered  with  hair  (?)  (puAin- 

neAc),  or  puicneAC,  splendid,  brilliant 

(Dinneen,  Diet.),  14. 

Sa-oaiI,  co,  happily,  116. 

S^ec  (pAOc),  sad. 

Saic,  sufficiency, enough:  pAic  CACUijce, 

114.     Cf.  French  assez  de. 
SAicim,  I  shoot;  po  pAroefCAip  pmn  a 

menmAn,  she   shot   a    glance   of  her 

mind,  14. 
SAopctiAipc,  free-circuit,  190. 
SAopmACAncAcc,  nobility  (?),  24. 
SApmjceAC,  violated. 
Sbeip,  esteem,  ace.  sg.,  108. 
ScAnnpA-6,    fright,    94  ;     pcAOiteA-6    7 

pcAnnpAt). 
ScAOileAt),    flight.    94 ;    pcAOile.v6    7 

pcAnnpAt). 
ScACoroen,  v.  n.,  protecting,  64. 
ScerheAl,  defence,  64. 
Scetiiht>A,  co,  quickly,  suddenly,  182. 
Seer,  ace.  pi.  of  pciAC,  88,  94. 
Sciacauilac,  epithet  of  hero  Scomne. 
SciAcpAc,  shield-strap,  dat.pl.,  94. 
Scip,  weariness,  116. 
SciceAC,  adj.,  weary. 
Scup,  v.  n.,  ceasing,  182. 
SeAncolAmAn,     pillar-stone     before 

house,  88. 
SeAnpolA,  old  distress.     Vide  s.v.  polA 
Seitri,  mild,  gentle,  18. 
Sen,   prosperity,  in  phrase  c\mic  nepc 

ipin  cpem  7  ipin  crotAro.     Vide  184, 

note. 
Sengual,  old  coal,  cinder,  126. 
SeotA,  nepc  trmA  peolA,  strength  of 

woman  in  confinement,  136. 


220 


GLOSSARY. 


Sepj,  sickness,  decline,  d.  s.,  70. 
SgeAiriAijpnAp,  50,  fiercely  (?),  96. 
SgiAcr\Ac,  shield-strap,  24. 
Sj^optn'oeAcc;,  entertainment,  38. 
Sine,  comparative  of  peAn,  old,  100. 
Siiicioc,  prostrate,  2. 
Sipi  (?),  162. 
Sice,  fairy,   magic  ;    eom   cpice,   magic 

birds,  134. 
SlAlinA,    a   chain  ;  gen.  sg.,  pbAbpA*  ; 

dat.  sg.,  pbAbpA-ro,  124. 
SbAt>Ac,  robbed. 
SbeAtrmuigcep,  compar.  of  equality,  as 

slippery  as,  112. 
St/ije  ;  gen.,  pbiget>;  dat.,  pbigro,  away. 
SbiopcA,  adj. ,  sharp-pointed,  138. 
SiuAJAt),  a  hosting,  130. 
Smuin'oiAT),  dust,  dat.,  52. 
StiAtfi,    v.  n.,   swimming,    134;    An   in 

•pnAtii. 
SmoTh,  v.  n.,  distress,  114. 
Sobnon,  contentment,  118. 
Socc,  silence,  go,  132. 
SoigeAt),  a  dart;  dat.pl.,  poigtub,  60. 
SoiieAC,  dirty,  126. 
Somi  jce,   well-cuitivated,    10 ;    pepAnn 

ponnjce,  well-cultivated  (P.  O'C). 
SomriieAc,  co,  pleasantly,  116. 
SoLato,  Lat.  solatium,  solace,   comfort  ; 

in    phrase    uAnnc    nepc    ipn    cpem 

7  ipn  [cfotAi-o].     Vide  184,  note(i°). 
SonAipu,  co.,  adv.,  energetically,  "6. 
Sonn,  a  prop  ;    r-onn   caca,   a   prop  of 

battle,  hero  (metaph.),  186. 
SofAt),  rest  ;  lege  popAT>  for  pocc,  32,  48. 
SofAn,  the  younger,  22. 
SnAonAt),  v.  71.,  repulsing,  138. 
SpcAngcAppAmg,  wrench,  tug,  124. 
SubAc,  merry,  happy,  58. 
SubAcuf,  pleasure,  118. 
SuraiugAt),  arrangement,  seating,  108. 


Ch',  form  of  x>o,  thy,  before  vowels,  30. 
CAebpitro,  an  offering,  bestowal ;  cuccur* 

.  .   .  cAebnm-6   ii-j;pA'dA,   I  bear   an 

offering  of  love,  16. 
CAir\5fin,  v.  n.  of  CAngAim,  I  offer,  26. 


CAinnnjA-oA,  n.pl.,  nails,  86. 

CAinpceo,  CApppceo  (?),  14,  15.  The 
phrase  CAippcni  cAnlechAin  occurs  in 
CogAit  'bnui'one  t)A  "Oen^A  (Stokes, 
Rev.  Celt.,  p.  186)  as  follows: — CpAnT>- 
pciAch  OT)on  lAnnuAe  pAip  co  m-bib 
chocAC  conTiuAbA  poprA  caVIa  cepc- 
chor-r-Ain  cechni  nt>ponj;  mjechen- 
bAin  tToe'obot  pop  a  CAippciu 
CApbecAip,  '  A  wooden  shield,  dark, 
covered  with  iron,  he  bears,  with  a 
hard  . . .  rim,  [a  shield]  whereon  would 
fit  the  proper  litter  of  four  troops  of 
ten  weaklings  on  its  ...  of  ..  . 
leather.'  For  cApbecliAip  he  suggests 
CAnb-tecliAn,  '  bull-leather,'  or  CApp- 
lechAp,  '  belly-skin.'  CAippciu  he 
does  not  translate. 

CAlcniAp,  strong  ;  pi.,  CAbcmApA,  184. 

CAbtAim,  a  division,  portion,  68,  156. 

CAnA  (?),  114. 

UAopcA,  sooner,  quicker,  100. 

CApjjAim,  I  offer. 

CAp-tecAip,  CApp-becAip  (?),  14,  15- 
Vide  s.  v.  CAinfceo. 

CAppAccAm,  inf.  of  cAppAi 51m,  I  seize. 
Vide  137,  note  (4°). 

UAppAig,  3  sg.  pret.  of  CAppAigim,  I 
seize.      Vide  137,  note  (40). 

CApptmig,  tug,  pull,  124. 

UACAOip,  reproach.  slur;  CACAOip 
■oeAtbA,  14. 

Ce,  adj.,  hot,  78;  'fAn  cpep  ce. 

CeAJbAc,  household,  hospitality  of  the 
household,  164. 

CeAitAc,  household ;  ■oAib  ueAbbAij, 
•00,1b  ceAblAc,  household  meeting, 
common  feast,  12. 

CeAtro  {ce  Ann),  adj.,  strong;  po-ceAtro, 
very  strong,  mighty,  54. 

CeArmcA,  bonds,  2. 

CegtriAib,  •oo,  to  come  towards,  meet,  40. 

Cent)  =  ceAnn,  co  cent),  strongly, 
severely,  178. 

Cent>Ab,  a  torch,  firebrand  ;  gen.  sg.  and 
acc.pl.,  cetroAbA,  92,  178. 

Cenne,  strength;  adj.,  ceAnn,  strong, 
176. 


GLOSSARY. 


221 


fceruiorh,  x>o,  to  escape,  40. 

CefC,  fame,  56. 

CiA5A]\,  itnper.  3  sg.  pass,   (tmpers.)  of 

ciAgAim,  I  go,  66. 
Cijje,  comparative  of  cmj,  thick,  94. 
CunciU/im,   to  go  round;    j\o  cimciU,, 

3  sg.pret.,  12. 
UmneApiAc,  50,  headlong,  precipitously, 

126,138,182.     Also  means    'strong,' 

'  stout-ribbed.' 
Cio-6tAicim,  I  bestow  (gifts),  18. 
CiujtAia,  last  day,  day  of  death,  end, 

174,  note  (40). 
cIacc,  garment,  134. 
CtAicbiTTo,  sweetly-melodious,  1 10. 
CocAiciotfi,  inf.,  to  consume,  partake  of. 
CocmAtic,  wooing,  gen.  sg.,  74;  dat.  sg. 

82. 
UocpA-o,  anguish,  40. 
Coou,  inf.,  to  come,  188. 
CoJAit,   v.  «.,   destroying,    destruction. 

Cf.  CojaiI  Cpoi,  42,  148. 
C015,  dat.  of  ceAc,  a  house,  166,  180. 
UoipmeAr'C,  v.  n.,  halting,  interrupting, 

156. 
toif\rieArh,  tjo,  inf.,  to  lower,  38. 
CoinrvceAr1  (coinceAf),  a  new-bom  child, 

fructus  ventris,  158;  gen.  sg.,  coir»rv- 

CeAfA. 

TJoij-c,  expedition,  errand,  report ;  dat. 

pi.,  coj-cuip,  72,  182. 
Uo1_Aib   jjaI,   a  cheville  or  poetic  tag, 

with  floods  of  valour,  no,  162. 
CorfiAtcur1,  nourishment,  166. 
Cop,  fern.,  a  tower,  pillar,  138. 
Cor\(?),  116. 
ConAnn,  thunder,  156. 
Cope  aIIaio,  wild  boar,  40. 
Cof\j\ACCAin,  v.  n.,  coming. 
C|\at*oa,  50  ccriAfOA,  hitherto,  54. 
C|\eAt)Air\e,  sureties,  2. 
CriCAf,  an  attack,  fight ;  dat.pl.,  cj\eA- 

fAib,  62. 
Crieijitn     (cr\eiccim),     I     forsake;     ni 

cpecceAbfA,  I  shall  not  forsake,  32. 
Cpeip,  strength,  vigour,  176. 
CjvenAi,  stronger,  compar.  of  cnen,   174. 
Cj\enpej\,  champion,  170. 


Cner",  78,  104.      Vide  s.  v.  cr\eAf . 

CnecilX,  hero,  170. 

Cnogum,     child-bearing.        Vide      112, 

note  (63). 
Cpoij,      pangs     (of    childbirth),      112, 

note  (s°). 
CpoigeAt),  gen.  pi.  of  q\oi§,  foot,  136. 
CpomfoioeAC,     heavy-sodded,      solid  : 

CAtAtfi  cpomf'onjeAc,  178. 
CuAirifenA  (?),  64. 
UuAbom5,  capable  of,   able,    182  ;   jac 

neAC  Af  cuaLoitij  gAifcco,  everyone 

who  is  capable  of  deeds  of  valour. 
CuAfAUfcbAib,  account,  76. 
Uuac,  people,  tribe;  dat.pl.,  cuAcriAito, 

186. 
CubuifceAc,  50,  grievously,  in  grievous 

plight,  136. 
Cuitlmi,  to  settle  down  in,  to  fit  into  ; 

guri   cmlb   jac  R15  mb    .    .    .    iriA 

n-iorrroAib,  12. 
Cinnjim  (O.  Ir.  cotiju),  I  swear,  26. 
Cmntie,  in  phrase  -oo  clocliAita  cuirme 

nA  cnAJA,  88.      Vide  89,  note  2. 
UuipeAt),  a  tower,  126. 
■Ro  cuinet),  was  given,  42  ;    end.  pret. 

pass,  of  oobeirnm. 
UuifmeAt),   childbirth,    15S  ;    gen.   sg., 

cuirrnfo  (O.  Ir.  cuipne'OA). 
Uul,  hill,  rise;  An  cut  11  a  cpAJA,  on  the 

rise  of  the  strand,  124. 
CuIac,  hill;  gen.,  cuIca  ;   dat.,  cuIaij, 

22. 
CurvcuriCA,  a  waif,  158. 
rjur\5«Arh,  v.  n.,  preparing;  AgcunsnArh 

riA  fteroe. 


UAbAipc  (fUAOAinc),   an  onset,  attack, 

46. 
tJAccAfiAc,  decisive,  final ;  in  phrase  An 

cpeAcc    UAccAnAc,     the    final    blow 

(wound),  142. 
Ua$,  a  grave,  56. 
tJAitt,   little  ;    in  phrase  ir  UAitX  tiAC, 

almost  ;  lit.,  it  is  little  that,  140. 
tJAipoib,  above  them,  dat.pl.,  88. 
UAifeAC,  hero,  gen.pl.  dual,  186. 


222 


GLOSSARY. 


UAfA,  3  sg.masc,  above  him,  116. 
Uacat),  few,  paucity,  22,  66. 
Uacait),  from  him  ;  O.  Ir.  uat>. 
t)ACDAi]%£V?w.  as  adj.,  dire,  terrible,  96. 
UAcrriAfv,  dire,  dreadful. 
11cbAT)Ac,  groaning,  sorrowful,  58. 
U10,   notice,   heed ;    uucc   t)'a   tno,   he 

noticed,  94. 
thLioe,  156.     I  take  it  to  be  for  inLboe, 

the  greater  thereby:  uitt/i,  compar.  of 

olX,  great. 
Uitl/inn,  ace.  sg.  of  uiite,  elbow,  38. 
tlt/ib,  dat.pl.  of  uite,  all,  14. 
tlr>,   a  hill,   mound  ;    u-|\  tia  CeAih^Ac, 

20. 


Uf\Ai §,  adj.,  noble,  14. 
UjdJA'OAC,  adj.,  dreadful,  hateful. 
Uj\cj\a,  a  wasting  away;  uj\cj\a  n-Aim- 

jij\e,  70.      Vide  90,  note  (30). 
tJ|\iAb]AA,  speech,  164. 
t)r\lA|\,  floor,  172. 
•Uf\tuAcj\Aim,  to  strew  fresh  rushes. 
tlj\|\uriCA,  adj'.,  daring,  116. 
t)j\CA^ftiA,    prostrate,     140 ;    beic    u|\- 

CAf\rnA  Aj\  cceAnn  f  eAjvccupA. 
tl-pcojj'bAi'l,  v.  n.,  a  heave,  124. 
tlfxcopAc,  the  beginning,  166  ;  ujvcor'Ac 

Laoi,  dawn  of  day. 
Uf Aioe,  comparative  of  r/ujuif,  easy,  with 

particle  x>e,  124. 


INDEX  OF  NAMES  OF  PERSONS. 


[The  references  to  the  pages  indicate,  in  general,  only  the  initial  occurrence 

of  the  name.] 


Aimer^-m,  father  of  Conall  Cearnach,  4, 

48. 
AitiLaoi  m&c   Scomtie,   king  of  Loch- 

lann,  102. 
AnA-o&t,,   son  of  the  king  of  the  Con- 

chenns  (Hound-heads),  26,  174. 
AnjocliA  mAC  Anluin  AbeiojA,  44. 
Aj\aIc  (Harold),  son  of  Amlaff,  king  of 

Lochlann,   106. 
Aj\c   enper\    (Art   Aoinfhear),    son    of 

Arthur,  king  of  Britain,  163. 
Ape  mAC  ScioLmumn,  king  of  Leinster, 

2. 
Aj\c    TTlipoeAbmAn,    r\i§    bAijen,    Art 

Mesdealman,  king  of  Leinster,  188. 
A]\cu|\    Aomf-erv,    son   of    A]\cu|A    mAC 

1ubAip,  156.      Vide  s.  v.  Aj\c  enfep. 
Apcujv  mop    niAC  1ubAij\,    Arthur  mac 

Iubhair,    king  of  Britain    (or   of  the 

Britons),  152. 
Acjno,  father   of  Durthacht,   father   of 

Craobh,  wife  of  Niall  Xiamhglonnach, 

54- 


bebeppe,  wife  of  Amlaff,  king  of  Loch- 
lann, 104. 

rjebit),  daughter  of  Dornglan,  70. 

beiut>A,  daughter  of  Amlaff,  king  of 
Lochlann,  106. 

b01]\ce  CAfUplAC  mAC  eAcriAit>  SaL- 
binbe,  Boirche  Casurlach,  son  of 
Eochaidh  Salbhuidhe,  168,  172. 

bper'AL  botnobAnh  iiiac  TUijpAroe, 
Bresal  Bodhiobadh,  son  of  Run-,  184. 

bpicne  mAC  CAipbpe,  Bricriu  son  of 
Cairbre,  4,  44,  98. 


CAif\bj\e  Con^AiicnefAch,  son  of  Cairbre 

Crom,  and  foster-son  to  Conghal,  26. 
CAir\bj\e   Cj\om,    king    of    Bregia    and 

Meath,  24. 
CAipceA1111  Coj\f\,  no. 
CA|\b|\Aec  (CA|\b|\2)  rtiAC  tuijjoiocri,  4. 
CeAbccAp,  4. 
Ce&pb,  no. 
CeAcb&,  Ceathba,  174. 
Cec  m&c  ttlAJAC,   Cet  mac   Maghach, 

170. 
Cl-Ann  Ru  jpuroe,  Claim  Run-,  8. 
Concenn     (Concend),     Hound-head,     a 

strange  race  of  people,  26. 
Con&bL  Ce&nnAch,  4. 
CcnJAt  Ct&ij\eineAC,   10,  another  form 

of  Conghal's  name.    ConJAt  ClAipei- 

neAc  =  Conghal  the  Flat-faced. 
Co>i§aL  CbAirvmjneAC,  passim.   Conj&b 

ClAip-mgneAC   =   Conghal   the  Flat- 

nailed. 
Coti|\AC  CAf,  king  of  Connaught,  2,  188. 
C|\Aob,  daughter  of  Durthacht,  and  wife 

of  Niall  Xiamhglonnach,  50. 
C|\Aob  Ruat),  the  Red  Branch,  46. 
CjuomcArm     CAom,     Criomthann     the 

Fair,  son  of  Lughaidh  Luaighne,  28. 
C|\iomi"Aiin,  son  of  Fergus  Fairrge,  king 

of  Hy  Kinsella,  26,  84,  188. 
Cpoc,  daughter  of  Criomhthann,  16. 
CjAUicmj  tlt-At),  the  Picts  of  Ulster,   32, 

186. 

TJeAJAt)  niic  Sin,  king  of  Munster,  2, 
188. 

■Oepg,  son  of  Deghadh,  king  of  Mun- 
ster, 34. 


224 


INDEX  OF  NAMES  OF  PERSONS. 


T)UACT>AltcA(t)A'lCA)>OeA§OTOri,Duach, 

foster-son  of  Deaghadh,  190. 
"Ou-pcAcc,  father  of  Craobh,  wife  of  Niall 
Niamhglonnach,  50. 


eimer\  prm,  son  of  Milesius,  2. 
eocliATo  SAlbuTOe,  168. 


•JTaccha  P&cac,  Fachtna  Fathach  (son  of 
RosaRuadh),  4,  170. 

■pAccriA  porm  pte,  ollamh  of  the  pro- 
vince of  Ulster,  6,  passim. 

•peA-pjuf,  Fergus,  son  of  the  king  of  the 
Picts  of  Ulster,  186. 

-pepcc,  son  of  the  king  of  the  Picts  of 
Ulster,    and    fosterling    of    Conghal, 

32. 
-perxccnA  pie,  druid  to  Amlaff,  king  of 

Lochlann,  102. 
1Pe|\cctif  eArhriA,  Fergus  (mac  Lede)  of 

Eamhain,  178. 
•peA|\5tif  niAC    teToe,    king   of  Ulster, 

passim. 
■pepccur1  mAC  Uof  a,  34,  passim. 
pAchA  pte,  Fiacha  the  Poet,  28. 
ponnAbAir>,     daughter     of     Lughaidh 

Luaighne,  king  of  Ireland,  14. 
ponncAn,  who  slew  the  first  wild  deer 

in  Ireland,  28. 
ponncAnpAtmAcTUiT>rvUi,6e,  Fionntan, 

the  Generous,  son  of  Rury,  48. 
pcnef,    Fithneas,    elsewhere  Frithnas* 

186. 
Paaoc,  son  of  the  king  of  the  Picts  of 
Ulster,    and    fosterling   of    Conghal, 

32- 
Paaoc  "OriAoi,   Fraoch   the   Druid,  40, 

168. 
pA-icnAf  (pAicViuAf),  son  of  the  king  of 
the  Picts  of  Ulster,  and  fosterling  of 
Conghal,  132. 

SAO-roeAl,  an  Irishman,  130. 
lormATDrriAp,  king  of  Ireland,  2. 


tACAir>tie,  son  of  Fionntan  the  Generous, 

the  tutor  of  Conghal,  48. 
tuJAit)   UiAigne,    son   of   lomiAtmiAri, 

son  of  T1i  a  SeAoVimum,  king  of  Ireland, 

passim. 

rrlAolcrvoic     ACAir\     CAcbATo,     Maol- 

chroich,  father  of  Cathbadh,  170. 
IDeAt1  "OorhnAtin,  son  of  Art,    king   of 

Lemster,  34. 
tnei|Mie,  son  of  Fionntan  the  Generous, 

the  tutor  of  Conghal,  48. 
mefcet)]\A   mAC  Air\U  tnefoeAlbAinn, 

mAC  r\ij  tAijen,    Mesgedra,   son  of 

Art  Mesdealbhann,  king  of  Leinster, 

170. 
tnibeAT),  Milesius,  2. 
mifcenrriAf,  no. 
1Yluir\et>Ach  trlerigeAc,  son  of  the  king 

of  Scotland,  26. 
TrUii]\u    bAngAifgeA-OAc,     Muirn,     the 

female  warrior,  112,  118. 

riAbgooon  mAc1or>UAic, kingofUardha, 

70,  passim. 
flAoi)~i,  son  of  Amlaff,  king  of  Lochlann, 

106. 
tliAtl  tliAriijlomiAC  mAC  ftor-A,  4. 
tliA  SeAt)mum,  2. 

Oibiobb  Ce6]\A  S^ecb  mAC  pjicc,  26, 

188. 
O1I10IX    Ueor\A     Cjaioc1i    mAC    Aipcij 

tucctecAm  mic  p]\coJA,  26,  188. 

Ki  "Oonn  ttiic  1omc1iAT)A  rmc  Tttio-oriA 
mic  CAifciocliAij  t)0  clomn  Cer\- 
mAt>A  TY)ibbeoit  mic  ah  'Oaj'oa  t>o 
bunA-or/rierne  CuAice  t>e  "O  ah  Aim. 
m  ■oonn,  probably  for  1115001111,  a 
proper  name,  as  Dr.  Meyer  suggests, 
74- 

tlorf  ftUAT),  4,    I70. 

SAigeti,  daughter  of  Carrthann  Corr, 
and  '  daughter  of  a  mother'  to  Muirn, 


INDEX  OF  NAMES  OF  PERSONS. 


225 


Scomne  SciacaitiIac,  a  famous  warrior 

of  Lochlann,   and  father   of  Arrdaff, 

114. 
Senine,  son  of  Fionntan  the  Generous, 

the  tutor  of  Conghal,  48. 
CAip    CAOiojeAl,    daughter   of    King 

Donn  (or  Rigdonn),  74. 
Citine  mAC  ConpAC,  son  of  the  king  of 

Connaught,  34. 
Cojuia  mAC  Cirme,  king  of  the  Saxons, 

152- 


Cpen,   son   of  Saighead,    daughter    of 

Carrthann  Corr,  130. 
UjMfCAC&L,   son  of  Saighead,  daughter 

of  Carrthann  Corr,  130. 
CrvoclATri,  son  of  Saighead,  daughter  of 

Carrthann  Corr,  130. 

UipjpeAiin,    druid   to   AmlafF,  king   of 

Lochlann,  118. 
tliceACAip,  father  of  CeAlccAp,  4. 
uLait),  the  Ultonians,  4,  passim. 


INDEX  OF  NAMES  OF  PLACES. 

[The  references  to  the  pages  indicate,  in  general,  only  the  initial  occurrence 
of  the  name.] 


AcAitl,  Acaill,  near  Tara,  184. 

ALbA,    Scotland;    gen.,    AtbAn ;    dat., 

AbbAin,  26,  passim. 
AlbAn,  oij\er\,  the  district  of  Scotland, 

152. 
AoriAc    Intein    CtiAije,    at     the    Bann 

mouth,  60. 
AonAC   CuAit>e,    at    the    mouth   of  the 

Bann,  44,  46,  66,  &c. 
Ach  Cnuicne,  vide  s.  v.  Ac  frlon. 
Ach  £uAn,   Cold  Ford,   on  the  Boyne, 

28,11.  13,  16. 
Ach  in  O1  je,  Deer  Ford,  on  the  Boyne, 

28,  1.  14. 
Ac  TM6r»    (Ach    Cnuicne),    Athcruthen, 

near  Newry,  30,  1.  27. 

bAiie  611  'OonjAile,  in  Ulster,  32. 
t)AnbA  (bAnbA),  Ireland,  54,  56. 
t)AnnA,  the  river  Bann,  2,  1.  19  ;  56. 
beAnriA  AriAnn  CbeAnriA  brxeAJ),  28. 
beAnn  a  boince   (boince),  the  Mourne 

Mountains,  2,  &c. 
beAiiriA  br\eAJ  (beAtniA  AnAtin),  28. 
bleiiA    ConnA    CjvmcorAij;    (tetiA   An 

JAnbATO),  44,  48,  60. 
boirm,  dat.  sg.,  the  Boyne  ;  O.  Ir.  nom., 

boeira,  boAtTO,  28,  182. 
bnej,    Bregia,    Bray,    the   plain   from 

Dublin  to  Drogheda,  24,  62,  186. 
bnecAin,    Britons,    Britain  ;     gen.   pi., 

bnecAn,  150. 
bneCAn,  CttAig,  the  British  shore,  152. 
bnecAn,   1nnri,    the   island   of  Britain, 

152- 
bnecAn,   nije,  the  kingship  of  Britain, 

I52- 
bnu    ha  bAtniA,   the   residence  on  the 
Bann,  54. 


CAnn -pencAif  tD6in  ("PeAncuf  Catm]-a), 

vide  s.  v.  ■peAjAcur'  CimrA. 
CAnn    tiiACM    buACAttA,    old   name   of 

bAile  on  'OonjAite,  q.v.,  30. 
CAnnuic   tiA   £AinccponA,    Carraig   na 

Faircsiona,  168. 
CACttAc  tnuinne  tnolbchAi'oe,  112. 
CeAnncine    {gen.    Cmncine),    Cantyre, 

150. 
Cnoc  'OiArh]AAC,  30. 
CoTttAnmAnA,  Commermara,  in  Meath, 

182. 
ConnAcc,  Connaught,  passim. 
Cruoc   Tloir,    territory   of  Feara  Rois, 

parts  of  Louth,  Meath,  andMonaghan, 

including  barony  of  Farney,  30. 
Cuaii     StiAtiiA     Ai^neAC,      Carlingford 

Lough,  182. 


T)nobAoir,  the  river  Drowes,  the  dividing 

line  between  Ulster  and  Connaught  in 

olden  days,  2. 
"OuniA  iiA^ltiognAi'6e,  at  Tara,  20. 
■OutiAt)  tteiVL  ('Oii)i  tja  beAnn),  vides.v. 

"Dun  da  beAnn,  78. 
■Qun  t>a  beAnn  (ben-o,  benn),    Mount 

Sandel,  near  Coleraine,    50,   52,    54, 

58,  66. 
"Oun  nnc  bi]\,  the  Isle  of  Man,  i.e.  the 

isle  of  Mananann,  son  of  Lir,  78. 
"Oun  SobAince,  Dunseverick,  48, 100,  &c. 


eAtfiAm  triACA,  Navan  Fort,  near  Ar- 
magh, 4. 

GAf  Cj\Aoibe,  the  Cutts  on  the  Bann  at 
Coleraine,  56.  We  have  the  territory 
of  CnAeb,  W.  of  Lower  Bann. 


INDEX  OF  NAMES  OF  PLACES. 


227 


C&fTUToe,  in    the   south   of   Lochlann, 

I02. 
eonpA,  Europe,  70. 
£pe,  £ipe,  O.  Ir.  epiu  ;  gen.,  epeAtin, 

eijuonn ;    O.    Ir.    Cpem),    eneAti-o ; 

dat.  eirvmn,  e-jMnn,  passim. 


"FeApcup  CAmfA,  the  ford  on  the  Bann 

near     the     old    church     of    Camus- 

Macosquin,  52,  I.  8. 
PencA     CoiiAine,     Ferta     Conaire,     in 

Louth  (?),  182. 
■fepcAf    CAtriAif,    -vide    s.   v.    ^eA^cnf 

CAmjw,  54- 
fe^cAf    Kuine ;    4?ej\CAf     tltupe     juf  a 

pAit>ce}\  CuAn  StiArhA  AijtieAC,  Car- 

lingford  Lough,  182. 
4?ionnbocbArm,  150,  &c 
■pocATpt)  Ttl6j\  muipcerhne,  Faughard  in 

county  Louth,  30,  182. 
pjinit),  Imy,  the  Island  of  the  Setting 

Sun,    Western    Island,    a  name    for 

Ireland,  70. 


5aLL,  1nnif ;  1nnp  £Abb,  the  Hebrides, 

172. 
5A|\brbi jtOj     -vide    s.  v.    Siige     1TJ6|v 

Thio,6tuAC]\A,  30. 


ibAC,  Ilath,  on  the  Boyne,  182. 

lie,  Islay,  150. 

1nbeAj\  u-3aoc  ;  "InbeAfx  n-jAoc  jMfAti 

AbApcAp  Conn  KujnAi'oe';  Dundrum 

Bay,  168. 
InbeAn  CuAije,  the  mouth  of  the  Bann, 

66. 
1nif  4?uiniT>,  vide  s.  v.  Vuinii). 
1nnij*  3aII,  vide  s.  v.  5aUL 
1nnif  TJuip,  Tory  Island,  170. 
1omAi|\e    tTluitleATir>,     Iomaire    Muil- 

leann,  168  (1  cceAtro  nAgAinbrbije-oh 

|uj*a  j\Aicej\  1omAi|\e  tTluibleAtro). 
1ubA|\      Cinncoi-oce      rrnc      TleACCAm, 

Newry,  30. 
1ubA|\  Cinn  Cj\acca,  Newry,  30. 


bAi£in,  Leinstermen,  Leinster  :  gen.  pi., 

t&igeAn,  34,  &c. 
benA    au    5Af\bAit),   vide   s.  v.   "bletiA 

Conj\A  CnmCOJ*  A1J. 
bioj*  ua  Rioj^ATOe,  the  Kings'  Fort  at 

Tara,  24. 
biof  CopnA    eccij",  the  fort  of  Torna 

'Eigeas  at  Tara,  24. 
boc  4?e<5>bAib,  Lough  Foyle  ;  CAch  bocA 

VeAbAib,  Battle  of  Lough  Foyle,  190. 
bocbAnn,  Norway,  42,  102,  &c. 

triA§  CobA  Cenn  tflon,  in  county  Down, 

30. 
tTlAgrrlutfAremne,  couatyLoat  h,  56. 
tTlAJ  Uermb  tflAjAA,  Faughard,  in  county 

Louth,  30. 
tnii>e,  Meath,  24,  104,  186. 
muite,  Island  of  Mull,  150. 
multA-6,  for  TYIulbAC,  2. 
tTluibbenn   CiAj\nAit>e,  at  Tara,  20,  the 

first  water-mill  in  Ireland.     For  story 

vide  Add.  Note  to  p.  20,  1.  5. 
muin  eochc,  Sea  of  Wight,  16,  1.  8. 

In  Broccan's  Hymn  (Pal.  Hib.)   the 

O.  Ir.  tttuin  1cc  occurs. 
THurhA,  Munster;   gen.,  Tttuni&n  ;    dat., 

tTlurhAin,  2,  passim. 

OibeAtiA,  TIa,  the  Isles  (off  coast  of 
Scotland),  150. 

tlAcnumn  (ftAcniu,  Tlequu)  ;  gen.  Rac- 
numne  ;  ace.  and  dat.,  ftAcpomn, 
Rathlin  Island,  84. 

Raic  tia  nTJoinreonAc,  the  Rath  of  the 
Doorkeepers  at  Tara,  10. 

Raic  11 1 a-6,  the  Rath  of  the  Ulstermen 

at  Tara,  10. 
ftoip,  Cjmoc,  vide  s.  v.  Cjuoc. 
Uoif,   1nif  CUA16,  the  Island  of  Ross, 

166. 

SAjfon,  cru'ocA,  territories  of  the  Saxons, 

150,  152. 
SlAinge,  stiAb,  Slieve  Donard  in  county 

Down,  168. 


228 


INDEX  OF  NAMES  OF  PLACES. 


SliAb  Seinnt/iAt),  48. 

SliAb  StAinge,  vide  s.  v.  StAinge. 

Sbje  fflon  tihooluAcnA,  one  of  the  five 
great  roads  of  ancient  Ireland,  30. 
"The  Slighe  Miodhluachra,  as  appears 
from  various  notices  in  ancient  docu- 
ments, was  the  north-eastern  road  from 
Tara,  and  apparently  proceeded  in  the 
direction  of  Duleek  and  Drogheda" 
(Petrie's  Tara,  p.  230). 


CeAc    CAinbne    Cnuim,    the   House   of 

Cairbre  Crom  at  Tara,  24. 
CeAC  tniot)CUA|ACA,  Banqueting  Hall  at 

Tara,  12. 
CeAc  nA  Ueihj\Ach,  the  House  of  Tara, 

18S. 


CeAtriAin,  Tara  ;  gen.,  UeAiiinAc  ;  dat., 

CeAirinAi  5,  passim. 
UiobnA  ha  tAOcnAioi,  the  Heroes'  Well 

at   Tara,    20,   1.   3,   50   ciobyvtn'o  tiA 

LAoqAAfoi.     Distinguish  oobnA,  gen. 

ciob|\At>,    a  well,   from  cobAj\,  gen. 

cobAirx,  a  well.    Note  the  form  '  Tip- 

perary,'  Ci-pj\A-AttAnn. 
Conn    tlujnAToe,    Dundrum    Bay,  168, 

190. 
Umn,  1nnif,  Tory  Island.  170,  &c. 

tlAn-oA,  tlije  11A,  70. 

tli   Cennr-eAlAij,  Hy  Kinsella  in  Lein- 

ster,  26,  188. 
1ltAit>,     Ulster,     Ultonians;     gen.   pi. 

UIao  ;    dat.   pi.   UttcAib,   OitcAib ; 

2,  11.  14,  16,  17,  passim. 


INDEX  TO  FOOT-NOTES. 


Abp  a,  105. 
AcAnfoioe,  86,  104. 
Acceti,  118. 

^5  CP1'  «-5^AC'  35- 
AilAe,  138. 
AiniAnmAncAC,  123. 
Airmle  no  jrenbe,  157. 
Ainijce,  82. 

A  tl-AOnCOITIA,  "Ji. 

AnbnAC,  155. 
An^Aim-ne,  44.) 
AnnAt)Aib,  "• 
Aci-c,  56. 
AccoriiAnc,  162. 
Accij,  179. 

toAirme  ne  p^Air,  z42, 

t)Ainib,  177. 

t)ATn  beo  7  berium,  32. 

"beinti  m-blAicegAinm-btiAbuiU,,  ii 

"bel^AtA,  39. 

be]\nA  caca,  94. 

"bi,  no-f-bi,  30. 

bit),  8. 

bit),  54. 

■bnAC-mileAO,  62. 

t>poini5,  54. 

bnu  JAit),  160. 

buAibro,  112. 

buAiti,  37. 

CobnATO,  136. 
Cac  -o'a  ceile,  37. 
CAinnce,  124. 
CaLax),  89. 
Caoicdi]*  An  mir,  98. 

CAf\AbpA,   no. 

CA]\  ATI   CAOTTllAOl,  64. 

CeAnb,  116. 


CeofAOACA,  77. 

Cel,  111  eel,  50. 

CecinniAOA,  140. 

t)o  cmn  .  .  .  An,  146. 

Cioc,  118. 

Cli,  104. 

Cbu,  120. 

Ctof,  00  ctor,  150,  160. 

Coinroej*,  133. 

Colt  •ouApAif,  142. 

ColtiAib,  88. 

CorilAlcAT>A,   I3I. 

Co  m-binne  ti-joca,  72- 

CotricoTTiTnonAO,  37. 

ComnAmnAC,  HO. 

ComcA,  An  fen  comcA,  129. 

CorhcAnnAinj,  125. 

CongrriAtA,  128. 

CopiAnfA,  182. 

Cor-nAO,  90,  170. 

Cor-CAO  (coycAio),  178. 

CneccnAij,  no-m-cneccnAi jre,  174. 

CnecnAig,  nomcnecriAij,  128. 

Cnocntnjim,  114. 

CucAfAn,  162. 

CtnneAb,  ni  cinneAbfA,  188. 

Ctnn,  nooctnn,  114. 

T)atti  n-oiteArm,  64. 
■QeAJjAbtAtiAC,  14. 
T)ecc,  76. 
"OencAif  bnon,  43. 
"Oibencce,  36. 
■Oi-oeonn,  81. 
"OmibnAr,  57. 
"Oiot  fin,  145. 
T5o  cuato,  40. 
CJo  cuaIa,  158. 
°o  cuAf,  68. 


230 


INDEX  TO  FOOT-NOTES. 


DOJTAOC,  82. 
■OopAOCfAC,  42. 

■Oombejv  58. 

t)OmpA|\)AAlg,  128. 

Oompucc,  129. 

T30|\0|\CA1^,   78. 

■OjAerm,  43. 
t)un-buAile,  52. 

OaIIa,  168. 

eAfcoinne,  113. 

GccjAAit),  92. 

er>,  |\e  h-et>  tt-Acgoijvi'o,  88. 

e5|MJ,  no  li-egjMg,  84. 

deep,  6. 

eucemtnp  a  AntnA,  99. 

•JTaja,  no. 

ITAgA  («.),    I70. 
£A§Alb,    IO8. 

■pAonA,    a    n-Aij\m    ^AoriA    pfucnoe'e 

fUlb,    112. 

■peofom,  106. 
VeMf,  prrand  py,  35. 
■peocAij\  n-goile,  41. 
ptro^At),  132. 

■piOCfAC,  T)0-'bA|A-1?10CpAC,   78. 

pont),  132. 

TMf  7  Alflitis,  39. 

plet),  A5  fbet)  6b,  147. 

■pcoejAA,  146. 

■JToilcce  7  jroc|\Aicce,  82. 

1:otA5APrnAri511uir>  J34- 
poppcA,  4. 
•pojACAtnlAig,  174. 

PlMcTltlAf,   33. 

-ptnl,  180. 

t1l]A  gAb  .   .   .  fiT»  63- 

•Ro'ojAbAf,  70. 
Cono-m-5AbT)Aip  168. 
5Abuint)--p,  38. 
"5aoi,  162. 
5&oiT>eAb,  37. 
5eif,  5UP  5^ir»  J42- 

5elfC1AC,  64. 
JeubAtn,  168. 
3cub|*A,  42. 


5bipt>,  21. 

gonfAC,  gup  jAogonfAC,  170. 

5pef,  T)o  jpef,  90. 

5uAitib,  60. 

JuAibbib,  178. 

Sue,  39. 

1aj\ccuiL,  84. 

1ttA1T>,    IOO. 

1n-imbe|ACA,  76. 
1n-imueACCA,  78. 
1mie,  168. 
Inneocb,  71. 
1mpbe,  112. 
1om«AbbAig,  82. 
loncotribtmin,  126. 
lonctAip,  138. 

bAT)A]A,    I39. 

beACAn,  137. 
beAC,  161. 
beAC  ubuibb,  161. 
becceApfA,  182. 
betn,  44. 
beibennA,  122. 
lej\  32. 
boc|\Atin,  85. 
boingep  154. 

buAC,    I64. 

binge  bmin,  172. 
1Tlac«,  48. 

TY)A1J\CC,    122. 

tTlAOibe,  140. 
tTlApA,  118. 
X>o  -meAbliAit),  94. 
TTlnAOi,  73. 
mori5Aj\,  86. 

ttl6j\  'OO  CU1j\  A1j\,    l60. 

muinn|A,  37. 
niuipceAcc,  118. 
mupAim,  53. 

riAt)  cai|\,  no. 
riAit),  108,  132. 
nocA,  70,  104. 
Hoca  njruige,  no. 


INDEX  TO  FOOT-NOTES. 


•231 


noriiAit>e,  114. 
TluAfolA  7  a  yenfoLa,  3. 

OcIa  feintnt),  34. 
6t>  cuaLa,  172. 
Oit)e,  49. 
OipeACCAf,  38. 
Oi]\eAj\,  72. 
Otn,  112. 
Oncoin,  132. 
0|\|\ac,  64. 

PlUL,  T>A  Tl-O  pibl,    112. 
PjAAIf  pU1]\C,   72. 

Ra,  19. 

HAbAbAp,  Cjxet)  f  a  j\AbAbA]\  ■oa  bA]\ 

tl-olXAtfl,   II4. 
HACAT)fA    .    .    .     UlCC^CAOgA,    1 57- 
TlATriAC,  69. 

Rl,  jug,  102. 

HijtiAtniiA,  56. 
■Rnine,  80. 
RobfAt),  163. 
Rcrofoic,  130. 
ftoipom,  Ib6. 
RomcjAeuccriAig,  178. 
RoypuLvD,  176. 
Hua'o,  60. 
RuccLat)1i,  86. 

SAITTieulfA,    l66. 

Scec,  94. 
Scibe-oli,  72. 
Scirine'OAp,  86. 
SeAticotAiiiAn,  89. 


Sein  ;  ifin  cfem  7  ipn  CfolAi-o,  184. 

SUti,  34. 

SoIaio  ;  ipm  c]*ein  7ipn  Cfot-ATO,  184. 

CAbepc,  18. 
UAit>e,  89. 

CApCCtiyA,  TDO,    l88. 

UA|\j\Ai5im,  137. 
UeAJtAC,  165. 
Uen-OAl,  93. 
Cenne,  177. 
CiAJAp,  52. 
Cije,  94. 

ducAb,  176. 

ClUJl,A1C1,    I74. 

CocmAj\c,  74- 

CoJA,    72. 

CogbuAif,  pO-T)-c65buA1f,^20. 

UO|A,    117. 

Cj\aj  t)j\ecAn,  152. 

CpenAi,  174. 

C|\oi  jeAT),  96. 

Uj\oi§  TTiriA  cj\ojuin,  112. 

cCjUAn,  144. 

Ctnll,  13. 

Cuirme,  ctocViAib  cumne,  89. 

Uuiftnit),  158. 

CunctmcA,  159. 

tlAbAl]\C,  46. 

Ua-o,  40. 

UaiIX  T1AC,    I4I. 

tlAipJAC,  186. 
tJAinb,  68. 
thlir>e,  156. 
tlinne,  138. 
UncnA  n-Aimpne,  ;o. 


ADDENDA  ET  CORRIGENDA. 

The  following  corrections  of  non-aspiration  of  c  in  MS.  which  occur  in  printed 
text  illustrate  this  peculiar  mannerism  of  our  scribe : — 


Page 


4, 

line 

24, 

for  11  ac 

read 

nAC 

4, 

,, 

28, 

,,      UJ\Lt1ACnAt> 

,, 

untuAcnAf) 

IO, 

,, 

17, 

,,      ITACUnA 

,, 

■pACCTIA 

12, 

,, 

6, 

,,    inet>f\AC 

>, 

■met>nAC 

12, 

„ 

18, 

,,      CJAIOCAT) 

,, 

CfUOCAt) 

H, 

,, 

5, 

,,    uincimciht 

,, 

uijvcimcibb 

i4, 

,, 

J3, 

,,    neAC 

,, 

neAC 

16, 

,, 

7, 

,,    neoc 

,, 

neoc 

18, 

,, 

18, 

,,      COtlAC 

,, 

cortAc 

18, 

,, 

19, 

,,     coicce'OAC 

,, 

coiccexJAC 

22, 

,, 

28, 

,,       CjMOCA 

,, 

cniocA. 

24, 

,, 

22, 

,,       AttlAC 

,, 

Am  ac 

26, 

„ 

14, 

,,     oir>ce  {passim) 

,, 

OToce 

26, 

,, 

i5> 

,,     ComiACCAirJ 

,, 

COtniACCAlb 

26, 

,, 

16, 

,,    Cnioc 

,, 

Cnioc 

20, 

last  line, 

,,    cniocAib 

,, 

C|\10CAlb 

28, 

line 

", 

,,      pACA 

,, 

pACA 

30, 

„ 

3, 

,,     •oiceArmAT) 

,, 

•oiceAnnA'o 

34, 

,, 

8, 

,,    betiriACCAin 

,, 

benriACCAiii 

34, 

,, 

12, 

,,    cmiceAbb 

,, 

cnnceAbb 

34, 

,, 

21, 

„     5ac 

,, 

5AC 

40, 

,, 

8, 

,,      CpiOCAlb 

,, 

CJMOCAlb 

42, 

,, 

18, 

,,     coniAijceACA 

,, 

COtflAljCeACA 

44, 

,, 

12, 

,,    VACC11A 

,, 

Pacc^ia 

44, 

,, 

16, 

,,       C1011CAC 

,, 

C1011CAC 

48, 

,, 

11, 

,,    -poccAin 

,, 

noccAin 

50, 

,, 

17, 

,,    cimcitb 

,, 

cimcibb 

56, 

> , 

14, 

,,      AJ\Cet1A 

,, 

a|\  cenA 

58, 

,, 

7, 

,,      5|\AT)AC 

,, 

5|\At)AC 

62, 

)  J 

12, 

,,      C]\10C 

,, 

cnioc 

64, 

)  y 

IO, 

,,       ^\01Cpt)1f 

,, 

noicpoir' 

64, 

,, 

16, 

,,     ]\o  cnecctiAij 

,, 

JAO  cpecctiAi  j 

In  Parts  II.  and  III.  I  have  corrected  the  MS.  reading,  with  the  exception  of 
omce,  which  may  have  some  phonetic  significance.  • 


ADDENDA  ET  CORRIGENDA.  233 

Page     2,  heading,  for  cu\x>  read  cuit> 

2,  line   18,/or  mull&t)  razJ  mult ac 

M       3,     „     12,  o/ki/  number  (i)  after  '  bravery  ' 

,         4,     ,,       \,  for  V^cViAit*  read  JTacac 

f        4,     ,,     1 1,  omit  note  of  interrogation. 

tt       5,     j,      1 1,  omit  note  of  interrogation. 

6,     ,,        I,  for  cunrOAC  jIatia  read  curinoAC-jlAtiA 

f,       6,     ,,      lS,  for  cfuocriA'OAn  raz</  cojpATiAn 

,,       8,     ,,       3,  /or  ot)'cuAtAt)A|\  read  o'tjcuaIaoaja 
8,      ,,      ig,  for  beAntiAccAin  rwzJ  beAiitiACCAin 

„  12,  ,,  21-22,  CAimcnucAij,  cAin-oeAtbAc.  Here  we  have  in  caitti- 
cpucAig  the  old  ace.  fern,  alongside  the  modern  ace. 

,,  14.  ,,  25,  for  the  MS.  contraction  eoex>  read  e-ocouigce  I  met  the 
word  in  "  Silva  Gadelica,"  but  have  lost  the  reference. 

,,      16,     „       3,  for  a  ittjm  read  a  itijen  (voc),  and  sic  passim. 

,,     16,      „     28,  for  p.tipje  read  fu\r\%e. 

,,  18,  ,,  13,  lefAn  t)a  [\ij.  Hig/or  ru§ib.  O.  Ir.  dat.  dual  in  -oib  pijpb 
is  lost  in  Mod.  Irish,  though  the  nom.  and  ace.  dual  ati  t>a 
im §  is  kept.  The  difficulty  of  reconciling  the  sg.  article  ati 
with  plural  nijib  led  to  the  adoption  of  the  form  pig  for 
r\ijib.     Cf.  also  p.  12,  1.  3. 

,,     23,     ,,       9.  for  '  affection'  translate,  perhaps,  literally,   'fitness' 

,,     26,     ,,      15,  for  cocuaIa  read  at>cuaIa 

„     26,     ,,     16,  for  jAec  read  gAec 

,,     26,     ,,     2^,  for  Ua  read  Ui 

,,     26,     ,,     2$,  for  tdiocat\  read  -oiocup 

,,     32,     ,,       1 ,  for  •pocc  read  r'or'A'o 

,,     37,     ,,       g,  omit  number  (1)  after  word  'contentious' 

,,  43,  ,.  2,  remove  note  of  interrogation,  and  translate  '  shall  be  attacked  ' 
for  '  shall  be  given  ' 

,,     46,  last  line, /"or  coigeAt)  read  cojao  and  omit  note  (2°). 

.,     48,  line     9,  for  focc  read  r'or'A'o 

,,     48,     ,,      16,  for  coijeAt)  read  cojjat) 

,,     49,     ,,       1,  for  '  all  his  province  of  Ulster  '  read  '  his  attack  from  Ulster  ' 

,,     49,     ,,     17,  for  '  your  whole  province  of  '  read  '  your  attack  from  ' 

,,     50,     ,,     2$,  for  tja|\  cciorm  read  ■o,A]\ccAin 

,,     52,     ,,       },,  for  'OAtA  caorm  read  t)'a]accaiti 

.,     58,      ,,       2,  5,  yi'r  At>conriAic  razt/  A'ocotniAic 

,,     60,     ,,       7,  for  |\ocoir>ijet>  read  j\o  coijuge-o 

.,     I4O,        ,,        26,  for  CAcbAJAP  mZlf  CAcb^fAtA 

,,    146.     ,,       4  from  bottom, /or  cm  read  cinn 
,,   206,     ,,        2,  for  51  B.C.  read  8r  B  C.  (circa) 


IRISH    TEXTS   SOCIETY. 


President : 

DOUGLAS  HYDE,  LL.D.,  M.R.I.A. 

Vice-Presidents : 

His  Eminence  Cardinal  Moran. 

His  Eminence  Cardinal  Gibbons. 

The  Right  Hon.  Lord  Castletown. 

The  Right  Hon.  The  O'Conor  Don,  d.l. 

The  Most  Rev.  Dr.  O'Donnell,  Bishop  of  Raphoe. 

John  Kells  Ingram,  ll.d. 

The  Rev.  Thomas  J.  Shahan,  d.d. 


Executive  Council : 

Chairman — DANIEL  MESCAL. 


J.  Buckley. 
George  Greene,  m.a. 
John  P.  Henry,  m.d. 
George  M'Caffaley. 
Arthur  W.  K.  Miller,  m.a. 


Rev.  Michael  Moloney. 
Timothy  M 'Sweeney. 
J.  J.  Finton  Murphy. 
Alfred  Nutt. 
Rev.  T.  O' Sullivan. 


Hon.  Gen.  Sec— Eleanor  Hull,    j  Assist.  Sec— Miss  MacMahon. 

Hon.  Treas. — Daniel  Mescal,  20,  Hanover-square,  London,  W. 

Publishers  to  the  Society. — David  Xutt,   57-59,   Long  Acre, 
London,  W.C. 

Consultative  Committee : 


Professor  Anwyl. 

Osborn  Bergin. 

David  Comyn. 

T.  J.  Flannery  (T.  6  Flannghaile). 

Henri  Gaidoz. 

Rev.  Prof.  Richard  Henebry. 

Rev.  Prof.  Michael  P.  O'Hickey, 

d.d.,  m.r.i.a.,  f.r. s.a.i. 
Douglas  Hyde,  ll.d.,  m.r.i.a. 
P.  W.  Joyce,  ll.d.,  m.r.i.a. 


J.  H.  Lloyd. 

Professor  MacKinnon. 

John  MacNeill,  b.a. 

Kuno  Meyer,  ph.d. 

Rev.  Peter  O'Leary,  p.p. 

Dr.  Holger  Pedersen. 

Professor  Rhys. 

Prof.  Dr.  Rudolph  Thurneyse>\ 

Professor  Dr.  H.  Zimmer. 


The  Irish  Texts  Society  was  established  in  1898  for  the  purpose 
of  publishing  texts  in  the  Irish  language,  accompanied  by  such 
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All  communications  should  be  addressed  to  the  Hon.  Secretary, 
Miss  Eleanor  Hull,  20,  Hanover-square,  London,  W. 


IRISH   TEXTS   SOCIETY. 


The  Sixth  Annual  Gtenebax  Meeting  of  the  Society  was  held   on 
May  10th,   1904,  at  20,  Hanover  Square. 

Me.  Daxlel  Mescal,  Chairman  of  the  Executive  Council,  in  the  Chair. 

The  Minutes  of  the  last  Annual  Meeting  were  taken  as  read,  and 
the  Hon.  Secretary  presented  the 

SIXTH  AXXUAL  REPORT. 

The  most  satisfactory  news  that  the  Council  has  to  report  at  this, 
their  Sixth  Annual  General  Meeting,  is  the  near  approach  of  the 
completion  of  their  Irish  Dictionary.  Father  Dinneen  has  carried 
on  the  work  with  the  utmost  ^energy  and  perseverance  duiing  the 
whole  of  the  past  year,  with  the  satisfactory  result  that  the  volume 
is  announced  for  August.  The  members  of  the  Council  cannot  but 
feel  the  greatest  satisfaction  in  making  this  announcement.  The 
production  of  a  thoroughly  sound  and  scholarly  Dictionary  of  modern 
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and  the  raising  of  the  necessary  funds,  have  given  them  much  anxious 
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the  actual  production  of  the  work  is  concerned,  been  crowned  with 
success. 

The  Dictionary  is  completed  up  to  the  end  of  the  letter  S,  and 

portions  of  the  work  have  been  submitted  to  competent  judges,  who 

are  unanimous  in  their  verdict  as  to  the  thoroughness  and  care  with 

which  the  book  has  been  compiled.     It  is,  indeed,  the  first  attempt  to 

produce  an  analytical  Dictionary  of  modern  Irish.     As  will  be  seen 

from  the  page  enclosed,  it  gives  copious  examples  of  idiomatic  forms 

and  uses  of  words,  and  it  also  points  out  the  authority  upon  which 

rare  words  are  included,  and  the  part  of  the  country  in  which  they 

are  found.     It  is  being  printed  in  Dublin  by  the  firm  of  Messrs.  Sealy, 

Bryers,  &  "Walker  on  Irish -made  paper,  and  the  Council  desire  to  take 

this  opportunity  of  expressing  their  gratification  at  the  speed,  care, 

and  competence  with  which  this  firm  is  carrying  through  the  work. 

The  size  of  the  book  is  crown  8vo.,  double  columns,  and,  though  it 

will  not  be  unwieldy  in  size,  the  print  is  clear  and  readable. 

a2 


[     4     ] 

The  Council  were  at  the  beginning  of  the  year  much  perplexed 
as  to  how  the  necessary  funds  were  to  be  raised  to  meet  the  heavy 
cost  of  production — a  sum  which  will  probably  amount  to  somewhere 
about  £1,000.  Their  difficulties  were  lightened  by  the  generous 
offers  of  three  friends,  who  have  shown  throughout  a  warm  and  steady 
interest  in  the  undertaking.  The  Hon.  Albinia  Brodrick  voluntarily 
offered  a  loan  of  £200,  and  John  P.  Boland,  Esq.,  m.p.,  and  John  Hill 
Twigg,  Esq.,  each  contributed  a  loan  of  £100  to  assist  in  meeting 
this  outlay.  The  Council  desire  to  offer  them  their  sincere  thanks 
for  the  public  spirit  they  have  shown  in  this  matter. 

The  Most  Bev.  Dr.  "Walsh,  Archbishop  of  Dublin,  has  also  shown 
from  the  beginning  a  constant  interest  in  the  Dictionary.  Of  this  he 
has  given  many  proofs  from  time  to  time.  In  consequence  of  his 
support,  several  of  the  Dioceses  have  made  efforts  to  raise  sums  of  £20 
each  to  meet  his  Grace's  offer  of  £20,  conditional  on  the  raising  of 
a  sum  of  £400  in  amounts  of  the  same  value.  The  results  of  the  offer 
now  stand  as  follows  : — 

£     s.    d. 

Diocese  of  Baphoe,  per  Most  Bev.  Dr.  O'Donnell, 

Bishop  of  Baphoe 
Diocese  of  "Waterford,  per  Bev.  P.  Power 
Diocese  of  Dublin,  per  Most  Bev.  Dr.  Donnelly 
O'Growney  Branch  of  the  Gaelic  League,  San 

Erancisco 
Gaelic  League,  Dublin 
Per  Bev.  Timothy  Lee,  Adm.,  Limerick 
(30  copies  required.) 

The  following  sums,  in  addition  to  the  Archbishop's  £20,  have 
also  been  promised  provisionally  : — 

£     s.    d. 
The  Professors  of  St.  Patrick's  College,  Maynooth    20     0     0 

P.  J.  Boland,  Esq.  . .  .  .  . .     20     0     0 

Diocese  of  Ferns  . .  . .  . .     20     0     0 

It  is  greatly  to  be  wished  that  these  donations  might  be  reinforced 
by  further  similar  amounts  to  secure  the  Archbishop's  offer,  and,  in 
particular,  that  the  other  Dioceses  might  be  able  to  see  their  way  to 
follow  the  prompt  and  willing  example  of  the  Dioceses  above  named. 

Copies  of  the  portions  of  the  Dictionary,  so  far  as  completed,  are 


20 

0 

0 

20 

5 

0 

7 

0 

0 

20 

8 

2 

20 

0 

0 

20 

0 

0 

[     5     ] 

being  forwarded  to  the  St.  Louis  Exhibition,  and  it  is  to  be  hoped 
that  the  book  will  be  on  sale  there  during  the  autumn  months. 

But,  while  pushing  on  the  work  of  the  Dictionary,  the  Council 
have  not  been  neglecting  their  more  immediate  task  of  publishing 
Irish  Texts ;  and  they  wish  it  to  be  distinctly  understood  by  their 
members  and  the  public  that  the  prosecution  of  the  Dictionary  has  in 
no  way  impeded  their  regular  work.  The  delay  in  issuing  the 
volumes  for  1902  and  1903  has  entirely  arisen  from  the  difficulty 
which  the  Editors  have  had  in  completing  their  work ;  and  the  Council 
are  pushing  through  the  press,  as  fast  as  the  material  is  handed  in, 
the  various  books  on  their  list.  These  volumes  will  be  issued  to 
members  in  the  order  in  which  they  appear,  and  will  be  counted  as 
the  annual  volumes  for  the  years  now  in  arrears,  so  that  no  subscriber 
will  eventually  lose  his  volume  for  any  year.  The  Council  again 
wish  to  express  their  regret  for  the  unavoidable  delays. 

They  are  glad  to  announce  that  Mr.  P.  MaeSweeney  has  made  steady 
progress  with  his  edition  of  the  "  Caithreim  Conghail  Clairinghnigh," 
and  that  it  is  now  approaching  completion.  Of  this  piece  O'Curry 
says  in  his  MS.  Catalogue  in  the  Royal  Irish  Academy  : — 

"  The  writing  in  this  manuscript  is  of  the  most  beautiful  that  ever 
I  met,  strongly  resembling  the  handwriting  of  the  celebrated  Duald 
MacFirbis,  but  not  his ;  and  the  orthography  is  perfectly  correct  in 
every  instance.  From  the  character  of  the  writing,  the  ink,  paper, 
&c,  I  conclude  it  to  have  been  transcribed  about  the  year  1650.  The 
tale  which  makes  up  the  contents  of  this  MS.  is  one  of  great  interest, 
as  well  from  the  purity  and  elegance  of  the  language,  the  very  best  I 
ever  met,  as  from  the  number  of  historical  and  topographical  facts  it 
contains."— H.  &  S.,  R.  I.  A.,  pp.  580-583. 

Miss  O'Farrelly  reports  that  she  has  transcribed  the  whole  of  the 
manuscript  of  the  "Flight  of  the  Earls,"  and  that  she  is  devoting 
the  larger  portion  of  her  time  to  this  work.  She  has  also  collected  a 
considerable  amount  of  material  for  the  elucidation  of  place-names, 
and  other  matters  connected  with  the  manuscript. 

Mr.  David  Comyn  reports  that  he  has  been  working  steadily  at 
the  second  volume  of  "  Keating' s  History."  He  has  almost  completed 
the  revision  of  the  text,  and  hopes  shortly  to  begin  printing. 

3To  report  has  been  received  from  Mr.  John  MacXeill. 

Mr.  E.  A.  Stewart  Macalister,   although  he  is   still  engaged  in 


C     6     ] 

excavation  work  in  Palestine,  is  not  neglecting  his  work  on  the 
"  Leabhar  Gabhala  "  for  the  Irish  Texts  Society.  He  writes  that  his 
manuscript  is  ready,  so  far  as  he  can  complete  it  away  from  libraries, 
and  that  he  has  been  able  to  clear  up  several  difficult  passages  in 
the  poems.  He  has  now  arranged  to  have  a  transcript  made  of  the 
portion  of  O'Clery's  MS.  in  theE.  I.  A.,  of  which  he  had  only  time  to 
copy  a  part  before  he  went  abroad,  and  this  will,  he  hopes,  enable 
him  to  complete  his  edition  of  the  main  text  by  the  autumn  of  this 
year.  This  will  be  issued  in  one  volume ;  and  the  second  volume, 
which  will  contain  the  old  texts  from  the  great  MSS.,  the  variants 
from  O'Clery's  readings  in  other  MSS.,  and  the  readings  of  the 
Hardiman-O'Eeilly  recension,  represented  by  the  MSS.  in  the  British 
Museum,  besides  the  introduction  and  notes,  will  be  issued  on  Mr. 
Macalister's  return  to  this  country  in  about  a  year's  time. 

Besides  the  above  works  in  the  course  of  preparation,  the  Council 
have  had  one  or  two  further  offers,  which  are  now  under  their  careful 
consideration. 

The  Council  have  to  record,  with  regret,  the  loss  through  death  of 
the  following  Members  during  the  past  year  : — 

Most  Rev.  Dr.  Coffey,  Bishop  of  Kerry  ;  Professor  P.  York  Powell ; 
Rev.  Maxwell  Close ;  Mr.  Maurice  Comerford ;  Mr.  Pierce  Kent ; 
Mr.  W.  E.  H.  Lecky;  Capt.  J.  McArdle. 

Mr.  Dodd's  removal  to  Ireland  early  in  the  year  deprived  the 
Society  of  its  Hon.  Treasurer.  The  Chairman,  Mr.  Daniel  Mescal, 
kindly  consented  to  fill  his  place,  and  has  since  been  acting  as  Hon. 
Treasurer  to  the  Society. 

The  adoption  of  the  Report  was  moved  by  Rev.  M.  Moloney,  and 
seconded  by  Mr.  McCaffaley.  In  putting  the  motion,  the  Chairman 
expressed  the  regret  of  the  Council  that  members  had  been  obliged  to 
wait  so  long  for  the  annual  publication.  The  Council  had  offered  Mr. 
MaeNeill  every  assistance  in  its  power,  but  he  had  not  yet  completed 
his  promised  volume.  Notwithstanding  the  delay,  it  was  satisfactory 
to  find  that  the  membership  of  the  Society  had  been  maintained,  and 
that  the  Irish  people  had  well  supported  its  efforts.  Only  twenty-two 
copies  out  of  an  Edition  of  750  of  volumes  i.  and  ii.  remained  at  the 
annual  stock-taking  in  December  ;  they  were  now  practically  out  of 
print.     A  similar  Edition  of  volume  iii.  had  been  out  of  print  for 


(     7     ) 

over  a  year.  The  only  volume  of  which  a  good  number  of  copies 
were  still  remaining  was  volume  iv.,  "  Keating's  History,"  of  which 
a  large  edition  had  been  issued. 

The  Chairman  spoke  of  the  importance  to  Irish  people  of  the 
Dictionary,  and  said  that  if  the  Society  had  accomplished  nothing 
besides  this  one  work,  it  deserved  to  be  remembered  by  posterity. 
This  work  could  not  have  been  carried  through  without  the  able 
and  steady  efforts  of  Father  Dinneen.  Although  the  Society  were 
endeavouring  to  compensate  him  as  far  as  their  means  allowed,  the 
value  of  his  services  could  not  be  estimated  in  money. 

The  Report  was  unanimously  adopted. 

The  Balance  Sheet  was  then  presented  by  Mr.  Mescal : — 

Income   and   Expenditure   Account   for   the    Year  ending 
March   31st,    1904. 


Receipts. 

£  s.  d. 

To  Balance  from  previous  year,  ...     87  9    1 

,,  Subscriptions, 147  7    3 

,,  Donations,          12  16    2 


Total, 


£247  12 


Expenditure. 

£  s 
By  Publisher,     ...          28  10 
,,            ,,          (Liabi- 
lities from  the  year 

d. 

0 

£  s. 

d. 

1902-3), 

43     « 

0 

71  18 
15  0 

12  10 
4  13 

1  17 

2  17 

138    ID 

,,   Salaries,          

„  Advertising  and  Sundries, 

,,  Printing,            

,,  Stationery,        

,,  Postage,           

,,  Balance,           : 

0 
1 
0 
6 
9 
2 

Total,    ... 

£ 

247    12 

6 

Balance  Sheet. 


Assets. 

£   s. 

To  Balance  down    cash  in  Bank),  138  16 

,,  Loan  to  Irish  Dictionary  fund,  100    0 

£  s.  d. 
,,  Share  of  Publisher's 

profit  in  Vols.  1.  Sen.,     4    5  10 
,,      Do.       Vol.  m.,         44    3    9 

d. 

2     | 
0 

7 

By  Publisher, 
,,     Balance, 

Liabilities. 

£  s.  d. 
...     85  15    6 
...  201  io    3 

,,  The  Society's  interest  in  Vols, 
unsold, 

£287    5 

9 

£287    5     9 

DANIEL  MESCAL, 

Hon.  Treasurer. 


Examined  and  found  correct. 

(Signed),       THOMAS  P.  KENN 
Auditor. 


May  2nd,  1904. 


[     8     ] 


THE  SOCIETY'S  IRISH  DICTIONARY. 

Receipts   and   Expenditure   Account    for   the    Year  ending 
March  31st,  1904. 


Receipts. 

To  Receipts  already  published  ; 

£    s.   d. 
Subscriptions,  Dona- 
tions, and  Loans,     195  12    9 
Loan  from  the  Irish 
Texts  Society,     ...  100    o    o 

„  Receipts  during  year : — 
Subscriptions    and 

Donations,          ...  137     5    9 
Loan,  200    o    o 


£   s.  d. 


■295  12    9 


Total, 


■337    5     9 


£632  18    6 


Expenditure. 

By  payments  already  published : — 
£   s.    d. 
Payments  to  Editor 
(including  clerical 
assistance),         ...  250    o    o 
Postage     and 
Stationery,  ...      260 


,,  Payments  during  the  year  : — 

Payments  to  Editor,  100    o    c 

,,         ,,     Printer,  100    o    c 

,,  Balance, #       

Total, 


252    6    o 


200    o    o 


£632  18    6 


Balance  Account. 


Assets. 

To  Balance  down  (cash  in  Bank), 
,,  Portion   of  Dictionary  edited 

and  Printed,      

„  Balance, 


£   s. 


874  19    6 


£i°5S  12 


Liabilities. 

By  Loans,      

,,  Estimated  further  Expendi- 
ture (including  payments  to 
Editor,  Binder,  &c.)  in  Pub- 
lishing the  work,        


£    s.    d. 
412  12    o 


643 


£io55  I2 


DANIEL  MESCAL, 

Hon.  Treasurer. 


Examined  and  found  correct. 


(Signed), 


May  2nd,  1904. 


THOMAS  P.  KENNEDY, 
Auditor. 


On  the  motion  of  Mr.  Brophy,  seconded  by  Mr.  Greene,  the 
Financial  Statement  and  Balance  Sheet  were  adopted. 

In  proposing  the  re-election  of  the  three  members  of  Council 
retiring  by  rotation,  the  Chairman  said  that  they  had  just  heard  of 
the  death  of  the  founder,  and  first  Chairman  of  the  Society,  Pro- 
fessor F.  York  Powell,  Regius  Professor  of  Modern  History,  Oxford. 
Father  Moloney,  in  moving  a  formal  vote  of  condolence,  said,  that 
while  expressing  the  deepest  sympathy  with  Professor  Powell's  family, 
he  felt  that  the  Society  also  had  suffered  through  his  loss.  The 
interest  shown  by  Mr.  Powell  from  the  beginning  in  the  work  of  the 


[     9     J 

Society,  and  the  assurance  given  to  the  public  by  his  presence  and 
sympathy,  had  been  invaluable  to  the  Society,  while  his,  advice  had 
secured  the  establishment  of  the  Society  on  the  lines  of  sound  scholar- 
ship. He  hoped  that  the  Irish  Texts  Society  would  always  adhere  to 
the  traditions  he  had  laid  down. 

Dr.  Henry  seconded  the  motion,  and  wished  to  associate  himself 
with  all  that  Father  Moloney  had  said ;  and  the  Hon.  Secretary  was 
directed  to  forward  a  resolution,  embodying  the  feeling  of  the  meeting, 
to  Miss  Powell. 

The  re-election  of  Mr.  Alfred  Xutt  to  the  Executive  Council,  and 
the  election  of  the  following  new  members  : — Mr.  George  Greene,  Mr. 
Finton  Murphy,  and  Mr.  T.  MacSweeney — to  fill  vacancies  caused  by 
the  retirement  of  Mr.  Noonan  and  Mr.  Patrick  O'Shea,  and  the  trans- 
ference to  Mr.  Mescal  of  the  post  of  Hon.  Treasurer,  was  then  pro- 
posed by  Mr.  McCaffaley,  seconded  by  Mr.  Buckley,  and  carried. 

The  re-election  of  the  President  of  the  Society,  Dr.  Douglas 
Hyde  ;  the  Hon.  Secretary,  Miss  Eleanor  Hull ;  and  the  Hon.  Trea- 
surer, Mr.  D.  Mescal,  was  proposed  by  Mr.  MacSweeney,  seconded  by 
Dr.  Henry,  and  carried. 

It  was  proposed  by  Miss  Hull,  seconded  by  Mr.  Art.  O'Brien,  and 
carried,  that  the  following  gentlemen  should  be  elected  auditors  for 
the  ensuing  year — Mr.  T.  P.  Kennedy  and  Mr.  P.  MacMahon. 


DICTIONARY  FUXD. 


Loans    to    Guarantee    Fund. 


£ 

s. 

d. 

£ 

s. 

d. 

Irish  Texts  Society, 

IOO 

0 

0 

Rev.  T.  Carey, 

2 

0 

0 

Hon.  Albinia  Brodrick,    . 

2O0 

0 

0 

J.  Mintem,  Esq., 

I 

0 

0 

John  P.  Boland,  Esq.,  M.P. 

IOO 

0 

O 

Captain  de  la  Hoyde, 

I 

0 

0 

John  Hill  Twigg,  Esq., 

500 

dols. 

Rev.  J.  D.  MacNamara,  . . 

I 

0 

0 

P.  J.  Boland,  Esq., 

5 

0 

0 

Oliver  O'Byme,  Esq., 

2 

0 

0 

Dr.  Mark  Ryan, 

2 

0 

0 

Rev.  M.  Moloney, 

2 

2 

0 

Hon.  Wm.  Gibson, 

5 

0 

0 

W.  A.  Mackintosh,  Esq., 

2 

0 

0 

D.  Mescal,  Esq.,    . . 

5 

0 

0 

Miss  A.  Bolton, 

I 

0 

0 

C.  H.  Munro,  Esq., 

5 

0 

0 

Hugh  Sheran,  Esq., 

I 

0 

0 

Michael  0' Sullivan,  Esq., 

5 

0 

0 

Richard  Williams,  Esq., 

2 

0 

0 

J.  P.  Boland,  Esq.,  m.p., 

5 

0 

0 

David  Williams,  Esq., 

5 

0 

0 

Miss  Ashley, 

1 

0 

0 

H.   J.   MacClintock,   Esq.. 

1 

0 

0 

[    io    ] 


Loans  to  Guarantee  Fund— continued. 


J.  P.  Henry,  Esq.,  M.D., 
J.  H.Twigg,  Esq., 
Dr.  Douglas  Hyde, 
P.  O'Kinealy,  Esq., 
J.  G.  Gallagher,  Esq., 
Nathaniel  Colgan,  Esq., 
H.  B.  Jennings,  Esq., 
Rev.  L.  O'Byrne, 


£ 

J. 

d. 

£ 

S. 

5 

O 

o 

Rev.  T.  0' Sullivan, 

5 

0 

5 

o 

° 

J.  St. Clair  Boyd,  Esq.,  M.D., 

5 

o 

5 

o 

o 

Lady  Gregory, 

5 

o 

3 

o 

0 

A.  O'Brien,  Esq., 

i 

o 

8 

3 

8 

W.  A.  Brennan,  Esq., 

i 

0 

2 

o 

0 

Rev.  J.  A.  Anderson, 

2 

o 

I 

0 

o 

J.  P.  Kennedy,  Esq., 

5 

0 

I 

0 

o 

J.  G.  O'Keeffe,  Esq.,       .. 

2 

10 

Hon.  Albinia  Brodrick,    . , 
Rev.  Maxwell  Close, 
Edward      Gwynn,      Esq., 

F.T.C.D., 
Captain  Bryan  Jones, 
Society  for  the  Preservation 

of  the  Irish  Language, 
William  Nixon,  Esq., 
Miss  E.  Hull, 
Rev.  D.  O'Dea,     .. 
Edward  Martyn,  Esq., 
D.  Lynch,  Esq.,  M.D., 
Timothy  M.  Healy,  Esq., 

M.P.,         

T.  J.  Westropp,  Esq., 
M.  M.  Brophy,  Esq., 
Rev.  C.  Tiemey, 
G.  Hamilton,  Esq., 
D.  Coffey,  Esq.,  m.d., 
Colum  Cille  Branch  Gaelic 

League, 
Gaelic  League,  Castleblayney 

(one  copy  required;, 
Gaelic  League,  Bandon,   . . 
Gaelic  League,  London,  . . 
Gaelic  League,  New  York, 
Gaelic    League,    Brockton, 

Mass.,  U.S.A.  (one  copy 

required), 
P.  MacDonagh,  Esq., 
P.  MacNally,  Esq., 
B.  Hickey,  Esq.,    . . 


Donations. 

£ 

s. 

d. 

£  *• 

IO 

o 

o 

T.  Maclain,  Esq.,  ., 

O       2 

IO 

o 

o 

D.  Hackett,  Esq., 
P.  J.  Lynch,  Esq., 

I  0 
O    10 

5 

o 

0 

P.  J.  Foley,  Esq., 

5    o 

IO 

o 

o 

G.  Calderon,  Esq., 
J.  O'Leary,  Esq.,  .. 

o    5 

0    IO 

IO 

0 

o 

C.  S.  Bos  well,  Esq., 

r    o 

0 

7 

6 

Rev.  John  Power, 

0    IO 

5 

o 

0 

C.  Litton  Falkiner,  Esq., 

I     o 

i 

o 

o 

J.  Kiely,  Esq., 

o    5 

IO 

o 

o 

Alexander  Gordon,  Esq., 

O    [2 

2 

o 

o 

Cornelius  O'Brien,  Esq.,  . . 
Thomas  Lyons,  Esq., 

o  8 
o    8 

I 

o 

o 

Rev.  J.  MacDermott, 

°    5 

I 

o 

o 

M.  J.  Dunne,  Esq., 

o    5 

I 

I 

o 

J.  Murphy,  Esq.,  .. 

I     o 

O 

12 

6 

Miss  T.  A.  Fox, 

0    10 

o 

5 

o 

Miss  Breen, 

O    IO 

3 

o 

o 

Dr.  Thomas  Costello, 
Louis  Purser,  Esq.,  F.T.C.D., 

O    IO 

2      O 

o 

IO 

o 

Mrs.  Hutton, 

Professor  W.  F.  Trench,  . . 

O  IO 
0   IO 

0 

*5 

0 

Rev.  L.  Gilligan, 

°    5 

I 

o 

o 

Rev.  pA-ojAAig  Hi  h-AlttiiA- 

5 

o 

o 

f\Ain,  C.c, 

o    5 

2 

o 

o 

Irish  World,  New  York,  . . 
Anthony  Stokes, 
John  F.  Kelly, 

0  IO 
O    IO 

1  2 

2 

I 

I 

R.  J.  O'Mulrennan, 

I     o 

O 

5 

o 

Laurence  Brannack, 

I     o 

0 

IO 

6 

Most  Rev.  Dr.  O'Doherty, 

o 

IS 

o 

Bishop  of  Derry, 

2       O 

L    11    J 


Donations — continued. 


R.  N.  Griffin, 

£  *> 

O    IO 

d.   1 
o 

Miss  C.  Horsford, 

O    12 

6  1 

William  A.  Power, 

°    5 

o 

Kilkenny   Branch    Gaelic 

League, 

I     o 

o 

Rev.  W.  Dollard, 

o    6 

o 

P.  W.  O'Hanrahan, 

I     o 

0 

John  A.  Hanrahan, 

I     o' 

o 

£  s.   d. 


Rev.  Stopford  Brooke, 

2 

o 

o 

Patrick  M'Manus, 

5 

o 

0 

Dr.  Michael  Cox, 

I 

o 

o 

Rev.  B.  Crehan, 

o 

6 

6 

Oliver  G.  O'Connor 

o 

IO 

6 

Diocese     of    Dublin,     per 

Most  Rev.  Dr.  Donnelly, 

/ 

0 

o 

Additional  in  sums  of  £20  received  in  response  to  the  offer  of 
Archbishop  Walsh. 

Coipoe  5n oca  Gaelic  League,  Dublin,     .. 

O'Growney  Branch  Gaelic  League,  San  Francisco,  ioo  dols., 

Rev.  T.  Lee,  Adm.  (30  copies  required), 

Diocese  of  Raphoe,  per  Most  Rev.  Dr.  O'Donnell,  Bishop  of  Raphoe. 

Diocese  of  Waterford,  per  Rev.  J.  Power, 

Diocese  of  Ossory,  per  Most  Rev.  A.  Brownrigg,  Bishop  of  Ossory, 

^120  13     2 


£ 

s. 

d. 

20 

0 

O 

20 

8 

2 

20 

0 

O 

20 

0 

O 

20 

5 

0 

20 

0 

O 

The  following  sums  of  £20  have  also  been  promised  conditionally. 


Archbishop  Walsh 

The  Professors  of  Maynooth  College, 

P.  J.  Boland,  Esq.,     .. 

Diocese  of  Ferns, 


£     '•    d- 
20    o    o 

20    o    o 

20    o    o 

20      0      O 


GENERAL    RULES. 

Objects. 

i.  The  Society  is  instituted  for  the  purpose  of  promoting  the  publication  of 
Texts  in  the  Irish  Language,  accompanied  by  such  Introductions,  English  Trans- 
lations, Glossaries,  and  Notes,  as  may  be  deemed  desirable. 

Constitution. 

2.  The  Society  shall  consist  of  a  President,  Vice-Presidents,  an  Executive 
Council,  a  Consultative  Committee,  and  Ordinary  Members. 

Officers. 

3.  The  Officers  of  the  Society  shall  be  the  President,  the  Honorary  Secre- 
taries, and  the  Honorary  Treasurer. 

Executive  Council. 

4.  The  entire  management  of  the  Society  shall  be  entrusted  to  the  Executive 
Council,  consisting  of  the  Officers  of  the  Society  and  not  more  than  ten  other 
Members. 

5.  All  property  of  the  Society  shall  be  vested  in  the  Executive  Council,  and 
shall  be  disposed  of  as  they  shall  direct  by  a  two-thirds'  majority. 

6.  Three  Members  of  the  Executive  Council  shall  retire  each  year  by  rotation 
at  the  Annual  General  Meeting,  but  shall  be  eligible  for  re-election,  the  Members 
to  retire  being  selected  according  to  seniority  of  election,  or,  in  case  of  equality, 
by  lot.  The  Council  shall  have  power  to  co-opt  Members  to  fill  up  casual 
vacancies  occurring  throughout  the  year. 

Consultative  Committee. 

7.  The  Consultative  Committee,  or  individual  Members  thereof,  shall  give 
advice,  when  consulted  by  the  Executive  Council,  on  questions  relating  to  the 
Publications  of  the  Society,  but  shall  not  be  responsible  for  the  management  of 
the  business  of  the  Society. 

Members. 

8.  Members  may  be  elected  either  at  the  Annual  General  Meeting,  or,  from 
time  to  time,  by  the  Executive  Council. 


[     13      ] 


Subscription. 

9.  The  Subscription  for  each  Member  of  the  Society  shall  be  7/6  per  annum 
(American  subscribers,  two  dollars),  entitling  the  Members  to  one  copy  (post  free) 
of  the  volume  or  volumes  published  by  the  Society  for  the  year,  and  giving  him 
the  right  to  vote  on  all  questions  submitted  to  the  General  Meetings  of  the 
Society. 

10.  Subscriptions  shall  be  payable  in  advance  on  the  1st  January  in  each  year. 

1 1 .  Members  whose  Subscriptions  for  the  year  have  not  been  paid  are  not 
entitled  to  any  volume  published  by  the  Society  for  that  year,  and  any  Member 
whose  Subscription  for  the  current  year  remains  unpaid,  and  who  receives  and 
retains  any  publication  for  the  year,  shall  be  held  liable  for  the  payment  of  the 
full  published  price  of  such  publication. 

12.  The  Publications  of  the  Society  shall  not  be  sold  to  persons  other  than 
Members,  except  at  an  advanced  price. 

13.  Members  whose  Subscriptions  for  the  current  year  have  been  paid  shall 
alone  have  the  right  of  voting  at  the  General  Meetings  of  the  Society. 

14.  Members  wishing  to  resign  must  give  notice  in  writing  to  one  of  the 
Honorary  Secretaries,  before  the  end  of  the  year,  of  their  intention  to  do  so : 
otherwise  they  will  be  liable  for  their  Subscriptions  for  the  ensuing  year. 

Editorial  Fund. 

1 5 .  A  fund  shall  be  opened  for  the  remuneration  of  Editors  for  their  work  in 
preparing  Texts  for  publication.  All  subscriptions  and  donations  to  this  fund 
shall  be  purely  voluntary,  and  shall  not  be  applicable  to  other  purposes  of  the 
Society. 

Annual  General  Meeting. 

16.  A  General  Meeting  shall  be  held  each  year  in  the  month  of  April,  or  as 
soon  afterwards  as  the  Executive  Council  shall  determine,  when  the  Council  shall 
submit  their  Report  and  the  Accounts  of  the  Society  for  the  preceding  year,  and 
when  the  seats  to  be  vacated  on  the  Council  shall  be  filled  up,  and  the  ordinary 
business  of  a  General  Meeting  transacted. 


Audit. 

17.  The  Accounts  of  the  Society  shall  be  audited   each  year  by  auditors 
appointed  at  the  preceding  General  Meeting. 


Changes  in  these  Rules. 

18.  With  the  notice  summoning  the  General  Meeting,  the  Executive  Council 
shall  give  notice  of  any  change  proposed  by  them  in  these  Rules.  Ordinary 
Members  proposing  any  change  in  the  Rules  must  give  notice  thereof  in  writing 
to  one  of  the  Honorary  Secretaries  seven  clear  days  before  the  date  of  the  Annual 
General  Meeting. 


LIST  OF  IRISH  TEXTS  SOCIETY'S  PUBLICATIONS 

IN    HAND    OR    ISSUED. 


i.  J510^a  an  piu5a  [The  Lad  of  the  Ferule]. 

Gacqia  Cloinne  R15  na  h-1opuai6e  [Adventures  of 
the  Children  of  the  King  of  Norway]. 

(16th  and  17th  century  texts.) 
Edited  by  DOUGLAS  HYDE,  LL.D. 

{Issued  i8gg.) 


2.  pieo  bniqieno  [The  Feast  of  Bricriu]. 

(From  Leabhar  na  h-Uidhre,  with  conclusion  from  Gaelic 
MS.  xl.  Advocates'  Lib.,  and  variants  from  B.  M.  Egerton, 
93  ;  T.C.D.  h.  3.  17  ;  Leyden  Univ.,  Is  Vossii  lat.  4A  7.) 

Edited  by  GEORGE  HENDERSON,  M.A.,  Ph.D. 

{Issued  iSgg.) 


3.  Odncct    Qooha^din    uf  ftachaille  [The  Poems  of 
Egan  O'Rahilly].     Complete  Edition. 

Edited,  chiefly  from  mss.  in  Maynooth  College,  by 
REV.    P.    S.  DINNEEN,  M.A. 

{Issued  igoo.     Out  of  print.) 


4.  popop  pearcc  an  Ginmn  [History  of  Ireland].     By 
Geoffrey  Keating. 
Edited  by  DAVID   COMYN,   Esq.,  M.R.I.A. 
(Part  I.  forms  the  Society's  volume  for  1901.) 


List  of  Irish  Texts  Society's  Publications.  15 

5.  Ouanaipe  phinn  [Ossianic  Poems  from  the  Library 
of  the  Franciscan  Monastery,  Dublin.] 

Edited  by  JOHN  MacNEILL,  B.A. 
(In  preparation.} 


6.  teabap  J)a^a  ["  Book  of  Invasions"]. 

Edited,  from  three  recensions,  by  R.  A.  S.  MACALISTER 
M.A.,  F.S.A. 

{In  preparation.) 


7.  Caiqieirh  Con^ail  Cldipinjnij,  preserved  in  a 
paper  MS.  of  the  seventeenth  century,  in  the 
Royal  Irish  Academy  (23  H.  1  C). 

Edited  by  PATRICK  M.  MacSWEENEY,  M.A. 
(In  preparation.) 


8.  The  Flight  of  the  Earls.  By  Teigue  O'Keexan 
( 1 607 ).  Preserved  in  the  Franciscan  Monastery, 
Dublin. 

Edited  by  MISS  AGNES  O'FARRELLY,  M.A. 

(In  preparation.) 


9.  The  Second  Part  of  Keating' s  History  of  Ireland. 

Edited  by  DAVID  COMYN,  Esq.,  M.R.I.A. 

(Also  in  progress.) 


PB  Irish  Texts  Society 

1347  cPubli cations 3 

17 
Y.5 


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