Death of Crimthann son of Fidach,
and of Eochaidh Muighmedóin’s three sons: Brian, Ailill,
Fiachra
A noble
and a reverend king that once upon a time ruled Ireland:
Eochaidh Muighmedóin. He had a spouse worthy of him:
Mongfhionn daughter of Fidach, and she bore him four Sons:
Brian and Fiachra, Ailill and Fergus their names were;
concerning whom she sees a dream, and it was this: that
they were transformed into four carnivores, as Brian into a
lion’s shape, Fiachra into a greyhound’s, Ailill into a
beagle’s, Fergus into that of a commonplace dog. Then they
carried on with rugging and riving of one another: in the
beginning, at every other bout the greyhound would worst
the lion; but finally the lion prevails against all three
who, meekly, submissively, without a sign of mutiny, give
in to him [acknowledge his superiority]. This dream
Mongfhionn tells to the magician Sithchenn, and: “just so,”
he says, “Brian will be an aggressive and a raging lion,
such too his seed after him: as opposed to all other men’s
fury they shall be a virulently contentious phalanx, and
steadfast to endure others’ onslaughts on themselves; after
whom Fiachra and his will be given to war and excursions:
he shall hack and hew at Brian’s race, Brian at his;
between them both shall be armed strife, mutual mischiefs
wrought, and the rule partitioned to the posterity of each
alternately; in the end, however, the seed of Brian will
prevail over all the other sons’ children, and the pre
eminence be theirs. Ailill will be a hound of the chase,
seeking out and striving for lands in provision for his
brethren; as for Fergus, his seed will be but a sorry set
of plebeians, and ‘tis hardly if ever his race will be made
out at all.
In course of time Eochaid died, and between his five sons
then was dire contention for his land: Niall by himself of
the one part, and Mongfhionn’s four sons of the other. What
she hit upon, now that she had failed of getting the
kingdom for her son Brian alone (who was the favourite one
of her children), was this: by means of solicitation and of
magic-practice (for in all sorcery and witchery she was an
adept) to allure the men of Ireland to confer the royal
power upon his brethren, that she might send him over-seas
to learn the art of arms, whereby later he should turn out
an eminent hero fit to make the kingdom his.
Accordingly Brian crossed the sea, and with Senach son of
Onga in the north of Scotland learned warlike
accomplishments until in all feats of arms and valour he
was vigorously competent. When then at seven years’ end his
training was perfected, he returned from the eastward: a
brownhaired, powerful and bull- like man, with solidity of
limb, with the strength of nine, and in either hand endowed
with equal weapon-skill—such was Brian.
Crimthann reigned over Ireland still, and to Mongfionn it
was a sore vexation that Brian was not king. But on a royal
progress Crimthann went into Scotland—for thus it was that
the king of Tara ever proceeded on his grand visitation:
from Tara into the Galianic province [Leinster]; thence
into both provinces of Munster [Thomond and Desmond];
afterwards into the province of Olnegmacht [Connacht],
thence again into the province of Ulster, and so into
Scotland—whereupon Mongfhionn’s sons laid forcible and
violent hold on Crimthann’s domain. He upon hearing of this
returned out of the east; into Connacht he brought a great
host that he mustered, to expel his sister’s sons out of
his kingdom; he marched, and pitched camp on the Moy
amongst the Connachtmen. Morigfhionn debated with herself,
and what she imagined was that to Brian’s brothers she
should offer a banquet on the Moy in Tirawley, invite her
own brother thither as though to make peace with her sons
and, with intent to procure the royalty for Brian,
administer to him a poisoned draught.
To her brother’s house Mongfhionn repaired therefore;
betwixt Crimthann and her children she patched up a
fraudulent peace, and conducted him to the feast. When they
had made an end of the entertainment Mongfhionn put into
her brother’s hand a poisoned cup, but: “I will not drink,”
he said, “until thou first shalt have drunk.” She drinks,
and Crimthann after her. Subsequently Mongfhidrin died, on
samhain’s very eve, and this constitutes [the tale called]
‘Mongfhionn the Sorceress’s Tragical Death’; and the reason
for which samhain-tide is by the common people called ‘the
Festival of Mongfhionn’ is that she, so long as she was in
the flesh, had [occult] powers, and was a witch: wherefore
it is that on samhain-eve women and the rabble address
their petitions to her.
Now came Crimthann from the northward, progressing towards
his own natural country (that of the men of Munster) until
he gained sliabll suide in rígh or ‘the mountain of the
king’s sitting,’ and there he died. Fidach his father, his
mother, and she that had nursed him, came to the spot where
he perished; there they gave way to piteous grief, and all
three died upon the very ground. Concerning which the
historian vented this:—
“Crimthann’s poor tumulus, what its origin? ..."
Howbeit that treachery which she had executed on her
brother, and her choice of death for herself in hopes that
Brian should have been king after her, served Mongfhionn’s
purpose not at all: for Niall of the Nine Hostages it was
that succeeded Crimthann and ruled all Ireland;
nevertheless Brian was his most formidable agent in war and
his next in command, out of all countries bringing him in
pledges and tribute.
Eventually Brian acquired the sovereignty of Connacht’s pro
vince, while Fiachra took all from cairn Feradaigh or
‘Feradach’s cairn’ to magh mucramha; hence between the two
was a vieing and great jealousy, so much so that a war
sprang up among them. Between them is fought the battle of
Damckiuain, which goes against Nathi and his father: Nathi
escapes, but Fiachra is taken and, being brought to Tara,
delivered into the hand of Niall his brother. Out of this a
second time grows an exceeding great war, between Brian and
Nathi: the former having his camp at Damchluain in úi
Bhriuin seoia, hard by commaicne ciuile; Nathi with
clan-Fiachra posted against him in Aidhne. Brian’s
magician, Drithhiu, is brought to him, and he questions him
as to what the consummation should be of this war of his
and Nathi’s. The wizard said that ‘twas Nathi should be
victorious, and have sway even to Slieve-Elpa. Brian’s
children are brought to him and he blesses them, telling
them that Echen their senior should be their chief after
him: four-and-twenty sons Brian had, concerning which fact
the poet uttered:—
“Eochaid muighmedóin’s son Brian . .
Especially he blessed Dái galach, the youngest, and
foretold that of him the royal line should be. Then Nathi
with his force all in battle array marches on Brian where
he with but a little number was in camp; between them a
bitter struggle takes place: the [second] battle of
Damchluain is won against Brian, and himself pursued out of
the fray as far as tulcha Domhnaill or ‘Donall’s tulachs.’
There Enna ceinnselach’s son Crimthann slays him, and
Brian’s son Enna ernaiack kills Crimthann presently; in
which spot Brian is buried. After a long time Beaedh of ros
Cairn came and carried away Brian’s remains to Ros Cairn,
where he laid him: whence the ‘Brian’s Sepulchre’ of
to-day. Drithliu the magician is slaughtered on the banks
of Finnloch, whence aenack Dritkliud or ‘Drithliu’s green’
has its name; and on their account the sennachie sang:--
“Over Conn’s Half Brian assumed sportive sway . .
Niall now loosens Fiachra’s fetters from him, and gives him
the rule of Connacht, he henceforth being Niall’s prime
agent in war and next in command, bringing him in pledges
to Tara. Fiachra son of Nathi, and the son of Fiachra’s own
son Amhalgaid [a quo tlr Arnkalgaid or ‘Tirawley ‘], were
for pledges in Niall’s hand; in which condition said
Fiachra died in Tara, and from him are the úi Flack rack of
cúilfabhair in Meath.
Now Eochaid muighmedóin’s sons Fiachra and Ailill with a
vast army marched into Munster to lift rent and pledges,
and advance as far as Caenraighe or ‘Kenry’ of úi Ckairbre.
Then the men of Munster, led by Eochaid son of Crimthann
More son of Fidach and by Maige mescorach, gather
themselves in order of battle to oppose Fiachra; and a good
man indeed was he, Fiachra, to encounter whom they came
thither: that for weapon play was a man-at-arms and, for
wisdom, one both to marshal the battle and to rule a
country; kingly in form, a warrior with fair hair so long
that it fell to his shoulder’s point, whence he is styled
Fiackra foltshnditlieack or ‘thread-haired.’ To him accord
ingly the men of Munster give battle in Kenry, and in the
light
Maige mescorach wounds Fiachra very sore; nevertheless, by
dint of hand-to-hand work this battle goes against Munster
and great carnage of them is made, so that in the event
Fiachra carries away out of the province fifty pledges,
with their entire tribute, and so follows his way to Tara.
But when he was come to the spot now called Forrach in úi
meic Uais, there Fiachra died of his hurt. His grave was
dug, his lamentation-rite performed, his name written in
Ogham; after which, in order that perpetually it should be
for a reproach to Munster and a fitting matter with which
to taunt them, round about Fiachra’s grave the pledges whom
they had brought out of the south were buried and they
alive. Every man of them, as they were put quick into
earth, said: “it is for uch [i.e. ‘upon an ejaculation of
despair] that these tumuli are being founded"; and so said
they all. Quoth a magician there: “even such shall be the
name of the place, Forrack to wit”; and it was to proclaim
these doings that the antiquarian uttered:--
“Eochaid’s son of brilliant lustre . .
So soon as they heard of Fiachra’s death, they of Munster
returned out of the west [whither they had been driven
after their defeat]; and by Eochaid son of Crimthann son of
Fidach, now king of Ireland, Ailill is captured. Right
precious too this was in the Momonians’ estimation, for it
had been to them a burning thing that the sons of the woman
that slew their lord should have forced their way to them:
for he, their former lord, was one that upon extern borders
had enforced their exactions of reparation, and of all
other countries had with aggression taken pledges; had
reduced under Munster’s rule and sway the diverse districts
of both Ireland and Scotland. Ailill they hewed in pieces
then: such was the manner of his death. Between them both
[i.e. the two races: Eochaid muighmedóin’s and Crimthann’s]
there subsequently was great war, and for a lengthened
space; which occasioned them [Munster] to win and to hold
the soil on which at this day they still are planted
[Thomond]: and the matters [that you have now heard] make
up the efficient cause of all later war between Connacht
and Munster, of the whole rivalry that they have carried on
between them. On which head it was that the historian
sang:— “Eochaid’s three sons, Fiachra, Brian, Ailill: by
wound had of Maige mescoradi, Fiachra perished after the
fight; Brian was mortally wounded at dt~tt Daire; with
lofty Eochaid son of Crimthann, Ailill got a poisoned
draught; such were the tragic deaths of those haughty
three.”
Lughaid menn, son of Angus (called tireach or
‘landgrabber’) son of Fercorb, he it was that first and
violently grasped the land of Thomond: for which reason it
is called ‘Lughaid Red- hand’s cruel sword-land’; seeing
that the countries which the men of Munster acquired by
main force were two: that of Ossory in eric of Edirsceoi
(whom Leinster slew), and Thomond’s in eric of Crimthann
son of Fidach. Howbeit, not because they have any
legitimate title to it they possess the same: because that,
according to legal right of provincial partition, such
ground of Thomond belongs to Connacht’s province, which
[properly speaking] extends from Luimneack [the lower
Shannon] to the river Drowes.
Such then is the narrative of Crimthann mac Fidach’s
violent death; of Mongfhionn’s, and of that of Eochaid
muighmedóin’s three sons: Fiachra, Brian, Ailill.