THE BATTLE OF THE BOYNE HERE[1]
A king took kingship over Ireland once on a time, i.e. Eochaid Feidleach,[2] the son of Finn, the son of Rogen Ruad, the son of Easamain Eamna[3] of the seed of Rifad Scot[4] from the tower of Nimrod; for it is of the race of Rifad Scot was every invasion which seized Ireland except Cesair only. It is therefore he was called Eochaid Feidleach, because he was 'feidil' to all, i.e. 'righteous' towards all was that king.
He had four sons, namely, the three Findeamna[5] ('eamain' meaning 'a thing which is not divided'), and they were born of one birth, Breas, Nár, and Lothar their names; it is they who made Lugaid-of-the-three-red-stripes[6] with their own sister the night before giving the Battle of Druicriad[7] to their father. The three of them fell there by Eochaid Feidleach; and it was Eochaid Feidleach who made the holy request that no son should rule Ireland after his father for ever, and that was verified); and Conall Anglondach, the son of Eochaid Feidleach,. from whom are the Conailli,[8] in the land of the men of Breagh. That king, Eochaid Feidleach, had a great family,[9] namely, Eile, daughter of Eochy, wife of Fergal mac Magach; from her Bri Eili[10] in Leinster takes its name; after Fergal she was wife to Sraibgend mac Niuil of the Erna, and she bore him a son, Mata
- ↑ "Meadb's husband-allowance here." Rawl.
- ↑ According to O'Clery's Book of Pedigrees (FM.), he was 93rd monarch of Ireland. There, as elsewhere, his father is not Roigen Ruad, but Fionnlogh the son of Roigen Ruad. He married two sisters:—Cloann (daughter of Airtech Uchtlethan), mother of Clothra and the triplets, and her sister Onga who was the mother of Mumain and Eithre.
- ↑ cf. Cóir Anmann, Irische Texte III. 332.
- ↑ I can find no mention of Rifad Scot. There is a Heber Scot amongst the ancestors of the Milesian Gaels.
- ↑ The "triplets". cf. Cormac's Glossary under Emuin.
- ↑ For his story and the reason of his name, see LL. 124 b. 34, Cóir Anmann, and Silca Gad. II. xxvii.He was Cuchulainn's pupil. He succeeded Conaire Mór as High King; and it is to him that Cuchulainn's curious valedictory speech was addressed on his departure to take up the High Kingship. He is also called Lughaidh Sriab n-Derg and Lugaidh Reo n-Derg.
- ↑ Now Drumcree in the parish of Kilcumny in Co. Westmeath. For accounts of the battle, see LL. 151 a, Book of Lecan, 251 ba and 251 bb, Rennes Dindsenchus (Rev. Celt., XVI. 149), O'Curry's Lectures, II. 261, and John McSolly's MS. in R.I.A.
- ↑ In the present Co. Louth, see Táin passim. For Conall Anglondach, see Windisch's Táin, p. 212.
- ↑ For Eochaid's daughters cf. LL. 51 a 11, 53 b 18; "iartaige" is the usual form of this word, not iardraigi.
- ↑ Now the hill of Croghan in King's Co., cf. ÉRIU, I., p. 187.
