326 



heath, mentioned in the first Book of Fingal ; the battle between 

 Ferda, son of Damon and Cuchullain, and the "herd and. bull of 

 snow" mentioned in the second Book. The battle between Firdia, 

 son of Damon, (not Ferda, as in Macpherson,') and Cuchullain, is the 

 subject of one of the stories in the Tain bo Cuailgne, and is often 

 found in ancient manuscripts unconnected with the other stories of 

 the Tain. In the Tale of the Tain it is shewn that the plunder of 

 the cows, which were taken from Cuchullin, and which he again 

 rescued, arose from a desire that Meadhbh or Meav, queen of Con- 

 naught, had to get possession of a milk white bull belonging to the 

 people of Ulster, in which she was opposed by Cuchullin. This 

 opposition caused the queen to conceive the most confirmed hatred 

 against the Ulster hero, and, in the hope of procuring his death, she 

 instigated several powerful chiefs to fight with him, and amongst the 

 rest the hero Firdia, who had been one of his most attached friends. 

 The latter long resisted the queen's solicitations, but at length she 

 prevailed by promises of large rewards, and of bestowing on him her 

 daughter in marriage ; but much more by wounding his pride by 

 false stories and insinuations that Cuchullin despised his courage. 

 The heroes reluctantly met, the battle lasted for several days, each 

 being unwiUing to hurt the other ; at length Cuchullin killed Firdia, 

 at a ford in the present county of Louth, which, to this day is called 

 after him *Ath-Fhirdia^ or the Ford of Firdia. Whoever will take 

 the trouble of comparing the Irish tale with Macpherson's episode, 

 must be convinced that the former is the original.' 



We have already (pp. 224, 225,) shown that the poem of the 

 "Battle of Lora," is borrowed from an Irish poem, and we have said 



• This place still retains the name and preserves the memory of the combat. It is situate 

 in the present county of Louth, and is denominated in ancient writings Ath-Fhirdia, and 

 Athirdee. At present it is called Ardee, and gives the title of Lord Ardee to the eldest son of 

 the Earl of Meath. , 



