xvi THE BATTLE OF VENTRF. 



grandson of Midrech, tries to help them, but thc king is still victorious. 

 Nor do the five sons of Finnaistircan (?) and three eneads of the Tuatha 

 De Danand fare any better. Then Abartach had slain the king of the 

 Catheads, and hearing the groans of Lir, he takes a leap on his lance and 

 comes down right between Lir and his adversary. ' Stay and look on 

 at the combat,' he cries to Lir, ' and leave it to me and the foreigner ! ' 

 Then he takes his sword in his left hand and makes a thrust with his 

 lance into the king's coat of mail ; and as the king raises his shield, 

 Abartach strikes him with his sword that was in his left hand, and cuts 

 ofif both his legs at the knees. The king then lowers his shield. and 

 Abartach strikes ofif his head. When thus both the kings had fallen, 

 their people begin to flee, but the Tuatha De Danand follow them and 

 destroy them all, though not without sufifering great loss themselves. 



Finn and the fianns of Erinn were at that time swimming on the 

 Shannon, when they saw Taistellach the champion coming towards 

 them. It was a rule with Finn when he sent some one out to get tidings, 

 that he should be the first to whom they were told ; for if they were 

 bad news, he might then seem indifferent, and if they were good news, he 

 would better enjoy telhng them himself. So Taistellach told him how 

 the foreigners had come to Ventry Harbour. Then Finn turned to where 

 the nobles of the fiann were and spoke to them : ' Ye fianns of Erinn, 

 of no account is any evil and danger that ever came to Erinn in com- 

 parison with the heavy host that has come now ; and great is the bond- 

 age and service that ye receive from the nobles of Erinn, and enormous 

 are your tributes, and long is your Hberty from the nobles of Erinn, and 

 it is not juster to receive that from them than to defend them now.' 

 And they promised not to take one step back from their defence, and 

 they marched onward the next morning in their quick fierce troops 

 and in their beautiful bands over the river of the plain which is called 

 Brog iia RigtJic to-day, and thence to the borders of Kerry and across 

 the broad shores of the Bdnlid, their left hand towards Caihair 7ia 

 Cldenrdithe which is called Cathair Chonroi, and to the red haired Slieve 

 Mis, and thence to Hid Labraine which is called Mis to-day, and they 

 made booths and tents, and went no farther that night, and kindled fires 

 and firebrands in that place. Then the nobles of the fiann asked Finn 

 mac Cumaill to put his thumb under his tooth to reveal the truth. 



