THE BA TTLE OF VENTRY. 7 



duit,'ar siad 'oir dealbobhmaid-ne ^Xtiag draidheachta umad-sa do na geosadanaibh 

 sanaisi 7 do barr bhilair 7 gin co marbhaid %\uag na socraide 'mailU rit-sa, gair- 

 ieiK\A do na hallmurachaib 7 beanfed a n-airm asa lamhaibh 7 beanfaid a neart 

 7 a ragarc dibh 7 mairbhfidhar leat-sa ri na hEspaini 7 ceithri cdd da muintir 

 7 biaidh cath Finntragha la 7 hMadain 'ga cur 7 biaidh cathugadh nua gach n-enla 115 

 ann risin re sin 7 bidh cridhi maith agad-sa, uair da marbh [fo. 2 a. b.]-thar gach 

 lae tu, hia imlan ar maidin, oir biaidh tobar '^2si\cidh againne fad comhair 7 in 

 t-oglach is annsa let a fianaibh Eirenn, do ghiabha mar sin fa rit.' 



Do badar dana sluaig righ na hEspaine ag gabail creach 7 turth^a''^ 7 airgid 

 o Traigh Modhuirn atuaidh 7 rissa n-aberthar IMurbach an tan sa co Finntraigh fo 1 20 

 dheas. Is ann sin ruc Conncrithir mac Brain mic Feabail orrtho 7 in ^tiag 

 draid^diCi^/ sin fa ris 7 do bhean a creacha dibh 7 do bean in ^uag draigh^<7cy^/a 

 a nert 7 a ragarc dibh 7 tangadar sluaig righ na hEspaine 'na raen romadma 

 gusain maidhin a raibhi ri na hEspaine 7 Conncrithir 'ga marbad 7 'ga mugudh. 



'Airis agam, a rimilid,' ar ri na hEspaine 'co ferainn comhlann rit tar ceann mo 125 

 muintire, o nach impodhann enduine acu fen rit dib 7 tu 'ga n-ar 7 'ga n-oirrleac' 

 Ro innsaighedar tra an dias sin a cheli 7 ro saidhedar in da mergi maethsroill isin 

 X.zXmain taebhuaine 7 do sinedar na lamha luathghonacha leisna craiseachaib 



we shall form a druidical host around thee from the stalks of . . . . , and from the top of 

 the watercress, and though armies and multitudes be killed around thee, they will cry to 

 the foreigners, and beat their weapons out of their hands, and take away their strength 

 and their sight. And the king of Spain and four hundred of his people will be kiiled by 

 thee, and the battle of Ventry will be foiight a day and a year, and there will be fresh 

 fighting in it every day during that time. And be thou of good cheer, for even if thou 

 art killed every day, thou wilt be whole again in the morning, for we shall have the well 

 of healing for thee, and the warrior that thou lovest best of the fianns of Erinn shall 

 obtain the same as thou.' 



Now the hosts of the king of Spain were taking plunder and materials (?) and silver 

 from Traig INIoduirn in the north, which is called Murbach at this time, to Ventry in the 

 south. It was then that Conncrithir the son of Bran the son of Febal came upon them, 

 and the druidical host with him, and he forced their plunder from them, and the 

 druidical host took their strength and their sight from them, and the hosts of the king 

 of Spain came in their rout and flight to the plain where the king of Spain was, and 

 Conncrithir killing and destroying them, 



* Stay with me, O kingly warrior,' said the king of Spain, ' that I may fight with thee 

 for my people, since no man of them turns against thee, and thou slaughtcring and slay- 

 ing them.' So those two attacked one another, and thcy placed the two banners of soft 

 silk into the green-sided earth, and stretched out the quick-wounding hands with the 



III. draiJ/iZichUj MS. 



