22 THE BATTLE OF VENTRY. 



Tefd tra an t-allmurach ana luing ana dhiaidh sin 7 tainic arna marach 7 do sir 

 comhlann ced. Nir frith neach da faemadh sin no co n-derrna an fian cranncur 

 7 an ced rainic chuigi an la sin ni thainic fer innisti scel dibh 7 torcradar leis fo 

 c^doir. 7 dochuaidh ana luing an oidhchi sin, Tainic arna marach chuca, acht ^nni 



390 ni facadar an fian chuca riamh d' iaruigh comhlainn neach re budh mo a n-doicheall 

 'na se 7 ba seac leo an cranncur do ddnamh ar teithed a freagartha 7 an ced da 

 rainic dul chuigi an la sin ro fagsad imchomarc beathadh 7 skz'/i ac fianaibh 

 Eirenn, uair ba dearbh leo nach ticfaidis tara n-ais aris. Tainic an t-allmurach 

 chuca 7 do bhi do m^d a feirgi ni hairm tuc leis [fo. 5a. 2.] an la sin acht rug ruathar 



395 futha 7 an fer fa neasa do dibh do ghabhadh ar chael choisi he 7 doberedh rodbhuilli 



dimor de fa cheann an fir ba neasa do 7 do thuit an ced sin leis 7 doleig a ghuth 



miled a muUach a chinn ac commaidem an air. 7 dochuaidh 'na luing an oidhchi sin. 



Do clos imoro fo ceithri cuil^ Eirenn scela an aUmuraig sin 7 an dil tuc ar an 



fein. Do chuala imoro Fiachra FoiUleabar ri Uladh sin 7 adubert : ' Is truagh 



400 Uum ' ar se ' m^d an eigin a fuiled fir Eirenn 7 gan mo beith fein inchatha leo.' 7 

 ni roibhi do chlaind aigi acht enmac amain a cinn a tri m-bUadan dec 7 do be adhbar 

 righ dob' fearr dealbh 7 eineach do bi a n-Eirinn i. ' Maith do denta-sa sin,' ar 

 an macamh ' .i. ogbaidh Uladh uiU do cur Uum-sa cucu o nach inchatha tu fein.' 



After that the foreigner went into his ship, and he came on the morrow and sought the 

 conflict of a hundred. There was not found anybody to accept it, so that the fiann cast 

 lots, and of the hundred that went against hini on that day, there escaped not a man of 

 them to tell the tidings, and they fell by him forthwith. And he went into his ship for 

 that night. He came to them on the morrow, and never did the fiann let a man chal- 

 lenge them to fight for a longer time without answering, than him, and it was a hard 

 thing for them to cast lots when no answer had come forth. And the hundred who had to 

 go against him on that day, did leave wishes for Ufe and health with the fianns of Erinn, 

 for they knew that they would not come back again. The foreigner came towards them, 

 and such was his fury, that he took no weapons with him on that day, but he made a rush 

 through them, and the man that was next to him, he seized at the slender part of his 

 foot, and aimed a mighty shot with him at the head of the next man. And those hundred 

 feU by him, and he let forth his warrior's voice from the top of his head, boasting of the 

 slaughter. And he went into his ship for that night. 



Now, the story of this foreigner and the destruction he had brought on the fiann was 

 heard throughout the four corners of Erinn. Then Fiachra Foltlebar (of the Long 

 Hair), the king of Ulster, heard this and said : ' I am sad,' said he, ' on account of the 

 greatness of the calamity in which the men of Erinn are, and that I am not myself able 

 to fight along with them.' And he had no issue but one son only, thirteen years old, and 

 he was a prince the fairest of figure and face that was in Erinn. * WeU mightest thou 

 do this,' said the boy, * namely, to send all the youths of Ulster with me to them, as thou 

 art not able to fight thysclf.' ' Do not say so,' said the king, ' for a child of thirteen 



