THE BATTLE OF VENTRY. 37 



adar a craiseacha 'sa chathirghail 7 gur lubadar na sithlanna 'ga sirbualad 7 gur 

 scanradar a sceith o faebraibh na cloidem corrger curata 7 ar n-easbaid a n-orsciath. 

 Is ann ba sanntaighi an sarcomlann 7 tucadar a n-aenfeacht da athbheim uaibh- 670 

 racha aigmeiU ain iarmartacha gur combhuaileadar na cloidme a caelfaebraibh 

 a cheili co n-deachaid cloidem mic Lugach tre cloidem an allmuraig 7 tuc an 

 dara beim do gur coimbris an cathbarr 7 gur dianteasc an dluthluireach 7 gur 

 scoileastair an sciath 7 gur comroinn an croidhe co cudruma don choilbeim sin 7 

 tainic fein co menmneach [fo. 8 a. i.] moraigenthach co fianaibh Eirenn. 675 



Is ann sin do eirigh an mac merrdha micheillidi morcroidheach aili do macaibh 

 rig Lochlann dar bo comainm Mongach an mara 7 do badar sluaig an domain 

 uiU ac eirghi leis. ' Anaidh, a firu an domain,' ar se ' uair ni sibh dhlighus 

 curperaic mo braitrech-sa 7 o nach sibh ligedh dam fen dul d' agra na c^deraice ar 

 {iana Eirenn.' 7 tainic a tir 7 is amlaidh do bhi 7 suisti imreamar iarnaighi 680 

 ana laim lesa ra bhadar secht caera athleaghta iarainn 7 caeca slabhradh x-dx^Ciaidhe 

 eisti 7 caeca ubhull gacha slabraa^a 7 caeca dealg neime an gach ubhall 7 ruc 

 ruathar fuatha mar sin da silbhualad 7 da sreingleadrag 7 da saebcuma gur ba 

 sa,mal/a re healta minen ag teithed roim seabac an scailed 7 an scannrad tuc ar 

 in fein ana timcheall 7 do ghabh adhnaire mor laech d' \ianaib Eirenn uime sin .i. 685 



of them, so that their spears crumbled in the fight, and the blades bent with their con- 

 tinual striking, and their shields were shattered by the edges of the sharp-pointed heroes' 

 swords, and they lost their golden shields. It was then the great combat grew keen, 

 and they gave at the same time two proud terrible quick successful counterstrokes, so 

 that the swords struck each other in their thin edges, in such wise that the sword of 

 Mac Lugach went through the sword of the foreigner, and- he gave another stroke to 

 him, so that he broke the helmet, and quickly clove the firm hauberk, and split the 

 shield, and cut the heart equally in two by that subtle stroke, And he canie himself 

 proudly high-spiritedly to the fianns of Erinn. 



Then arose the other foolish inconsiderate courageous son of the sons of the king of 

 Lochlann, whose name was Mongach of the sea, and all the hosts of the world rose togcther 

 vvith him. 'Stay, ye men of the world,' said he, 'for it is not ye have to demand body-eric 

 for my brothers, and as it is not ye, I must myself go and demand the first eric from the 

 fianns of Erinn.' And he went on shore. And it is thus he was, with a strong iron flail 

 in his hand, with seven balls of refined iron, and fifty iron chains from it, and fifty apples 

 on each chain, and fifty venomous thorns on each apple. And he made a rush through 

 them in that shape to utterly smash them, and to tear them into strings, and to 

 destroy them, so that the dispersing and flight he caused among the fiann round about 

 him was like (that of) a flock of small birds fleeing before a hawk. And great shame 

 seized upon a warrior of the fianns of Erinn on account of this, to wit, Fidach, the son 



670. eanfeacht MS. 



