THE BA TTLE OF VENTRF. 41 



n-glassluagh 7 do niamdhubadar na neoill re hatha na huaire sin 7 do chomgai- 

 readar coin 7 cuanarta 7 badbha 7 geilide gHnne 7 arrachta aieir 7 faelcon na fidh- 

 bidhe da gach aird 7 da gach oirchinn ana timcheall 7 sreath deamnaz^/^e diabalta 

 do lucht 2is\aig uilc 7 ecorach da comgreasacht a ceann a cheili. 745 



Is ann sin imoro ro smuain laech d' iianaib Eirenn gur mor dh' ulc 7 d' tgoxach 

 dorinne fein 7 a chineadh 7 a chlannmaicne ar chlannaibh Baiscne 7 dob' ail leis 

 gnimartha maithi do dhenamh doibh ar a son 7 dob, e sin Conan mac Morna 7 do 

 luathaigh a lamha le a lannchloidem 7 do tholl da thiubghonaibh taebha gan 

 teasargain 7 ro leadair lamha ba lanchalma 7 do dhithaigh da deadhcolg duili ba 750 

 dreachakzWd? 7 ba hadhbal re innisin a ghnimartha ar an ruathar sin. 



Do bhi imoro Finn os cinn an chatha ann sin ac coimgreasacht na feinne 7 

 ac greasacht [fo. 8b. 2.] Chonain seach cach 7 rf an domhain don leith eili ac 

 greasacht na n-allmurach. Adubert Finn re Ferghus Finnbel : ' Eirigh do molad 

 Conain dam, gumadh moidi leis a meanma he, uair is maith an easargain dober se ar 755 

 mo bhidhbadaibh-si.' 7 teid Ferghus da innsaig?'^. Do ghabh imoro teasaidhar/z/ 

 Conan ann sin o 'wasacaid na hirghaili 7 dochuaidh amach do ligean na gaithi fai. 

 ' Is fir sin, a Chonain,' ar Ferghus Finnbel ' is maith is cumain let-sa seaneascair- 

 deas clainni Morna re clannaibh Baiscne 7 do badh deoin leat-sa bas d' fagail 

 duit fein ann so, damadh dith do clannaibh Baiscne he.' ' Ar gradh h'einidh rit, 760 



trembled in prophesying the heavy slaughter, and the sun was covered with a blue 

 mantle by the cries of the grey hosts, and the clouds were shining black at the time of 

 that hour, and the hounds and whelps, and crows, and the demoniac women of the glenn, 

 and the spectres of the air, and the wolves of the forest howled together from every 

 quarter and every corner round about them, and a demoniacal devilish section of the 

 tempters to evil and wrong kept urging them on against each other. 



It was then a hero of the fianns of Erinn bethought himself that he himself and his 

 family and his kindred had done great evil and wrong to the Clanna Baiscne, and he was 

 desirous to do them good service on that account, and that was Conan the son of 

 Morna. And he quickly moved his hands with his broadsword, and he pierced sides with 

 his dense woundings without quarter, and he cut oft" hands that had been full-valiant, and 

 he destroyed with his good sword people that were fair of face. And to relate his deeds 

 in that encounter were awful. 



Now Finn was above the battle there urging on the fiann, and urging on Conan before 

 all, and the king of the world on the other side urging on the foreigners. Said Finn to 

 Fergus Finnbel: * Arise to praise Conan for me, so that his courage may be the greater, 

 for good is the slaughter which he deals on my foes.' And Fergus went up to him. 

 Then heat seized Conan there from the enormity of the fight, and he went outside to 

 let the vvind under him. ' That is right, O Conan,'said Fergus Finnbel, ' well doest thou 

 remember the old enmity of the Clanna Morna against the Clanna Baiscne, and thou 

 wouldst fain find death here thyself, if that was ruin to the Clanna Baiscne.' * For the 



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