O'Looxey — Historic Tales in Irish. 235 



same errand from Concholar Mac JYessa, King of Ulster. Mac Datho 

 saw in this coincidence an opportunity of drawing the two neighbouring 

 provinces into a war which would weaken the power of both ; and 

 believing that the weakness of the northerns would be the strength of 

 the southerns, he told the messengers of the two kings respectively, 

 that he had already promised the hound to the master of the other, 

 and that he saw no way of getting out of the difficulty but to ask both 

 kings to come to his court, with their nobles and choicest warriors, to 

 partake of a feast which he proposed to prepare for them, and where 

 he hoped to be able to arrange between them so as to get himself out 

 of the difficulty. 



The messengers of both kings accepted the invitation for their 

 respective masters, and when the appointed time came, the northern 

 kings, with their choicest nobles and warriors, arrived at the court of 

 Mac Datho, which appears to have been situated in the southern ex- 

 tremity of the present county of Carlow. The generous host, 

 Mac Datho, had killed for the occasion his famous pig. The company 

 having sat down to the feast, a difficulty arose as to which of the 

 northern provinces should have the cutting and distribution of the 

 great pig. After a sharp contest in a comparison in the relative 

 military merits of the two provinces, carried on chiefly by Cet, son of 

 Magach of Connaught, and Conall Cearnach, the famous Ulster cham- 

 pion, the cutting and distribution of the pig was conceded to the 

 latter. Conall sat at the pig's tail, and distributed it liberally to his 

 own countrymen ; but when he thought at last of his neighbours of 

 Connaught, he found that he had nothing remaining but the pig's two 

 fore-legs, and these he threw to them disdainfully, and with a sneer 

 which indicated that they were emblematic of the speed with which 

 the Connaughtmen fled before the men of Ulster. A fierce conflict 

 ensued, blood was spilled in abundance, and the Connaughtmen re- 

 treated northwards. The hound was then let loose by Mac Datho, and 

 let into the battle fray to choose for himself between the rival candi- 

 dates for his possession. He joined the men of Ulster in pursuit of 

 the Connaughtmen, and coming up to the chariot of Ailell and 

 Medh on their retreat, sprang furiously upon it. The charioteer 

 struck him on the neck with his sword, so that the head fell into the 

 chariot, and the body to the ground. The hound's name was Aillhe, 

 and it is stated in the story that it was from it the place was called 

 Magh Aillhe (or Ailbhe's plain). This plain, where DatMs hound 

 was killed, is believed to have been situated on the confines of the 

 present counties of Carlow and Kildare, but within the border of the 

 latter, and a short distance north of the present town of Carlow. 



The king and queen continued their course northwards to Bealach 

 Maglina, of old Roerin, now Ballaghmoon, Co. Kildare (where Cormac 

 Mac Cuillenain, King and Archbishop of Cashel, was killed, a. d. 903), 

 over Ath Midbimii, to Maistin, now Mullagh Maisten, or Mullemast, 

 Co. Kildare, past Druim Criagh, which is now called CM Dara, or 

 Kildare, past Hath Imghain (Eathangan), to Fid n-Galla, the wood of 



