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they lived under the government of a distinguished warrior, 

 King Eochaidh Mac Ere, when they heard of the appearance 

 of their rivals, who had entered the island on the north-west, 

 and had established themselves in the strongholds of the present 

 County of Leitrim. The Firbolgs, on consultation, determined 

 to send a picked champion of their force to enter into com- 

 munication Avith the strangers, and to ascertain what their 

 intentions were ; and their choice fell upon Sreng, the son of 

 Sengann ; and it is in the description of the meeting of this 

 warrior with Breas, the equally renowned messenger of the 

 Tuatha De Danann, that the first description of the weapons 

 on both sides, both offensive and defensive, is found. Without 

 occupying any unnecessary space, then, in detailing the descrip- 

 tion of the battle itself, I shall proceed to refer to those passages 

 only which contain any description of the shape, size, con- 

 struction, and use of the various arms employed ; and I shall 

 afterwards endeavour to classify these, as well as I can, with 

 reference to the collection of specimens open for examination 

 in the Museum of the Royal Irish Academy. Upon the selec- 

 tion of Sreng by the council of the Firbolgs, ' he arose then,' 

 says the ancient writer, ' and took his hooked, firm, brown-red 

 shield, and his two thick-handled spears called craisechs, and 

 his keen-gliding sword, and his elegant quadrangular helmet, 

 and his thick iron club, and he set out from Tara,' &c. And 

 when Sreng arrived in sight of the camp of the Tuatha De 

 Danann, Breas, the champion of the latter, came out to meet 

 and speak with him, ' with his shield upon him,' proceeds the 

 history, ' and his sword in his hand, and having two huge 

 spears with him.' The two champions, we are told, wondered 

 each at the peculiar arms of the other, their form and character 

 being different ; and when they came within speaking distance, 

 each of them, it is said, ' stuck his shield firmly into the 

 ground,' to cover his body, while he looked over the top of it 

 to examine his opponent. On conversation, they agree to 

 raise and put away their shields ; and Sreng observes that he 

 had raised his in dread of the ' thin, sharp spear' of his adver- 

 sary; while Breas expresses similar respect for the 'thick- 



