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the Northern Magh-Tuiredh, or " Magh-Tuiredh of the Fomorians." 

 " Ocus ciclh huaclh aile for Fingen. Ni ansam, for in ben. Ata ann 

 cethrar atrullaiset ria Tuathaib de Danann a cath Muigi tuiredh, cor- 

 ralatar oc coll etha ocus blechta ocus messa ocus murthorad, A. fer di ba 

 slemnaib Maigi Itha A. Redg a ainmside ; fer dib a sleib Smoil A. Grenu a 

 ainmside ; fer aile a ndromanaib Br eg A. Brea a ainm; fer aile dib hi 

 crichail Cruachna A. Tinel a ainmside. Indocht rosruithea a hErinn ,L 

 in Morrigan ocus Badb side Femin, ocus Midir Brig leith, ocus Mac ind 

 6c, cona beth foglai Fomoir for hFrinn cu brath." 



" ' And what other virtue ?' asked Finghen. < Not difficult to tell,' 

 said the woman. There were four persons who fled before the Tuatha- 

 de-Danaans from the battle of Magh-Tuiredh, so that they were ruining 

 corn, and milk, and fruit crops, and sea produce ; viz., one of them 

 in Slemna-Maighe-Itha, whose name was Redg ; one of them in Sliabh- 

 Smoil, whose name was Grenu ; another man of them in Dromanna- 

 Eregh, whose name was Brea; and another of them in the territories of 

 Cruachan, whose name was Tinel. This night [i. e. on a similar night] 

 they were expelled from Eriu by the Morrigan, and the Badb of 

 Sidh-Femhin, and by Midir of Brigh-leith, and Mac-ind-oig, so that 

 Eomorian depredators should never more be over Eriu." — " Book of 

 Fermoy," 24, b 2. 



In the grand old Irish epic of the Tain Bo Cuailnge the Badb plays 

 a very important part. Nemand confounds armies, so that friendly 

 bands fall in mutual slaughter ; whilst Macha is pictured as a fury 

 that riots and revels among the slain. But certainly the grandest figure 

 is that of Morrigan, whose presence intensifies the hero, nerves his arm 

 for the cast, and guides the course of the unerring lance. As in this epic 

 the first place in valour and prowess is given to Cuchullain, the Hector 

 of the Gaeidhel, it is natural to expect that he should be represented as 

 the special favourite of the supernatural powers. And so it is : we are 

 told that the Tuatha-de-Danaan endowed him with great attributes. In 

 that passage of the Tain where Cuchullain is described as jumping into 

 his chariot to proceed to fight Firdia Mac Demain, the narrative says 

 (" Book of Leinster," fol. 57, b 2) — " ra gairestar imme boccanaig, ocus 

 bandnaig, ocusgeniti glinni, ocus JDemna aeoir, daig da bertis Tuatha 

 de Danann a ngasciud immisium combad moti a grain, ocus a ecla, ocus 

 a uruad, ocus a uruaman in each cath ocus in each cathroi, in each comlund 

 ocus in each comruc i teiged ;" " the satyrs, and sprites, and maniacs of the 

 valleys, and demons of the air shouted about him, for the Tuatha-de- 

 Danaan were wont to impart their valour to him in order that he might 

 be more feared, more dreaded, more savage, more terrible, in every battle, 

 in every battle-field, in every combat and conflict into which he went." 

 So, when the forces of Queen Medbh arrive at Magh-Tregha, in the 

 present county of Longford, on the way to Cuailnge, JVemand appears 

 amongst them. u Dosfobair tra ind Nemain A. in badb lasodain, ocus nip- 

 sisin adaig bd samam doib la budris infathaig A. Dubthaig, triana chotlud. 

 Foscerdat inna buidne focedoir, ocus focherd dirna mor dint sldgh conluid 

 Medbh dia chose." 11 Then the JVemann, i. e. the Badb, attacked them, 



