Leinster.

Atharna therefore set out for Leinster accompanied by his train of
poets and harpers and gillies and arrived at the great Dun of Mesgedra
the King, at Naas in Kildare. Here he dwelt for twelve months wasting
the substance of the Leinstermen and in the end when he was minded to
return to Ulster he went before the King Mesgedra and the lords of
Leinster and demanded his poet's fee.

"What is thy demand, Atharna?" asked Mesgedra.

"So many cattle and so many sheep," answered Atharna, "and store of
gold and raiment, and of the fairest dames and maidens of Leinster
forty-five, to grind at my querns in Dun Atharna."

"It shall be granted thee," said the King. Then Atharna feared some
mischief, for the King and the nobles of Leinster had not seemed like
men on whom shameful conditions are laid, nor had they offered to
ransom their women. Atharna therefore judged that the Leinstermen
might fall upon him to recover their booty when he was once beyond the
border, for within their own borders they might not affront a guest.
He sent, therefore, a swift messenger to Conor mac Nessa, bidding him
come with a strong escort as quickly as he might, to meet Atharna's
band on the marches of Leinster, and convey him safely home.

Atharna then departed from Naas with a great herd of sheep and cattle
and other spoils, and with thrice fifteen of the noble women of
Leinster. He went leisurely, meaning to strike the highroad to Emania
from Dublin; but when he came thither the Liffey was swollen with
rain, and the ford at Dublin might not be crossed. He caused,
therefore, many great hurdles to be made, and these were set in the
river, and over them a causeway of boughs was laid, so that his
cattle and spoils came safely across. Hence is the town of that place
called to this day in Gaelic the City of the Hurdle Ford.

On the next day Conor and the Ulstermen met him, but a great force of
the men of Leinster was also marching from Naas to the border, to
recover their womenfolk, even as Atharna had expected. The Leinstermen
then broke the battle on the company from Ulster, and defeated them,
driving them with the cows of Atharna on to the sea cape of Ben Edar
(Howth), but they recovered the women. On Ben Edar did King Conor with
the remnant of his troop then fortify themselves, making a great fosse
across the neck of land by which Ben Edar is joined to the mainland,
and here they were besieged, with hard fighting by day and night,