ou the story ourselves."

"Do you know who is the young man?" said Balor of the Evil Eye then.

"I know well," said Ceithlenn, his wife; "he is the son of your
daughter and mine. And it was foretold," she said, "that from the time
he would come into Ireland, we would never have power there again for
ever."

Then the chief men of the Fomor went into a council, Eab, son of Neid,
and Seanchab, grandson of Neid, and Sital Salmhor, and Liath, son of
Lobais, and the nine poets of the Fomor that had learning and the gift
of foreknowledge, and Lobais the Druid, and Balor himself and his twelve
white-mouthed sons, and Ceithlenn of the Crooked Teeth, his queen.

And it was just at that time Bres and his father Elathan were come to
ask help of the Fomor, and Bres said: "I myself will go to Ireland, and
seven great battalions of the Riders of the Fomor along with me, and I
will give battle to this Ildanach, this master of all arts, and I will
strike his head off and bring it here to you, to the green of Berbhe."
"It would be a fitting thing for you to do," said they all. "Let my
ships be made ready for me," said Bres, "and let food and provisions be
put in them."

So they made no delay, but went and got the ships ready, and they put
plenty of food and drink in them, and the two swift Luaths were sent out
to gather the army to Bres. And when they were all gathered, they made
ready their armour and their weapons, and they set out for Ireland.

And Balor the king followed them to the harbour, and he said: "Give
battle to that Ildanach, and strike off his head; and tie that island
that is called Ireland to the back of your ships, and let the destroying
water take its place, and put it on the north side of Lochlann, and not
one of the Men of Dea will follow it there to the end of life and time."

Then they pushed out their ships and put up their painted sails, and
went out from the harbour on the untilled country, on the ridges of the
wide-lying sea, and they never turned from their course till they came
to the harbour of Eas Dara. And from that they sent out an army through
West Connacht and destroyed it altogether, through and through. And the
King of Connacht at that time was Bodb Dearg, son of the Dagda.

CHAPTER II. THE SONS OF TUIREANN

And Lugh of the Long Hand was at that time at Teamhair with the King of
Ireland, and it was showed to him that the Fomor were after landing at
Eas Dara. And when he knew that, he m