Corpus of Electronic Texts Edition
The Metrical Dindshenchas (Author: [unknown])

poem/story 11

ATH LIAC FIND I

  1. Ath Liac Find—whence comes it? wherefore does no shanachie declare? what forgetfulness has made it dim, since Find left the stone there?
  2. When there fell—great was the fight—thirty nines and fifty fighting round the three doughty sons of Cerb, who came along the stream from the north-west:
  3. When there fell in the ford four Conalls, two Colmans, four Suibnes, two sons of Brecc, four Dubthachs, two Diarmaits:
  4. Flathgus, Find's henchman, turned his face toward the cry of one o'er-matched: there fell by his hand, where he stood at bay, four fours and two nines.
  5. When Fland son of Eochaid Red-brows assailed the ford from the north he slew fifty—famous meeting—that strong wolf-head of conflict.
  6. When he told the tale
    [...]
    the loss of the son of Conna from Mag Lir, whom Find slew that morn, cast the host into a stupor of dismay:
  7. When Setna uttered thereafter his word
    [...]
    that the faith of fair fight should be broken against Umall's son of the Leinstermen:

  8. p.39

  9. When Sinand came thereafter, Mongan's daughter, from the fairy dwellings, she gave a stone with a chain of gold to Find, son of long-limbed Umall.
  10. Thereupon Find put out his hand for the strong triple-edged stone and pledged the head that was on the shoulders of Guaire Goll who carried it,
  11. That he would not use aught but spear or sword or brand—fierce his onset: it was one of his gessa afterward that his side should touch the ground.
  12. Then he hurled the stone into the ford when his battle-wrath came to him: so that there perished thereby Senach, Senchán and Bran.
  13. So it found rest thereafter in the full wide grey pool, till it be cast upon the shore on a Sunday at the hour of matins.
  14. A maiden will find it then at morn, whose name is Bé Thuinne: she will set her straight leg upon the hoop of red gold.
  15. It is seven years' space from then till the brink of Judgement Day: never have I been found astray: that is the story of the ford.

  16. p.41