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

poem/story 129

ARD RUIDE

¶1] (Eochaid mór son of Lugaid son of Laisre son of Troitha son of Dergthene, with his brothers: to them belongs the chief headship in Ard Ruide. Whereof Find said:)

    1. Three affluences are there in the dun of Ard Ruide; affluence of young men, affluence of horses, affluence of greyhounds of the son of Lugaid.
    2. Three kinds of music hath its king—a glory this! music of harps, music of lutes—attend! deep tones of Fer Tuinne, son of Trogan.
    3. Three cries are in it unfailingly: cry of the lamb from its lawn, cry of races, and cry of kine:
    4. Three cries: cry of its broad-chined beetle-black swine, cry of its assembly upon the hall's green, cry of them that shout and them that drink mead.
    5. Three crops of fruit there were upon the boughs in due course; a crop just falling, a crop flowering, and a crop ripening.
    6. Three sons did Lugaid leave; whither are gone their riches?—Ruide son of broad-built Lugaid, Eochaid and manly Fiachu.

    7. p.371

    8. I will bear witness of Ruide, to whom come those three affluences: never did Ruide refuse any one a boon; never did he ask a boon of any one.
    9. I will bear witness of Eochaid that he never took a step in flight, that he never said a word untrue, that there was none higher than he in fame.
    10. I will bear witness of Fiachu—whither are gone his riches?—that it was never his wont to lack music, that he was never long without drinking of ale.
    11. Thirty nobles, thirty champions, thirty captains—a king's muster: thrice thirty hundreds was the number of his flocking host.