Five men of Ulster brought Ciarnat, the daughter of a Pictish king, by force in captivity across the sea and the great main. And Cormac, Conn's grandson, heard that and sent to demand her, and she was taken to his house. Of all the women that lived in her time she was the most beautiful and loveliest. And she was with Cormac as his paramour, and the measure of his love for her was huge. Then Ethne Ollamda, the daughter of Cathair the Great, [Cormac's wife,] heard of her being with him, and she said that they would not be with him together. And Ciarnat must needs be given into the power of Ethne, who put a thrall's work upon her. And this was the thraldom, to grind nine bushels of corn every day. Then Cormac and she came together secretly, so that he made her pregnant, and she was unable to grind. Then Cormac took pity upon her and brought a millwright across the sea, and had a mill made to save Ciarnat.
Hence said the poet:
- Ciarnat, the bondmaid of Cormac the just,
would feed many hundreds by a quern:
Nine bushels every day she had to grind,
'twas not the work of an idler.- The noble king surprised her
as she was alone in her house.
And made her pregnant secretly,
so that after that she was unable to grind much.- Conn's grandson took pity upon her,
he brought a millwright over the great sea;
The first mill of Cormac, the son of Art,
was a help to Ciarnat.C.