¶1] It is they themselves who repress the race of Niall, lords of the fertile land of Fódla; through the jealousy of Bregia's gold-decked host the glory of the Gael has ever suffered decrease.
¶2] The sunny soil of the isle of Fódla, upon the death of their father the eight sons of Nine-hostaged Niall—a band used to peril—divided it.
¶3] The share of Maine, fierce Laoghaire, Fiacha, and Conall Criomthainn was the level of Bregia's ruddy-beakered Plain, the ancient territory of Tailte's Dwelling.
¶4] To mighty Conall of wide renown, to Cairbre, Énna and Eóghan, the royal slopes of the North were given by the fiery impetuous host.
¶5] There were two amongst the spirited offspring of the high king who surpassed the others, they resembled not the rest of Niall's noble progeny, although they were stems of the same tree.
¶6] Eóghan, son of Niall of the Nine Fetters, Conall Gulban, the fierce griffin, they and the other sons were not the same.
¶7] Eóghan and rightly-judging Conall, two sons of mighty Niall, son of Eachaidh, of one birth, it is said, were these princes with smooth, glistening skin.
¶8] On the day on which the two infants were born a contentious disposition inspired the noble, highspirited offspring, two stems from a single vine.
¶9] Upon their birth each one of the bright-faced, impetuous pair was found—omen of conflict—hugging the head of his companion in his arm.
¶10] As for these children of powerful Niall, Conall and valorous Eóghan, they were never afterwards free from a battlesome disposition or from the throes of war.
¶11] Their seed from that time onward have been following in the wake of that pair, ever full of envy towards one another about Conaire's hazel-abounding land.
¶12] Raid for raid, wound for wound, have been constantly exchanged between the seed of Conall and the race of Eóghan, much harm do we know them to be answerable for.
¶13] For a long time the seed of the two heroes of the land of Ealg were balanced in arms as regards the plain of Tara, hurtful to themselves were their ravages.
¶14] The fruit of the fertile stems held the supremacy of Úghaine's plain alternately down to the time of Aodh Athlamhain.
¶15] At Aodh the seed of Eóghan divide, it befell them —what disloyalty—to overthrow one another's power; they themselves revoke their own rights.
¶16] When their alliance (?) dissolved in the time of famed Aodh Athlamhain the clan Suibhne parted from the race of Niall, warriors who never earned reproach.
¶17] After that the race of Suibhne made with propitious counsel an alliance with the noble youth of the race of Conn in fertile Tirconell.
¶18] The lords of Conall's tribe gave to Suibhne's nobly-judging stock their choice of the spreading, pleasant, fertile land from sea to sea.
¶19] From that day forward—evil the bond which came upon them—the seed of Suibhne allowed no man of Eóghan race to have possession of the kingship.
¶20] Since that the seed of Suibhne have levied throughout the fair, grassy plain a claim out of every part of Ireland for our tribe of Conall.
¶21] Until the race of Suibhne made conquests for our race of Conall, Ireland was held by the descendants of Eóghan, graceful scions from Cobhthach's, fold.
¶22] From that day to this the chief of Conall's noble tribe has overcome the rest of the warriors of the Gael in every contest for the land of Flann.
¶23] Now to the seed of Suibhne anew, and to the race of Conall of the plain of Bearnas, there has come an arm to maintain their rights upon the gracefully-spreading northern land.
¶24] Owen Óg, son of Mac Sweeny, guarding shield of the coast of Mourne; one fit to wage war for Conn's descendants, a spark in the embers for Conall's race.
¶25] Precious salmon from the stream of the Finn, a sunny day after a downpour; stately figure, cool in conflict, the Ulstermen's gilded stem.
¶26] The battle champion of Dálach's kindreds, a man who ennobles their annals; lucky treasure of the gentle race of Conn, shepherd of Conall's flock.
¶27] As long as Mac Sweeny remains with the hot-bladed seed of Conall it will be profitless for a man to speak of a contest for the apple-branched land of the Gael.
¶28] Never have the seed of Conall of the plain of Úghaine been mightier than they are now, thanks to the hero of Bearnas' varied plain.
¶29] While keen-weaponed Owen lives the king of Conall's race will not find a chief to oppose him in Ireland's bright-foliaged land.
¶30] A wood is stooped by the growth of its stems, the pledge of every man of Eóghan's kin is brought back by the son of Margaret to the deeply-wounding soldiery of Bearnas.
¶31] Had not the lords of noble Niall's race been attacked by their own side all Ireland would have been no match for Eóghan's, line, the flower of Monadh's slender-fingered host.
¶32] Even thus was Troy overthrown, victorious city bordered with flourishing woods, sloping plains with the choicest of lime-washed ramparts—from the envy of kinsmen about it.
¶33] The famed king Agamemnon and all his following set out to capture it with the Grecian host, a band dangerous to oppose.
¶34] Each day a fresh slaughter was inflicted around Troy by the soldiery on both sides, famous, mightily courageous warriors.
¶35] After more than ten years, piteous the siege, they had not succeeded in taking Troy by force; to attempt it was a formidable task for any man.
¶36] Had they remained around it from that day to this, with the full strength of their forces, it is not likely that the Grecians would have captured the green-branched, turreted castle.
¶37] It befell it, treachery enough, that some of those within delivered it to them, even when the attack was repulsed and none remaining around it.
¶38] Had not the stately fortress of the bright ramparts been forced from within, all the armies in the world would not be likely to demolish Troy, you would have said.
¶39] Regarding the supremacy of Lughaidh's plain even thus it befell the soldiery of Eóghan's race, the apple-branches from Eamhain.
¶40] Until some of their tiwn folk turned against them, the land of Bregia was held by Eóghan's race, without desire of fight or attempt at conflict, neither refusing nor accepting battle.
¶41] Had the men of all Ireland, from sea to sea, attacked the line of Eóghan, it would not have been so grievous for their soldiery as if the race of Suibhne alone were spoiling them.
¶42] Unkindly was it for the seed of Suibhne to levy the dues of Fódla from the race of noble Niall for the generous line of royal Dálach.
¶43] The seed of Suibhne, the noble seed of Niall, two vine-groves from a single root, fruit of one golden husk excelling all the wood, they have sustained the glory of the Gael.
¶44] They are called of the same stock, their pedigrees are the same, equal the nobility of their men, equal the patrimony of their fathers.
¶45] Did the spirited warriors of Suibhne's seed but consider, no better is their claim to Tory yonder in the north, or to the calm, ancient stream of the Mourne.
¶46] Or to Craobhruadh of the children of Ross, or fair Carrickfergus, or to the green hills and bright lands of Dundalk.
¶47] No closer is Conn of the hundred fights, no nearer Niall son of Eochaidh, nor yet is spotless Gaedheal more akin to any other man than to Owen.
¶48] What should hinder Owen Óg, the Gaels' unique implement of battle, from following in the wake of Niall's seed of yore and taking hostages from the dewy hills of Bregia?
¶49] Empty houses around Croghan of Conn, from fear of the king of Conall's race; on MacSweeny the blame should lie—and castles by the Boyne are being wrecked.
¶50] What the daughter of Conn, son of the Calvach, gives to the poets—perpetual bestowing of treasure is an omen of praise—is a deprivation of which Margaret is none the worse.
¶51] Third generation from Conn, son of Conn, and from Manus, king of Conall's clan, though she be the most generous about riches what she does is nothing to boast of for her.
¶52] The kindreds of which she is, the wine-blood of Conall, the race of Eóghan—if she inherit their instincts—have hitherto been supreme amid the people of Niall's land.