Matheson Collection > Aislinge Meic Conglinne

4 TJie Vision of MacConglinne.
was then contending for the kingship of Ireland
against Cathal MacFinguine, as is plain from the
quarrel of the two hags, when they had a duel in
quatrains at Freshford :
5 "He comes from the North, comes from the North,
The son of MaBldiiin, over the rocks.
Over Barrow's brink, over Barrow's brink.
Till kine he take he will not stay."
" He shall stay, shall stay," said the Southern hag ;
10 " He will be thankful if he escapes.
By my father's hand, by my father's hand.
If Cathal meets him, he'll take no kine."
Then kernels and apples and many sweets used
to be brought from Ligach, Meeldúin's daughter, to
15 Cathal MacFinguine, for his love and affection.
Fergal, son of Meeldúin, heard this, and his sister was
called unto him. And he gave her a blessing if she
should tell him truth, and a curse if she should deny
him it. The sister told him ; for great as was her
20 love and affection for Cathal MacFinguine, she
feared her brother's curse reaching her. Then she
told the true story.
The brother told her to send the apples to himself.
And a scholar was summoned unto him, and he
2c promised great rewards to the scholar for putting
charms in those numerous sweets, to the destruction
of Cathal MacFinguine. And the scholar put charms
and heathen spells in those numerous sweets, and
they were delivered to Fergal, who despatched
30 messengers to convey them to Cathal. And they
entreated him by each of the seven universal things,
sun and moon, dew and sea, heaven and earth, day
[and night .... that he would eat] those apples,