Matheson Collection > Fianaigecht

AILILL AULOM, MAC CON, AND FIND UA BÁISCNE 37
Mac Con and the old king Mosaulum make peace after Mac Con,
leaving his kingship with Cormac son of Art, had come from Tara
with his wandering host. Mac Con makes a feast for him ; and
Ailill planned to slay him. Sadb did not permit that, and gave him
warning, for dearer to her was Mac Con than her seven sons. She
told him not to converse with Ailill at all. Thereupon Mac Con
with his people proceeds into Desmond, keeping along the sea, as
Cessirne, the poet of Conn of the hundred battles, had prophesied,'
saying :
' Thy noble race will move along the coasts by the ocean's
expanse ' ;
and moreover he had fewer men than Ailill. Mac Con visits his senior
to bid farewell to him. He put face to face. Ailill fixed his tooth in
Mac Con's cheek as a warning that he would die before three days
and three nights.^ Then said Sadb to Mac Con : ' What blood is
that upon thy face? ' says she. ' It is easily said,' says Mac Con;
' Ailill's tooth has touched me.' ' Woe for the tooth ! ' says she ;
' for whatever ... to him is danger to thee ; it is a wolf's fang
that has wounded thee! ' Thence she said:
' This is a tooth by which a king falls, a poisonous tooth has
wounded thee ; contortion ,has seized thy shape — alas for the last
farewell !
' Betake thee to thy house ! carry the remnant of thy host to the
sea ! he will be avenged on thee . . ., he will attack thee any time.'
He departs with his host into Desmond towards the sea. It is from
that expedition he has left descendants of his at Cúil MrocholP (viz. a
well). With them is the grave of Mac Con, and Macnia [son of Mac
Con] and his four sons, viz. Dau and Trien and Echu Badamna and
Lugaid Longhand, and the fian of Aed the Black, and Cathmol son of
Erp,* and Find ua Báiscne and Usine and Cáilte Cáinchass (the Fair
and Curly) and Mac Con with his companions and Mac Con's wife
are there, viz. Dáríne daughter of Deda son of Sen,
together with Cúl Cruithnechta and Ciila Boendraigi as having been given hy
Cairbre mac Cvimthainn [sixth cent.] as kric for the three sons of Fiachra Gáiríne
slain in the battle of Clúas 'Ola (i« he Coirpre m. Crimthainn dobert na tri ciila i
n-éric na tri mac Fiachraeh Gdirine docherlar i eath Cluaise 'Ola).
* Identical with Cathmael m. Firchorb, Anecd., ii, p. 76, Cathmal mac Cirp,
LL. 146rt27.