Matheson Collection > Deirdire; and, The lay of the children of Uisne

DEIRDIRE 61
and Deirdire, Aillean and Ardan, were
dwelling in a tower, and they were
happy during the time they were there.
Then came the end of the time when
Deirdire was to marry Conachar, the
king of Ulster. What was Conachar in
his own mind but meditating to win out
Deirdh-e by the sword, be she married
to Naoise or be she not. What work was
Conachar engaged upon but preparing
a great, merry banquet. He sent a
message out far and wide through all
Eirin to his kinsmen to come to the
feast. He was thinking to himself to
give a day of combat and of battle
to Naoise, the son of Uisne, and to
take the woman from him be she or
be she not married to him. Conachar
thought to himself that Naoise would
not come should he send a message to
him, and it was the scheme that grew
in his head to send word to his father's
brother, Fearachar, the son of Ro, and