Ossian Collection > Poems of Ossian, the son of Fingal

THE rOEMS OF OSSIAN\ 345'
fwo nations, as is usual among an unpolished ana '.ately settled
people, were divided into small dynasties, sul->je'£\ to petty kings,
or chiefs, independent of one another. In this situation, it is pro-
bable, they continued long, without any material revolution in the
state of the island, until Crothar, Lord of Atha, a country in
Connaught, the most potent chief of the Firbolg, carried away
Conlama, the daughter of Cathmin, a chief of the Ca'ely who pos-
sessed Ulster.
Conlama had been betrothed, some time befpre, to Turloch, a
chief of their own nation. Turloch resented the affront offered
him by Crothar, made an irruption into Connaught, and killetl
Cormul, the brotlier of Crothar, who came to oppose his progress.
Crothar himself then took arms, and either killed or expelled Tur-
loch. The war, upon this, became general, between the two
nations : and the Gael were reduced to the last extremity. In this
situation, they applied, for aid, to Trathal king of Morven, who
sent his brother Conar, already famous for his great exploits, to
their relief. Conar, upon his arrival in Ulster, was chosen king,
by the unanimous consent of the Caledonian tribes, who possessed
that country. The war was renewed with vigour and success ;
but the Firbolg appear to have been rather repelled than subdued.
In succeeding reigns, we learn from episodes in Uie same poem,
that the chiefs of Atha made several efforts to become monarchs
of Ireland, and to expel the race of Conar.
To Conar succeeded his son Cormac, [Book III.] who appears
to have reigned long. In his latter days he seems to have been
driven to the last extremity, by an insurreftion of the Firbolg^
who supported the pretensions of the chiefs of Atha to the Irish
thronCr Fingal, who then was very young, came to the aid of
Cormac, totally defeated Colc-ulla chief of Atha, and re-esta-
blished Cormac in the sole possession of all Ireland. [Book IV.]
It was then he fell in love with, and took to wife, Rds-crana, the
daughter of Cormac, who was the mother of Ossian.
Cormac was succeeded in the Irish throne by his ron, Cairbre;
Cairbre by Artho, his son, who was the father of that Cormac,
in whose minority the invasion of Swaran happened, which is the
subject: of the poem of Fingal^ the family of Atha, who had not
reUnquished their pretensions to the Irish throne, rebelled in the
minority