Táin Bó Flidhais
At the same time in Ireland, small churches were being built, some being the provenance of just a single monk (usually nowadays referred to as "saints").
This period was the Golden Age of making illuminated manuscripts and craftworking of relics with gold and silver filigree in the monasteries.
The story of the Táin Bó Flidhais is set in the province of Connacht in Ireland in the late Iron Age .
The royal fort of Cruachan, near Tulsk in Roscommon was the seat of the Queen of Connacht, Maedbh and her husband, King Ailill MacMáta.
The most notable addition provided by the Glenmasan manuscript to the Táin Bó Flidhais is the precursor story of the death of the sons of Uisnech.
And sad to me is the deed that will be done this night in Emain, namely, treachery and guile and breach of faith to be wrought upon you, beloved friends.'
The heroine of the tale is Flidhais Fholtchain ("Flidhais of the lovely soft hair"), a ravishing beauty who was married to Oilill Fionn, a king of the Gamhanraidh tribe and the son of a powerful chieftain called Domhnall Dualbhuidhe ("Donal of the yellow locks") who lived at Glencastle in Erris and operated the gates to the Mullet Peninsula.
Fergus had gone to Cruachan after his triumphant bloody battles in Ulster, to gain the shield of the name and fame of Queen Maedbh and her consort, King Ailill mac Máta.
Fergus was a fine figure of a man and it did not take long for the "shameless" Queen Maedbh to fall hopelessly in lust with her equally promiscuous guest.
Her consort Ailill, however, observed the daily infidelity and one night, in retaliation, he stole Fergus's enchanted sword from his guest's scabbard and replaced it with a wooden replica.
Travellers associated with the Queen of Connacht were treated with great courtesy everywhere they went so when Bricne arrived at Rathmorgan he was courteously welcomed, wined and dined by Flidhais and her entourage who all turned out in their best finery for the occasion.
Flidhais had the fort heavily perfumed and decorated with mistletoe and herbs and they wined and dined in great style.
Fergus was captured by the Gamhanraidh and kept at the cells in Dún Flidhais fort, his remaining troops returned to the royal rath at Cruachan, filthy and exhausted.
Her lamentation: Dig ye the grave of Cainner lying here on the mound, slain Fermenn, son of Dara Dearg, threw the spear, which caused her death.
Dig ye her grave[1] After the burial the army continued on their way and eventually reached Carrowmore Lake and the fort at Rathmorgan.
Fergus MacRoigh was being held as a prisoner and had been trussed up and put on display in sight of the exasperated lovelorn Queen Maedbh.
Oilill found himself surrounded by the troops of Queen Maedbh and called on all his support of the Gamhanraidh tribes to defy the oncoming army.
Dressed in regal splendour and presenting a magnificent sight, Queen Maedbh offered the leaders of Oilill's army the kingship of the Gamhanraidh and permanent quarters at her royal rath at Cruachan if they fought on her side.
Despite their losses, the Erris warriors won most of the combats and Maedbh was devastated once again when three of her closest fosterlings lost their lives.
As morning dawned, the troops mustered again and the Gamhanriadh decided to make a break for Trá Chinn Chiortain, close to Inver on the east shore of Broadhaven Bay, in Kilcommon.
The chieftain of the peninsula, Ciortán, from Dún Chiortáin in Glengad, assured Oilill that he would have his swiftest ship ready and waiting to take them safely out to sea away from the Cruachan invaders.
When Queen Maedbh's troops discovered the fort at Dún Flidhais deserted, they pursued their prey up the shores of Carrowmore Lake into Inver and Ciortán's waiting boat.
The Queen's army caught Oilill at Log na Fola, (the bloody hollow) leading to the following “rann”: May you have wet arses Munster scum, evil rogues, Without benefit of sun, Or bee or flower, In a lonely hollow, Without cerements in misery, May the hordes of hell follow you Round and round forever and forever[5] Oilill died like a prince it was reported.
His head was cut off by a triumphant Fergus and was impaled on a lance and brought back to the fort at Rathmorgan to prove to Flidhais that she was now a free woman.
However, Flidhais was overcome with guilt as she looked in Oilill's unblinking all-knowing eyes and she was horrified at what had happened to her husband.
Fergus agreed to that and the Maol rose to her feet and led the captured herds away from Erris on the long journey towards Cruachan.
Queen Maedbdh's army had set off in the same direction towards Barrooskey but to their surprise they met opposition from small bands of the Gamhanraidh tribes who popped out of every crevice along the way, attacking the retreating troops trying to return to Cruachan.
Despite being faced with dangers along the entire route of their journey, the battle-weary Maedbh along with Ailill and Fergus finally made it back to Cruachan and that was the end of the tale of the Táin Bó Flidhais.
As they crossed the river, Fergus, fearing that Munhin would be as faithless to him as she had been to her former husband, gave her a push and she fell into the flooded waters.
[7] Following the murderous attack, Fergus continued on his way but at Barrooskey (a remote townland near Glenamoy in the east of Kilcommon parish in the Barony of Erris).
