“Do you know who is the young man?” said Balor of the Evil Eye then.

“I know well,” said Ceithlenn, his wife; “he is the son of your daughter and mine.  And it was foretold,” she said, “that from the time he would come into Ireland, we would never have power there again for ever.”

Then the chief men of the Fomor went into a council, Eab, son of Neid, and Seanchab, grandson of Neid, and Sital Salmhor, and Liath, son of Lobais, and the nine poets of the Fomor that had learning and the gift of foreknowledge, and Lobais the Druid, and Balor himself and his twelve white-mouthed sons, and Ceithlenn of the Crooked Teeth, his queen.

And it was just at that time Bres and his father Elathan were come to ask help of the Fomor, and Bres said:  “I myself will go to Ireland, and seven great battalions of the Riders of the Fomor along with me, and I will give battle to this Ildanach, this master of all arts, and I will strike his head off and bring it here to you, to the green of Berbhe.”  “It would be a fitting thing for you to do,” said they all.  “Let my ships be made ready for me,” said Bres, “and let food and provisions be put in them.”

So they made no delay, but went and got the ships ready, and they put plenty of food and drink in them, and the two swift Luaths were sent out to gather the army to Bres.  And when they were all gathered, they made ready their armour and their weapons, and they set out for Ireland.

And Balor the king followed them to the harbour, and he said:  “Give battle to that Ildanach, and strike off his head; and tie that island that is called Ireland to the back of your ships, and let the destroying water take its place, and put it on the north side of Lochlann, and not one of the Men of Dea will follow it there to the end of life and time.”

Then they pushed out their ships and put up their painted sails, and went out from the harbour on the untilled country, on the ridges of the wide-lying sea, and they never turned from their course till they came to the harbour of Eas Dara.  And from that they sent out an army through West Connacht and destroyed it altogether, through and through.  And the King of Connacht at that time was Bodb Dearg, son of the Dagda.

CHAPTER II.  THE SONS OF TUIREANN

And Lugh of the Long Hand was at that time at Teamhair with the King of Ireland, and it was showed to him that the Fomor were after landing at Eas Dara.  And when he knew that, he made ready Manannan’s horse, the Aonbharr, at the time of the battle of the day and night; and he went where Nuada the king was, and told him how the Fomor had landed at Eas Dara and had spoiled Bodb Dearg’s country; “and it is what I want,” he said, “to get help from you to give battle to them.”  But Nuada was not minded to avenge the destruction that was done on Bodb Dearg and not on himself, and Lugh was not well pleased with his answer, and he went riding