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Editions

• S. H. O'Grady (ed. & tr.), Silva Gadelica (London 1892) I.330-6; II.373-8.

• Whitley Stokes (ed. & tr.), ‘The Death of Crimthann son of Fidach, and the Adventures of the Sons of Eochaid Muigmedón’, RC xxiv (1903) 172-189.
  

Manuscripts

• The Yellow Book of Lecan, col. 898-906

• The Book of Ballymote
  

Date

• According to Dillon, this story ‘belongs perhaps to the eleventh century' (Cycles 30).
  

Characters

• Eochaid Muigmedón mac Muiredaig Tírig: king of Ireland from Dál Cuinn.  Eochaid is the husband of Mongfhind ingen Fhidaig and by her the father of Brían (alias Brión), Fíachra, Fergus, and Ailill.  By Cairenn Casdub ingen Scáil, he is the father of Níall Noígíallach, the eponymous ancestor of the Uí Néill.

• Brían (alias Brión): son of Eochaid Muigmedón and the eponymous ancestor of the Uí Briúin (an important Connacht dynasty)

• Fíachra: son of Eochaid Muigmedón and the eponymous ancestor of the Uí Fíachrach (an important Connacht dynasty)

• Ailill: son of Eochaid Muigmedón and the eponymous ancestor of the Uí Ailello (a minor Connacht dynasty)

• Fergus: son of Eochaid Muigmedón.  Fergus’s descendants did not achieve political prominence.

• Sithchend: a druid associated with Eochaid’s household

• Crimthann Már mac Fidaig (d. in fifth century): king of Ireland and Scotland.  Crimthann is a descendant of Ailill Ólomm (and therefore of the Éoganachta) but his line did not survive.  Aside from this story, his death tale, Crimthann appears in some of the legends of Conall Corc.

• Níall Noígíallach (d. in fifth century): king of Tara and the eponymous ancestor of the Uí Néill.

• Nathí mac Fíachrach (d. in fifth century): king of Tara from the Uí Fíachrach of Connacht.

• Eochaid mac Crimthainn: the son of Crimthann mac Fidaig and the leader of the men of Munster (The text does not state whether or not he was king of the province).  After defeating Fíachra in battle, Eochaid is said to be king of Ireland.

• Lugaid Menn mac Óengusso Tírig: an ancestor of Dál Cais.

• Eterscél: mythological Érainn king of Munster and the (human) father of Conaire Mór.
  

Notes

• Stokes’ edition does not contain the full text of the poems quoted in the saga, but they can be found in full in O’Grady’s edition.

• In some respects, this text is a sequel to Echtra mac nEchach Muigmedóin.  It relates the fates of the men who became the eponymous ancestors of ‘Three Connachta’.  However, the prominence of Crimthann mac Fidaig, his son Eochaid mac Crimthainn, and the success of the Munstermen in wresting the land known as Thomond from Connacht suggests that this text—at least at some point in its history—had a Munster bias.  The text, in fact, might have originated in Thomond.

Summary

By his wife Mongfhind, Eochaid Muigmedón, king of Ireland, had four sons—Brían, Fíachra, Ailill, and Fergus.  One night, Mongfhind had a dream that her boys transformed into dogs and fought with one another until Brían finally asserted his dominance.  In the morning, she related her vision to the druid Sithchenn who confirmed its veracity; the descendants of her sons would fight amongst themselves, but eventually Brían’s kindred would come out on top.

Some time after this, Eochaid died, and his sons began fighting amongst themselves for his kingdom—Níall (Eochaid’s son by Cairenn Casdub) on the one side and the four sons of Mongfhind on the other.  However, Mongfhind soon realized that Brían would not win the fight, so she used her witchcraft (an cach ceird draídechta 7 aimidechta) to persuade the men of Ireland to make her brother, Crimthann mac Fidaig, king.  In the meantime, she sent Brían abroad to study soldiery and whatever other skills he needed in order to become a powerful king.  When he returned to Ireland seven years later, Brían looked every bit the regal warrior.

At about this same time, Crimthann went on a royal tour of Ireland and Scotland, and while he was away, his nephews seized his lands, but Crimthann returned with an army and drove them away.  Mongfhind, then, invited her brother to a feast under the pretense of making peace between him and her sons, but her real intention was to poison him, so that Brían could seize the kingship.  At the feast, however, Crimthann refused to drink the cup she offered him until she herself drank from it.  Mongfhind drank without hesitation and then handed the cup to Crimthann who also took a drink.  Soon thereafter, on the Eve of Samain, Mongfhind died from the poison, and according to the saga writer, certain ignorant people still offer up prayers to her on the Eve of Samain (conid de cuindgid mná 7 dáescursluag itcheada Aidchi Samna fuirri).  Crimthann traveled south to his native land of Fir Muman but soon succumbed to the poison and was buried at Fert Crimthainn.

Despite Mongfhind’s murder-suicide, Brían did not succeed to the kingship.  It was instead taken by his half-brother, Níall Noígíallach, who allowed Brían to function as his champion and as the levier of his rents and hostages.  Later, Brían seized the kingship of Connacht, and this action brought him into conflict with his brother Fíachra.  Their armies met in battle at Damchluain.  Although his son Nathí escaped, Fíachra was defeated and taken as a captive to Tara.

This, however, did not end the hostilities.  Nathí rallied the forces of Uí Fíachrach and marched against Brían, who was encamped at Damchluain.  Before the battle, Drithliu, the druid, told Brían he would not survive the battle and that Nathí would be a great king.  Brían blessed his children and was slain the next day.  He was subsequently buried at Ross Camm.

After this second battle of Damchluain, Níall Noígíallach released Fíachra and installed him in Brían’s former position as king of Connacht and as his champion and levier of hostages.

About this same time, Ailill and Fíachra gathered an army and went to levy tribute and hostages from the Munstermen.  Although Fíachra was severely wounded, he and Ailill defeated Eochaid mac Crimthainn and headed home with loot and hostages.  However, Fíachra died at Forrach in Meath.  As a tribute to him and as a disgrace to their enemies, the Munster hostages were buried alive in his tomb (ro hadnaiced na géill tuctha andeas 7 siad beoa im ferta Fiachra).

After Fíarchra’s death, Ailill was taken prisoner by Eochaid mac Crimthainn, the king of Ireland, and subsequently executed.  From then on, there was much war between the men of Connacht and the men of Munster, especially over the disputed territory of Thomond.  That land was eventually won for Munster by Lugaid Menn mac Óengusso Tírig, as an éraic for Crimthann mac Fidaig.  Munster also acquired the land of Osraige as an éraic for Eterscél, who was slain by the Laigin.