Structure
Part I: South of Armagh (Ulster-Midlands)
Ar tabhuirtt chatha Chomuir ⁊ chatha Gabra ⁊ chatha Ollurbha, ⁊ ar n-díthugud na Féindi ...
Following a series of battles, the Fían, i.e. the fían of Finn mac Cumaill, has been destroyed and its few remaining survivors are dispersed across Ireland. A small remnant from this bygone age survives into the time of St Patrick’s advent in Ireland: aged, weakened and sorrowful, Finn’s son Oisín and Finn’s nephew Caílte still wander about, each with a band of followers. One day, having travelled to the area of Louth, they seek hospitality for the night and find a welcome and lavish reception in the home of Lady Cáma, who used to be Finn’s guardian. Oisín and Caílte part ways. While Oisín goes to visit his mother Blaí at Síd Ochta Cleitig (a síd-mound), Caílte journeys southwards to Ráith Droma Deirc (Ford of the Red Ridge), the site of Finn’s residence.
Following Dooley and Roe (1999), this section of the Acallam may be treated as a prologue in that it occurs before Caílte’s (first) meeting with St Patrick.
Is annsin do bhói Pátraic ac cantain na canóine coimdheta
‘Maith’, ar Pátraic, ‘in táinic ár próind ⁊ ár tomhaltus chucaind fós?’
Patrick shares dinner with Caílte and his company and asks him about Finn’s character, the key to their survival, and the drinking vessels of the Fían. Caílte recites a poem in which he reminisces about the drinking horns and other vessels belonging to members of the Fían.
Ocus innis óirscél ele dhúin
First day of the acallam (third part), incl. the story of Artúir and Bran, Sceolaing and Adnúall, ed. Whitley Stokes, ‘Acallamh na senórach’ in Irische Texte mit Wörterbuch... (1900): lines 164–289; tr. Ann Dooley • Harry Roe, Tales of the elders of Ireland (1999): 8–11. Cf. Aígidecht Artúir (lost). The episode has been discussed by Joseph Falaky Nagy, ‘Arthur and the Irish’ in A companion to Arthurian literature... (2009); Bart Jaski, ‘Early Irish examples of the name ‘Arthur’’, Zeitschrift für celtische Philologie 56 (2007); and Phillip A. Bernhardt-House, ‘Horses, hounds, and high kings: a shared Arthurian tradition across the Irish Sea?’ in Myth in Celtic literatures... (2007).
Ocus do bhátur annsin co táinic maden arnamárach, ⁊ gabais Pátraic a eirredh uime...
On the second day of the acallam (first part), when on the advice of Patrick's guardian angels, Caílte and his fían are convened and baptised by Patrick.
‘Maith, a anum, a Cháilte’, ar Pátraic: ‘gá sealg is ferr fuarudar in Fhiann riamh a n-Eirinn nó a n-Alpain?’
Is annsin ad-connuic Pátraic dúnad ⁊ degh-árus uaid budhdes gach n-dírech
Ocus nír chian dóibh (ann co) facadar in t-aen-óclách andes gach n-direch dá n-inn(saigid co n-degh-éc)usc
Is and sin ro fhiarfaig Pátraic do Cháilte: ‘ga lín m-bráthar do bhi ac Finn?’
Is andsin ro fiarfaig Pátraic do Cháilte: ‘in rabatar airfitigh acuib-se isin Féinn?’
Part II: Munster
Nír' chian dóibh asa h-aithle co facadar in móirseser gilla mór dán-innsaigid
Eógan Lethderg, the king of Munster, invites Patrick to Munster. Patrick invites Caílte to accompany him there and departs. Patrick’s itinerary is described in some detail. Eógan Lethderg pays homage to the saint and returns to his court. Patrick performs many miracles in the area.
‘Maith a anum, a Cháilte’, ar Pátraic, ‘crét uma tucadh Findtulach ar an tulaig-so ara tám?’
Ed. Whitley Stokes, ‘Acallamh na senórach’ in Irische Texte mit Wörterbuch... (1900): lines 718–871 (cf. Myles Dillon, Stories from the Acallam (1970)); tr. Ann Dooley • Harry Roe, Tales of the elders of Ireland (1999): 24–28. First day of the acallam in Munster (first part). Caílte and Patrick converse at Finntulach (‘Fair hill’). After explaining the origin of the name of the hill, Caílte goes on to tell of the battle of Finntráig (Ventry) and recount the tragic story of Cáel mac Crimthainn and Créde ingen Cairbri Cnesbháin.
Nír' chian dóibh iarsin co facadar in dirim degh-shluaig da n-innsaigid
Bran mac Deirg, son of the king of Munster, arrives to pay homage to Patrick and to learn the arts of the fían (fiannaigecht) with Caílte. The entire company sets out for Cenn Abrat (Ballyhowra Mountains).
Caílte remembers how the Fían attempted to hunt an elusive stag known as Líath na Trí mBenn.
While Patrick stays at Ardpatrick, a hunt is organised about the Lake of Cows. On refusing to share his bounty with the churchmen, Bran is struck with abdominal pain and Patrick cures him in return for customary tribute. Caílte urges his hunting company to move on and recites a last poem before departure.
Ocus imthigid in sluagh cona n-oiribh sealga forro co Cend Abrat Sleibi Cain, conice inadh in longpuirt a m-bidís an Fíand
Part IIIa. Connacht
Ocus nír' cian do bhátar ann co bh-fhacatar in móirsheiser da n-innsaigid
Patrick is invited to spread the Gospel in Connacht and goes north, apparently accompanied by Caílte and his retinue. The itinerary is described. A tent is set up near Loch Cróine (Lough Croan, Co. Roscommon), where Muiredach Mór mac Fínnachta, king of Connacht, and the nobles of the province pay homage to him.
Dála Pátraic immorro, tainic amach asin pupaill, ⁊ suidis ar an bh-fhirt fótbhaigh
Patrick sits on the earthen mound where Oisín’s son Oscar once fought his first battle. Caílte explains that it was fought over Níam, daughter of Áed Donn, king of Ulster. Oscar loved her, but she was promised in marriage to Áed, son of Fidach, king of Connacht. The two rivals met in battle, Oscar with the Fían and Áed with the aid of reinforcements sent to him by Cormac, king of Tara. Áed and Níam’s father were killed in the event, while Oscar was victorious. Broccán, Patrick’s scribe, records the tale in writing.
Maith, a anum, a Cháilte’, ar Pátraic, ‘cia in fert-sa ar an tulaig ar a tám?’
Having identified the burial mounds of two royal sons of the Fían, Caílte tells the stories of their deaths: Airnélach, who died of shame from the threat of satire, and Sálbuide, who died in pursuit of a fairy deer. Patrick grants Heaven to both of them.
Is andsin do fhiarfaig Pátraic do Cháilti: ‘créd ro dithaig sibh uili in bar bh-Fhéinn?’
Story of the battle of Ollarba, ed. Whitley Stokes, ‘Acallamh na senórach’ in Irische Texte mit Wörterbuch... (1900): lines 1093–1147; tr. Ann Dooley • Harry Roe, Tales of the elders of Ireland (1999): 35–36, where the poem is translated in part, covering the last six (out of 18) stanzas. Caílte tells that the Fían took ruinous losses from the battles of Gabair and Ollarba. He elaborates on the latter, which was fought against Lugaid Mac Con’s son Fothad. Much of the story comes in the form of a poem attributed to Finn, which has not survived intact in the manuscript. Patrick’s scribe Broccán commits the tale to writing.
Is annsin ro fiarfaig Caínen mac Failbhe, meic Ferghusa, meic Eogain Mhoir do Cháilti ...
Lore concerning deaths during and after the reign of Mac Con, ed. Whitley Stokes, ‘Acallamh na senórach’ in Irische Texte mit Wörterbuch... (1900): lines 1147–1204; tr. Ann Dooley • Harry Roe, Tales of the elders of Ireland (1999).
Various death-tales relating to the Cycles of Lugaid Mac Con (and his son Fothad [Airgthech]), Ailill Ólomm and Fiachu Muillethan are alluded to, all of them in response to questions asked by Cainén mac Failbi, a descendant of Eógan Mór and hence of Ailill Ólomm.
(1) Cainén asks Caílte where Ailill Ólomm, Sadb ingen Chuinn, Ferchis the poet and Ailill’s seven sons died. Caílte enumerates these places, hinting at the circumstances of their deaths.
(2) Caílte also explains to Cainén that Áth Iseal, i.e. Áth Tuisil (‘the Ford of the Fall’), is so named because Fiachu Muillethan, son of Eógan Mór, died here at the hands of Connla Derg.
(3) Cormac Cas, king of Munster, was a son of Ailill Ólomm. He was wounded after the battle of Samain, in which his opponent Eochaid Abratrúad, king of Ulster, perished. Although he sustained a head-wound which caused his brains to leak, he remained king of Munster for another 13 years. He died at Dún Trí Liacc.
Caílte revisits these stories in a poem.Dála Mhuiredhaig mheic Fhinnachta rígh Connacht indister asa h-aithle-sin
Patrick restores Áed mac Muiredaig to life, ed. Whitley Stokes, ‘Acallamh na senórach’ in Irische Texte mit Wörterbuch... (1900): lines 1205–1234; tr. Ann Dooley • Harry Roe, Tales of the elders of Ireland (1999): 38. Áed, the young son of the king of Connacht (Muiredach mac Fínnachta), dies suddenly after a game of hurling. His death is deeply mourned. Muiredach and his wife Aífe, daughter of the king of Ulster, go to Patrick, hoping or expecting that he can bring their son back to life. Patrick is moved by Aífe’s grief and that of other mourners with her. By administering three drops of consecrated water to the dead boy’s mouth, he restores him back to life. The people show fealty to Patrick and according to one version, lavish many gifts on him.
Part IIIb: Connacht
⁊ do bádar annsin re h-edh na h-oidhche-sin co tainic lá cona lan-soillsi
Ocus do bádar annsin re h-edh na h-aidhchi-sin, ⁊ do éirghetar co moch arnamhárach
Patrick, Caílte and Muiredach arrive at Cnoc na Ríg, later Úarán nGarad, where Patrick miraculously causes a well and three streams to spring up. Caílte recounts two interwoven stories, first showing how the Fían was nearly destroyed on Cnoc na Ríg following a game of fidchell.
Ocus do éirghetar in slógh rompu do Carnd na h-Airmi
Dála Cáilti immorro, ráinic roime budthuaidh co leathan-Magh Luirg in Dagda
Síd of Ess Rúaid
(Ocus do bátar ann re h-edh na h-aidhche-sin, ocus) tángatar rompu arnamhárach tar Es Ruaid Mheic Mhoduirn, ⁊ co Sídh Aedha Esa Ruaid...
Episode concerning the Síd of Ess Rúaid: first part of the story, in which the heroes meet Derg Díanscothach mac Eógain -- incl. the stories of Cuinnscléo and the horse of Díl; ed. Whitley Stokes, ‘Acallamh na senórach’ in Irische Texte mit Wörterbuch... (1900): lines 1559–1621; tr. Ann Dooley • Harry Roe, Tales of the elders of Ireland (1999): 48–50.
As annsin táinicc Derg Dianscothach roime isin sídh anunn d’urfhuigeall Cháilti re h-Ilbreac Easa Ruaid
Derg Díanscothach goes to Ilbrecc (of Assaroe) and Áed Mínbrecc in the síd, tells of Caílte, arranges for them a meeting. Caílte is allowed in and learns of the war between Ilbrecc and Lir of the Síd of Finnachad. Caílte brings down a destructive bird [and later recounts the tale of Finn and Aillén].
Is annsin tuc Ilbreac a láim secha suas...
Is annsin ro tócbait a cuirn ⁊ a cupada...
Maith, a anum, a Cháilti’, ar Ilbrec Esa Ruaidh...
Ed. Whitley Stokes, ‘Acallamh na senórach’ in Irische Texte mit Wörterbuch... (1900): lines 1825–1867, beg. ‘Maith, a anum, a Cháilti’, ar Ilbrec Esa Ruaidh...'; tr. Ann Dooley • Harry Roe, Tales of the elders of Ireland (1999): 56–57. Síd of Ess Rúaid, part 5: how in Snám Dá Én (near Clonmacnoise), Finn discovered the truth about Conán and Ferdoman and found belief.
Táinic roimhe Cáilte in naenbhar óclach sin...
North Connacht: Tír Chonaill
ll. 1937-2033
ll. 2034-2084
ll. 2085-2197
ll. 2198-2264
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