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Cath
Cinn Abrat
"The Battle of Cenn Abrat"
Editions
- M. Dillon
(ed & tr), 'The Lecan Text of the Battle of Cenn Abrat', Publications of the Modern Language
Association of America LX (1945) 10-15.
- M. O Daly
(ed & tr), Cath Maige Mucrama:
The Battle of Mag Mucrama (Dublin 1975) 74-87.
- A. Scarre
(ed), 'Cath Cinn Abrad ann so sis', O. J. Bergin, R. I. Best, K.
Meyer, & J. G. O'Keeffe (eds), Anecdota from Irish Manuscripts II. (Dublin 1908) 76-80.
Manuscripts
- The Book of Lecan 192ra1.
- RIA C i 2
Date
- Ninth century
(O Daly 18)
Characters
- Ailill Mosaulum (alias Ailill Ólomm), son of Mog
Nuadat and king of southern Ireland from Clanna Dergthened (prehistoric
ancestors of the Éoganachta)
- Mac Con, son of Lugaid Loígde from an
Érainn people known as the Dáirine (prehistoric ancestors
of the Corco Loígde)
- Éogan Mór, son of Ailill
- Eochaid Find Fúath nAirt mac Feidlimid, brother
of Conn Cétchathach and ally of Ailill. Eochaid is regarded as the
ancestor of the Fothairt.
- Coirpre Músc, eponymous ancestor of the
Múscraige and ally of Ailill
- The following characters are mentioned as allies of Mac Con, but
they play no part in the narrative:
- Neimed mac Sraibgind, king of the Érainn
- Lugchorb mac Temais, king of the Mairtine
- Óengus mac Lámgáe, king of the
southern Laigin
- Eocho mac Buidi, king of the nothern Laigin
- Finn ua Baíscni, the son of Mac Con's maternal aunt and
ally of Mac Con.
Notes
- The story of this battle also forms part of Cath Maige Mucrama, but there are
many important differences between the two accounts.
- This text is sympathetic to Mac Con and portrays Ailill and
Éogan in a treacherous light.
Summary
This saga begins with Mac Con and Ailill mustering their
troops for the battle of Cenn Abrat. Ailill and Éogan come up with a plan to get Coirpre
Músc, their ally, to kill Mac Con. They decide to make
peace with Mac Con without telling Coirpre, so that he will be
enraged and attack him. (Some prior bad blood between Mac Con and Coirpre is assumed, but in the text there is no indication of what precipitated
it.) Ailill arranges a meeting with Mac Con on the top of Cenn
Abrat. There, Mac Con asks Ailill to name the terms (i.e. specify what
compensation he will give him). Ailill, however, refuses any terms
save those that Mac Con names
himself. At that moment, Mac Con suspects a trap.
About this time, the three Coirpri--Coirpre Músc, Coirpre
Baschaín, and Coirpre Rigfota--hear that Ailill is making peace
with Mac Con in spite of them. The three Coirpri head off in a
rage. As Mac Con sees them approach, he realizes he has too few
men to fight them off. The battle begins and Mac Con's forces are
routed. Do Déra, Mac Con's fool, disguises himself as his
master and is killed by Coirpre Músc. Coirpre, however,
realizes his mistake and wounds the real Mac Con as the
latter makes his escape. He convalesces at Rosach Rúad and
then flees Ireland. Later, Mac Con returns to seize the kingship.
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