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Edition

• M. Ní Dobbs (ed), 'From the Book of Fermoy', ZCP 20 (1935) 161-184.
  

Manuscripts

• The Book of Fermoy (pp. 72-80)
  

Date

• Late Middle Irish or Early Modern Irish
  

Characters (major characters only)

• Conn Cétchathach, king of Tara from Dál Cuinn (prehistoric ancestors of the Connachta and Uí Néill)
• Eochaid Rind (?=Eochaid Finn Fuath nAirt, Conn's brother and ancestor of the Fothairt)
  
• Fiacha Suige, Conn's brother and ancestor of the Déisi
• Tibraide mac Máil, king of Ulaid from Dál nAraide.
  
• Art Coirpithi, son of Fiacha Suige
  
• Conaire mac Mogha Lámha, king of Ireland after Conn from Clanna Dedad (the Múscraige of east Munster)
• Art mac Cuinn, son of Conn and king of Ireland after Conaire
• Lugaid Mac Con, king of Ireland after Art from an Érainn people known as the Dáirine (prehistoric ancestors of the Corco Loígde)
  
• Cormac mac Airt, son of Art and king of Ireland after Lugaid Mac Con
• Cellach, son of Cormac
• Cairpre Lifechair, son of Cormac and king of Ireland after his father
• Daire mac Cormac, son of Cormac by a slavewoman
• Finn mac Cumaill, fian-leader
• Aenghus Gaíbuaibthech, champion of the Déisi
• Forrach inghen Shoraig, sister of Aenghus abducted by Cellach as part of the bóraime.
  

Notes

• This text is part of the Cycles of Conn, Art, and Cormac.
  
• It provides an account of the death and burial of Conn along with brief sketches of the careers of Art and Cormac.  There are also sections dealing with the bóraime and the expulsion of the Déisi.
  
• Unfortunately, the margins of the Book of Fermoy are damaged, making some words at the end of the lines illegible.  As a result, some of the narrative is difficult to follow.
  

Eochaid Rind and Fiacha Suige decide to betray their brother Conn, king of Ireland, to the Ulaid, with whom their family has been feuding for generations.  They send Art Coirpithi, Fiacha’s son, to Tibraide mac Máil, king of the Ulaid, telling him to come with 150 warriors in women’s clothing to Tuath Ebhair where Conn is beginning the Feis Temrach.  They are to approach saying that they are Comor ingen Feidlimid (Tibraide’s mother and Conn’s sister) and her train coming to converse with Aífe ingen Feidlimid.  This way they will catch Conn unawares.

Meanwhile, the otherworld woman Rothníamh appears and chants some obscure verses and then departs.  Early Sunday morning, eleven days before Samain, Aífe and her women go out to sheer sheep on the lawn of Tuath Ebrach, where they are joined by Conn and his five bodyguards.  The Ulaid approach dressed as women, but when they get close enough, they throw off their disguises and attack.  Conn and his bodyguards fight well but are eventually slain.  The king is buried at Ros Rind Cluana Dithrimhe with much ceremony, and many people come to bewail his passing.

After this, Conaire mac Modha Lámha becomes king of Ireland and holds the post for the next seven years until he is slain in Munster.  He is succeeded by Art mac Cuinn, who remains wary of his uncles.  Eventually, he drives Eochaid Find to Temair Thíre Tenedh, where he later dies and is buried.  Art then holds the kingship for fifteen years until he is slain at the battle of Mag Mucrama.

Then, Lugaid Mac Con becomes king of Ireland.  He holds the position for the next thirty years until he is driven from Tara by Cormac mac Airt, who then assumes the kingship. For the next forty years, Ireland enjoys a period of unprecedented fertility until Cormac sends his son Cellach to levy the bóruime from the Laigin.  On his return, Cellach abducts Forrach inghen Shoraig.  Her brother, Aenghus Gaíbuaibthech, comes to Tara to free her.  He kills Cellach and inadvertently blinds Cormac in one eye.  As a result of this blemish, Cormac hands over power to Cairpre Lifechair and leaves Tara to dwell at Ráith Aichli.  Then, Cormac sends Fíthal around the country to summon the kings of Ireland to the Mórdháil Uisnigh to make peace with him.  However, a conflict breaks out over the death of Daire mac Cormaic, at which point the text breaks off.