shame and destruction that had been done to their stewards, and they
assembled a great host of the sea-rovers and manned their war-ships,
and the Northern Sea was white with the foam of their oarblades as
they swept down upon the shores of Erinn. And Balor commanded them,
saying, "When ye have utterly destroyed and subdued the people of
Dana, then make fast your ships with cables to the land of Erinn, and
tow it here to the north of us into the region of ice and snow, and it
shall trouble us no longer." So the host of Balor took land by the
Falls of Dara[14] and began plundering and devastating the province of
Connacht.

[14] Ballysodare = the Town of the Falls of Dara, in Co. Sligo.

Then Lugh sent messengers abroad to bring his host together, and
among them was his own father, Kian, son of Canta. And as Kian went
northwards on his errand to rouse the Ulster men, and was now come to
the plain of Murthemny near by Dundealga,[15] he saw three warriors
armed and riding across the plain. Now these three were the sons of
Turenn, by name Brian and Iuchar and Iucharba. And there was an
ancient blood-feud between the house of Canta and the house of Turenn,
so that they never met without bloodshed.

[15] Dundalk.

Then Kian thought to himself, "If my brothers Cu and Kethan were here
there might be a pretty fight, but as they are three to one I would do
better to fly." Now there was a herd of wild swine near by; and Kian
changed himself by druidic sorceries into a wild pig and fell to
rooting up the earth along with the others.