he lifted his hand to lay the Bachall-Isa on it; but he could not, as the
idol inclined over to its right side (for towards the south its face was
turned), and the mark of the _bachall_ lives yet in its left side,
although the _bachall_ did not leave Patrick's hand. And the ground
swallowed the other twelve idols as far as their heads; and they are in
that condition in commemoration of the prodigy. And he cursed the demon
(idol), and banished him to hell; and he called all the people, with king
Laeghaire, who worshipped the idols; and all saw him (the demon), and
feared death unless Patrick would banish him to hell. His _graif_
(fibula) fell from Patrick's garment whilst maintaining the conflict and
valor against the idol. He cut away all the heath in the place until he
found his _graif_, and no heath grows in that place, nor in the plain
besides. And he founded a church in that place, _i.e._,
Domhnach-Maighe-Slecht, and left there Mabran Barbarus, Patrick's
relative and prophet, and Patrick's well is there, ubi baptizavit multos.
Patrick went afterwards into the territory of Connacht, over Snamhda-en,
across the Shannon, where he found a ford, viz.: the land (bed of the
river) rose up under Patrick in the ford, and the learned will yet find
that _esker_. And Patrick landed (_i.e._, on the Connacht side of the
Shannon) immediately, and then it was that Buadmael, Patrick's
charioteer, died, and was buried there. Cill-Buaidhmael is the name (of
the church), and it is appropriate to Patrick. When Laeghaire Mac
Neill's druids (_i.e._, Mael and Caplait, two brothers, who had fostered
Laeghaire's two daughters, Ethne the Fair, and Feidelm the Red) heard all
that Patrick had done, they brought thick darkness over all Magh-Nai,
through the power of the demon, for the space of three days and three
nights. Patrick thereupon prayed to God, and bent his knees, and blessed
the plain, so that there was darkness for the druids, and light for all
others. And he gave thanks to God, and all the darkness was banished
from Magh-Ai. And they went past the Shannon to Duma-graidh, where he