Cruachain [33] to Rath Morgan [22] is about fifty miles. Medb* thus began her cattle raid by travelling across Magh Ai, the plain running south from Cruachain, past the east of Sliab Treblainde, across the top of Cruad-luachrai and across Dub Abuind mBreasa where, according to Hogan, Dún Diarmada or Dundermot was built. This would appear to have been past Castleplunkett [40] and across Caran Hill, towards Dundermot north of the River Suck and crossing the Suck River below Ballymoe [39]. There are two Caran Hills, the first two miles south-east and the other three miles south of Castleplunkett. Both contain barrow graves.
In describing this part of the Táin Bó Flidais, Dobbs writes: ‘In Dundermot townland, east of Ballymoe and down stream from it, on the east bank of the Suck, is a large rath, standing on the high bank above flood level and overlooking the river. The ancient name for the Suck may have been Dublind Brea or ‘the bank above the dark water.’
The interior of the rath, which is roughly circular, measures between 165 and 180 feet in diameter. The fort guards the fords at Ballymoe, and the approaches are over high, dry ground. Before crossing the causeway, Medb* may have stayed at Dundermot [39].
Medb* then goes east towards Slieve Dart on the Galway–Mayo border, which is above Móin Connedha or Tóchar Móna Connedha (‘the causeway across the Bog of Connedha’) between Ballymoe and Dunmore [39]. She presumably used this causeway as she travelled west towards Rath Morgan. Medb then travelled west of Cloonfad in Roscommon and came to the ford at the present Blackford Bridge at the head of low-lying ground on the borders of Roscommon and Mayo. This was an area noted for floods, and here Medb headed north to cross the River Dalgan on the borders between Galway, Roscommon and Mayo. She then headed north along the high ridge near the present road (N83) from Cloonfad to Ballyhaunis. North of present-day Ballyhaunis, she would have come to Loch Mannin [32] which, with Island Lake, was probably a turlough (a type of disappearing lake found mostly in limestone areas) joined by the Mannin River. In Medb’s time this was known as Loch n-Airnedh. Her army, as Dobbs writes, would probably ‘have camped at the southern end of this lake’. Dobbs further says that ‘after leaving Loch n-Airneadh they went to the eastern border of Mothar, and past the west of Magh Sanais’. Hogan also says that Mothar is in Crích Guaire at Damh-inis, in Clew Bay [31]. This is probably the island called Inishdaff, about two miles south-west of Newport.
Medb* then moved north-eastwards to the valley of the River Newport, passed Loch Beltra and camped at the foot of Nemthainn hua n-Amalgaidh or Nephin Mountain. Her men then ran up the mountain, either to get some exercise or simply to see the cairn at its summit, presuming it was there nearly 2,000 years ago. At about a 1,000 feet above ground it was quite a run!
After leaving here, the army was met by the poet Torna who is buried at Dumha Torna, also known as Lios na gCorp, a few hundred yards south of Lahardaun [23/31]. The townland of Tonacrock is south-east from Lahardaun, and one may wonder whether this is Torna’s Rock. This poet should not be confused with Torna Eigeas who fostered and educated Niall of the Nine Hostages, a Leinster king from the fourth century.
A probable route for the army then was to take the high ground to the north of Loch Beltra, leaving the wet marsh of Glen Nephin on their right flank. A stone fight during the night left some of Medb’s* horses dead, and this place was known as Ech Oilech (‘the pillar stone to the horses’). A suggestion for the location of Ech Oilech may be Ballynafulla [31] – Baile na Folanna (‘the bloody townland’). There is a standing stone here, and on the north-west slopes of Nephin Mountain there would have been plenty of available stones. Two miles north of Lahardaun [23] was Dún Átha Fen, three miles south from the Deel River, and it was here that Medb rested after the encounter with the stone attack. Some have associated this fort with Knockfarnagh, a hill one mile south-east from Lahardaun and one mile west from Tonacrock.
Aldridge suggests that on the south-eastern slopes of Nephin lies the burial place of Medb’s* warrior Nochta and that she is buried at Cruach na h-Oinseacha (‘the burial hill of the foolish or giddy women’), though ‘loose’ women may also be implied. This area is close to Cloghbrack [23] (An Cloch Bhreac, ‘the speckled stone’). As to the existence of this stone now, one is left in the land of conjecture. However, local people in the early twentieth century referred to this place as the ‘rath’, and there are two ring forts close to Cloghbrack in the present day, though again if one of them were a mound or a ring barrow then one may well be the burial place of Nochta.
The Glenmasan Manuscript, a fifteenth-century Scottish document, which has the fullest version of the tale, states that Dara Derg cast a spear at Medb* but she bent her head to avoid the weapon, which then pierced the heart of Cainner ‘so that she fell dead’. Cainner was taken out of her chariot, agus do gabastar Meadb lam ar a fert do claide, agus do rindi an laidh – and Medb dug her grave with her hand and sang this lay:
Claidfid fert Cainnire,
Fuil sund sa duma ar n-á dith;
Oir Fermenn mac Dara Deirg
Do telic an t-selg diá ro-d-bí.
Cainner derg ingen Oilella
Agus Medba, is I ro bith,
Ac duma an sgáil,
Ar bhaid ré h-ogaib Emna.
Cele Lugdech mic Conraí
Re secht laithib, lith n-gaili;
Togthar a lia os a lecht,
Dentar a fert do claide.
Dig ye the grave of Cainner
Lying here on the mound slain;
Fermenn son of Dara Derg,
Threw the spear which caused her death.
Red Cainner daughter of Oilill
And Medb, she is the victim,
At the mound of the shade,
The darling of the warriors of Emain.
The spouse of Lugaid son of Curoi,
During seven (short) days, delight of valour;
Raise her pillar above her gravestone,
Dig ye her grave.
[Translated by Professor Donald Mackinnon]
After leaving Dún Átha Fen, Medb’s* army split into two columns, one party camping at Rath Ruadh (‘the red fort’) in the present-day townland of Rathroe, where there is a ring fort south of the river named both the Belladooan and the Rathroe. After this, Medb’s column stopped at Knockroe [24], which is north of the Cloonaghmore River just as it enters Killala Bay; there are five megaliths within a mile of Knockroe and an ogam stone. The area was anciently known as Tulaig Liath (‘stone knoll’) from the huge stones found here. This area has been described by O’Donovan as having ‘several remains of druidical monuments, consisting of great round stones spread over the hill, among which are two of great size that evidently crowned a Druidical Altar’. A townland closeby is named as Carrowmore or Ceathrú Mhór Leacan (‘the district of the great stones’).
Leaving Rathroe and crossing the Belladooan/Rathroe River, Medb* travelled north-west and crossed the River Glenedagh and marched up the Keerglen [23] and into Erris. Prior to this they would have crossed the Ballingen River, which is a continuation of the Keerglen. The Keerglen River was also known as Glen Cainner; another possible burial place for Cainner was Dún Draighin or the ‘Dragon’s Grave’. This grave is noted
