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| Conaire Mor |
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| Conaire's mother, Meas Buachalla, became pregnant by an Otherworld man who came to her in a bird-skin. He told her thatshe would give birth to a son "and that boy may not kill birds and Conaire shall be his name". When Meas Buachalla's husband, King Eterscele, died Conaire was summoned from Magh Life to Tara to determine whether he should succeed the King. On the way he saw some huge black birds and chased them as far as Ath Cliath, harrasing and threatening them. One of the birds shifted shape to that of a man and told Conaire that he would become the new King but that he would die at the hands of "three red men". Years later on the road to Slighe Chualann Conaire went to visit his friend Da Dearga with his champion Mac Cecht at his side. He saw three red haired men preceding him knowing from the prophecy that if they entered the hostel before him, that was where he would die. He tried to persuade them not to enter but they went ahead and he resigned himself to his fate. At the entrance to the hostel an old hag foretold that "neither skin nor flesh of you will escape save what the birds will carry away in their claws". Conaire Mor died at the hands of the red men at the hostel of Da Dearga as had been foretold. "....King or commoner from your fate there is no escape...." |
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