It was on the Saturday afternoon, sometime roughly around half past five, shortly after O'Donovan and his colleague had completed their survey of the eastern end of the strand and the two men had been packing away their measuring sticks, that O'Donovan next saw the tinker, walking along the cobbled road towards O'Donoghue's pub. O'Donovan couldn't be certain but he felt as though the glancing smile that the tinker had thrown his way as he entered the pub may have indicated that his presence therein would be welcomed, and even, perhaps required. Then, as if to confirm this, one of the fishermen told him that he'd better hurry in there, saying it wasn't the done thing to keep a man like the tinker waiting. And so O'Donovan left his colleague to finish packing up the gear and entered the pub where he saw the tinker sat in the corner in the same place they'd taken the night before, two pints of porter already set up on the table.
The tinker's warm smile greeted O'Donovan as he approached, and a barely perceptible nod of the head was taken by O'Donovan as an invitation for him to take the seat opposite. The tinker then removed the cap from his fine head and taking a swallow from the tankard, drew a breath and began the next part of his story, as had been promised the night before.
And this is the story the tinker told, detailed as well as O'Donovan could remember it when he wrote it down with pen and paper later that evening, of the strange vision of the wife of O'Breslein and the tale of the Yellow Knight
"Now, on a certain night, when O'Breslein and his wife were in bed in O' Breisléin's dún in Fanad the wife saw a strange vision. She fancied that there came over the sea horrible monsters, and that they overpowered all the country. Everybody considered that a strange vision, and they despatched a messenger to describe it to the Monk of the Visions, and the interpretation he put upon it was that a great fleet would come from overseas, and would make a conquest of all their lands. Wherefore, they adopted a plan as follows: whatever expedition would first come to them, that they would billet it over all their territory, and afterwards slay each household of them, so that none of them might escape with his life.
Thereafter Eoin Mac Sween and his foster-father, Mac Gofradha of the Isles, came to Ireland on a trip of youth's pleasure and amusement, and they put in to Ceann Maghair Atha (Rinnaweer) to cut timber for the making of ships. And they sought food from everyone on all sides, and they got it from all except the O' Breisléins. The answer they got from these was that they would give no entertainment to anyone save to those who would come to them in their own houses. The reason they spake so was that they intended to murder all who were on the expedition. The others, having no such evil intentions towards the country as the country had towards them, replied that they thought the offer very generous. Then they came, and they were billeted over all the land, and Eoin and his foster-father, Mac Gofradha, were brought to Dún an Chairbrigh and to O' Breisléin's own house.
When they had been some time in the house, and the hour for eating had come, they saw
O' Breisléin and his sons entering in a body with shields and swords. While as Eoin and his party were entering a little before, the attendants of the house approached them and deprived them of all their weapons. And it is said it was on that very day that Eoin had first taken arms, and so he had refused to surrender them; and they so despised him for his youth that they considered it no harm that he should retain his weapon. When O' Breisléin and his family came in, as has been described, he rushed towards them with a fierce onset, and fed on them a rough injurious smiting of the burnished broad keen sword he held in his hand. The end of their engagement was that O' Breisléin and his sons, and all his people, were slain by them, and by the other side MacGofradha was killed without Eoin's knowing of it. Then Eoin departed, bringing all his followers with him out of every place they were, and he proceeded to make his way to Scotland. Now, as [on setting forth for O' Breisléin's house] they left the above-mentioned timber behind them, Mac Gofradha cast a magic mist over it, so that no one might discover it till they came back to it again. But since he was slain, that timber was never found from that day to this. And it is the famous wood wherein the Clann MacSweeney are fated to sail to Scotland at some future time.
These were the names this Eoin had, namely: Eoin na Láimhe Maith' (Eoin of the Good Hand); Eoin 'na ningnadh' (Eoin of the Wonders); Eoin na 'Egnambia' (Eoin of the Prowess) and 'An Ridere Buidhe ' (The Yellow Knight).
He was a noble wondrous man who travelled many lands in all the world because of his greatness, his deeds and his exploits. For no sword or weapon ever drew blood of him. He always carried two swords, and with equal dexterity he smote every opponent. He made three portions of everyone he hit, and he was the last man in Ireland and in Scotland who employed two swords as with two right hands. Once this Eoin was with his foster-father in Scotland, and the foster-father's people, that is, Mac Gofradha's, set out to defend their lands and patrimony, and Eoin joined them. However, they did not proceed in the same direction. He chanced to fall in with a party. He attacked them, and there fell by him sixteen of them. When the King of Scotland heard of this and many other of the deeds of Eoin, he sent for him, and said it was improper that a young man so great and famous as he should be elsewhere in Scotland, and not with the King himself. And he went to the King and the King took him as his foster-child and his own champion. On another occasion the King of Scotland went to meet the King of England at the bridge of Berwick, between Scotland and England. The King of Scotland had with him sixteen men, and the King of England sixteen hundred. And on either side they came to a parley. There the King of England declared war on the King of Scotland, and they selected a day a month later for the giving of battle.
"Shall you respond then, lord ? " said Eoin to the King.
"It would be a disgrace for us to decline a battle," said the King.
"Why not, then, give it at this moment?" said Eoin.
"What assistance shall you render us ?" asked the King.
"A goodly support," replied Eoin, "for I myself will check his champions, while ye keep off the remainder."
And when the King heard that, he forthwith ordered an attack on the King of England. Whereupon they assailed each other strongly, fiercely, and wildly, and delivered a furious, bloody battle to each other, and the King of England was defeated, and suffered innumerable losses. And the King and Eoin retumed, having gained a glorious victory. After that, on another occasion, this Eoin we speak of was with the King of Scotland, and he and another foster-child of the King, the son of the Great Steward of Marr, chanced to play together. And out of the playing there arose a dispute between Eoin and the Great Steward's son, in which the Great Steward's son fell at the hands of Eoin. Whereupon the King became enraged exceedingly, and when Eoin observed his anger, he submitted himself to whatever judgment he would pass upon him. The judgment the King passed was that he should leave Scotland, and not return till the end of a year.
And so Eoin then set out for Ireland with a great, immense fleet. The spot where he landed in Ireland was in Fanad, for he meant to avenge the insult to himself and his foster-father, Mac Gofradha, on the O' Breisléins. The O' Breisléins set about opposing him with all their people, but he, with fierce attack, furiously, courageously, and with spirited forces, came to land in spite of them, and commenced with great effect to mutilate and slaughter them. It were impossible to describe it in full, but for certain O' Breisléin and his people were put to flight. It was there their ruin was effected, so that from then till now they have remained submerged. That was the rout of Crann Cuillmin in Fanad, after which Eoin seized all the country and dwelt there ever after, and he was the first Mac Sweeney who made a settlement in Fanad.
Some time after that O' Domhnaill came to avenge his kinsmen on Mac Sween, and Mac
Sween collected all his followers, Scots and Irish. They gave battle to each other at Gort Cathlaighe (Gortcally) and the Scots put O' Domhnaill to flight in the beginning. The rout continued till he came to Mulán na nAlbanach in Achadh Bunursann. There O' Domhnaill threw them back, and many of the Scots were slain at that place, and that is why it is called Mulán na nAlbanach to-day.
After that defeat Eoin remained a long period without war or battle in the lordship of that
country, and when he had spent the rest of his life in peace and prosperity, his death-sickness
overtook him in the islands of Ceann Maghair Atha. When O' Domhnaill heard of that illness he gathered his hosts and his forces, and summoned O' Néill to himself that the two might attack Mac Sween. And having come together, they despatched messengers to Mac Sween to discover how he was, and to conclude a peace with him if he was better; and if he were not, to proclaim war on him. When he heard that these emissaries were approaching, he asked that apples and milk should be brought to him. He arose from his bed and dressed himself in all his habiliments, and when the envoys came into his presence, he requested O' Néill's messenger to lay bare his shin before him. And he threw an apple at him, and it is affirmed that therewith he stripped a bone in the shin of the messenger. As the envoys considered that he was powerful and healthy they made peace as they were ordered on behalf of O' Domhnaill and O' Néill. On their return to the armies they announced that Mac Sween was well and that they had concluded peace on behalf of their masters. And when the armies heard that they separated, and after that retumed home.
As for Mac Sween, he died the night following the departure of the envoys, and the
above-mentioned cast was his last."
The tinker slowly took to his feet, again stooping to avoid the ceiling beams and replacing his cap, turned back to O'Donovan, "Tomorrow is Sunday, but I'll be back the day after. If you're here I'll tell you the story of the trials and tribulations of Murchadh Mear 'The Crazy'. Then he turned and barely acknowledged the calls of farewell that each and every man who was there made.
"There he goes", said one.
"Fine fellow", said another.
"Good evening to you, MacSweeney" chimed in yet another, but the tinker was gone, the door quietly closing as the pub returned to its normal, noisy ways and the fiddles, pipes and drums struck up another tune.
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