Bruíon Dá Dearga

Hostel at Da Dearga

Drawing of Da Dearga's hostel at Bohernabreena. Shows the Dodder river flowing through hostel. Hostel had several doorways but only one door. Hostel was a bruidhean.

Hostel at Da Dearga

Hostel at Da Dearga

Drawing of Da Dearga's hostel at Bohernabreena. Shows the Dodder river flowing through hostel. Hostel had several doorways but only one door. Hostel was a bruidhean.

Enlarge image

Banishment of Conaire's fostersons

Reign of Conaire his fostersons, the sons of Donn Deasa formed a robber band. Conaire banished them from Ireland.

Banishment of Conaire's fostersons

Banishment of Conaire's fostersons

Reign of Conaire his fostersons, the sons of Donn Deasa formed a robber band. Conaire banished them from Ireland.

Enlarge image

Bhí cáil riamh ar mhuintir na hÉireann as a bhfáilte agus a bhféile. Fadó, bhíodh bruíonta, nó tithe fáilte, ar bhóithre na hÉireann. Bhíodh na bruíonta seo suite, de ghnáth, ag crosbhóthar, doras amháin den teach ar aghaidh gach bealaigh. Chuirtí solas ar lasadh ar feadh na hoíche agus bhíodh stór maith bia agus dí istigh. Bhíodh an seasamh céanna faoin dlí ag maor na bruíne agus a bhíodh ag rí na tíre .

Bhí Bruíon Dá Dearga ar ceann de na tithe fáilte ba mhó cáil in Éirinn. Níl na scoláirí ar aon tuairim faoin áit a raibh sí suite. Síleann cuid díobh go raibh sí suite ar bhruach na Dothra gar do Thamhlacht, nó, tá baile fearainn, a dtugtar Bóthar na Bruíne air, sa cheantar sin.

Tá Toghail (scriosadh) Bruíne Dá Dearga ar cheann de na seanscéalta a bhaineann leis an gceantar.

Bhí rí in Éirinn darbh ainm dó Conaire. Bhí rath agus séan ar an tír faoina réimeas. Thiocfadh deireadh le sin, ámh, gan mhoill. Chuir a chuid mac altramais, mic Donn Deasa, buíon chreachadóiri le chéile, a raibh sé de nós acu muca agus ba a robáil. Rinne siad é seo féachaint cén dochar a d'fhéadfaidis a dhéanamh don rí agus cén phíonós a chuirfeadh sé orthu.

Chuaigh cuid mac Chonaire Mór féin sa bhuíon leo. Gabhadh an t-iomlán acu agus dhíbir Conaire as Éirinn iad. Fad a raibh siad faoi dheoraíocht bhuail siad le Ingcel caoch, a bhí freisin faoi dheoraíocht. Ba mhac leis na Briotanaigh é Ingcel. Bhí an-spéis aige sa mhéid a bhí le rá ag mic altramais Chonaire Mór faoi Éire. Shanntaigh sé saibhreas na tíre.

D'iarr sé ar na deartháireacha cabhrú leis Éire a chreachadh. Chuir siad arm le chéile agus tháinig I dtír ar chósta Bhaile Átha Cliath in aice le Beann Eadair.

An Bhruíon Scriosta go h-Iomlán

Bhí Conaire imithe go deisceart na tíre ag an am sin chun aighneas a réiteach. Ar a bhealach ar ais go Teamhar chinn sé ar stopadh ar feadh na h-oíche. Thug sé cuairt ar a sheanchara, Dá Dearga, sa bhruíon I nGleann an Smóil. Chuir Dá Dearga failte mór roimhe.

Bhí an Bhruíon suite sa chaoi gur shní Abhainn na Dothra trína lár. Bhí go leor doirse ann ach gan ach aon chomhla amháin. Cuireadh an chomhla i pé doras a raibh an ghaoth ag séideadh tríd.

Rinne Ingcel agus a lucht leanúna faire ar an mbruíon. Bhí a fhios acu go raibh Conaire Mór istigh. Bhí an bhruíon lán de laochra, ceoltóiri ag casadh ceoil agus lamhchleasaíocht iontach ar siúl. Bhí Dá Dearga agus a chuid searbhóntaí ag dáileadh bia agus dí.

Rinne Ingcel ionsaí ar an mbruíon agus thimpeallaigh í. Thosnaigh coimhlint mhór. Cuireadh an bhruíon trí thine, ach múchadh an tine. Thug Conaire Mór agus a lucht leanúna fogha faoin namhad. Maraíodh na céadta. D'ionsaigh an namhad an bhruíon arís agus chuir trí thine arís í. Cuireadh an bhruíon trí thine trí huaire agus múchadh na lasracha le huisce ón Dothra agus leis an bhfíon a bhí sa teach trí huaire.

D'iarr Ingcel ar dhuine dá dhraoithe Conaire a chur faoi dhraíocht. Tháinig tart uafásach ar Chonaire dá dheasca seo. Bhí troid mhór déanta ag Conaire ach níorbh fhéidir leis troid a thuilleadh gan deoch a fháil. D'impigh sé deoch uisce. Bhí an t-uisce ídithe de bharr múchadh na tine. D'imigh duine dá ghiollaí, Mac Cecht, ar thóir uisce don rí.

Shiúil Mac Cecht Éire uile ar thóir uisce. Lean an troid ach bhí Conaire marbh leis an dtart. Faoi dheireadh d'aimsigh MacCecht Uisce I Loch Gara i Ros Comáin. Líon sé an soitheach órga.

Nuair a d'fhill sé ar an mbruíon, áfach, bhí na cosantoirí uile marbh roimhe. Chonaic sé beirt de na hionsaitheoirí ag baint an chloigeann de Chonaire. Mharaigh sé iad agus dhoirt an t-uisce trí mhuineál Chonaire a bhí gan chloigeann. Ghabh ceann an rí buíochas leis agus fuair bás ansin. Bhí an bhruíon scriosta go h-iomlán.

Dá Dearga's Hostel

Irish people have always been noted for their friendly welcome and hospitality. In ancient times, along the roads of Ireland there were public houses of hospitality called Bruidheans (breens). A bruidhean was always set at the junction of several roads, with a door facing every road. It had a light burning all night, and was always well stocked with food and drink. The Bruighead was by law, given the same protection as the king of the territory.

One of the most famous of these houses of hospitality was the Bruidhean Da Dearga. The actual site of Da Dearga's hostel has caused much debate among scholars down through the years. However Bohernabreena (Bóthar na Bruine), is the name of a townland on the banks of the Dodder. It means "the road of the hostel". Many scholars have thought that it was here that Da Dearga had his hostel.

The destruction of Da Deargas hostel has become one of the local myths.

During the reign of Conaire, peace and prosperity reigned: however, that was soon to come to an end. His fostersons, the sons of Donn Deasa, formed a robber band that stole pigs and cattle. They did this to see what harm they could do the king and what punishment he would mete out to them. They then got Conaire's sons to join them. All of them were captured and brought before Conaire who banished them, and they were forced to leave Ireland.

While in exile they met Ingsel the One-eyed, who was also in exile. Ingcel Caech was the son of the Britons. Ingcel listened with great interest to the foster brothers of Conaire Mor when they talked of Ireland: and he saw in that land a great prize of riches.

He asked the brothers help in raiding Ireland. They gathered together an army and landed on the Dublin coast near Howth.

The Hostel Under Attack

At the same time Conaire had gone to the south of Ireland to settle a dispute. On his way back to Tara he decided to rest for the night. He visited his old friend, Da Dearga, at his hostel in Glenasmole: Da Dearga received him with great festivities.

The hostel lay so that the Dodder flowed through it. There were several doorways in it but only one door. This was placed in whichever doorway the wind blew upon Da Dearga.

Ingcel and his followers kept watch on the hostel. They realised that Conaire was inside. The Hostel was full of warriors, musicians playing and jugglers doing wonderful feats; and Da Dearga with his servants giving out food and wine. Ingcel then marched to the attack and surrounded the hostel.

The great struggle began. The Hostel was set on fire, but the fire was put out. Conaire and his men sallied forth - hundreds were killed. Once again the enemy attacked, the Hostel was once again set alight. Three times the Hostel was set on fire and three times the flames were put out using the waters of the Dodder and all the wine in the house.

Ingcel asked one of his Druids to cast a spell on Conaire. The druid makes Conaire very thirsty. Conaire has done a lot of fighting but he can fight no more till he gets a drink. He begged for water, but it is all gone putting out the fire.

One of his servants, Mac Cecht, leaves to seek out water for his king. Mac Cecht travelled all over Ireland looking for water, while the battle raged on, and Conaire was still dying of thirst. At last Mac Cecht finds a lake, Loch Gara in Roscommon, where he fills the King's golden cup.

When he returned to the hostel, he found the defenders all dead or fled, and two of the attackers cutting of Conaire's head. He killed them and poured water into Conaire's headless neck.

The severed head thanked him for his good deed and then died. The hostel was destroyed.