Athirne Ailgheasach ("the importunate"), son of Ferchertne, is a poet and satirist of the court of

Conchobar mac Nessa Conchobar mac Nessa (son of Ness) is the king of Ulaid, Ulster in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. He rules from Emain Macha (Navan Fort, near Armagh). He is usually said to be the son of the High King of Ireland, High King Fachtna Fáthach, ...

in the

Ulster Cycle The Ulster Cycle ( ga, an Rúraíocht), formerly known as the Red Branch Cycle, is a body of medieval Irish heroic legends and sagas of the Ulaid. It is set far in the past, in what is now eastern Ulster and northern Leinster, particularly coun ...

Irish mythology Irish mythology is the body of myths native to the island of Ireland. It was originally passed down orally in the prehistoric era, being part of ancient Celtic religion. Many myths were later written down in the early medieval era by C ...

, who abuses the privileges of poets. He stole three cranes from

Midir In the Mythological Cycle of early Irish literature, Midir (Old Irish) or Midhir (Modern Irish) was a son of the Dagda of the Tuatha Dé Danann. After the Tuatha Dé were defeated by the Milesians, he lived in the sidh of Brí Léith (believed ...

of the

Tuatha Dé Danann The Tuath(a) Dé Danann (, meaning "the folk of the goddess Danu (Irish goddess), Danu"), also known by the earlier name Tuath Dé ("tribe of the gods"), are a supernatural race in Irish mythology. Many of them are thought to represent deity, ...

, which stand at his door and refuse entry or hospitality to anyone who approaches.John Carey (trans.), “Tales from the Ulster Cycle”, ''The Celtic Heroic Age'' (eds John T Koch & John Carey), 1997, pp. 48-133 In the saga "The Siege of Howth", he goes on a circuit of Ireland, visiting kings' courts, and making outrageous demands of hospitality, knowing that disgrace would fall on any kingdom that refused him, and that if anything happened to him the Ulstermen are bound to go to war in his defence. He demands the remaining eye of the one-eyed king of southern Connacht, Eochaid mac Luchta, a night with the wives of Tigerna Tétbuillech, king of Munster and

Mesgegra In Irish mythology, Mesgegra (Mess-gegra, Mes Gegra, Mes Gedra) was king of Leinster during the events of the Ulster Cycle, and was also the brother of Mac Da Thó aka Mes Róidia in ''The Tale of Mac Da Thó's Pig''. Mesgegra was killed by the Ul ...

, king of Leinster, and a mysterious jewel from another Leinster king, Fergus Fairge, which Fergus only finds by appealing for help to the "Lord of the Elements". He captures 150 wives of Leinster nobles and prepares to take them back to Ulster with him. The men of Leinster pursue him, the men of Ulster come to his defence, and battle is joined. The Ulstermen are besieged in the fort of

Howth Head Howth Head ( ; ''Ceann Bhinn Éadair'' in Irish) is a peninsula northeast of the city of Dublin in Ireland, within the governance of Fingal County Council. Entry to the headland is at Sutton while the village of Howth and the harbour are on t ...

, north of Dublin, but break out, and the Leinstermen are put to flight. In the ensuing pursuit, the Ulster hero

Conall Cernach Conall Cernach (modern spelling: Conall Cearnach) is a hero of the Ulaid in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. He had a crooked neck and is said to have always slept with the head of a Connachta, Connachtman under his knee. His epithet is normal ...

kills Mesgegra in single combat and takes his head. When Amergin, son of Eccet Sálach the smith, who has lived to the age of fourteen without speaking, suddenly utters a cryptic poem, Athirne fears the boy will replace him as chief poet of Ulster, and resolves to kill him with an axe. Eccet foils the murder attempt by making a lifelike replica of the boy from clay. The Ulstermen besiege Athirne in his house and force him to pay compensation to Eccet. He takes Amergin as his foster-son and trains him as a poet. Athirne's downfall comes in the saga "The Wooing of Luaine and Death of Athirne". He and his two sons all fall in love with the beautiful Luaine, who is due to marry Conchobar. She refuses to sleep with them, so they make satires against her, which leave three blotches of shame, blemish and disgrace on her face. She dies of shame, and Athirne and his sons flee to his house on the hill of Benn Athirni on the

River Boyne The River Boyne ( ga, An Bhóinn or ''Abhainn na Bóinne'') is a river in Leinster, Ireland, the course of which is about long. It rises at Trinity Well, Newberry Hall, near Carbury, County Kildare, and flows towards the Northeast through C ...

, fearing Conchobar's vengeance. Conchobar gathers the heroes of Ulster, walls him in and burns the house down, killing Athirne, his sons, and his two daughters Mór and Midseng.Whitley Stokes (ed. & trans.), "The Wooing of Luaine and Death of Athirne"
''Revue Celtique'' vol. 24
1903, pp. 270-287

References

{{reflist Ulster Cycle