Mag Itha, Magh Ithe, or Magh Iotha was, according to

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 Ch ...

, the site of the first battle fought in

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

. Medieval sources estimated that the battle had taken place between 2668 BCE and 2580 BCE (''

Anno Mundi (from Latin "in the year of the world"; he, לבריאת העולם, Livryat haOlam, lit=to the creation of the world), abbreviated as AM or A.M., or Year After Creation, is a calendar era based on the biblical accounts of the creation o ...

'' 2530 or 2618). The opposing sides comprising the

Fomorians The Fomorians or Fomori ( sga, Fomóire, Modern ga, Fomhóraigh / Fomóraigh) are a supernatural race in Irish mythology, who are often portrayed as hostile and monstrous beings. Originally they were said to come from under the sea or the eart ...

, led by Cichol Gricenchos, and the followers of

Partholón Partholón (Modern spelling: 'Parthalán') is a character in medieval Irish Christian legend. By tradition, he is credited with leading a large group to settle in Ireland. "Partholón" comes from the Hebrew name "Bartholomaeus" or "Bartholomew". T ...

. According to the ''

Lebor Gabála Érenn ''Lebor Gabála Érenn'' (literally "The Book of the Taking of Ireland"), known in English as ''The Book of Invasions'', is a collection of poems and prose narratives in the Irish language intended to be a history of Ireland and the Irish fro ...

'', the Fomorians had lived in Ireland for 200 years, subsisting by fishing and fowling, before the arrival of Partholón, whose people were the first in Ireland to build houses and brew ale. The ''Lebor Gabála'' dates Partholón's arrival in Ireland to AM 2608 (2590 BCE), and says the Battle of Mag Itha took place ten years later, in AM 2618 ( circa 2580 BCE). The plain of Mag Itha is said to have been cleared by Partholón's hireling Ith, and the battle to have taken place on the ''slemna'', or "smooth lands", of that plain. 300 Fomorians took part in the battle, and Partholón was victorious. The earliest recensions of the ''Lebor Gabála'' say that Cichol was killed and the Fomorians destroyed; later recensions say the Fomorians had one arm and one leg each, the battle lasted a week, and no-one was killed or wounded as it was fought by magic.R. A. Stewart Macalister (ed. & trans.), ''Lebor Gabála Érenn: The Book of the Taking of Ireland'' Part III, Irish Texts Society Vol. 39, 1940, pp. 2-15, 72-75, 85 The ''

Annals of the Four Masters The ''Annals of the Kingdom of Ireland'' ( ga, Annála Ríoghachta Éireann) or the ''Annals of the Four Masters'' (''Annála na gCeithre Máistrí'') are chronicles of Middle Ages, medieval Irish history. The entries span from the Flood myt ...

'' dates the battle to ''Anno Mundi'' 2530 (c. 2668 BCE), and says 800 Fomorians took part in the battle, all of whom were killed.John O'Donovan (ed. & trans.), ''Annala Rioghachta Éireann: Annals of the Kingdom of Ireland by the Four Masters'' Vol. 1, Hodges, Smith, and Co, 1856, pp. 4-8

Geoffrey Keating Geoffrey Keating ( ga, Seathrún Céitinn; c. 1569 – c. 1644) was a 17th-century historian. He was born in County Tipperary, Ireland, and is buried in Tubrid Graveyard in the parish of Ballylooby-Duhill. He became an Irish Catholic priest and a ...

's ''Foras Feasa ar Éirinn'' also mentions the battle, but gives little detail and no date.David Comyn, ''The History of Ireland by Geoffrey Keating, D. D.'' Vol. 1, Irish Texts Society Vol. 4, 1901, pp. 162-163

Location

The location of Mag Itha is disputed with several different locations given: *''Magh Itha an Indusa'', an old name for Magh Ene, an area of land which lies between Lough Erne,

County Fermanagh County Fermanagh ( ; ) is one of the thirty-two counties of Ireland, one of the nine counties of Ulster and one of the six counties of Northern Ireland. The county covers an area of 1,691 km2 (653 sq mi) and has a population of 61,805 ...

and the Drowes in

County Donegal County Donegal ( ; ga, Contae Dhún na nGall) is a county of Ireland in the province of Ulster and in the Northern and Western Region. It is named after the town of Donegal in the south of the county. It has also been known as County Tyrconn ...

. This location is close to Dernish Island,

County Sligo County Sligo ( , gle, Contae Shligigh) is a county in Ireland. It is located in the Border Region and is part of the province A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the an ...

, a suggested location of the Fomorians island. * John O'Donovan, in his notes to his edition and translation of the ''Annals of the Four Masters'', places Mag Itha along the River Finn, near

Lough Swilly Lough Swilly () in Ireland is a glacial fjord or sea inlet lying between the western side of the Inishowen Peninsula and the Fanad Peninsula, in County Donegal. Along with Carlingford Lough and Killary Harbour it is one of three glacial fjords ...

in the barony of Raphoe,

, where the medieval tuath of Magh Itha was. * R. A. Stewart Macalister, in his notes to his edition and translation of the ''Lebor Gabála Érenn'', adds that there were other plains of that name south of

Arklow Arklow (; ; , ) is a town in County Wicklow on the southeast coast of Ireland. The town is overlooked by Ballymoyle Hill. It was founded by the Vikings in the ninth century. Arklow was the site of one of the bloodiest battles of the 1798 re ...

, County Wicklow, and in the territory of the

Déisi The ''Déisi'' were a socially powerful class of peoples from Ireland that settled in Wales and western England between the ancient and early medieval period. The various peoples listed under the heading ''déis'' shared the same status in Gaeli ...

References

{{reflist, Schlegel, Donald M. (2002); ''Reweaving the Tapestry of Ancient Ulster'', page 708. Clogher Record. Mythological cycle Fomorians Irish mythology Mag Itha

Location

See also

References