OF THE CONQUEST OF ERI, AS RECORDED BY NENNIUS.

The first man that took Eri was Parrtalon, with a thousand men, i. e. a thousand between men and women; and they multiplied in Eri, into many thousands, until they died of a plague in one week, in judgment for the murder that he committed on his father and on his mother. Nemed afterwards inhabited Eri. He was the son of one Agnoman; his race dwelt long in Eri until they went into Spain, flying from the tribute imposed on them by the Muiridi, i. e. the Fomorians.

The Viri Bullorum, i. e. the Firbolg, afterwards, and the Viri Armorum, i. e. the Fir-Gaileoin, and the Viri Dominiorum, i. e. the Fir Domnann: these were the race of Nemed.

Afterwards the Plebes Deorum, i. e. the Tuatha De Danann, took Ireland; it was of them were the chief men of science; as Luchtenus, artifex; Credenus, figulus; Dianus, medicus; also Eadon, his daughter, viz. the nurse of the poets; Goibnen, faber. Lug, son of Eithne, with whom were all the arts. Dagda the Great (son of Ealadan, son of Dealbaith) the king. Ogma, brother of the king; it was from him came the letters of the Scots.

It was these men that defeated in a great battle the mariners, i. e. the Fomorians, so that they fled from them into their tower, i. e. a very strong fortress on the sea. The men of Eri went against them to the sea, so that they fought with them until the sea closed upon them all, except the crew of one ship; and thus they the Irish took the island afterwards. Or, according to others, it was the descendants of Nemed, with Fergus Leith-dearg the red sided, son of Nemed, that destroyed the tower, &c.

Afterwards came a company of eight, with eight ships, and dwelt in Eri, and took possession of a great portion of it.

But the Firbolg seized upon Mann, and certain islands in like manner, Ara, Ili, and Rachra.

The children of Galeoin also, the son of Ercal Hercules, seized the islands of Orc, i. e. Istoreth, son of Istorine, son of Aigin, son of Agathirir, were dispersed again from the islands of Orc, and then came Cruithne, son of Inge, son of Luithe, son of Pairte, son of Istoreth, son of Agnaman, son of Buan, son of Mar, son of Fatheacht, son of Javad, son of Japheth; so that he seized the northern part of the island of Britain, and his seven sons divided his territory into seven divisions, and each of them gave his name to his own portion.

The seven sons of Cruithne are Fib, Fidach, Fotlaid, Fortrean, Cat, Ce, Cirig. As Columbcille said.

            Seven of the children of Cruithne
            Divided Alba into seven portions;
            Cait, Ce, Cireach of the hundred children,
            Fib, Fidach, Fotla, Foirtreann.

And Aenbeagan, son of Cat, son of Cruithne, took the sovereignty of the seven divisions. Finacta was Prince of Eri at that time, and took hostages of the Cruithnians.

Now five men of the northern Cruithnians, i. e. five brothers of their father Cruithne, went from the islands of Orc, to the Franks, and founded a city there, viz., Pictatus or Inpictus, so called from the pick-axes; and they came again to this island, i. e. to Eri, where they were for a long time, until the Gaedil drove them across the sea to their brethren.

The sons of Liathan, son of Ercal, seized the country Dieimptorum, and Guer, and Guigelle, until Cohenda and his sons expelled them out of Britain.