Listen to an earnest, Ernie Steele, in deep congress with his five star friend Dr. Theo Hennessey of Bras Arme fame, Doyen of Leprechaun University, at Tara na Ri, Ireland. As consultant extraordinaire to the Faculty of Applied Ready Yarns and Minor Distortions of History, Steele, a purveyor of lore, bard, poet, story teller, seanchaĺ of note, has authored an acclaimed volume ‘Ten Irish Dog Breeds’. Anam chara (soul friend) of renowned Judge Clare Steele of Donaghadee and Venerable Canon Patrick Doherty of Rathmóir, Steele shared a dram and this wondrous tale afore crossing the styxx via the Rainbow Bridge – the river itself brimming with uisge beatha – aqua vitae – the water of life – to Elysium’s embrace.
“The favoured sporting dog of ancient times was the great Celtic Hound, forerunner of the Irish Wolfhound and Scottish Deerhound.
Now, sight hounds, were of little value for the pursuit of game in heavy cover, or against winged quarry. Fionn Mac Cumhail (Finn Mac Cool) the famed protector of Ireland as Leader of the Fianna (cf. The Fionn Cycle) was now retired with his comely Scottish wife Úna in Dál Riada on Ulster’s coast, in serene enjoyment of a little fort, Dún Fionn. Here close to the passage he had ‘caused’ to be built so the lovely lass could dry-shod cross to Alba (Scotland) to ceilí (visit) with her clan’s people he amused himself by breeding and developing a new race of hunting dogs unlike any other of the period. Fionn, who favoured hunting with his falcons for rabbit, hare and grouse, developed a method of training his dogs by scent not sight. His animals by means of their sensitive noses – their olfactory sense – could seek out game which sat close in cover. Further, the dogs would on command, flush out, for the eager talens of the restive falcons and even retrieve the fallen quarry. These canines were verily the progenitors of our modern sporting dogs which the Sassanachs or Bryttas of the adjacent Isle still dub gundogs. Well, at least they have stopped painting themselves blue and flaunting their nakedness around Hadrian’s Wall.
These new scent hounds of Fionn Mac Cumhail had little resemblance to the Great Celtic for they were not stilted at the shoulders and had a lithe build. Had the ‘wolf’hounds consorted with their quarry the wolf and insisted on socialization in the topical heat of the Irish season of mists and mellow fruitfulness? They had larger more pendant ears and padded softer mouths than hounds of the era. In fact they looked like the dogs we call SETTERS to day except for their pure all white silky coats. Mar a deir rann na h’amsire – bán a bhí an soitir. (As the verse of that time states – white was the setter). The source of the original stock is elusive but one reliable source suggests that Fionn may have ‘shape-shifted’ his own kin for this purpose. ‘Shape-shifting’ at least then was commonplace if we can give credence to Aesop and other classic authorities. (cf. The Children of Lir.) One spirit of conjecture was Tuireann Bán. This long legged beauty was a member of the sidhe (shee = faery). She sported blonde silken hair floating free below her waist, soft eyes the hue of a deep mountain tarn and a nose both aquiline and aristocratic. She was wont to compete on an equal fifty-fifty basis with her male counterparts, for in those days females claimed equality with males not superiority as today. And … sure there was not a bold Fenian in all Banba (Èire) shy of aiding posterity with a wee gratuitous DNA donation.
An independent source maintains that at least two of Fionn’s hounds had the gift of speech and music and that when Bran and Sceolang took on the shape of young men they sang with angelic voices so sweet that some lost their wits and their senses all together.
The fame of the white hounds of the Fenian Leader spread far and wide and the High King, the Illustrious Carmac Mac Airt journeyed to witness the hunting feats and prowess of these wondrous white dogs. Duly impressed, he expressed his ‘desire’ to own a couple (preferably Bran and Sceolang) and Fionn could name his own sale price. No! Fionn would not sell to his liege King any white for in reality it would be tantamount to alienating a member of his own family. Now, Cormac did not have the inside scope on the dogs - the shape changing, the musical ability and he thought the refusal to sell, downright impolite and an insult to his Royal Majesty. In terrible rage he called his four champions to his service determined to bring to his seat at Tara the white dogs by means fair or foul. They represented the four green fields of Eriu – Ulster – Munster – Leinster – Connaught.
“The favoured sporting dog of ancient times was the great Celtic Hound, forerunner of the Irish Wolfhound and Scottish Deerhound.
Now, sight hounds, were of little value for the pursuit of game in heavy cover, or against winged quarry. Fionn Mac Cumhail (Finn Mac Cool) the famed protector of Ireland as Leader of the Fianna (cf. The Fionn Cycle) was now retired with his comely Scottish wife Úna in Dál Riada on Ulster’s coast, in serene enjoyment of a little fort, Dún Fionn. Here close to the passage he had ‘caused’ to be built so the lovely lass could dry-shod cross to Alba (Scotland) to ceilí (visit) with her clan’s people he amused himself by breeding and developing a new race of hunting dogs unlike any other of the period. Fionn, who favoured hunting with his falcons for rabbit, hare and grouse, developed a method of training his dogs by scent not sight. His animals by means of their sensitive noses – their olfactory sense – could seek out game which sat close in cover. Further, the dogs would on command, flush out, for the eager talens of the restive falcons and even retrieve the fallen quarry. These canines were verily the progenitors of our modern sporting dogs which the Sassanachs or Bryttas of the adjacent Isle still dub gundogs. Well, at least they have stopped painting themselves blue and flaunting their nakedness around Hadrian’s Wall.
These new scent hounds of Fionn Mac Cumhail had little resemblance to the Great Celtic for they were not stilted at the shoulders and had a lithe build. Had the ‘wolf’hounds consorted with their quarry the wolf and insisted on socialization in the topical heat of the Irish season of mists and mellow fruitfulness? They had larger more pendant ears and padded softer mouths than hounds of the era. In fact they looked like the dogs we call SETTERS to day except for their pure all white silky coats. Mar a deir rann na h’amsire – bán a bhí an soitir. (As the verse of that time states – white was the setter). The source of the original stock is elusive but one reliable source suggests that Fionn may have ‘shape-shifted’ his own kin for this purpose. ‘Shape-shifting’ at least then was commonplace if we can give credence to Aesop and other classic authorities. (cf. The Children of Lir.) One spirit of conjecture was Tuireann Bán. This long legged beauty was a member of the sidhe (shee = faery). She sported blonde silken hair floating free below her waist, soft eyes the hue of a deep mountain tarn and a nose both aquiline and aristocratic. She was wont to compete on an equal fifty-fifty basis with her male counterparts, for in those days females claimed equality with males not superiority as today. And … sure there was not a bold Fenian in all Banba (Èire) shy of aiding posterity with a wee gratuitous DNA donation.
An independent source maintains that at least two of Fionn’s hounds had the gift of speech and music and that when Bran and Sceolang took on the shape of young men they sang with angelic voices so sweet that some lost their wits and their senses all together.
The fame of the white hounds of the Fenian Leader spread far and wide and the High King, the Illustrious Carmac Mac Airt journeyed to witness the hunting feats and prowess of these wondrous white dogs. Duly impressed, he expressed his ‘desire’ to own a couple (preferably Bran and Sceolang) and Fionn could name his own sale price. No! Fionn would not sell to his liege King any white for in reality it would be tantamount to alienating a member of his own family. Now, Cormac did not have the inside scope on the dogs - the shape changing, the musical ability and he thought the refusal to sell, downright impolite and an insult to his Royal Majesty. In terrible rage he called his four champions to his service determined to bring to his seat at Tara the white dogs by means fair or foul. They represented the four green fields of Eriu – Ulster – Munster – Leinster – Connaught.
Have you found?
Cormac the king at Tara…
Champion Fionn Mac Cumhail…
Bran and Sceolang...
Cúchulainn Uladh Champion
The quest of Táin Sue…
Five or six Irish dog breeds…
The causeway to Scotland…
The Irish name for Ireland…
Many Irish Red and White Settes…
The pork for the royal feast…
Cormac the king at Tara…
Champion Fionn Mac Cumhail…
Bran and Sceolang...
Cúchulainn Uladh Champion
The quest of Táin Sue…
Five or six Irish dog breeds…
The causeway to Scotland…
The Irish name for Ireland…
Many Irish Red and White Settes…
The pork for the royal feast…
The four gifted, yet fierce warrior champions were – Daithí of Connaught, honey mouthed lawyer of great repute throughout the land – Cúchulain of Ulster, hero of the Craobh Rua (Red Branch) yet to be defeated in battle – Laoghaire from the fort of Dún Laoghaire outside Dublin, a very clever fellow from Leinster with a tad of deviousness in his blood – Cú Roi a genial Munster man from Cork, who was a most ingratiating character beloved of all; the sort to whom you would give the shirt off your back.
Daithí the first to present in Ulster at Dál Riada was driven clean out of his compis mentis (mind) by the angelic voices of Bran and Sceolang. He, poor lad, threw himself off Fair Head cliff to his demise. At riptide off the North Antrim coast some claim to hear him expound his legal points to Rónan king of the Seals. I am assured by Oisín of Tír Na Nóg that he and Choinn (Quinn) of the battles or is it bottles have passed many a serendipitous hour sharing the true story with Daithi. (Sin scéal eile.)
The wily Laoghaire whom the High King Cormac dispatched north to trick Fionn out of his white hunters might well have succeeded in his quest had the trek not been long and dusty. Being a Dubliner he had a great grá (love) for the black stuff (Porter, Stout, Guinness – perhaps Sitric the Dane was merely astute in changing the Áth Cliath name to Duibhlinn i.e. Blackpool) and though his arguments may have been cogent, by the time he reached Dún Fionn he had had a belly-full and the vitriol just poured out of him – ‘You old Ulster arse’ said he … ’you can póg mo thóin’ (kiss my..). Ye know wha ya can do with yer bloody ‘oul dogs for I niver wanted them in the first place.’ Before the gracious yet astounded Úna, wife of Cumhail, could offer him a céad mile fáilte and a good Ulster Fry, the sauced Leinster gent took the rocky road to Dublin with narry a dog in tow for Cormac Árd Rí Éireann (high king of Ireland). Luckily we are devoid of the words of Fáilte or disdain expressed to the empty handed laoch (champion), by a monarch reputed for his loquaciousness. No doubt they would be unprintable though there are no bad words in the Irish Celtic language as you all know.
The King’s next step in his táin (quest) for a white dog was to send the champion of Munster, the redoubtable Cú Roí from Cork’s fair city to Dún Fionn Mac Cumhail. His great gift was that he was thoroughly affable, honest, hard working, decent, direct and open in all his undertakings. (A sort of pope figure.) These sterling qualities, the king genuinely hoped, would so endear Cú Roí, to the legendary Ulsterman of the white hounds that a couple would be his just for the asking or as a nice gesture of Fionn to his guest: it is well known that Ulster Folk can be most generous to those they like and respect. Fionn and Cú Roí became fast friends, even hunting together for a whole month and when the Cork man returned Laoi-side two lovely white puppies were his, a personal gift from Fionn and his wife Úna. To this very day if a man cannot find a decent setter in Ulster the next best place to look will be in Munster around Cork. And while there drop in to Knockalla and raise a glass to Maureen and Liam Cuddy and Rev. Noble Huston probably the greatest Irish Setter promoters in two millennia. And … a wee deoch a doruis to Kaulbach, Gaynor and Mooney R & W advocates par excellence, would not be remiss.
Now that three of Cormac’s champions had failed to deliver the goods, to Tara na Rí, the pressure was on the Ulster hero Cúchulain. This fourth champion was directed north with instructions to take on the aged leader of the Fianna in single combat in Antrim near the Giant’s Causeway. Fionn with Bran and Sceolang made plans to meet Cúchulain ‘head on’ so to speak. They were well aware of the Cúchulain reputation for bloody-fury matched with his Gae Bolga a spear from which none survived. Nipping at his heels and aiding their aged yet agile master and relative avoid the Gae Bolga, the troika sought to cause the bloody-fury where blood would gush forth from Cúchulain’s eyes in the heat of battle. Of course at this moment he was at his most dangerous yet most vulnerable with his vision impaired by the gushing torrent of deep red blood. Not one dog could avoid being splashed, so permanent red blotches were formed on the white coats of the dogs of Fionn – the dogs of Ulster. The result is evident; to this very day for all setter dogs thus marked by the Ulster champion’s blood, can never be all white. Rather they are a deep, rich red or white with red patches.
The moment had arrived for the Mac Cumhails to be ‘glic’. This quaint Gaelic word denotes equal parts clever and tricky. Taking full advantage of Cúchulain’s state of visual impairment, Fionn promising to surrender his ‘whites’ called for quarter. Delighted to spare his fellow Ulsterman’s life and equi delighted to receive ‘the two whites’ for his liege Lord the Eriu High King Cormac, the vision blurred champion made haste for Tara. At what stage he discovered ‘the two whites’ were two white pigs, we will never know, but sure the language at the royal court must have been blue when the deception was discovered. Fionn had won the battle of wits and Cúchulain was so embarrassed that he avoided his native Ulster for some time – at least from Lughnasa (August) to Bealtaine (may day) for he sorely missed the courting of Áine (Eyna) the TÍr Conaill (Donegal) lass who had beguiled him with her orange mane and alluring ways. Following the old adage that if life gives you lemons, make lemonade: the pork roast at Tara must indeed have been succulent if enjoyed with Armagh applesauce and liberal amounts of other sauces – mead from the Sperrins in Tír Eoghain and powerful poitín from Brágan in Muineachan (of the little hills) – all tokens of fealty from Ulster of the Red Hand to Cormac Rí.
Fionn, Úna and the Soitir Bán Dearg of Eriu’s Uladh (Ulster) lived on in the whin and heather glens and hills of Dál Riada for many a year. Though they constantly hunted red grouse and Irish great hares on this blessed land, it is still a land of plenty, a land of milk and honey, a land where red and white, orange and green, find that ‘peace comes dropping slow’ … W.B. Yeats. To fast track perhaps they must dig with the squat pen between finger and thumb … Seamus Heaney.
A toast to Irish Red and White Setters and to all who run with them and will run with them (go deire ré) until the end of ‘time’.
Síochán, pax, peace to all: Albrecht Ua Siaghail revised 2013: M. Mac L. is E. Steele a mhaisig
NB: Irish Gaelic has a weath of ‘colour’ words. On the four shamrock abundant green (glas, uaine) fields, romp Red and White Setters – Soitir Rua Bàn - Soitir Fionn dearg in peace with the tender giant (Cù) to small … not in its estimation (Amall), Irish breeds so aptly described by Ernie Steele of Donaghadee.
© Dr. Albrecht Ua Siaghail - 2013
Daithí the first to present in Ulster at Dál Riada was driven clean out of his compis mentis (mind) by the angelic voices of Bran and Sceolang. He, poor lad, threw himself off Fair Head cliff to his demise. At riptide off the North Antrim coast some claim to hear him expound his legal points to Rónan king of the Seals. I am assured by Oisín of Tír Na Nóg that he and Choinn (Quinn) of the battles or is it bottles have passed many a serendipitous hour sharing the true story with Daithi. (Sin scéal eile.)
The wily Laoghaire whom the High King Cormac dispatched north to trick Fionn out of his white hunters might well have succeeded in his quest had the trek not been long and dusty. Being a Dubliner he had a great grá (love) for the black stuff (Porter, Stout, Guinness – perhaps Sitric the Dane was merely astute in changing the Áth Cliath name to Duibhlinn i.e. Blackpool) and though his arguments may have been cogent, by the time he reached Dún Fionn he had had a belly-full and the vitriol just poured out of him – ‘You old Ulster arse’ said he … ’you can póg mo thóin’ (kiss my..). Ye know wha ya can do with yer bloody ‘oul dogs for I niver wanted them in the first place.’ Before the gracious yet astounded Úna, wife of Cumhail, could offer him a céad mile fáilte and a good Ulster Fry, the sauced Leinster gent took the rocky road to Dublin with narry a dog in tow for Cormac Árd Rí Éireann (high king of Ireland). Luckily we are devoid of the words of Fáilte or disdain expressed to the empty handed laoch (champion), by a monarch reputed for his loquaciousness. No doubt they would be unprintable though there are no bad words in the Irish Celtic language as you all know.
The King’s next step in his táin (quest) for a white dog was to send the champion of Munster, the redoubtable Cú Roí from Cork’s fair city to Dún Fionn Mac Cumhail. His great gift was that he was thoroughly affable, honest, hard working, decent, direct and open in all his undertakings. (A sort of pope figure.) These sterling qualities, the king genuinely hoped, would so endear Cú Roí, to the legendary Ulsterman of the white hounds that a couple would be his just for the asking or as a nice gesture of Fionn to his guest: it is well known that Ulster Folk can be most generous to those they like and respect. Fionn and Cú Roí became fast friends, even hunting together for a whole month and when the Cork man returned Laoi-side two lovely white puppies were his, a personal gift from Fionn and his wife Úna. To this very day if a man cannot find a decent setter in Ulster the next best place to look will be in Munster around Cork. And while there drop in to Knockalla and raise a glass to Maureen and Liam Cuddy and Rev. Noble Huston probably the greatest Irish Setter promoters in two millennia. And … a wee deoch a doruis to Kaulbach, Gaynor and Mooney R & W advocates par excellence, would not be remiss.
Now that three of Cormac’s champions had failed to deliver the goods, to Tara na Rí, the pressure was on the Ulster hero Cúchulain. This fourth champion was directed north with instructions to take on the aged leader of the Fianna in single combat in Antrim near the Giant’s Causeway. Fionn with Bran and Sceolang made plans to meet Cúchulain ‘head on’ so to speak. They were well aware of the Cúchulain reputation for bloody-fury matched with his Gae Bolga a spear from which none survived. Nipping at his heels and aiding their aged yet agile master and relative avoid the Gae Bolga, the troika sought to cause the bloody-fury where blood would gush forth from Cúchulain’s eyes in the heat of battle. Of course at this moment he was at his most dangerous yet most vulnerable with his vision impaired by the gushing torrent of deep red blood. Not one dog could avoid being splashed, so permanent red blotches were formed on the white coats of the dogs of Fionn – the dogs of Ulster. The result is evident; to this very day for all setter dogs thus marked by the Ulster champion’s blood, can never be all white. Rather they are a deep, rich red or white with red patches.
The moment had arrived for the Mac Cumhails to be ‘glic’. This quaint Gaelic word denotes equal parts clever and tricky. Taking full advantage of Cúchulain’s state of visual impairment, Fionn promising to surrender his ‘whites’ called for quarter. Delighted to spare his fellow Ulsterman’s life and equi delighted to receive ‘the two whites’ for his liege Lord the Eriu High King Cormac, the vision blurred champion made haste for Tara. At what stage he discovered ‘the two whites’ were two white pigs, we will never know, but sure the language at the royal court must have been blue when the deception was discovered. Fionn had won the battle of wits and Cúchulain was so embarrassed that he avoided his native Ulster for some time – at least from Lughnasa (August) to Bealtaine (may day) for he sorely missed the courting of Áine (Eyna) the TÍr Conaill (Donegal) lass who had beguiled him with her orange mane and alluring ways. Following the old adage that if life gives you lemons, make lemonade: the pork roast at Tara must indeed have been succulent if enjoyed with Armagh applesauce and liberal amounts of other sauces – mead from the Sperrins in Tír Eoghain and powerful poitín from Brágan in Muineachan (of the little hills) – all tokens of fealty from Ulster of the Red Hand to Cormac Rí.
Fionn, Úna and the Soitir Bán Dearg of Eriu’s Uladh (Ulster) lived on in the whin and heather glens and hills of Dál Riada for many a year. Though they constantly hunted red grouse and Irish great hares on this blessed land, it is still a land of plenty, a land of milk and honey, a land where red and white, orange and green, find that ‘peace comes dropping slow’ … W.B. Yeats. To fast track perhaps they must dig with the squat pen between finger and thumb … Seamus Heaney.
A toast to Irish Red and White Setters and to all who run with them and will run with them (go deire ré) until the end of ‘time’.
Síochán, pax, peace to all: Albrecht Ua Siaghail revised 2013: M. Mac L. is E. Steele a mhaisig
NB: Irish Gaelic has a weath of ‘colour’ words. On the four shamrock abundant green (glas, uaine) fields, romp Red and White Setters – Soitir Rua Bàn - Soitir Fionn dearg in peace with the tender giant (Cù) to small … not in its estimation (Amall), Irish breeds so aptly described by Ernie Steele of Donaghadee.
© Dr. Albrecht Ua Siaghail - 2013