But
the Sons of the Gael lost no more than three hundred men, and they beat
back the Men of Dea and killed a thousand of them. And Eriu was beaten
back to Tailltin, and as many of her men as she could hold together; and
when she came there she told the people how she had been worsted in the
battle, and the best of her men had got their death. But the Gael
stopped on the battle-field, and buried their dead, and they gave a
great burial to two of their Druids, Aer and Eithis, that were killed in
the fight.
And after they had rested for a while, they went on to Inver Colpa in
Leinster, and Heremon and his men joined them there. And then they sent
messengers to the three kings of Ireland, the three sons of Cermait
Honey-Mouth, and bade them to come out and fight a battle that would
settle the ownership of the country once for all.
So they came out, and the best of the fighters of the Tuatha de Danaan
with them, to Tailltin. And there they attacked one another, and the
Sons of the Gael remembered the death of Ith, and there was great anger
on them, and they fell on the Men of Dea to avenge him, and there was a
fierce battle fought. And for a while neither side got the better of the
other, but at the last the Gael broke through the army of the Men of Dea
and put them to the rout, with great slaughter, and drove them out of
the place. And their three kings were killed in the rout, and the three
queens of Ireland, Eriu and Fodhla and Banba.
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