It was he sent a messenger to Etain, mother of Conaire the High
King, the time she was hidden in the cowherd's house. And it was he
brought up Deirdre's children in Emhain of the Apple Trees, and it was
said of that place, "a house of peace is the hill of the Sidhe of
Emhain." And it was he taught Diarmuid of the Fianna the use of weapons,
and it was he taught Cuchulain the use of the Gae Bulg, and some say it
was he was Deirdre's father, and that he brought Conchubar, king of
Ulster, to the place she was hidden, and he running with the appearance
of a hare before the hounds of the men of Ulster to bring them there.
And it is what they say, that the time Conchubar had brought the sons of
Usnach to Emain Macha, and could not come at them to kill them because
of their bravery, it was to Manannan he went for help. And Manannan said
he would give him no help, for he had told him at the time he brought
Deirdre away that she would be the cause of the breaking up of his
kingdom, and he took her away in spite of him. But Conchubar asked him
to put blindness for a while on the sons of Usnach, or the whole army
would be destroyed with their blows. So after a while he consented to
that. And when the sons of Usnach came out again against the army of
Ulster, the blindness came on them, and it was at one another they
struck, not seeing who was near them, and it was by one another's hands
they fell. But more say Manannan had no hand in it, and that it was
Cathbad, the Druid, put a sea about them and brought them to their death
by his enchantments.
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