Fionn MacCumhal
 
     The tale begins with the leaders of two rival clans disputing who had the right to leadership of the Fianna of Eire. One was called Clan Morna, the other Clan Baiscne whose leader was Finn's father, Cumhal. The two clans clashed in a bitter conflict at Cruachan (near Dublin) whereupon the Clan Baiscne were defeated and scattered throughout Ireland.
 Finn's father was killed in the battle, but Muirne, his mother, soon gave birth to their son, the hero himself. However, concerned for her son's safety, she could not keep him by her. In fear of the Clan Morna she gave him into the care of two druid women who took him to the wood of Slieve Bladhma to nurse him secretly.
     There he was given excellent training in the ways of the warrior and manhood. A couple of the exercises deemed to be constructive by the women were to throw him into a lake to teach him how to swim and to put him in a closed off field with some hares. They told him to always keep ahead of the hares no matter what until the day was over. Harsh training.
 However, this turned him into a fine young man, fair of appearance, supple of limb and skilled to boot. So, after spending some time with a troupe of poets being taught the way of words, he was put out on his own and went to seek his living in the service of a king.
     Eventually, he came to the king who had taken his mother for his wife and fine service he gave. All was well until one day he was playing chess with the king and won seven games in a row. It was then that the king questioned this fine young man's origins and discovered that he was the son of Cumhal. This displeased him greatly and Finn, who was then called Deimne to conceal his lineage, was asked to leave.
     He then decided to go into Connaught to seek out his father's brother, Crimall. He was going on his way when a magical meeting took place. He came across a woman crying tears of blood. Finn asked her why she cried so and the woman answered that her only son had just been killed by a champion. Finn vowed that after seeing such a sight that he would follow the champion and slay him. Such sorrow he had not seen before. So he killed the man and it was the same man who had given his father his first wound in the battle that was to be his last.
     The champion had on his person a treasure bag made of craneskin that had previously belonged to Finn's father. The bag was full of magical items that could only be used at full tide. The original owners of the bag were Manannan MacLir, god of the sea, and Lugh of the Long Hand, god of the sun. It was a precious find, marking another stage in the boy's oncoming adulthood.
     Finn found Crimall, now an old man, living in a lonely place with some of the other old men of the Fianna. They exchanged stories and conversation and it was here that Finn left the craneskin bag.
 Finn then went on to learn wisdom and poetry from a man named Finnegas who lived by the river Boyne. It is by the side of water that poets gain inspiration. The border between land and sea, neither one world or the other. It is where the goddess of poetry may be sought.
     For seven years Finnegas had watched for the white, red speckled salmon of knowledge. For in eating this fish a man may have all knowledge. At last the fish did arrive and Finnegas, rejoicing, gave the fish to Finn to roast but told him not to eat  it.
     However, alas, during the cooking of the salmon, Finn noticed a blister appearing on its skin and put his thumb onto it to make it disappear. Needless to say, Finn's thumb got badly burnt and he thrust it into his mouth and onto his wisdom tooth.
     The boy then gave Finnegas the fish and after looking at it for a while he said to Finn: "What is your name, boy?" "It is Deimne". Finn replied. "No, it is not", said Finnegas. "It is Finn that is your name and the prophesy that someone named Finn will gain the knowledge from the salmon has been fulfilled." The boy then confessed to having inadvertently tasted the fish. From that time on Finn had the knowledge from the nuts of the nine hazels that grew beneath the sea. Otherworld knowledge.
 
 

   Fight vs. Aillen at Tara on Samhain
     Now  the High King and all the nobles of Ireland were gathered together at the great hall of Tara for the feast of Samhain. But the king's heart was sore, and the reason for this is not difficult to tell. Every year for nine years past, the Fear Sidhe had come out of the fairy hill in the north to burn down Tara. He was Aillen, son of Midhna, from Sid Fionnachaidh. He would come playing the sweet music of his clarsach that wooed to sleep maidens, kings and warriors alike. None could resist the music, such was its power over the mortal race. Then Aillen would blow flames of crimson fire from his mouth, bright dancing flames that burned everything, from the four great ramparts, to the last blade of grass.
     The king was desperate. He pledged that if he could find one among the men of Ireland who could keep Tara standing until the dawn, he would give to that man whatever was his rightful inheritance.No sooner had the king spoken when Fionn stepped forward and agreed to do this. The king gave him the assurances of the four kings of the provinces, and of the Druids, that he would keep his word if Fionn fulfilled the task. Then secretly Fionn went to seek out Fiacha, the son of Conga, that had been a friend to Fionn's father. Fiacha offered him a deadly spear that would never make a false cast, and instructed him in how to use it:
                 "When you will hear the music of the Sidhe, let you strip the covering off the head
                of the spear and put it to your forehead and the power of the spear will not let
                sleep come upon you".
     So Fionn stepped out, armed with the spear, to make a tour of Tara. It was not long after the sun had set that he heard sweet sorrowful music, lulling, wooing to sleep. Fionn remembered the words of his friend and swiftly uncovered the spear. He held it tightly pressed to his forehead, while all around him, as if in a dream, Aillen wove his charm of sleep, slow, steady, growing stronger. One by one the men of Ireland surrendered to the Fonn Sheen, the enchanted music of Faerie.  But Fionn alone stood fast, holding his ground. Aillen shot a flame of crimson fire from his mouth, but Fionn held up his four folded cloak against it. He caught the flame and brought it down, burying it deep within the earth.
     Then Aillen saw that he had been defeated, and turned to go back to Sid Fionnachaidh, but Fionn would not let him escape. He followed close on his heels, and as Aillen was going in through the doorway of the Sid palace, Fionn made a cast with his spear. The spear went through Aillen's heart and he fell dead. Fionn struck off his head and took it back to Tara, and claimed the leadership of the Fianna from that day forward.