Focherd

Overview

Focherd is a hill, and Kinsella's text gives it three names and three reasons for the one name. It is Ard Aighnech, "called Focherd today". It is also Cronech, or Cronech Murtheimne, and the men who die there are called both the Fourteen at Focherd and the warriors of Cronech. Fergus's verse says the place was called Fichi from of old.

The army makes camp there. After Medb's fortnight harassing the province in the north, she and Ailill and the troop driving the bull meet again at Focherd. The herdsman who was captured with the bull tries to make off with it. They drive the herd after him into a narrow gap, beating shafts on shields, and the animals' hooves drive him into the earth. His name was Forgaimen and his body is there still.

Ferbaeth dies here too. He is Cúchulainn's foster-brother, trained by Scáthach like him, and Ailill and Medb get him drunk beside Finnabair and promise her to him if he fights Cúchulainn. Cúchulainn begs him by their foster-brotherhood, and Ferbaeth cannot, because he has promised Medb. Cúchulainn leaves in a fury and a piece of split holly goes through his foot and out at his knee. He pulls it out and throws it after Ferbaeth, and it goes in at the back of his head and out of his mouth. Ferbaeth says "That was a throw!" Some say that is how Focherd, the Place of the Throw, was named. Others say Fiacha mac Fir Febe said "You are throwing sharp today, Cúchulainn." Kinsella gives one more: that the name comes from the opening words of Cúchulainn's chant, "Fo ... cherd", the great skill he shows on the hill. Ferbaeth lies in the glen named for him, Glenn Firbaith.

Later Medb asks Cúchulainn to meet her unarmed at Ard Aighnech, and Laeg warns him to take his sword. The meeting is a trap of fourteen of her followers. Fourteen javelins are thrown at him together, he guards himself so that neither skin nor armour is touched, and he kills them all. Then he chants about his skill and falls on the army as it settles in, and kills two Dagrí, two Anle and four Dúngas from Imlech. Five come out against him together later the same day, and he kills those too.

Kinsella's notes say the names of the fourteen come to twenty, and that the source versions disagree about the whole breaking of the pact of single combat.