´#Eochu Muighmheadhon (“lord of slaves”) captured #Cairenn, a British princess, on one of his raids. They had a baby that would become #Niall of the Nine Hostages. Eochu already had a wife, Mongfhinn, who naturally favored her own four sons. She persecuted Cairenn and Niall until the bard Torna foresaw the child’s illustrious future and offered assistance to the woman and her baby. It is unclear whether Niall’s father was king of Tara or whether Niall was the first of his family to hold that title.`
Source: P. Monaghan `Encyclopedia of Celtic #Mythology and #Folklore`
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RT @dublinmacker
#Niall
Of the Nine Hostages so named because early in his reign he took hostages from nine opposing royal families. It is estimated that three …
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