Ireland is full of old myths and legends. My original hometown is home to a famous battle between half-brothers Ferdia and Cúchulainn. They were heroes who fought for two different armies - the armies of Connacht and Ulster. Once upon a time Queen Medb of Connacht was weighing up her riches against those of her husband. She realised she fell short, and wanted to borrow a very famous bull - Donn Cuailgne (the Brown Bull of Cooley) - from King Conor in Ulster (also my name!). Things went wrong and Conor did not give the animal to Medb, so she raised an army and marched across Ireland to wage war against Ulster to capture Donn Cuailgne for herself. What followed was a series of magical and mystical events and battles, and to this day we still celebrate Táin Bó Cuailgne (Irish for 'Cattle Raid of Cooley) in our literature and music. The battle between Ferdia and Cúchulainn took place on the river going through my hometown, and we have a statue there to commemorate it: it depicts Cúchulainn sorrowfully carrying his half-brother Ferdia after landing a fatal blow, winning a victory for Connacht.
