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In that time there was a fierce pagan king in Erinn i.e., Laeghaire Mac Neill and his seat and royal hold was in Tara. In the fifth year of the reign of Laeghaire Mac Neill Patrick came to Erinn. The eighth year of the reign of Lughaidh he died. The eighth year of the reign of Theodosius, the forty-fifth man from Augustus, Patrick came; eight years Celestine was then prince, as Gelasius said.
As a reward for thy disobedience some time ago, however, there will be no king nor roydamhna from thee for ever, except Lughaidh," the son of Laeghaire; for his mother implored Patrick that he would not curse the infant that was in her womb, when Patrick said: "I will not, until he comes against me." Lughaidh then assumed the sovereignty; and he went to Achadh-farcha.
It happened, however, that this was the time in which the great festival of the Gentiles i.e., the Fes of Tara was usually celebrated. The kings and princes and chieftains were wont to come to Laeghaire Mac Neill to Tara, to celebrate this festival. The druids and the magicians were also wont to come to prophesy to them.
The princes were sometimes also punished with death. Recraid, head of a clan, came with his Druids and with words of incantation written under his white garments; he fell dead. Laeghaire himself, the Ard-Righ of all Ireland, whose family became Christian, but who refused to abandon his superstitions, perished with his numerous attendants.
Patrick went afterwards to the fountain, i.e., Clibech, on the slopes of Cruachan, at sunrise. The clerics sat down at the fountain. Laeghaire Mac Neill's two daughters, viz., Eithne the Fair, and Feidelm the Red, went early to the fountain to wash their hands, as they were wont to do, when they found the synod of clerics at the well, with white garments, and their books, before them.
They were then before him, and the rims of their shields against their chins; and none of them rose up before him, except one man alone, in whom was a figure from God i.e., Ere, son of Dega. Each then questioned the other viz., Patrick and Laeghaire. Lochru went fiercely, enviously, with contention and questions, against Patrick; and then he began to denounce the Trinity and the Catholic faith.
This valiant king, then i.e., Laeghaire Mac Neill possessed druids and enchanters, who used to foretell through their druidism and through their paganism what was in the future for them. Lochru and Luchat Mael were their chiefs; and these two were authors of that art of pseudo-prophecy.
There he said: "Is not that the church of the cleric who said that there would be neither king nor roydamhna from Laeghaire?" These miracles live to this day. These are the miracles the divines of Erinn knew, and through which they put a thread of narration.
Nor was it with Ireland as with Rome, Carthage, Antioch, and other great cities of Europe, Africa, and Asia. Not the slaves and artisans alone filled these newly-erected Christian edifices. Some of the first men of the nation received baptism. We have already spoken of the family of Laeghaire.
They went their way afterwards, and there was not good-will with Aengus for his brother's son and for Patrick. He told his two brothers viz., Fergus and Fedhlimidh to kill Patrick and Conall, as he had agreed on parting Laeghaire, after Laeghaire had instigated him thereto. They went northwards towards their country. The place which Aengus had fixed upon for the fratricide was in Corann.
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