The Enchanted Bridegrooms

County Sligo

Many, many years ago, there lived Fintan the Great. He was resident in County Sligo and had three beautiful daughters, who were being courted by three equally worthy brothers ~ Ainle, Conan and Diarmuid.

Fintan was happy that his daughters were courting the three worthy bridegrooms. Therefore, he organised a feast to beat all feasts to celebrate the weddings. He gave dowry's to each of his three daughters ~ the eldest her own weight in gold, the middle daughter her weight in silver, and to the youngest her weight in copper.

After the feast and farewells, the three newly wed couples set off together. They all promised Fintan, that they would return in one year and one day.

A year had passed, hence Fintan was getting excited about seeing his daughters again. The final day of wait came and passed, but there was no sign of his daughters nor there husbands. After two more weeks of patient wait, Fintan sent Ladra, his son, to search for them.

On the road, Ladra came across a red-headed man who knew what had befallen Ainle, Conan, and Diarmuid. The man would not reveal his name, but he said that all three brothers had been bewitched by the Giant of Fomor.

For reasons only known to the giant, he bore a grudge against he brothers. He had transformed Ainle into a ram, Conan into a salmon and Diarmuid into an eagle.

Ladra and the red-headed man agreed to muster up the help of other rams, salmon and eagles. Animals from all corners the kingdom came to offer there services in order to help.

A vigilant salmon said he had seen a mole under the giant's arm when he had been fishing, and he knew that this had to be his weak point. A ram said he was sure that if a turtle's egg touched the weak point, the giant's strength would be lost. An eagle said he would keep watch with his sharp eyes and notify them when the giant was going fishing. A course of action had been established.

The next time the giant went fishing, the red-headed man as notified by the eagle, pinpointed and threw the turtle's egg at the mole and scored a direct hit ~ the giant fell dead.

The effects of the giant's witchery were instantly reversed and the three brothers returned to their human form and were reunited with the brides. The brothers thanked the red-headed man for all his help. Out of fear that had now passed, the red-headed man finally revealed his identity, for he was the fourth brother and the giant had also born a grudge against him!