The Fianna

Traditional

To cut a long story short, the Fianna prised of warriors who protected Erin from outside marauders. They also acted as mediators when conflicts arose between the five lesser kingdoms of Erin, namely Ulster, Munster, Connacht, Leinster and Mide.

Every Fianna member was required to pledge their allegiance to Finn, the Captain of the Fianna of Erin. A compulsory oath also had to be made to Cormac, the High King of Erin.

Cormac gave Finn the hill-fort of Almu, in Kildare. The fort was a great stronghold for Finn. It was a place where Finn could pleasantly reside as well as conduct strategic meetings with his chief warriors.

Any man wanting to join the Fianna had to pass a number of tasks, varying in their difficulty. Any hint of frailty among the man taking the test would mean an immediate failure.

Finn, the warrior that he was, still had a caring side. It is known that he only shed tears twice in his life, one for the death of his favourite hound dog, Bran, and secondly when his grandson, Osca died.

Finn's stronghold is now called the Hill of Allen, and what little remains of it can still be seen in Kildare.