Historical section: The Battles of Moytura...

These battles are major events in Celtic legend. Some of these events were fictional or have no remaining evidence to prove that they actually were fought. There was a battle of Moytura, but the historical details are vague. Legendary descriptions of battles give detailed accounts of heroic challenges and the armies involved. These accounts cannot be relied upon for historical accuracy. The sources of the quoted passages (quoted text is green script) are listed in the Bibliography.

INDEX

Topic 1 The First Battle of Moytura.
Topic 2 The Second Battle of Moytura.
Topic 1
The First Battle of Moytura. Back to the Index.

Warrior Head -by Johnny RyanThe first great battle between the invading Dananns and the defending Fir Bolgs was fought near Cong in Mayo. The Danann army was lead by King Nuada of the Silver hand (for it was at this battle that Sreng cut off his arm). This battle is also known as the Battle of the Southern Moytura.
 
The battle lasted four slaughter filled days. The final out-come was that the King of the Fir Bolg was slain. The great Fir Bolg army had suffered great losses. The Dananns took over the whole Island in the aftermath. They did however leave Connaught for the remnants of the Fir Bolgs. Tara became their new seat of government.
Topic 2
The Second Battle of Moytura. Back to the Index.
 
Warrior carrying the decapitated head of his fallen enemy as a trophy. This was common practice upon the Celtic battle fields. -by Johnny Ryan '97.The Second Battle of Moytura, also known as the Battle of the Northern Moytura, was the direct result of the First Battle of Moytura. In the first battle, King Nuada had his arm removed by Sreng the Fir Bolg champion. Because of his wound, he had to resign as King and Balor's son Bres reigned in his stead. When Nuada's arm was replaced as new by Midac, he took back the throne and Bres left Ireland and returned in wrath to his father in Lochlann.
 
Bres and Balor raised an invasion army and assailed the Tuatha de Dananns. The two armies gave battle to each other on the eve of Samin (October 31st a.m. 3330). The Danann force prevailed and the Formorians suffered terrible losses (including the death of their King Balor). Balor before his own demise killed King Nuada of the silver hand by decapitating him. Balor's own grandson Luga of the long arms took revenge (on Balor's attempt on his life after his birth) by killing him with a sling or 'crann-tavall'. The stone that Luga fired, hit Balor in his evil eye at such a pace that carried it through his skull and out the back of his head. This fulfilled the prophesy that Balor would be killed by his grandson. The Formorian's lost the main part of their army and most of their champions.