The mediaeval Chronicler quotes the old Annalist for the following year:  “The king, the son of Erc, returned to the side of the descendants of Nial.  Blood reached the girdle in each plain.  The exterior territories were enriched.  Seventeen times nine chariots he brought, and long shall it be remembered.  He bore away the hostages of the Ui-Neill with the hostages of the plain of Munster.”

Ten years later we find the two sons of this same king, Muirceartac son of Erc, by name Fergus and Domnall, fighting under the shadow of Knocknarea mountain against Eogan Bel the king of Connacht; the ancient Annalist, doubtless contemporary with the events recorded, thus commemorated the battle in verse: 

“The battle of the Ui-Fiacrac was fought with the fury of edged weapons against Bel;

“The kine of the enemy roared with the javelins, the battle was spread out at Crinder;

“The River of Shells bore to the great sea the blood of men with their flesh;

“They carried many trophies across Eaba, together with the head of Eogan Bel.”

During this stormy time, which only carried forward the long progress of fighting since the days of the prime, a famous school of learning and religion had been founded at Moville by Finian, “the tutor of the saints of Ireland.”  The home of his church and school is a very beautiful one, with sombre mountains behind rising from oak-woods into shaggy masses of heather, the blue waters of Lough Foyle in front, and across the mouth of the lough the silver sands and furrowed chalk hills of Antrim, blending into green plains.  Here the Psalms and the Gospels were taught in Latin to pupils who had in no wise given up their love for the old poetry and traditions of their motherland.  Here Colum studied, afterwards called Colum Kill, “Saint Colum of the Churches,” and here arose a memorable dispute concerning a Latin manuscript of the Psalms.  The manuscript belonged to Finian, founder of the school, and was esteemed one of the treasures of his college.  Colum, then a young student, ardently longed for a copy, and, remaining in the church after service, he daily copied a part of the sacred text.  When his work was completed, Finian discovered it, and at once claimed the copy of his book as also his.  The matter was submitted to an umpire, who gave the famous decision:  “Unto every cow her calf; unto every book its copy”—­the copy belonged to the owner of the book.  This early decision of copyright was by no means acceptable to the student Colum.  He disputed its justice, and the quarrel spread till it resulted in a battle.  The discredit attaching to the whole episode resulted in the banishment of Colum, who sailed away northward and eastward towards the isles and fiords of that land which, from the Irish Scoti who civilized it, now bears the name of Scotland.  Let us recall a few verses written by Colum on his departure, in a version which echoes something of the original melody and form: