“There has no greater loss fallen on Ireland since the loss of Lugh, son of Ethne,” said the king.  “What orders will you give to the Fianna now, king?” said Goll.  “To yourself, Goll,” said the king, “I will give the right of hunting over all Ireland till we know if the loss of Finn is lasting.”  “I will not take Finn’s place,” said Goll, “till he has been wanting to us through the length of three years, and till no person in Ireland has any hope of seeing him again.”

Then Ailbe of the Freckled Face said to the king:  “What should these seventeen queens belonging to Finn’s household do?” “Let a safe, secret sunny house be given to every one of them,” said the king; “and let her stop there and her women with her, and let provision be given to her for a month and a quarter and a year till we have knowledge if Finn is alive or dead.”

Then the king stood up, and a smooth drinking-horn in his hand, and he said:  “It would be a good thing, men of Ireland, if any one among you could get us news of Finn in hills or in secret places, or in rivers or invers, or in any house of the Sidhe in Ireland or in Alban.”

With that Berngal, the cow-owner from the borders of Slieve Fuad, that was divider to the King of Ireland, said:  “The day Finn came out from the north, following after a deer of the Sidhe, and his five comrades with him, he put a sharp spear having a shining head in my hand, and a hound’s collar along with it, and he bade me to keep them till he would meet me again in the same place.”  Berngal showed the spear and the collar then to the king and to Goll, and they looked at them and the king said:  “It is a great loss to the men of Ireland the man is that owned this collar and this spear.  And were his hounds along with him?” he said.  “They were,” said Berngal; “Bran and Sceolan were with Finn, and Breac and Lainbhui with Caoilte, and Conuall and Comrith with Lugaidh’s Son.”

The High King called then for Fergus of the True Lips, and he said:  “Do you know how long is Finn away from us?” “I know that well,” said Fergus; “it is a month and a quarter and a year since we lost him.  And indeed it is a great loss he is to the Fianna of Ireland,” he said, “himself and the men that were with him.”  “It is a great loss indeed,” said the king, “and I have no hope at all of finding those six that were the best men of Ireland or of Alban.”

And then he called to Cithruadh, the Druid, and he said:  “It is much riches and many treasures Finn gave you, and tell us now is he living or is he dead?” “He is living,” said Cithruadh then.  “But as to where he is, I will give no news of that,” he said, “for he himself would not like me to give news of it.”  There was great joy among them when they heard that, for everything Cithruadh had ever foretold had come true.  “Tell us when will he come back?” said the king.  “Before the Feast of Teamhair is over,” said the Druid, “you will see the Leader of the Fianna drinking at it.”