Then Diarmuid, grandson of Duibhne, spoke, and it is what he said:  “I will come down to you, Finn, and to the Fianna.  And I will do death and destruction on you and on your people, for I am certain your mind is made up to give me no rest, but to bring me to my death in some place.  And I have nowhere to go from this danger,” he said, “for I have no friend or comrade under whose protection I could go in any far part of the great world, for it is often I fought against the men of the great world for love of you.  For there never came battle or fight, danger or trouble on you, but I would go into it for your sake and the sake of the Fianna; and not only that, but I would fight before you and after you.  And I give my word, Finn,” he said, “you will pay hard for me, and you will not get me as a free gift.”  “It is the truth Diarmuid is speaking,” said Osgar, “and give him forgiveness now, and peace.”  “I will not do that,” said Finn, “to the end of life and time; and he will not get peace or rest for ever till I get satisfaction from him for every reproach he has put on me.”  “It is a great shame and a great sign of jealousy you to say that,” said Osgar.  “And I give the word of a true champion,” he said, “that unless the skies come down upon me, or the earth opens under my feet, I will not let you or any one of the Fianna of Ireland give him cut or wound; and I take his body and his life under the protection of my valour, and I will keep him safe against all the men of Ireland.”  “Those are big words you have, Osgar,” said Goll then, “to say you would bring a man away in spite of all the men of Ireland.”  “It is not you will raise them up against me, Goll,” said Osgar, “for none of them would mind what you would say.”  “If that is what you are saying, you champion of great fights,” said Goll, “let us see now what you can do.”  “You will have to go through with the fight you have taken on yourself,” said Corrioll, son of Goll, in a loud voice.  And Osgar answered him fiercely:  “If I do I will shorten your bones, and your father’s bones along with them.  And come down now, Diarmuid,” he said, “since Finn has no mind to leave you in peace, and I promise on my body and my life there will no harm be done to you to-day.”

Then Diarmuid stood up on a high bough of the boughs of the tree, and he rose with a light leap by the shaft of his spear, and lit on the grass far beyond Finn and the Fianna.  And he himself and Osgar went towards one another, in spite of the Fianna that went between them, and Diarmuid struck down those that were in his way; and as to Osgar, the throwing of his spears as he scattered the Fianna was like the sound of the wind going through a valley, or water falling over flag-stones.  And Conan, that was always bitter, said:  “Let the sons of Baiscne go on killing one another.”  But Finn, when he saw Diarmuid was gone from him, bade them put their weapons up, and turn back again to Almhuin.

And he sent those of his men that could be healed to places of healing, and the nine Garbhs, and the others of his men that were killed, he put into wide-sodded graves.  And it is tired and downhearted and sorrowful he was after that, and he made an oath he would take no great rest till he would have avenged on Diarmuid all that he had done.