“It is what I would wish,” said Grania, “to give them a feast, the way you would get their affection.”  “I give leave for that,” said Diarmuid.

So Grania was making ready a great feast through the length of a year, and messengers were sent for the High King of Ireland, and for Finn and the seven battalions of the Fianna; and they came, and they were using the feast from day to day through the length of a year.

And on the last night of the year, Diarmuid was in his sleep at Rath Grania; and in the night he heard the voice of hounds through his sleep, and he started up, and Grania caught him and put her two arms about him, and asked what had startled him.  “The voice of a hound I heard,” said he; “and it is a wonder to me to hear that in the night.”  “Safe keeping on you,” said Grania, “for it is the Tuatha de Danaan are doing that on you, on account of Angus of Brugh na Boinn, and lie down on the bed again.”  But for all that no sleep came to him, and he heard the voice of the hound again, and he started up a second time to follow after it.  But Grania caught hold of him the second time and bade him to lie down, and she said it was no fitting thing to go after the voice of a hound in the night.  So he lay down again, and he fell asleep, but the voice of the hound awakened him the third time.  And the day was come with its full light that time, and he said:  “I will go after the voice of the hound now, since the day is here.”  “If that is so,” said Grania, “bring the Mor-alltach, the Great Fierce One, the sword of Manannan, with you, and the Gae Dearg.”  “I will not,” he said; “but I will take the Beag-alltach, the Little Fierce One, and the Gae Buidhe in the one hand, and the hound Mac an Chuill, the Son of the Hazel, in the other hand.”

Then Diarmuid went out of Rath Grania, and made no delay till he came to the top of Beinn Gulbain, and he found Finn before him there, without any one at all in his company.  Diarmuid gave him no greeting, but asked him was it he was making that hunt.  Finn said it was not a hunt he was making, but that he and some of the Fianna had gone out after midnight; “and one of our hounds that was loose beside us, came on the track of a wild boar,” he said, “and they were not able to bring him back yet.  And there is no use following that boar he is after,” he said, “for it is many a time the Fianna hunted him, and he went away from them every time till now, and he has killed thirty of them this morning.  And he is coming up the mountain towards us,” he said, “and let us leave this hill to him now.”

“I will not leave the hill through fear of him,” said Diarmuid.  “It would be best for you, Diarmuid,” said Finn, “for it is the earless Green Boar of Beinn Gulbain is in it, and it is by him you will come to your death, and Angus knew that well when he put bonds on you not to go hunting pigs.”  “I never knew of those bonds,” said Diarmuid; “but however it is, I will not quit this through