I’ll speak both choice and truly,
    although thou now art lonely,
  Thou shalt rule Ireland duly,
    after one’s day’s space only.

  The chosen Tuathal’s slaughter,
    a crying without glory. 
  Thence is it said thereafter,
    “That deed was of Mael-Moire.”

  Without a court or slaughter,
    great Diarmait Uisnech lifted;
  A hundred fanes thereafter,
    to God and Ciaran gifted.

Then was the post made fast; and Ciaran said in fixing it, “Be this,” said he, “in the eye of Tren.”  Tren was a youth who was in the fortress of Cluain Ichtar, and who had adventured arrogance against him.  Forthwith his one eye burst in his head, at the word of Ciaran.

XLIV.  CIARAN AND THE WINE

36.  One day the brethren were sore athirst, while they were reaping in Cluain.  They send a messenger to the cleric, that water be brought to them in the field.  Then Ciaran said, “If to-day they would endure thirst, it would procure great riches of the world for the brethren who would come after them.”  “Truly,” said the brethren, “we prefer to exercise patience, whereby profit will be secured for ourselves, and advantage to the brethren who follow us; rather than to have satisfaction of our thirst to-day.”

A cask full of wine was brought from the land of the Franks to the steading, to Ciaran, in reward for their patience; and a fragment of that cask remained here till recently.

When the evening was come, Ciaran blessed a vessel full of water, and it was changed to choice wine, and was divided among the monks; so that there was no feast that excelled that feast.  For the folk of Colum Cille came from I, after a long time, to this city.  A feast was prepared for them, and it was noised abroad through the whole city that never before or since was there a feast its equal.  Then an aged man who was in the house of the elders said, “I know,” said he, “a feast that was better than this feast.  Better was the feast that Ciaran made for his monks when they were sore athirst,[35] so that he changed water into wine for them.  That it be no story without proof for you,” said the elder, “it was myself who divided that wine, and my thumb would go over the edge of the cup into the wine.  Come and perceive now the savour of my thumb, which then was dipped into the wine.”  They came and were all satisfied with the savour of that finger.  And they said, “Better,” said they, “than any feast was that feast of which the savour remains after a long time on a finger.  A blessing,” said they, “on Ciaran and a blessing on the Lord Who allotted every good thing to him.”

XLV.  THE STORY OF CRITHIR