Conand (mythology) facts for kids
Conand, also known as Conann or Conaing, was a powerful leader from a group called the Fomorians in ancient Irish myths. He lived in a tall tower on Tory Island. Conand made life very hard for the people of Nemed, demanding a huge amount of their food and even their children as a tax.
Eventually, Nemed's people decided they had had enough. They bravely fought back against Conand and his Fomorian army. They managed to defeat him and destroy his strong tower. After Conand's death, another Fomorian leader named Morc attacked Nemed's remaining followers, causing many more to be lost.
The Story of Conand's Tower
Ancient Irish stories, like the Lebor Gabála Érenn (which means "The Book of the Taking of Ireland"), tell us more about Conand. It says that Conand mac Febair (Conand, son of Febar) and Morc mac Deled (Morc, son of Dela) forced Nemed's people to pay a very heavy tax. This tax was two-thirds of all their wheat, milk, and even their children. This payment was due every year on Samain, which is like an ancient Halloween. They had to bring it to a place called Mag Cetne.
Nemed's people, feeling very oppressed, decided to fight for their freedom. They gathered a huge army of 30,000 warriors. These fighters were led by Nemed's grandsons and great-grandsons. They attacked Conand's tower from the sea. They bravely fought Conand and his own army of 30,000. Nemed's people won the battle and took over Conand's Tower, which was later called Torinis Cetne.
However, the fight wasn't over. Morc soon arrived with a fleet of sixty ships. He wanted to take the tower back from Nemed's people. A terrible battle followed, and many on both sides were lost. This sad event forced many of Nemed's people to leave Ireland and spread out to other lands.
More Details from the Stories
Later versions of these tales, like those found in the Annals of the Four Masters, added more exciting details. In these stories, Nemed's people got help from Greece. They even had a brave woman spy named Relbeo. She managed to get inside Conand's tower and earn his trust. Relbeo gathered important information about the tower's weaknesses. This helped Nemed's army plan their attack and finally defeat Conand.
Where Was Conand's Tower?
For a long time, people believed Conand's tower was located on Tory Island, off the coast of County Donegal. However, some historians have suggested other ideas. One idea is that the plain where the taxes were collected, Mag Cetne, was actually in County Sligo. This would mean the tower might have been on a different small island nearby, possibly called Derinish. It's still a bit of a mystery exactly where Conand's famous tower once stood.
