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Cú Chulainn, hero of Ulster, 
stood at the ford at Cooley,

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ready to face an entire army 
singlehandedly—

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all for the sake of a single bull.

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The army in question belonged 
to Queen Meadhbh of Connaught.

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Enraged at her husband’s possession
of a white bull of awesome strength,

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she had set out to capture 
the fabled brown bull of Ulster

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at any cost.

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Unfortunately, the King of Ulster 
had chosen this moment

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to force the goddess Macha to race 
her chariot while pregnant.

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In retaliation, she struck down him 
and his entire army with stomach cramps

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that eerily resembled childbirth—
all except Cú Chulainn.

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Though he was the best warrior in Ulster,

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Cú Chulainn knew he could not take on
Queen Meadhbh’s whole army at once.

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He invoked the sacred rite 
of single combat

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in order to fight 
the intruders one by one.

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But as Queen Meadhbh’s army 
approached,

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one thing worried him 
more than the grueling ordeal ahead.

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Years before, Cú Chulainn had travelled 
to Scotland

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to train with the renowned 
warrior Scáthach.

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There, he met a young warrior 
from Connaught named Ferdiad.

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They lived and trained side-by-side,
and soon became close friends.

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When they returned 
to their respective homes,

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Cú Chulainn and Ferdiad found themselves 
on opposite sides of a war.

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Cú Chulainn knew Ferdiad 
was marching in Meadhbh’s army,

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and that if he succeeded 
in fending off her troops,

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they would eventually meet.

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Day after day, Cú Chulainn 
defended Ulster alone.

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He sent the heads of some 
of his adversaries back to Meadhbh’s camp,

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while the rushing waters of the ford 
carried others away.

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At times, he slipped into a trance 
and slayed hundreds of soldiers in a row.

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Whenever he saw the queen in the distance,
he hurled stones at her—

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never quite hitting her,

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but once coming close enough 
to knock a squirrel off her shoulder.

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Back at the Connaught camp, 
Ferdiad was laying low,

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doing everything he could 
to avoid the moment

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when he’d have to face
his best friend in combat.

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But the Queen was impatient 
to get her hands on the prize bull,

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and she knew Ferdiad was 
her best chance to defeat Cú Chulainn.

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So she goaded him 
and questioned his honor

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until he had no choice but to fight.

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The two faced off at the ford, matching 
each other exactly in strength and skill

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no matter what weapons they used.

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Then, on the third day of their fight,
Ferdiad began to gain the upper hand

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over the exhausted Cu Chulainn.

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But Cú Chulainn had one last trick 
up his sleeve:

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their teacher had shared 
a secret with him alone.

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She told him how 
to summon the Gáe Bulg,

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a magical spear fashioned 
from the bones of sea monsters

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that lay at the bottom of the ocean.

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Cu Chulainn called the spear, 
stabbed Ferdiad to death, and collapsed.

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Meadhbh seized her chance 
and swooped in with the rest of her army

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to capture the brown bull.

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At last, the men of Ulster were recovering
from their magical illness,

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and they surged out in pursuit.

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But they were too late: Queen Meadhbh
crossed the border unscathed,

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dragging the brown bull with her.

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Once home, Meadhbh 
demanded another battle,

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this time between the brown bull 
and her husband’s white bull.

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The bulls were well matched, 
and struggled into the night,

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dragging each other all over Ireland.

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At long last, the brown bull 
killed the white bull,

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and Queen Meadhbh was finally satisfied.

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But the brown bull’s victory 
meant nothing to him.

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He was tired, injured, and devastated.

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Soon after, he died of a broken heart, 
leaving behind a land

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that would remain ravaged 
by Meadhbh’s war for years to come.