Ireland and killed their husbands, Éire and her sisters went to them and asked that their names be given to Ireland. If so, then the Milesians would be given the land. Donn, however, treated Éire and her sisters with little respect, provoking a war between the Milesians and the gods. Donn perished in this war. Amairgen, however, promised the goddess that Éire would be the country’s principal name. Banba and Fótla have also been used by Irish poets over the centuries as synonyms for the country. Éire remains the modern Irish name for Ireland, and in its genitive form this becomes Éireann, Erin, Erinn, etc.

Éirinn

[I] Given as the mother of the triune goddess of sovranty—Éire, Banba, and Fótla—by Delbáeth.

Eiscir Riada

[I] The traditional boundary line dividing Ireland into two halves, running along a broken ridge of low mounds from Dublin to Galway Bay. Eiscir = sand hill; riada = to travel by horse or chariot. From mythological times there are references to the two halves of Ireland, divided originally between Eremon and Eber Finn.

Eisirt

[I] The poet of Iubdan, king of the Faylinn, a diminutive people. It was Eisirt who persuaded Iubdan to go to Emain Macha, which resulted in the king being held prisoner there.

Eisteddfod

[W] “A session”—from eistedd, “to sit.” A gathering involving contests in the arts and crafts, especially poetry and music. The first historical Eisteddfod is recorded in a.d. 1176, at Christmas, at Aberteifi (Cardigan), organised by Rhys, Justiciar of Deheubarth. It was proclaimed not only in Wales but in Ireland and Scotland. Such gatherings were held regularly in medieval Wales, and in 1568 Elizabeth I granted licences to the bards to distinguish them from vagabonds. In 1789 the Eisteddfod was revived on a regular basis, the prime mover being Thomas Jones of Corwen. A new period of its life opened in 1880 when the National Eisteddfod Association came into existence. The Eisteddfod is now the major national cultural festival of Wales.

Elatha

[I] A Fomorii king who had an affair with Eri, wife of Cethor. She gave birth to a son, Bres, who was to become king of the Dé Danaan. Disposed by the Dé Danaan, Bres sought Elatha’s aid, and thus began the second battle of Magh Tuireadh.

Elcmar

[I] Husband of Boann. The Dagda sent him on a journey so that he could sleep with Boann. The Dagda weaved an