Brian

Family: Sons of Tuireann · Role: son of Tuireann · First appears: The Gods · Lugh of the Long Hand · The Sons of Tuireann · Part 1

Brian, son of Tuireann, and his brothers Iuchar and Iucharba were enemies of Cian and his brothers, Cu and Ceithen. At Plain of Muirthemne, when Cian changed himself into a pig to escape them, Brian recognized him, turned his own brothers into hounds to pursue him, and speared him. The brothers refused Cian’s plea for mercy and stoned him to death; after burying his body six times, they buried it a seventh time, and the earth kept it.

When Lugh confronted the sons of Tuireann at Teamhair over his father’s death, Brian denied that they had killed him but offered to pay the fine as though they had. He later acknowledged to Lugh that the killing was theirs. Tuireann warned his sons that seeking the required items would bring their deaths, while their sister Ethne told Brian that killing Lugh’s father was wrong and that any harm that followed was just. Lugh lent them Manannan’s curragh, the Scuabtuinne, to pursue the fine.

On their journeys, Brian led his brothers in taking the apples from the Garden in the East of the World, escaping as swans, and entering the King of Greece’s court disguised as Irish poets. When the king refused the pig-skin, Brian and his brothers seized the gold-filled skin and fought their way out; Brian killed the king. He also killed Pisear with an apple after he refused to give up the spear, and killed the King of Siogair with the Persian spear. Easal gave the brothers his pigs, hosted them, and accompanied them to Ioruaidh, where Brian defeated and bound the king; the brothers received the whelp, and peace was made.

After Lugh’s spell made them forget the remaining items, the brothers returned to Ireland believing they had completed the fine. At Teamhair, Lugh accepted what they had brought but demanded the cooking-spit and three shouts. At the Hill of Miochaoin, Brian fought and killed Miochaoin, then fought alongside his brothers against Core, Conn (son of Miochaoin) and Aedh (son of Miochaoin). Wounded and bleeding heavily, Brian raised his brothers until they gave the three shouts. Lugh refused them the healing skin; Brian lay down between his brothers, and all three died. Their father lamented them, then died too, and they were buried in one grave.