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and took the infant Ferdia into her arms. Like many of those who lived at or near Dundalk, Mairéad was a widow whose husband and sons died in the bloody battles that were frequently fought in the age of Celtic heroes.
    Although death in battle might have been a heroic end for the legendary Celtic warriors, that was of little consolation to the mothers, wives and children who were left behind. They faced the future with no one to support them; totally reliant on the charity of their friends and extended family. Mairéad had been alone for decades and, like many others in her situation, she moved to the security of the stronghold of a champion, exchanging her domestic skills and experience for a place to live and a bite to eat. Although her eyesight was no longer clear, and her arthritic hands could no longer knit and sew, Mairéad shared the wisdom of her years and nearly everyone, not only from the stronghold but from miles around, sought her advice.
    Of equal importance, the old woman was wonder with infants and small children. At all hours of the day and night, she could be found rocking one of her many adoptive great-grand children in her arms and comforting them when they cried. And then, when they were older, swarms of children would gather at her skirts to learn all measure of wondrous things. Since she had nurtured multiple generations of these young people Mairéad was well respected and treasured by the residents of Cúchulainn’s fortified compound.
    With all her experience, there was no question but that Mairéad would assume responsibility for the infant sons of the great Cúchulainn. From the moment Emer placed the little boys in the old woman’s arms, as she departed to mourn her husband, Mairéad never left the children’s side. Fergus and Ferdia became her life and she observed their every motion, every smile and every change of expression. Mairéad carefully ensured that the wet-nurses properly fed the children and she even remained, snoring softly in her chair, while they slept. Although Mairéad might have said the same thing about every child she had assisted, it soon became clear to the old woman that these infants were special.
    Even though Fergus and Ferdia were only several days old when they were orphaned, Mairéad could see that there seemed to be a magical aura surrounding the twins. Unlike some babies whose eyes appear milky during their first weeks, the boys’ big blue eyes seemed unusually clear. They took in the world around them with an apparent understanding, unheard of in an infant child who might ordinarily see just shapes and colors. The infants’ heads inclined toward the sound of speaking voices and from their expressions they seemed to know what people were saying. This unusual attention suggested that, in the absence of their own speech, Fergus and Ferdia were intent on absorbing every word that was uttered in their presence. The twins never once cried out or shed a tear if they were hungry, thirsty or in discomfort because they seemed to be able to communicate with Mairéad in a mysterious way that, for all her experience she could not quite explain.
    Although only infants, the twins apparently inherited remarkable physical strength from their famous father. When visitors put their finger into the little fellows’ hands they were amazed at the strength of their grips. And when the children were taken from their crib, their neck muscles stood out, supporting their heads unlike any other newborn baby. Fergus and Ferdia were certainly happy, healthy infants, both displaying a mop of golden hair, just like their father. Although the venerable Mairéad jealously guarded the twins, there was no shortage of people who quickly volunteered to adopt the children and rear them as their own.
    After Cúchulainn and Emer were buried, many from the funeral party returned to the compound to mourn the couple’s passing and to determine what was to become of the little orphans. The group gathered