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Fir Bolg
The Fir Bolg, also known Menapii, Bolgi, Belgae or Firbolg, was the unlucky branch of the Nemedians who had fled from Ireland. Soon after they had returned to their homeland, the Scythian area, they were enslaved by the Greeks.
The name Fir Bolg is usually translated as Men with Bags or Men with Leather Bags and is derived from the leather bags they used as slaves to carry fertile soil from the valleys to the highlands. There is an other option though. Bolg means also Spear, which makes Fir Bolg Men with Spears.
For three centuries they kept their desire to return to Ireland alive with stories and poems. Homesick and eager to escape the Fir Bolg stole some Greek ships and under guidance of the five brothers Slainge, Rudraige, Gann, Genann and Sengann 5000 Fir Bolg escaped servitude.
A storm scattered the small fleet and the Fir Bolg landed on different beaches. Messengers were sent to establish a meeting at the Hill of Tara, the designated centre of Ireland.
During that meeting, probably the first Feis Teamhrach or Great Fair ever, the brothers divided Ireland in five parts: Míde (nowadays the counties Meath and Westmeath), Ulster, Leinster, Munster and Olnemacht (nowadays Connacht). With the exception of Míde, which was assigned to the province of Leinster after the death of Strongbow in the twelfth century, these early boundaries are following the contours of the modern four provinces of Ireland.
Ireland flourished under the Fir Bolg. They established an administration, a civilisation and a kingdom. The Fir Bolg appeared to be immune for the epidemic diseases with decimated their predecessors and, some occasional raids aside, even the Fomorians seemed to resign themselves to share the land. Together with the Fomorians the Fir Bolg defeated several invading tribes.
Not only in war, but also in love the Fir Bolg and Fomorians entered into alliances. Because the offspring of these mixed marriages can pride themselves on a mythological ancestry it became paramount for Irish heroes, such as Fionn MacCumhail, to find a Fomorian in their family tree.
Seven successive Fir Bolg kings reigned over Ireland for thirty-seven years. The land and its inhabitants prospered. Nevertheless in the tenth year of his reign Ard Rí, or High King, Eochaidh MacErc had a foretelling vision of a flock of black birds coming out of the ocean to fight the Fir Bolg. It would turn out that the black birds were Tuatha de Danaan.