I, Flidais, Rian mor Tuatha of Clan Niafer, greet you! You have found the settlement of Inver Colpa. I offer you hospitality, as the laws of this land require. A cup of mead, a plate of meat and a place by the hearthfire for as long as you wish to stay. Under King Cormac, we are at peace now except for a few summer raids among the cattle lords. Harvests have been plentiful. Life is good. We have abundance to share with any guest.

So you've heard the stories about us? Yes, my people are the legendary guardians of Tara, set to the task by the Ard Righ himself. What you see of our settlement grew up along the estuary of Abhainn na Bóinne (the River Boyne). The Niafer rath commands the high ground near the river at the bottom of Amergin's Hill.

Inver Colpa was named for Colptha, one of four sons of Mil, who died here and was buried overlooking the shore. According to the Lebor Gabala (Book of Invasions), Mil was an Iberian king who built a fleet of ships so that his sons could invade Ireland and seize it from the Tuatha de Danann. Eremon was a warrior chief, Eber Finn was handsome and charming, and Amergin was a poet. Little is written of the other two sons, Colptha and Erannan, except of their deaths during the attempted invasion.

The poet Amergin was the first one to set foot on Ireland. When he did, he was inspired by the spirit of the land to recite "The Song of Amergin". The Milesians were the most successful invaders of Ireland, and their bloodline spawned such legendary kings as Conchbhar mac Neasa, Cormac mac Airt, Conn Ceadchathach (Conn of the Hundred Battles), and Fearghus mac Roich.


There is another tale of how Inver Colpa was named, that when the men of Erin broke the limbs of the Matae, the monster that was slain on the Liacc Benn in Mac Oc's brugh, they scattered the remains into the river. They say the breastbone was washed out to sea and drifted along the coast until it reached Ath Cliath. The tides carried the shinbone ("colptha") inland up the river where it came to rest here - at Inver Colpa.

Abhainn na Bóinne itself is named for Boann. Of course there is a story for this as well. One of the old kings, Nechtain, had a sacred well. This was the Well of Segais, to the south of here at Carbury near Cill Dara. No one, not even his wife, the Queen Boann, was allowed to go near this well except Nechtain himself and his cup bearers. But her curiosity led her to venture there one day, along with her hound Dabilla. When she boldly lifted the cover of the well, the water started pouring out and she could do nothing to stop it. The flood swept her and her beloved dog some seventy miles away, all the way to Baltray, and out to sea. This is how they say the River Boyne was formed. There is a place there that is now called Rockabill, and if you look at it a certain way it resembles a dog. As for Boann, she was torn to pieces by the raging waters and drowned in the torrent.

The druids foretell that one day the name of our settlement will be changed to Drogheda, which in Irish means "bridge of the ford". It will become an important port in the future, after the Danes have come and gone. They see several important battles taking place here, beyond what we can imagine today. We are at peace now, but it is prophesied that the grounds of Inver Colpa will run red with the blood of tyrants, kings and rebels in the years to come.

This is a fine place to live, visitor! We are near enough to the sea to enjoy a good amount of trade, yet we are inland enough along the estuary to be secure from coastal raiders. This land is fertile and hunting is good in any season. The sacred places of Brugh na Boinne and the royal seat of Tara are within a day's easy travel. There are lots of interesting places to explore and friendly people to meet. If you would like to wander the rath, the village, the hills or the forest, I will send for one of our warriors to escort you. You may like it so well that you might decide to make a home here. We are always happy to welcome a newcomer to Inver Colpa.




Sources

Ancient Irish Tales. Ed. and trans. Tom P. Cross & Clark Harris Slover. Barnes & Noble, 1996

See also online: "The Coming of the Milesians." Lebor Gabála Érenn: The Book of Invasions.


Image Credits

Tour guide by Louisa Agis

Drogheda Crest, Co. Louth, Ireland by Bastique, from Wikimedia Commons

Neighbourhood builders:

Article by Flidas Niafer
Map & Icon by MacMorna Niafer
Hood design by Fedelm Cruithni

Guide to Celtia
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