Fion mac Coumghal

Leader of the Fiann

Fion was born the only son of Coumghal mac Tredhorn, the chieftan of the de Baiscne clan, and the leader of the Fiann.  When Fion was just a baern his whole clan was wiped out by the treachery of Gnul mac Mohrnae.  Fion's mother escaped with him and hid him away with two spinceter women of the clan deep in the primal forest where he grew into young manhood hunting and running through the wilderness.  He was tought bardcraft by a strange bard who would come to him in the forest and spend hours each day teaching him.  When he was still a young man, he traveled into the Northwest of the isle where he met Coalite and spent the next few years living with Coalite's clan and learning the warrior's arts.  He soon became restless with this life and began to roams throughout the land going from Tuatha to Tuatha.  He would fight for the chieftans of the Tuathas in the battles they had with other Tuathas and with the ever-present threat of Fomori incursions and raids.  During these travels, he fought and defeated the monster that lived in a lake preying upon the fishermen when they would go out to fish.  He met an old man who told him that he would give him a great prize if he would catch the great red salmon that lived in the river Bohrne.  Fion caught the salmon and he cleaned it and prepared for the cooking when he put it upon a spit to cook over a fire the hot grease from the Salmon burned his thumb which Fion put in his mouth and tasted the fluid from the great salmon and knowledge came to him and foresight which told him that the old man was planning to kill him.  So he confronted the old man who was one of the Ard Olaavs of the land.  The old man realized that Fion was the red-haired man foretold to eat of the fish.  So he told Fion to eat the fish and then he began to instruct Fion in the deepest secrets and knowledge of their race.   He also realized that Fion must be the son of Coumghal and he told him the story of the de Baiscnes and how they were betrayed.  He also told Fion where he could find his mother who was the daughter of the Marbh Draoi.  He also gave Fion the proof that the Marbh Draoi had been behind the death of his father and his kinsmen.

Fion traveled to Tara and took the trials for the Fiann, which he passed, every one, with a finer performance than any other man had ever accomplished.  He was recognized by two men in the crowd who were from the de Baiscne and they led Fion to the remnants of his clan who were in hiding in the northern forests.  Fion challenged Gnul for the leadership of the Fiann and defeated him in cmbat in trials of athletics and in trials of knowledge.  Gnul had no choice but to step aside and give the leadership to Fion.  Cormac, the Ard Rhi, had no choice but to accept Fion as the leader of all the Fiann.

After many years of battles Fion managed to reunite all the Fionn clans under his leadership and force the Ard Rhi to accept the nobility and rights of the Fiann chiefs, their rights to own their land, and to rules their own clans, and to be treated as equals to the court nobility.

Fion has proven himself to be both a great warrior and a great leader.