Orpheus: Myths of the World: Irish: The Death of Conaire Mór, the King of Ireland, Part I

It was then that the youth learned of his parentage and of his descent. His mother was Mess Buachalla. She was called by that name which means "The Cowherds' Fosterling" because, from her infancy, she was brought up by two cowherds. She was reared in a hut of wattles, but her fosterers taught her many accomplishments, and no king's daughter was fairer than she was. One of King Eterscel's folk looked into the wattled hut one day; he saw there the fairest maiden in all Ireland, and he brought back to the king's household word of what he had seen. Now it had been told King Eterscel that he would marry a maiden of a strange race: when he heard of the Cowherds' Fosterling, he said, "This is the woman who is to be mine according to the prophecy."

Now that day, while Mess Buachalla sat within her wattled hut with the last of the daylight coming through the wattles, a bird flew down through the opening of the roof. The bird changed into a man, a radiant being, and Mess Buachalla knew that he was one of the Danaan lords and from the Land of the Ever-living. They became lovers, he and she, and Conaire was the child of their love. Eterscel sent for Mess Buachalla, and she became his queen, and it was thought that Conaire was the son of King Eterscel.

Now those who were of the Danaan folk both loved and hated the race from which Mess Buachalla had come. She was sprung from Etain who, in the Land of the Ever-living, was loved by Midir the Proud. Etain became a mortal and married Eochaid, the King of Ireland. And when Midir had drawn Etain back to the Land of the Ever-living, Eochaid had laid waste the places where the Danaan folk dwelt. From Eochaid who had laid waste these places, through Mess Buachalla, daughter of his daughter, Conaire was descended.

Thus Conaire learned from Nemglan of his parentage and of his descent. "Thou shalt be made King of Ireland," Nemglan told him, "and these are things that thou must never do." Then Nemglan gave Conaire a list of geise, of things that were prohibited to him to do.