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 FIONN

the middle of the fifth century a very holy man, who was known as St. Patrick, was walking over Ireland with a number of his pupils, some of whom were ordered by him to write down the various events which happened to them as they journeyed through the land, bringing to people a new religion to replace their worship of the ancient gods.

One day they were gathered together on a rath where, two or three centuries before, Fionn mac Cumall with his hero-hunters had often rested, and as they looked out over the plain they saw approaching them a little band of very tall and ancient men, accompanied by huge wolf-hounds. So tall were they that the tallest of Patrick's men reached only to their waists. Patrick and his followers grew afraid as they looked on the old men,

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