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2.—The celebrated Queen Maev.—Maev, the queen of Connaught, the Irish Semiramis as she has been called, is one of the few personages in the romances of the Heroic Age of Ireland who has claims to be regarded as a historical character. She is described as the daughter of Eochaidh Feidlech (Yeo-hay Faylla), who was high-king over all Ireland, and should not be confounded with his successor, Eochaidh Airem, the hero of the tale of the "Courtship of Etain." The first husband of Maev was Conor (or Conachar), king of Ulster, from whom she soon separated; and at the period of the tale of the "Courtship of Ferb," she was the wife of Ailill, a prince of Connaught, who is associated with his wife in the tales which describe her long warfare with Conor, and plays the part of a king-consort. In most of the romances connected with the Heroic Age, a general knowledge is assumed of the state of open or concealed warfare between Connaught under Maev and Ailill, and the kingdom of Ulster under Conor, supported by the celebrated heroes of the Red Branch, who are alluded to in the poem marked II. line 6: "As the lord of heroes known." An