Editing Medb (section)

==Marriages and rise to power==
How Medb came to power in [[Connacht]] and married [[Ailill mac Máta]] is told in the tale ''Cath Bóinde'' ("The Battle of the Boyne"), also known as ''Ferchuitred Medba'' ("Medb's man-share").<ref name="CathBoinde">[http://www.ucd.ie/tlh/trans/jon.eriu.2.001.t.text.html "''Cath Bóinde''"], tr. [[Joseph O'Neill (1886–1953)|Joseph O'Neill]], ''[[Ériu (journal)|Ériu]]'' 2 (1905) 173–185. [http://www.maryjones.us/ctexts/boyne.html] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131226101735/http://www.maryjones.us/ctexts/boyne.html|date=26 December 2013}}</ref> Her father, [[Eochaid Feidlech]], the [[High King of Ireland]], married her to [[Conchobar mac Nessa]], king of Ulster, because he had killed Conchobar's purported father, the former High King [[Fachtna Fáthach]], in battle. They had a son, Glaisne, but the marriage was a bad one and she left him. Eochaid gave Conchobar another of his daughters, Eithne (or Clothru),<ref name="medbdeath">Vernam Hull, [http://www.maryjones.us/ctexts/medb.html "''Aided Meidbe'': The Violent Death of Medb"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131129042653/http://www.maryjones.us/ctexts/medb.html |date=29 November 2013 }}, ''Speculum'' vol. 13 issue 1, Jan 1938, pp. 52–61</ref> but Medb murdered her while she was pregnant; her son [[Furbaide]] was born by posthumous [[caesarian section]].

Eochaid deposed the then-king of Connacht, Tinni mac Conri, and installed Medb in his place. However, Tinni regained a share of the throne when he and Medb later became lovers. Conchobar raped Medb after an assembly at [[Tara, Ireland|Tara]], and war ensued between the High King and Ulster. Tinni challenged Conchobar to single combat, and lost. Eochaid Dála of the [[Fir Domnann]], who had been Tinni's rival for the kingship, protected the Connacht army as it retreated, and became Medb's next husband and king of Connacht. Medb demanded her husband satisfy her three criteria—that he be without fear, meanness, or jealousy. The last was particularly important, as she had many lovers. While married to Eochaid Dála, she took Ailill mac Máta, chief of her bodyguard, as her lover. Eochaid discovered the affair, challenged Ailill to single combat, and lost. Ailill then married Medb and became king of Connacht.