One winter's day, Deirdre's foster father was skinning a weaned calf for her in the snow outside, and she watched as a raven drank the blood from the snow.

"That's the kind of man I want," she said to Leborcham, "with those three colours:  hair like the raven, cheeks like the blood, and a body like the snow."

"Best of luck to you," said Leborcham. "There's a man like that not far away, very close by indeed - Noísiu son of Uisliu."

"I'll be ill until I can see him, then," said Deirdre.

One day, Noísiu happened to be at the wall of the stronghold of Emain, standing alone and singing. The sons of Uisliu had very melodious voices. Every cow that heard them sing gave two thirds more milk, and every man was filled with peace and calm by their music. They were also great fighters - if they stood back to back, they could hold off the entire province of Ulster -and could run as fast as hunting hounds, catching and killing wild animals in flight.

Deirdre slipped out to where Noísiu was, and walked past him, pretending not to recognise him.

"That's a fine heifer going by," he said.

"The heifers are bound to be fine where there are no bulls," replied Deirdre.

"But you have the chief bull of the province, the king of Ulster himself," said Noísiu.

"Between the two of you," said Deirdre, "I'd rather have a young bull like you."

"You can't!" said Noísiu. "What about Cathbad's prophesy?"

"You're rejecting me, then?"

"Yes, I am."

Deirdre leapt at him, and seized him by the ears. "Two ears of shame and mockery," she said, "unless you take me away with you!"

"Leave me alone, woman!"

"Too late!"

Noísiu gave a musical war-cry. The men of Ulster heard it, and one by one rose up against him. Uisliu's other two sons went out to restrain their brother.

"What do you think you're doing?" they said. "The men of Ulster are taking up arms because of you!"

So Noísiu told them what had happened. "Evil will come of this," said his brothers. "Still, we won't see you shamed as long as we're alive. We'll take her away to another country - there's not a king in Ireland who would turn us away."

And that's what they decided to do. They left that night, with three fifties of warriors, and three fifties of women, and the same number of hounds and servants, with Deirdre hidden amongst them. For a long time, they found protection with kings all over Ireland, from Ess Rúaid in the south-west to Benn Etair in the north-east, despite the traps and treacheries Conchobor often set to destroy them.

Eventally, though, the Ulstermen drove them out of Ireland to Alba.  [Note: Alba is usually Scotland but originally was the island of Britain as a whole.]   There, they settled in the wild places, and when they could no longer survive on game from the mountains, they stole cattle. There came a day when the men of Alba came together to destroy them, so they went to the king of Alba, and he took them into his employ as mercenaries. They built their houses on green land, in such a way that no-one could see Deirdre inside, for they were afraid there might be violence on her account.

However, early one morning, a steward happened to come to the house, and he saw the couple asleep. At once, he went and woke the king.

"We've never found a woman worthy of you until now," he said. "But there is a woman with Noísiu mac Uislenn worthy of the king of the western world! Have Noísiu killed, and she can sleep with you."

"No," said the king. "But go to her every day, and woo her on my behalf."

So that's what the steward did, but everything he said to her, she told to Noísiu the same night. Since she was not forthcoming, the sons of Uisliu were sent into battles and dangerous situations in the hope they might be killed, but they were so tough that every attempt failed. Finally the men of Alba came together to kill them. They told Deirdre, and she passed it on to Noísiu.

"You've got to leave tonight!" she said. "If you're still here tomorrow, they'll kill you!"

So that night, Deirdre and the sons of Uisliu left Alba, and came to an island in the sea.

News of this reached Ulster. The Ulstermen said to Conchobor, "It would be a disgrace if the sons of Uisliu were to die in a strange land because of a bad woman. Better to forgive them, spare their lives, and bring them home under your protection, than to have our enemies kill them."

"Then let them come," said Conchobor, "and let men go as guarantors."

This message was taken to Noísiu and his brothers. "This is good news," they said. "e will come, so long as Fergus, Dubthach, and Cormac son of Conchobor are our guarantors."

So these three were sent to them, and brought them back over the sea. However, Conchobor got the Ulstermen to waylay Fergus with invitations to ale-feasts. Fergus, Dubthach and Cormac stayed behind, but the sons of Uisliu had sworn that the first food they touched in Ireland would be Conchobor's, so they and Deirdre went on ahead with Fergus's son Fiacha, until they arrived at the green of Emain Macha.

Eogan mac Durthacht had come to Emain to make his peace with Conchobor, for the two of them had been long-standing enemies, and it fell to him to kill the sons of Uisliu. Mercenaries prevented them from coming before the king, and they stood in the middle of the green, Fergus's son by Noísiu's side. The women of Emain sat on the ramparts as Eogan and his troops crossed the green.

Eogan welcomed Noísiu with the point of his spear, which broke his back. Fiacha put his arms around Noísiu, pulled him to the ground and covered him, so they had to go through him to kill Noísiu.

The sons of Uisliu were hunted from one side of the green to another. None of them escaped except by point of spear or edge of sword. Deirdre was brought to stand beside the king, her arms tied behind her.

When Fergus, Dubthach and Cormac heard of this, they went straight to Emain and did mighty deeds. Dubthach killed Mane son of Conchobor, and despatched Fiachna, son of Conchobor's daughter Fedelm, with one blow. Fergus killed Traigthrén son of Traiglethan and his brother. Conchobor was outraged, and battle broke out between them. Three hundred Ulstermen fell that day. Dubthach slaughtered the young women of Ulster, and Fergus burned Emain Macha.

Then they went into exile, to Connacht. They knew Ailill and Medb wold give them shelter and hospitality, for the men of Connacht had no love for Ulster. The exiles numbered three thousand, and for sixteen years they made sure there was weeping and trembling every night in Ulster.

Deirdre lived with Conchobor for a year, and during that time she neither laughed nor smiled. She didn't eat enough or sleep enough, and she didn't lift her face from her knees. If they brought musicians to her, or Conchobor tried to comfort her, she would sing to them of Noísiu and his brothers, Arddán and Ainnle, how they looked after her, and the sound of their singing, Noísiu's baritone and Ainnle's high tenor. She sang of Noísiu's beauty and bravery, and her despair at his death. She never let Conchobor forget who she blamed for this.

"Tell me," said Conchobor, "who is it that you hate the most?"

"You, of course," she said, "along with Eogan mac Durthacht."

"Very well," he replied. "You can spend a year with Eogan." And he sent her to live with him.

The next day, they set out for the fair of Macha, Deirdre standing behind Eogan in the chariot. She swore that she would never submit to both these men in one place.

"Well, Deirdre," said Conchobor, "between Eogan and me, you're a ewe eyeing two rams."

There was a big block of stone in front of her. She drove her head against it, breaking it into fragments, and died.