Táin Bó Cúailnge or Cattle Raid of Cooley is one of the great Irish legends.
It tells the story of Queen Meabh who leads her army from Connaught to capture the prized brown bull of Cooley so that her wealth will equal that of her husband.
As the knights of Ulster have been put under a spell, only Cuchulainn
stands in her way. Helped by supernatural powers, he fights her best warriors until finally he is forced to enter combat with his boyhood friend Ferdia.
After slaying Ferdia, Cuchulainn is eventually wounded but ties himself to a standing stone so that the advancing army won't realise that he is dying.
The story was commemorated with a march along part of the route which the armies travelled through Co Louth, with a re-enactement of the battle in Dundalk's Market Square, followed by a concert of traditional music.