As Conn-eda grew to manhood, his strength and goodness grew with his years. All was harmony in the west until a great sorrow fell upon the land. The Queen died. The country mourned for a year and a day.
And then the King married again. But the new Queen was not good and kind as Queen Eda had been. She was wicked and cruel.
She had several children of her own, and was jealous of Conn-eda, who was the favorite of the King and the darling of the people.
She clearly foresaw that Conn-eda would be King after the death of his father. She wanted her own son to become King some day.
And so she planned to destroy Conn-eda or have him exiled from the country. With envy and hatred in her heart, the wicked Queen went to consult a witch.
The witch gave the Queen a chess-board and told her to invite Prince Conn-eda to play a game of chess.
The witch said to the Queen, "The loser of this game shall be obliged to obey the orders of the winner. And, you, great Queen, shall win the game! Having won the game, you are to send the Prince Conn-eda upon a dangerous journey. He must seek and bring to you, within a year and a day, three golden apples, a magical black steed, and the Hound of Supernatural Powers. These things are so well guarded that the Prince will surely lose his life in attempting to seek them."
The Queen was delighted and hastened to invite Conn-eda to play a game of chess. He agreed to the conditions of the game, and it came about as the witch had promised. The wicked Queen won.
But so pleased was she with her triumph and so greedy for further power that she challenged the Prince to another game. To the Queen's astonishment and horror, Conn-eda won this second game.
"Since you won the first game," said Conn-eda, "you shall be first to command your reward."
The Queen said, "My reward shall be the three golden apples, the Black Steed, and the Hound of Supernatural Powers. These you must seek and bring to me within the space of a year and a day. If you fail you must leave your country forever or lose your life."
Conn-eda answered, "Then my order to you is that you sit upon the topmost spire of yonder tower until I return. If I do not return, you may come down at the end of the year and a day."
Conn-eda was troubled and went to consult with a great Druid. The poor Prince had no idea how he was to find these magical treasures.
The great Druid gave the Prince a little, shaggy pony. He bade Conn-eda obey this little horse.
After further instructions from the great Druid, Conn-eda mounted the shaggy steed and set out upon his journey.
His adventures were many. Through them all, the little shaggy horse helped and guided him. The animal had the power of speech.
After days of hardship and danger, Conn-eda reached the walls of a great city. Two huge towers stood on either side of the gate
and sent forth flames of fire. The pony bade Conn-eda alight from his back and take from his ear a small knife.
"With this knife," said the steed, "kill me! Then wrap yourself in my skin, and you shall be able to pass the gates of the city unharmed. All I ask is that you return to my body and pour a drop of this powerful ointment upon my poor flesh."
With these words the pony gave Conn-eda a bottle of magic fluid.
The Prince cried, "Never, never! I would rather die than kill you, my good friend!"
But at last the pony persuaded Conn-eda, and the Prince stabbed his noble steed. His heart bled, and he was in despair at what he had done.
But he suddenly thought of the bottle of fluid which the steed had given him. Following the animal's advice, the Prince poured the ointment over the horse's body.
No sooner had he done this than the horse's shape changed to the form of a handsome young man.
"Behold!" cried the noble youth. "You have freed me from a wicked enchantment. I am brother of the King of the city. It was a wicked Druid who kept me so long in the form of a shaggy steed. Now, through your brave act, you have broken the spell, and I shall help you in your quest."
The handsome Prince asked his brother, the King, for those treasures which Conn-eda sought. Gladly did the King give to him the apples from his magic tree, the Black Steed, and the precious hound. With these three treasures did Conn-eda return to his country.
The wicked Queen, who was sitting upon the top of her tower, saw Conn-eda approaching. She saw him riding upon a prancing steed and leading a curious animal by a silver chain.
The Queen knew that he was returning in triumph. In despair she cast herself from the tower.
That was her end. And that was also the end of trouble in the kingdom of the west. For at the death of the good King Conn, his son Conn-eda was made king. Conn-eda ruled wisely, and it was after his name that the province of Connaught was called.
In Connaught is the County of Galway. Sheep are raised in Galway. And it has a rugged, wild seacoast.
It was on this coast that the wreck of part of the Spanish Armada took place in 1588. For this reason there is still to be found, in this part of Ireland, people of Spanish descent. And the fairies are said to love the County of Galway. In Galway County is the District of Connemara.