'The Táin', a translation from the Irish by Thomas Kinsella of 'The Táin Bó Cúailnge', was published in 1969 by the Dolmen Press with illustrations by Louis le Brocquy.
An epic from the Ulster Cycle of early Irish literature, 'The Táin' tells the story of Queen Medb of Connacht and her husband Ailill, who face Cú Chulainn of Ulster in a war triggered by her determination to get the Donn Cúailnge bull at any cost.
'Anthology' filmed Kinsella reading from 'The Táin' at the Peacock Theatre, accompanied by music from The Chieftains. In this extract, Kinsella reads from one of the prequels to the main story, in which Medb discovers that the only thing that makes Ailill richer than her is the bull Finnbhennach. She decides to even the score by borrowing the Donn Cúailnge bull for a year.
This episode of 'Anthology' was broadcast on 15 December 1969.
