The messenger told Finn that the enemy had landed at Ventry Strand
From Battle of Ventry Strand
He drew a line on the ground and stepped over it.
“I, for one, prefer to show these men what sort of boys grow up to be the men of Erin. Those who will follow me to the strand to die bravely fighting for our country, will step across the line.”
With a shout every boy jumped over the line to the side of their leader. Then, with shields in front and weapons ready, the Boys’ Corps marched down to meet the invaders.
“Ho! Ho!” laughed one of the soldiers. “Have the men of Erin hidden in their holes and sent the children to greet us?”
“Better gain what glory you can before the men of Erin arrive to cut short your boasting,” cried the boy leader, dashing at the man who had mocked them.
Soon the whole boy force was engaged in the unequal struggle against an overwhelming number of men hardened to battle. But though they were boys and knew that they must die in the end, there was no one but showed the fighting blood of his fathers. One after another they went down, but all that day they held the forces of the High King on the shore. When the Fenians arrived that evening the enemy was still on his ships and at the water’s edge. But where were the heroic boys? Not one was left. Only the peasants, who had watched the fight from the hillsides, could tell the story of that noble stand.
When Finn came up and saw the forces against him, he realized that the battle would be long and hard. His only hope was to use small bodies of his fighters against the foe, and trust to the bravery of his men to wear down the forces of the enemy.
“Shall we attack in force and drive them into the sea?” asked Gaul. “Every Fenian should be able to account for ten of the enemy.”
“They will have to do more than that,” declared Finn. “We must send out two hundred of our men each day and let them make what headway they can. Only in that way can we reduce their number enough to make possible their defeat. The Fenians need room to fight and must have strong odds against them to make them do their best. Who will lead the first two hundred?”