One year, on Holloween night, a great monster came to Tara and put the High-King and all the court to sleep with his magical music. When they were all asleep, the monster spat a flame from his mouth and set the High-King's court on fire. The monster returned, year after year, on Holloween night, and he burnt Tara again and again. Nobody in Ireland could stop him. Finally, a young boy came to Tara who promised he would put an end to the burnings. That boy was called Fionn mac Cumhaill. He was given a spear, and he went out into the night to defend the High-King's palace against the holloween Burner.

One day, when Fionn was in Howth, a boat came ashore and a great big warrior jumped out. He said if there wasn't someone in Ireland who would outrun him in a race, he would tax the people of Ireland. At that, a great big clumsy-looking yellow churl appeared, and and he would race him...

From the time Fionn mac Cumhaill was a child, his enemies wished to kill him and to take his place at the head of the Fianna. To defend himself against his enemies, the female warrior Bómall taught Fionn how to fight. But, to survive, he had to learn to be brighter and cleverer than any other living person.