Athirne or Athairne the Importunate was a poet and satirist of the court of Conchobar mac Nessa

Conchobar mac Nessa

Conchobar mac Nessa was the king of Ulster in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. He ruled from Emain Macha .-Birth:...

 in the Ulster Cycle

Ulster Cycle

The Ulster Cycle , formerly known as the Red Branch Cycle, one of the four great cycles of Irish mythology, is a body of medieval Irish heroic legends and sagas of the traditional heroes of the Ulaid in what is now eastern Ulster and northern Leinster, particularly counties Armagh, Down and...

 of Irish mythology

Irish mythology

The mythology of pre-Christian Ireland did not entirely survive the conversion to Christianity, but much of it was preserved, shorn of its religious meanings, in medieval Irish literature, which represents the most extensive and best preserved of all the branch and the Historical Cycle. There are...

. He was the foster-father of Amairgin mac Echit, who succeeded him as Ulster's chief poet.

Athirne abused the privileges accorded to poets, demanding the remaining eye of a one-eyed king, or sexual favours from women in childbirth, provoking wars the Ulaid

Ulaid

The Ulaid or Ulaidh were a people of early Ireland who gave their name to the modern province of Ulster...

 had to fight. He stole three cranes

Crane (bird)

Cranes are a family, Gruidae, of large, long-legged and long-necked birds in the order Gruiformes. There are fifteen species of crane in four genera. Unlike the similar-looking but unrelated herons, cranes fly with necks outstretched, not pulled back...

 from Midir

Midir

In the Mythological Cycle of early Irish literature, Midir or Midhir was a son of the Dagda of the Tuatha Dé Danann. After the Tuatha Dé were defeated by the Milesians, he lived in the sidh of Brí Léith...

, which stood at his door and refused entry or hospitality to anyone who approached.

Athirne and his two sons all fell in love with Luaine, who was due to marry Conchobar. When she refused them, Athirne made a satire on her which left three blotches of shame, blemish and disgrace on her face, and she died (or possibly committed suicied) out of shame. Conchobor gathered the heroes of Ulster, walled Athirne into his house and burned it down, killing him and his entire family.