Tuathal Moel-garb ("the bald-rough") was king in Tara A.D. 528-538. We
have already met with Furbith in incident XIV.
Interceding for captives, with or without miracle, was one of the most
frequent actions attributed to Irish saints: as for instance Brigit
(LL, 1520) and Fintan (CS, 300). Doors opened of their own accord to
Colum Cille (CS, 850). Paulinus of Nola gave himself as a captive in
exchange for a widow's son at the time of the invasion of Alaric in
A.D. 410 (see Smith's _Dictionary of Christian Biography_, vol. iv, p.
239, col. ii, and references there). This explains the allusion in LB.
The woman passing through her enemies is perhaps suggested by Luke iv,
30. The prisoner Fallamain, rescued by Saint Samthann, also passed
unscathed through a crowd of jailers (VSH, ii, 255; compare _ibid._,
p. 259); his chains opened of their own accord, like the doors in
incident XXVI. Compare Acts xii, 7 ff.