EARLY  See also:

• HISTORY

HISTORY On See also:

• ACCOUNT
• ACCOUNT (through O. Fr. acont, Late Lat. comptum, cornputare, to calculate)

account of its isolated position we might expect to find See also:

• IRELAND
• IRELAND, CHURCH
• IRELAND, CHURCH OF
• IRELAND, JOHN (1761-1842)
• IRELAND, JOHN (1838- )
• IRELAND, WILLIAM HENRY (1777-1835)

Ireland in See also:

• POSSESSION
• POSSESSION (Lat. possessio, possidere, to possess)

possession of a highly See also:

• DEVELOPED

developed See also:

• SYSTEM

system of legends bearing on the origins of its inhabitants . Ireland See also:

• HISTORICAL

Historical remained outside the See also:

• PALE (through Fr. pal, from Lat. palms, a stake, for paglus, from the stem pag- of pangere, to fix; " pole " is from the same original source)

pale of the See also:

• ANCIENT
• ANCIENT (also spelt ANTIENT; derived, through the Fr. ancien, old, from the late Lat. antianum, from ante, before)

ancient See also:

• ROMAN

Roman See also:

• SOURCES

sources. See also:

• WORLD

world, and a See also:

• STATE
• STATE, GREAT OFFICERS OF

state of society which was peculiarly favourable to the preservation of See also:

• NATIONAL

national folk-See also:

• LORE
• LORE, AMBROISE DE (1396-1446)

lore survived in the See also:

• ISLAND (O.E. ieg =isle, +land')

island until the 16th See also:

• CENTURY (from Lat. centuria, a division of a hundred men)

century . The See also:

• JEALOUSY (adapted from Fr. jalousie, formed from jaloux, jealous, Low Lat. zelosus, Gr. j'i os, ardour, zeal, from the root seen in '&u', to boil, ferment; cf. " yeast ")

jealousy with which the hereditary antiquaries guarded the tribal genealogies naturally leads us to See also:

• HOPE, ANTHONY
• HOPE, THOMAS (c. 1770-1831)

hope that the records which have come down to us may See also:

• SHED

shed some See also:

• LIGHT

light on the difficult problems connected with the early inhabitants of these islands and the See also:

• WEST
• WEST, BENJAMIN (1738-1820)
• WEST, NICHOLAS (1461-1533)

west of See also:

• EUROPE

Europe . Although innumerable histories of Ireland have appeared in See also:

• PRINT

print since the publication of See also:

• RODERICK

Roderick O'Flaherty's Ogygia (See also:

• LONDON

London, 1677), the authors have in almost every See also:

• CASE
• CASE, JOHN (d. 1600)

case been content to reproduce the legendary accounts without bringing any serious See also:

• CRITICISM
• CRITICISM (from the Gr. KpiTrlS, a judge, Kpivew, to decide, to give an authoritative opinion)

criticism to See also:

• BEAR
• BEAR, BLACK
• BEAR, BROWN
• BEAR, GRIZZLY
• BEAR, ISABELLINE
• BEAR, WHITE

bear on the sources . This is partly to be explained by the fact that the serious study of Irish See also:

• PHILOLOGY

philology only See also:

• DATES

dates from 1853 and much of the most important material has not yet appeared in print . In the See also:

• MIDDLE

middle of the 19th century O'See also:

• DONOVAN, EDWARD (1768–1837)

Donovan and O'See also:

• CURRY

Curry collected a vast amount of undigested See also:

• INFORMATION (from Lat. informare, to give shape or form to, to represent, describe)

information about the early history of the island, but as yet J . B . See also:

• BURY
• BURY, JOHN BAGNELL (1861- )

Bury in his monograph on St See also:

• PATRICK, SIMON (1626–1707)
• PATRICK, ST

Patrick is the only trained historian who has ever adequately dealt with any of the problems connected with ancient Ireland . Hence it is evident that our knowledge of the subject must remain extremely unsatisfactory until the See also:

• CHIEF (from Fr. chef, head, Lat. caput)

chief sources have been properly sifted by competent scholars . A beginning has been made by See also:

• SIR

Sir See also:

• JOHN
• JOHN (1167–1216)
• JOHN (1290-c. 1320)
• JOHN (1296-1346)
• JOHN (1371–1419)
• JOHN (1468-1532)
• JOHN (1801-1873)
• JOHN (Heb. llni')
• JOHN (ZAPOLYA) (1487-1540)
• JOHN, 4TH MARQUESS OF TWEEDDALE (c. 1695-1762)
• JOHN, DON (1545-1578)
• JOHN, DON (1629–1679)
• JOHN, GOSPEL OF ST
• JOHN, or HAYS (1513–1571)
• JOHN, THE APOSTLE
• JOHN, THE EPISTLES OF

John Rhys in his " Studies in Early Irish History " (Proceedings of the See also:

• BRITISH

British See also:

• ACADEMY, GREEK
• ACADEMY, ROYAL

Academy, vol. i.), and by John See also:

• MACNEILL, HECTOR (1946-1818)

MacNeill in a suggestive See also:

• SERIES (a Latin word from serere, to join)

series of papers contributed to the New Ireland See also:

• REVIEW (Fr. revue, from revoir, to see again, Lat. re and videre)

Review (See also:

• MARCH
• MARCH (1) (from Fr. marcher, to walk; the earliest sense in French appears to be " to trample," and the origin has usually been found in the Lat. marcus, hammer; Low Lat. marcare, to hammer; hence to beat the road with the regular tread of a soldier: cf.
• MARCH, AUZIAS (c. "1395-1458)
• MARCH, EARLS OF
• MARCH, FRANCIS ANDREW (1825– )

March 1906-Feb . 1907) . Much might reasonably be expected from the sciences of See also:

• ARCHAEOLOGY (from Gr. &pxa1a, ancient things, and Xoyos, theory or science)

archaeology and See also:

• ANTHROPOLOGY (Gr. avOpw1ror man, and Xoyos, theory or science)

anthropology .

But although Ireland is as See also:

• RICH, BARNABE (c. 1540-1617)
• RICH, CLAUDIUS JAMES (1787-1821)
• RICH, JOHN (1692-1761)
• RICH, PENELOPE, LADY (c. 1562–1607)
• RICH, RICHARD, 1ST BARON RICH (1490?-1567)

rich as, or even richer in monuments of the past than, most countries in Europe, comparatively little has been done owing in large measure to the lack of systematic investigation . It may be as well to specify some of the more important sources at the outset . Of the classical writers who See also:

• NOTICE

notice Ireland See also:

• PTOLEMY (CLAUDIUS PTOLEMAEUS)

Ptolemy is the only one who gives us any very definite information . The legendary origins first appear in See also:

• NENNIUS (fl. 796)

Nennius and in a number of poems by such writers as Maelmura (d . 884), Cinaed Uah Artacain (d . 975), Eochaid Ua Flainn (d . 984), Flann Mainistrech (d. ro56) and Gilla Coemgin (d . 1072) . They are also embodied in the Leabhar Gabhdla or See also:

• BOOK

Book of Invasions, the earliest copy of which is contained in the Book of See also:

• LEINSTER

Leinster, a 12th-century MS .. See also:

• GEOFFREY
• GEOFFREY (1158-1186)
• GEOFFREY (c. I152-1212)

Geoffrey Keating's History, Dugald MacFirbis's Genealogies and various collections of See also:

• ANNALS (Annales, from annus, a year)

annals such as those,by the Four Masters . Of See also:

• PRIME, PRIMER AND PRIMING

prime importance for the earlier penod are the stories known collectively as the See also:

• ULSTER
• ULSTER, EARLS OF

Ulster See also:

• CYCLE
• CYCLE (Gr. KUK)^os, a circle)

cycle, among which the lengthy epic the T¢in Bo Cualnge takes first See also:

• PLACE (through Fr. from Lat. platea, street; Gr. IrAar6s, wide)

place . Amongst the numerous See also:

• CHRONICLES, BOOKS OF

chronicles the Annals of Ulster, which commence with the See also:

• YEAR

year 441, are by far the most trustworthy .

The Book of Rights is another compilation which gives valuable information with regard to the relations of the various kingdoms to one another . Finally, there are the extensive collections of genealogies preserved in See also:

• RAWLINSON, GEORGE (1812-1902)
• RAWLINSON, RICHARD (169o-1755)
• RAWLINSON, SIR HENRY CRESWICKE (1810—1895)
• RAWLINSON, SIR ROBERT (1810—1898)

Rawlinson B 502, the Books of Leinster and See also:

• BALLYMOTE

Ballymote . Earliest Inhabitants.—There is as yet no certain See also:

• EVIDENCE (Lat. evidentia, evideri, to appear clearly)

evidence to show that Ireland was inhabited during the See also:

• PALAEOLITHIC (Gr. iraXates, old, and )tWBor, stone)

palaeolithic See also:

• PERIOD
• PERIOD (Gr. irepioSos, a going or way round, circuit, aepi, round, and &Sis, way, road)

period . But there are abundant traces of See also:

• MAN
• MAN, ISLE OF (anc. Mona)

man in the See also:

• NEOLITHIC, or LATER STONE AGE (Gr. vEOr, new, and XLOos, stone)

neolithic state of culture (see Sir W . R . W . See also:

• WILDE, OSCAR

Wilde's See also:

• CATALOGUE (a Fr. adaptation of the Gr. KaraXoyos, a register, from Karalyety, to enrol or pick out)

Catalogue of the antiquities in the Museum of the Royal Irish Academy) . The use of See also:

• BRONZE

bronze was perhaps introduced about 1450 B.C . The craniological evidence is unfortunately at See also:

• PRESENT

present insufficient to show whether the introduction of See also:

• METAL
• METAL (through Fr. from Lat. metallum, mine, quarry, adapted from Gr. µATaXAov, in the same sense, probably connected with ,ueraAAdv, to search after, explore, µeTa, after, aAAos, other)

metal coincided with a.ry particular invasion either from See also:

• BRITAIN (Gr. Hperavuml vi7vot, Bperravia; Lat. Britannia, rarely Britannia)

Britain or the See also:

• EUROPEAN

European See also:

• CONTINENT (from Lat. continere, "to hold together "; hence " connected," " continuous ")

continent . At any See also:

• RATE

rate it was not until well on in the Bronze See also:

• AGE (Fr. age, through late Lat. aetaticum, from aetas)

Age, perhaps about 600 or 500 B.C., that the Goidels, the first invaders speaking a See also:

• CELTIC

Celtic See also:

• LANGUAGE (adapted from the Fr. langage, from langue, tongue, Lat. lingua)

language, set See also:

• FOOT

foot in Ireland . The newcomers probably overran the whole island, subduing but not exterminating the older See also:

• RACE

race with which they doubtless intermarried freely, as pre-Celtic types are frequent among the populations of See also:

• CONNAUGHT
• CONNAUGHT, ARTHUR WILLIAM PATRICK ALBERT, DUKE OF (1850– )

Connaught and See also:

• MUNSTER
• MUNSTER, SEBASTIAN (1489-1552)

Munster at the present See also:

• DAY (O. Eng. dreg, Ger. Tag; according to the New English Dictionary, " in no way related to the Lat. dies")
• DAY, JOHN (1574-1640?)
• DAY, THOMAS (1748-1789)

day . What the language was that was spoken by the neolithic See also:

• ABORIGINES

aborigines is a question which will probably never be settled .

The See also:

• DIVISION (from Lat. dividere, to break up into parts, separate)

division into provinces or " fifths " (Ulster, Leinster, Connaught, E . Munster and W . Munster) appears to be older than the historical period, and may be due to the Goidels . Between 300 B.C. and 150 B.C. various Belgic and other Brythonic tribes established themselves in Britain bringing with them the knowledge of how to See also:

• WORK

work in See also:

• IRON [symbol Fe, atomic weight 55.85 (0=16)]

iron . Probably much about the same See also:

• TIME (0. Eng. Lima, cf. Icel. timi, Swed. timme, hour, Dan. time; from the root also seen in " tide," properly the time of between the flow and ebb of the sea, cf. O. Eng. getidan, to happen, " even-tide," &c.; it is not directly related to Lat. tempus)
• TIME, MEASUREMENT OF
• TIME, STANDARD

time certain Belgic tribes effected settlements in the S.E. of Ireland . Some time must have elapsed before any Brythonic See also:

• PEOPLE

people undertook to defy the powerful Goidelic states, as the supremacy of the Brythonic See also:

• KINGDOM

kingdom of See also:

• TARA
• TARA, VISCOUNTS AND BARONS

Tara does not seem to have been acknowledged before the 4th century of our era . The early Belgic settlers constituted perhaps in the See also:

• MAIN (from the Aryan root which appears in " may " and " might," and Lat. magnus, great)
• MAIN (Lat. Moenus)

main trading states which acted as intermediaries of See also:

• COMMERCE
• COMMERCE (Lat. commercium, from, cum, together, and rnerx, merchandise)

commerce between Ireland and See also:

• GAUL
• GAUL, GILBERT WILLIAM (1855— )

Gaul.l In addition to these Brythonic colonies a number of Pictish tribes, who doubtless came over from See also:

• SCOTLAND
• SCOTLAND, CHURCH OF
• SCOTLAND, EPISCOPAL CHURCH OF

Scotland, conquered for themselves parts of See also:

• ANTRIM
• ANTRIM, RANDAL MACDONNELL, 1ST EARL OF (d. 1636)
• ANTRIM, RANDAL MACDONNELL, 1ST MARQUESS OF (1609-1683)

Antrim and Down where they maintained their See also:

• INDEPENDENCE
• INDEPENDENCE, DECLARATION OF
• INDEPENDENCE, WAR OF

independence till See also:

• LATE

late in the historical period . Picts are also represented as having settled in the See also:

• COUNTY (through Norm. Fr. comae, cf. O. Fr. cunte, conk', Mod. Fr. comae, from Lat. comitatus, cf. Ital. comitato, Prov. comtat; see COUNT)

county of See also:

• ROSCOMMON
• ROSCOMMON, WENTWORTH DILLON, 4TH EARL OF (c. 163o-1685)

Roscommon; but we have at present no means of ascertaining when this invasion took place . Classical Writers.—See also:

• GREEK
• GREEK, ETRUSCAN AND

Greek and Roman writers seem to have possessed very little definite information about the island, though much of what they relate corresponds to the state of society disclosed in the older epics . See also:

• STRABO (born c. 63 n.c.)

Strabo held the inhabitants to be See also:

• MERE
• MERE, ADALBERT (1838-1909)

mere savages, addicted to See also:

• CANNIBALISM

cannibalism and having no See also:

• MARRIAGE

marriage ties . See also:

• SOLINUS, GAIUS JULIUS

Solinus speaks of the luxurious pastures, but the natives he terms an inhospitable and warlike nation . The conquerors among them having first drunk the See also:

• BLOOD

blood of their enemies, afterwards besmear their faces therewith; they regard right and wrong alike .

Whenever a woman brings forth a male See also:

• CHILD
• CHILD, FRANCIS JAMES (1825-1896)
• CHILD, L
• CHILD, LYDIA MARIA (1802-1880)
• CHILD, SIR FRANCIS (1642-1713)
• CHILD, SIR JOHN (d. 1690)
• CHILD, SIR JOSIAH (163o - 1699)

child, she puts his first See also:

• FOOD
• FOOD (like the verb " to feed," from a Teutonic root, whence O. Eng. foda; cf. " fodder "; connected with Gr. lrareicOae, to feed)

food on the See also:

• SWORD (0. Eng. sweord; ultimately from an Indo-European root meaning to wound)

sword of her See also:

• HUSBAND

husband, and lightly introduces the first auspicium of nourishment into his little mouth with the point of the sword . See also:

• POMPONIUS, LUCIUS

Pomponius See also:

• MELA, POMPONIUS (ft. c. A.D. 43)

Mela speaks of the See also:

• CLIMATE

climate as unfit for ripening See also:

• GRAIN (derived through the French from Lat. granum, seed, from an Aryan root meaning " to wear down," which also appears in the common Teutonic word " corn ")

grain, but he, too, notices the luxuriance of the grass . However, it is not until we reach Ptolemy that we feel we are treading on See also:

• FIRM

firm ground . His description is of supreme importance for the study of early Irish ethnography . Ptolemy gives the names of sixteen peoples in Ireland, several of which can be identified . As we should expect from our knowledge of later Irish history scarcely any towns are mentioned . In the S.E., probably in Co . See also:

• WICKLOW

Wicklow, we find the Manapii—evidently a See also:

• COLONY (Lat. colonia, from colonus, a cultivator)

colony from N.E . Gaul . See also:

• NORTH
• NORTH, BARONS
• NORTH, MARIANNE (1830—1890)
• NORTH, ROGER (1653-1734)
• NORTH, SIR THOMAS (1535?-16o1?)

North of them, perhaps in See also:

• KILDARE

Kildare, a similar people, the Cauci, are located . In See also:

• WATERFORD

Waterford and See also:

• WEXFORD

Wexford are placed the See also:

• BRIGANTES (Celtic for " mountaineers " or " free, privileged ")

Brigantes, who also occur in See also:

• YORKSHIRE

Yorkshire . The territory to the west of the Brigantes is occupied by a people called by Ptolemy the Iverni .

Their See also:

• CAPITAL (i.e. capital stock or fund)
• CAPITAL (Lat. caput, head)

capital he gives as Ivernis, and in the extreme S.W. of the island he marks the mouth of the riber Iernos, by which the See also:

• TOP (cf. Dan. top, Ger. Topf, also meaning pot)

top of See also:

• DINGLE

Dingle See also:

• BAY

Bay called See also:

• CASTLEMAINE

Castlemaine See also:

• HARBOUR (from M.E. hereberge, here, an army; cf. Ger. Heer and -beorg, protection or shelter. Other early forms in English were herberwe and haiborow, as seen in various place names, such as Market Harborough.. The French auberge, an inn, derived through

Harbour is perhaps intended . The Iverni must have been a nation of considerable importance, as they See also:

• PLAY

play a prominent See also:

• PART

part in the historical period, where they are known as the trnai or Eraind of Munster . It would seem that the Iverni were the first native tribe with whom See also:

• FOREIGN

foreign traders came in contact, as it is from them that the Latin name for the whole island is derived . The earliest See also:

• FORM (Lat. forma)

form was probably Iveriyo or Iveriyu, genitive Iveryonos, from which come See also:

• LAT

Lat . Iverio, Hiverio (Antonine Itinerary), Hiberio (See also:

• CONFESSION (Lat. confessio, from confiteor, acknowledge, confess)

Confession of St Patrick), Old Irish Eriu,'Heriu, gen . Herenn The importance of the commerce between Ireland and Gaul in early times, and in particular the See also:

• TRADE (O. Eng. trod, footstep, from tredan, to tread; in M. Eng. the forms teed, trod and trade appear, the last in the sense of a beaten track)
• TRADE, BOARD OF

trade in See also:

• WINE (Lat. vinum, Gr. oivos)

wine, has been insisted upon by H . Zimmer in papers in the Abh. d . Berl . Akad. d . Wissenschaftex (1909).with See also:

• REGULAR

regular loss of intervocalic v, Welsh Iwerddon (from the oblique cases) . West of the Iverni in Co . See also:

• KERRY

Kerry Ptolemy mentions the Vellabori, and going in a northerly direction following the See also:

• COAST (from Lat. costa, a rib, side)

coast we find the Gangani, Autini (Autiri), Nagnatae (Magnatae) .

Erdini (cf. the name Lough See also:

• ERNE

Erne), Vennicnii, Rhobogdii, Darini and Eblanii, none of whom can be identified with certainty . In See also:

• SOUTH
• SOUTH, ROBERT (1634–1716)

south Ulster Ptolemy locates a people called the Voluntii who seem to correspond to the Ulidians of a later period (Ir . Ulaid, in Irish Lat . Uloti) . About See also:

• QUEEN
• QUEEN (O.E. cwen, wife, related to "quean," O.E. cwene, a hussy; cf. Gr. yvvi7: from root gan-, to produce; cf. genus, " kin," &c.)

Queen's county or See also:

• TIPPERARY

Tipperary are situated the Usdiae, whose name is compared with the later See also:

• OSSORY (Osraighe)
• OSSORY, THOMAS BUTLER, EARL OF (1634-1680)

Ossory (Ir . Os-raige) . Lastly, in the north of Wexford we find the Coriondi who occur in Irish texts near the See also:

• BOYNE

Boyne (See also:

• MID

Mid . Ir . Coraind) . It would seem as if Ptolemy's description of Ireland answered in some measure to the state of affairs which we find obtaining in the older Ulster epic cycle ? Both are probably anterior to the See also:

• FOUNDATION (Lat. fundatio, from fundare, to found)

foundation of a central state at Tara . Legendary Origins.—We can unfortunately derive no further assistance from See also:

• EXTERNAL

external sources and must therefore examine the native traditions .

From the 9th century onwards we find accounts of various races who had colonized the island . These stories naturally become amplified as times goes on, and in what we may regard as the classical or See also:

• STANDARD
• STANDARD, BATTLE OF THE

standard versions to be found in Keating, the Four Masters, ,Dugald MacFirbis and elsewhere, no fewer than five successive invasions are enumerated . The first colony is represented as having arrived in Ireland in A.M . 2520, under the leadership of an individual named Partholan who hailed from Middle See also:

• GREECE

Greece . His See also:

• COMPANY

company landed in See also:

• KEN
• KEN, THOMAS (1637-1711)

Ken-See also:

• MARE

mare Bay and settled in what is now Co . See also:

• DUBLIN

Dublin . After occupying the island for 300 years they were all carried off by a See also:

• PLAGUE (in Gr. Xotµos; in Lat. pestis, pestilentia)

plague and were buried at Tallaght (Ir . Tamlacht, " plague-See also:

• GRAVE

grave "), at which place a number of ancient remains (probably belonging, however, to the See also:

• VIKING

Viking period) have come to light . In A.M . 2850 a See also:

• WARRIOR

warrior from See also:

• SCYTHIA (Gr. EKuOia)

Scythia called Nemed reached Ireland with 900 fighting men . Nemed's people are represented as having to struggle for their existence with a race of See also:

• SEA (in O. Eng. sae, a common Teutonic word; cf. Ger. See, Dutch Zee, &c.; the ultimate source is uncertain)
• SEA, COMMAND OF THE

sea-pirates known as the Fomorians . The latter's stronghold was Tory Island, where they had a mighty fortress .

After undergoing See also:

• GREAT

great hardship the Nemedians succeeded in destroying the fortress and in slaying the enemies' leaders, but the Fomorians received reinforcements from See also:

• AFRICA
• AFRICA, ROMAN

Africa . A second See also:

• BATTLE

battle was fought in which both parties were nearly exterminated . Of the Nemedians only See also:

• THIRTY

thirty warriors escaped, among them being three descendants of Nemed, who made their way each to a different See also:

• COUNTRY (from the Mid. Eng. contre or contrie, and O. Fr. cuntree; Late Lat. contrata, showing the derivation from contra, opposite, over against, thus the tract of land which fronts the sight, cf. Ger. Gegend, neighbourhood)

country (A.M . 3066) . One of them, See also:

• SIMON, ABRAHAM (1622-1692)
• SIMON, JULES FRANCOIS (1814–1896)
• SIMON, RICHARD (1638–1712)
• SIMON, SIR JOHN (1816–1904)
• SIMON, THOMAS (c. 1623-1665)

Simon Brec, proceeded to Greece, where his posterity multiplied to such an extent that the Greeks See also:

• GREW, NEHEMIAH (1641-1712)

grew afraid and reduced them to See also:

• SLAVERY

slavery . In time their position became so intolerable that they resolved to See also:

• ESCAPE (in mid. Eng. eschape or escape, from the O. Fr. eschapper, modern echapper, and escaper, low Lat. escapium, from ex, out of, and cappa, cape, cloak; cf. for the sense development the Gr. iichueoOat, literally to put off one's clothes, hence to sli

escape, and they arrived in Ireland A.M . 3266 . This third See also:

• BODY

body of invaders is known collectively as Firbolgs, and is ethnologically and historically very important . They are stated to have had five leaders, all See also:

• BROTHERS, RICHARD (1757-1824)

brothers, each of whom occupied one of the provinces or " fifths." We find them landing in different places . One party, the See also:

• FIR

Fir Galeoin, landed at Inber Slangi, the mouth of the Slaney, and occupied much of Leinster . Another, the Fir Domnand, settled in See also:

• MAYO
• MAYO, RICHARD SOUTHWELL BOURKE, 6TH EARL OF (1822-1872)

Mayo where their name survives in Irrus Domnand, the ancient name for the See also:

• DISTRICT

district of Erris . A third See also:

• BAND

band, the Firbolg proper, took possession of Munster .

Many authorities such as Keating and MacFirbis admit that descendants of the Firbolgs were still to be found in parts of Ireland in their own day, though they are characterized as " tattling, guileful, See also:

• TALE (O.Eng. talu, number, account, story; the word is common to many Teutonic languages; cf. Ger. Zahl, number, Erzahlung, narrative, Du. taal, speech, language)

tale-bearing, noisy, contemptible, mean, wretched, unsteady, harsh and inhospitable:" The Firbolgs had scarcely established themselves in the island when a fresh set of invaders appeared on the See also:

• SCENE (Fr. scene, Lat. scaena, Gr. oflvil, a tent or booth, a stage or scene)

scene . These were the Tuatha De Danann (" tribes of the See also:

• GOD

god Danu "), who according to the See also:

• STORY, JOHN (c. 1510-1571)
• STORY, JOSEPH (1779-1845)
• STORY, ROBERT HERBERT (1835-1907)
• STORY, WILLIAM WETMORE (1819—1895)

story were also descended from Nemed . They came originally from Greece and were highly skilled in See also:

• NECROMANCY (Gr. veKpoµavreia, or veIVoµavrEia, from vEKpos or ViKVS, corpse, and µavreia, divination)

necromancy . Having to flee from Greece on account of a Syrian invasion they proceeded to Scandinavia . Under Nuadu Airgetlaim they 2 On the subject of Ptolemy's description of Ireland see articles by G . H . Orpen in the See also:

• JOURNAL
• JOURNAL (through Fr. from late Lat. diurnalis, daily)

Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland (See also:

• JUNE

June 18 4), and John MacNeill in the New Ireland Review (See also:

• SEPTEMBER (Lat. septem, seven)

September 1906) . moved to Scotland, and finally arrived in Ireland (A.M . 3303), bringing with them in addition to the celebrated Lia Fail (" See also:

• STONE
• STONE (0. Eng. shin; the word is common to Teutonic languages, cf. Ger. Stein, Du. steen, Dan. and Swed. sten; the root is also seen in Gr. aria, pebble)
• STONE, CHARLES POMEROY (1824-1887)
• STONE, EDWARD JAMES (1831-1897)
• STONE, FRANK (1800-1859)
• STONE, GEORGE (1708—1764)
• STONE, LUCY [BLACKWELL] (1818-1893)
• STONE, MARCUS (184o— )
• STONE, NICHOLAS (1586-1647)

stone of destiny ") which they set up at Tara, the cauldron of the Dagda and the sword and See also:

• SPEAR (O. Eng. spere, O. H. Ger. sper, mod. Ger. speer, &c., cf. Lat. sparrs; probably related to " spar, " a beam)

spear of Lugaid Lamfada . Eochaid, son of Erc, See also:

• KING
• KING (O. Eng. cyning, abbreviated into cyng, cing; cf. O. H. G. chun- kuning, chun- kunig, M.H.G. kiinic, kiinec, kiinc, Mod. Ger. Konig, O. Norse konungr, kongr, Swed. konung, kung)
• KING [OF OCKHAM], PETER KING, 1ST BARON (1669-1734)
• KING, CHARLES WILLIAM (1818-1888)
• KING, CLARENCE (1842–1901)
• KING, EDWARD (1612–1637)
• KING, EDWARD (1829–1910)
• KING, HENRY (1591-1669)
• KING, RUFUS (1755–1827)
• KING, THOMAS (1730–1805)
• KING, WILLIAM (1650-1729)
• KING, WILLIAM (1663–1712)

king of the Firbolgs, having declined to surrender the See also:

• SOVEREIGNTY

sovereignty of Ireland, a great battle was fought on the See also:

• PLAIN (O. Fr. plain, from Lat. plenum)

plain of Moytura near Cong (Co . Mayo), the site of a prehistoric See also:

• CEMETERY (Gr. Korrsnri7pwv, from Hoiµav, to sleep)

cemetery . In this contest the Firbolgs were overthrown with great slaughter, and the remnants of the race according to Keating and other writers took See also:

• REFUGE

refuge in See also:

• ARRAN
• ARRAN, EARLS OF

Arran, See also:

• ISLAY

Islay, Rathlin and the See also:

• HEBRIDES, THE, or WESTERN ISLES

Hebrides, where they dwelt until driven out by Picts .

Twenty-seven years later the Tuatha De had to defend themselves against the Fomorians, who were almost annihilated at the battle of north Moytura near See also:

• SLIGO

Sligo . The Tuatha De then enjoyed undisturbed possession of Ireland until the arrival of the Milesians in A.M.3J00 . All the. early writers dwell with great fondness on the origin and adventures of this race . The Milesians came primarily from Scythia and after sojourning for some time in See also:

• EGYPT

Egypt, See also:

• CRETE (Gr. Kp;rrrr; Turk. Kirid, Ital. Candia)

Crete and in Scythia again, they finally arrived in See also:

• SPAIN
• SPAIN (Espana)

Spain . In the See also:

• LINE

line of mythical ancestors which extends without interruption up to See also:

• NOAH (ni, rest; Septuagint, New Testament, Philo, Josephus, Na*, N&i os, Nweos: Vulg. Noe)

Noah, the names of Fenius Farsaid, Goedel See also:

• GLAS, GEORGE (1725-1765)
• GLAS, JOHN (1695-1773)

Glas, See also:

• EBER, PAUL (1511-1569)

Eber See also:

• SCOT, MICHAEL (? 1175-1232)

Scot and Breogan constantly recur in Irish story . At length eight sons of Miled (Lat . Milesius) set forth to conquer Ireland . The spells of the Tuatha De accounted for most of their number . However, after two battles the newcomers succeeded in over-coming the older race; and two brothers, Eber Find and Eremon, divided the island between them, Eber Find taking See also:

• EAST
• EAST, ALFRED (1849- )

east and west Munster, whilst Eremon received Leinster and Connaught . Lugaid, son of the See also:

• BROTHER

brother of Miled, took possession of south-west Munster . At the same time Ulster was See also:

• LEFT

left to Eber son of Ir son of Miled . The old historians agree that Ireland was ruled by a See also:

• SUCCESSION (Lat. successio, from succedere, to follow after)

succession of Milesian monarchs until the reign of Roderick O'See also:

• CONNOR (or O'CONNOR), BERNARD (1666-1698)

Connor, the last native king .

The Tuatha De are represented as retiring into the sid or See also:

• FAIRY (Fr. fee, faerie; Prov. facia; Sp. hada; Ital. fata; med. Lat. fatare, to enchant, from Lat. fatum, fate, destiny)

fairy mounds . Eber Find and Eremon did not remain See also:

• LONG, GEORGE (1800-1879)
• LONG, JOHN DAVIS (1838– )

long in agreement . The historians place the beginnings of the See also:

• ANTITHESIS (the Greek for " setting opposite ")

antithesis between north and south at the very commencement of the Milesian domination . A battle was fought between the two brothers in which Eber Find lost his See also:

• LIFE

life. in the reign of Eremon the Picts are stated to have arrived in Ireland, coming from Scythia . It will have been observed that Scythia had a See also:

• PECULIAR

peculiar attraction for See also:

• MEDIEVAL

medieval Irish chroniclers on account of its resemblance to the name Scotti, Scots . The Picts first settled in Leinster; but the main body were forced to remove to Scotland, only a few remaining behind in See also:

• MEATH (pronounced with th soft, as in the)

Meath . Among the numerous mythical See also:

• KINGS, FIRST AND SECOND BOOKS OF

kings placed by the See also:

• ANNALISTS (from Lat. annas, year; hence annales, sc. libri, annual records)

annalists between Eremon and the See also:

• CHRISTIAN
• CHRISTIAN, WILLIAM (1608-1663)

Christian era we may mention Tigernmas (A.M . 3581), 011am Fodla (A.M . 3922) who established the See also:

• MEETING (from " to meet," to come together, assemble, 0. Eng. metals ; cf. Du. moeten, Swed. mota, Goth. gamotjan, &c., derivatives of the Teut. word for a meeting, seen in O. Eng. Wit, moot, an assembly of the people; cf. witanagemot)

meeting of Tara, Cimbaeth (c . 305 B.C.) the reputed founder of Emain Macha, Ugaine Mor, Labraid Loingsech, and Eochaid Feidlech, who built See also:

• RATH, GERHARD VOM (183o-1888)

Rath Cruachan for his celebrated daughter, Medb queen of Connaught . During the 1st century of our era we hear of the rising of the aithech-tuatha, i.e. subject or plebeian tribes, or in other words the Firbolgs, who paid See also:

• BAER, KARL ERNST VON (1792-1876)
• BAER, WILLIAM JACOB (186o– )

Baer- or See also:

• BASE

base See also:

• RENT

rent to the Milesians . From a resemblance in the name which is probably fortuitous these tribes have been identified with the Attecotti of Roman writers .

Under Cairbre Cinnchait (" See also:

• CAT
• CAT, CIVET
• CAT, HOUSE

cat-See also:

• HEAD (in 0. Eng. heafad; the word is common to Teutonic languages; cf. Dutch hoofd, Ger. Haupt, generally taken to be in origin connected with Lat. caput, Gr. KerbOvi7)
• HEAD, SIR EDMUND WALKER, BART
• HEAD, SIR FRANCIS BOND, BART

head ") the oppressed peoples succeeded in wresting the sovereignty from the Milesians, whose princes and nobles were almost exterminated (A.D . 90) . The line of Eremon was, however, restored on the See also:

• ACCESSION (from Lat. accedere, to go to, to approach)

accession of Tuathal Techtmar (" the legitimate "), who reigned A.D . 130-160 . This ruler took See also:

• MEASURES

measures to consolidate the See also:

• POWER [WILLIAM GRATTAN] TYRONE (1797-1841)

power of the ardri (supreme king) . He constructed a number of fortresses on the great central plain and carved out the kingdom of Meath to serve as his mensal See also:

• LAND

land . The new kingdom was composed of the present counties of Meath, See also:

• WESTMEATH
• WESTMEATH, EARL OF

Westmeath and See also:

• LONGFORD

Longford together with portions of See also:

• MONAGHAN

Monaghan, See also:

• CAVAN

Cavan, King's Co. and Kildare . He was also the first to See also:

• LEVY (Fr. levee, from lever, Lat. levare, to lift, raise)
• LEVY, AMY (1861–1889)
• LEVY, AUGUSTE MICHEL (1844– )

levy the famous Leinster See also:

• TRIBUTE (Lat. tributurn, a stated payment, contribution)

tribute, the boroma, in consequence of an insult offered to him by one of the kings of that See also:

• PROVINCE
• PROVINCE (Lat. provincia; perhaps a contraction of providentia)

province . This tribute, which was only remitted in the 7th century at the instance of St Moling, must have been the source of See also:

• CONSTANT, BENJAMIN (1845-1902)

constant See also:

• WAR
• WAR (O. Eng. werre, Fr. guerre, of Teutonic origin; cf. O.H.G. werran, to confound)

war and oppression . Agrandson of Tuathal's, the famous See also:

• CONN
• CONN, LOUGH

Conn Cetchathach (" the See also:

• HUNDRED

hundred-fighter "), whose See also:

• DEATH

death is placed in the year 177 after a reign of about twenty years, was constantly at war with the Munster ruler Eogan Mbr, also called Mog Nuadat, of the race of Eber Find . Eogan had subdued the trnai and the Corco Laigde (descendants of Lugaid son of Ith) in Munster, and even the supreme king was obliged to See also:

• SHARE (O. Eng. scearu, chiefly in compounds, e.g. land-scearu, a share of land, from sceran to cut; cf. " shear" )

share the island with him . Hence the well-known names Leth Cuinn or " Conn's See also:

• HALF

half " (north Ireland), and Leth Moga or " Mug's half " (south Ireland) .

The boundary line ran from the Bay of See also:

• GALWAY

Galway to Dublin along the great See also:

• RIDGE (a word. common to many Teutonic languages, meaning " back," whether of a man or an animal, cf. German Rucke)
• RIDGE, WILLIAM PETT (1864- )

ridge of See also:

• GRAVEL, or PEBBLE BEDS

gravel known as Eiscir Riada which stretches across Ireland . Mog Nuadat had a son Ailill Aulom who plays a prominent part in the Irish sagas and genealogies, and his sons Eogan, Cian and Cormac Cas, all became the ancestors of well-known families . Conn's See also:

• GRANDSON (Ger. Grandsee)

grandson, Cormac son of See also:

• ART

Art, is represented as having reigned in great splendour (254–266) and as having been a great See also:

• PATRON

patron of learning . It was during this reign that the See also:

• SEPT

sept of the Desi were expelled from Meath . They settled in Munster where their name still survives in the See also:

• BARONY

barony of Decies (Co . Waterford) . A curious passage in Cormac's Glossary connects one of the leaders of this sept, Cairpre Muse, with the settlements of the Irish in.south See also:

• WALES (Cymru, Gwalia, Cambria)

Wales which may have taken place as early as the 3rd century . Of greater consequence was the invasion of Ulster by the three Collas, See also:

• COUSINS, SAMUEL (18o1-1887)

cousins of the ardri Muredach . The stronghold of Emain Macha was destroyed and the Ulstermen were driven across the See also:

• NEWRY

Newry See also:

• RIVER

River into See also:

• DALRIADA

Dalriada, which was inhabited by Picts . The old inhabitants of Ulster are usually termed Ulidians to distinguish them from the Milesian peoples who overran the province . With the See also:

• ADVENT (Lat. Adventus, sc. Redemptoris, " the coming of the Saviour ")

advent of Niall Nbigiallach (" N. of the nine hostages " reigned 379–405) son of Eochaid Muigmed6in (358–366) we are treading safer ground . It was about this time that the Milesian kingdom of Tara was firmly established .

Nor was Niall's activity confined to Ireland alone . Irish sources represent him as constantly engaged in marauding expeditions oversea, and it was doubtless on one of these. that St Patrick was taken See also:

• CAPTIVE (from Lat. capere, to take)

captive . These movements coincide with the inroads of the Picts and Scots recorded by Roman writers . It is probably from this period that the Irish colonies in south Wales, See also:

• SOMERSET, EARLS AND DUKES OF
• SOMERSET, EDMUND BEAUFORT, DUKE OF (c. 1404–1455)
• SOMERSET, EDWARD SEYMOUR, DUKE OF (c. 1506–1552)
• SOMERSET, LORD ROBERT EDWARD HENRY (1776-1842)
• SOMERSET, ROBERT CARR (or KER), EARL OF (e. 1590-1645)

Somerset, See also:

• DEVON, EARLS OF

Devon and See also:

• CORNWALL

Cornwall date . And the earliest migrations from Ulster to See also:

• ARGYLL, EARLS AND DUKES OF

Argyll may also have taken place about this time . See also:

• LITERARY

Literary evidence of the colonization of south Wales is preserved both in Welsh and Irish sources, and some See also:

• IDEA (Gr. Ibia, connected with i&eiv, to see; cf. Lat. species from specere, to look at)

idea of the extent of Irish oversea activity may be gathered from the See also:

• DISTRIBUTION (Lat. distribuere, to deal out)

distribution of the Ogam See also:

• INSCRIPTIONS (from Lat. inscribere, to write upon)

inscriptions in Wales, south-west See also:

• ENGLAND
• ENGLAND, THE CHURCH OF

England and the Isle of Man . Criticism of the Legendary Origins.—It is only in See also:

• RECENT

recent years that the Irish legendary origins have been subjected to serious criticism . The fondly cherished theory which attributes Milesian descent to the bulk of the native See also:

• POPULATION (Lat. populus, people; populare, to populate)

population has at length been assailed . MacNeill asserts that in MacFirbis's genealogies the See also:

• MAJORITY (Fr. majorite; Med. Lat. majoritas; Lat. major, greater)

majority of the tribes in early Ireland do not trace their descent to Eremon and Eber Find; they are rather the descendants of the subject races, one of which figures in the See also:

• LIST (O.E. lisle, a Teutonic word, cf. Dut. lust, Ger. Leiste, adapted in Ital. lista and Fr. lisle)
• LIST, FRIEDRICH (1789-1846)

list of conquests under the name of Firbolg . The stories of the Fomorians were dcubtless suggested in part by the Viking invasions, but the origin of the Partholan See also:

• LEGEND (through the French from the med. Lat. legenda, things to be read, from legere, to read)

legend has not been discovered . The Tuatha De do not appear in any of the earliest quasi-historical documents, nor in Nennius, and they scarcely correspond to any particular race . It seems more probable that a See also:

• SPECIAL

special invasion was assigned to them by later writers in See also:

• ORDER
• ORDER (through Fr. ordre, for earlier ordene, from Lat. ordo, ordinis, rank, service, arrangement; the ultimate source is generally taken to be the root seen in Lat. oriri, rise, arise, begin; cf. " origin ")
• ORDER, HOLY

order to explain the presence of mythical personages going by their name in the heroic cycles, as they were found inconvenient by the monkish historians .

In the early centuries of our era Ireland would tllrefore have been occupied by the Firbolgs and kindred races and the Milesians . Aceiording to MacNeill the Firbolg tribal names are formed with the suffix -raige, e.g . Ciarraige, Kerry, Osraige, Ossory, or with the obscure words Corcu and mocu (maccu), e.g . Corco Duibne, Corkaguiney, Corco Mruad, Corcomroe, Macu Loegdae, Macu Teimne . In the case of corcu and mocu the name which follows is frequently the name of an See also:

• EPONYMOUS

eponymous ancestor . The Milesians on the other See also:

• HAND
• HAND (a word common to Teutonic languages; cf. Ger. Hand, Goth. handus)
• HAND, FERDINAND GOTTHELF (1786-185r)

hand. named themselves after an historical ancestor employing terms such as ui, " descendants," See also:

• ELAND (= elk)

eland " See also:

• CHILDREN, LAW RELATING TO

children," dal, " division " anal, " kindred," or s£l, " See also:

• SEED (from the root seen in Lat. serere, to sow)

seed." In this connexion it may be noted that practically all the Milesian pedigrees converge on three ancestors in the 2nd century—Conn Cetchathach king of Tara, Cathair Mor of Leinster, and Ailill Aulom of Munster,—whilst in scarcely any of them are mythological personages absent when we go farther back than A.D . 300 . Special genealogies were framed to See also:

• LINK

link up other races, e.g. the Eraind and Corcu Loegdi of Munster and the Ulidians with the Milesians of Tara . The peculiar characteristic of the Milesian See also:

• CONQUEST

conquest is the See also:

• ESTABLISHMENT (0. Fr. establissement, Fr. etablissement, late Norm. Fr. establishement, from O. Fr. establir, Fr. etablir, Lat. stabilire, to make stable)

establishment of a central See also:

• MONARCHY (Fr. monarchic, from Lat. monarchia, Gr. uovapXia, rule of one, µbvos, alone, apXi7, rule)

monarchy at Tara . No trace of such a state of affairs is to be found in the Ulster epic . In the Tdin B6 Cfainge we find Ireland divided into fifths, each ruled over by its own king . These divisions were: Ulster with Emain Macha as capital, Connaught with Cruachu as See also:

• RESIDENCE (Latin residere, to remain behind, to dwell, reside)

residence, north Munster from Slieve See also:

• BLOOM (from A.S. bloma, a flower)

Bloom to north Kerry, south Munster from south Kerry to Waterford, and Leinster consisting of the two kingdoms of Tara and Ailinn .

Moreover, the kings of Tara mentioned in the Ulster cycle do not figure in any list of Milesian kings . It would appear then that the central kingdom of Tara was an innovation subsequent to the state of society described in the See also:

• OLDEST

oldest sagas and the See also:

• POLITICAL

political position reflected in Ptolemy's account . It was probably due to an invasion undertaken by Brythons 1 from Britain, but it is impossible to assign a precise date for their arrival . Until the end of the 3rd century the Milesian power must have been confined to the valley of the Boyne and the district around Tara . At the beginning of the 4th century the three Collas founded the kingdom of See also:

• ORIEL
• ORIEL, JOHN FOSTER, BARON (1740-1828)

Oriel (comprising the present counties of See also:

• ARMAGH

Armagh, Monaghan, north See also:

• LOUTH

Louth, south See also:

• FERMANAGH

Fermanagh) and drove the Ulidians into the eastern part of the province . See also:

• BRIAN (926-1014)

Brian and Fiachra, sons of Eochaid Muigmedoin, conquered for themselves the country of the Ui Briuin (Roscommon, See also:

• LEITRIM

Leitrim, Cavan) and Tir Fiachrach, the territory of the Firbolg tribe the Fir Domnann in the valley of the Moy (Co . Mayo) . Somewhat later south Connaught was similarly wrested from the older race and colonized by descendants of Brian and Fiachra, later known as Ui Fiachrach Aidni and Ui Briuin Seola . The north of Ulster is stated to have been conquered and colonized by Conall and Eogan, sons of Niall NSigiallach . The former gave his name to the western portion, Tfr Conaill (Co . See also:

• DONEGAL

Donegal), whilst Inishowen was called Tfr Eogain after Eogan . The name Tfr Eogain later became associated with south Ulster where it survives in the county name See also:

• TYRONE
• TYRONE, EARLS OF

Tyrone .

The whole kingdom of the north is commonly designated the kingdom of Ailech, from the ancient stronghold near Derry which the sons of Niall probably took over from the earlier inhabitants . At the end of the 5th century See also:

• MAINE
• MAINE, ANNE LOUISE BENEDICTE DE BOURBON
• MAINE, SIR HENRY JAMES SUMNER (1822–1888)

Maine, a relative of the king of Tara, was apportioned a See also:

• TRACT (from Lat. tractare, to treat of a matter, through Provencal tractat and Ital. trattato)

tract of Firbolg territory to the west of the Suck in Connaught, which formed the See also:

• NUCLEUS (Lat. for the kernal of a nut, nux, the stone of fruit)

nucleus of a powerful state known as Hy Maine (in See also:

• ENGLISH

English commonly called the " O'See also:

• KELLY, EDWARD (1854–188o)
• KELLY, HUGH (1739–1777)
• KELLY, MICHAEL (1762–1826)
• KELLY, SIR FITZROY (1796–1880)

Kelly's country ") . Thus practically the whole of the north and west gradually came under the sway of the Milesian rulers . Nevertheless one portion retained its independence . This was Ulidia, consisting of Dalriada, Dal Fiatach, Dal Araide, including the present counties of Antrim and Down . The bulk of the population here was probably Pictish; but the Dal Fiatach, representing the old Ulidians or ancient population of Ulster, maintained themselves until the 8th century when they were subdued by their Pictish neighbours . The relationship of Munster and Leinster to the Tara See also:

• DYNASTY (Gr. &vvaareta, sovereignty, the position of a hevnori7r, lord, ruler, from SuvaaBay to be able, Suvaµas, power)

dynasty is not so easy to define . The small kingdom of Ossory remained See also:

• INDEPENDENT

independent until a very late period . As for Leinster none of the Brythonic peoples mentioned by Ptolemy left traces of their name, although it is possible that the ruling ' Scholars are only beginning to realize how See also:

• CLOSE
• CLOSE (from Lat. clausum, shut)
• CLOSE, MAXWELL HENRY (1822-1903)

close was the connexion between Ireland and Wales from early'times . See also:

• PEDERSEN, CHRISTIERN (c. 1480-1554)

Pedersen has recently pointed out the large number of Brythonic and Welsh See also:

• LOAN (adapted from the Scandinavian form of a word common to Teutonic languages, cf. Swed. Mn, Icel. lan, Dut. leen; the O.E. laen appears in " lend," the ultimate source is seen in the root of Gr. Xeiaecv and Lat. linquere, to leave)

loan words received into Irish from the time of the Roman occupation of Britain to the beginning of the literary period . Welsh writers now assume an Irish origin for much of the contents of the See also:

• MABINOGION (plural of Welsh mabinogi, from mabinog, a bard's apprentice)

Mabinogion.See also:

• FAMILY

family may have been derived from them . It would seem that the Fir Galeoin who play such a prominent part in the See also:

• RAIN (O.E. regn; the word is common to Teutonic languages, cf. Ger. Regen, Swed. and Dan. regn; it has been connected with Lat. rigare, to wet, Gr. 13pixeav)

rain had been crushed before See also:

• AUTHENTIC (from Gr. aOO 'rns, one who does a thing himself)

authentic history begins .

The king of Leinster was for centuries the most determined opponent of the ardr£, an antithesis which is embodied in the story of the boroma tribute . When we turn to Munster we find that See also:

• CASHEL

Cashel was the seat of power in historical times . Now Cashel (a loanword from Lat. castellum) was not founded until the beginning of the 5th century by Corc son of Lugaid . The legendary account attributes the subjugation of the various peoples inhabiting Munster to Mog Nuadat, and the pedigrees are invariably traced up to his son Ailill Aulom . Rhys adopts the view that the race of Eber Find was not Milesian but a See also:

• BRANCH (from the Fr. branche, late Lat. branca, an animal's paw)

branch of the Ernai, and this theory has much in its favour . The See also:

• ALLEGIANCE (Mid. Eng. ligeaunce; med. Lat. ligeantia, &c.; the al- was probably added through confusion with another legal term, allegeance, an allegation; the Fr. allegeance comes from the English; the word is formed from " liege," of which the derivatio

allegiance of the rulers of Munster to Niall and his descendants can at the best of times only have been nominal . In this way we get a number of over-kingdoms acknowledging only the supremacy of the Tara dynasty . These were (r) Munster with Cashel as centre, (2) Connaught, (3) Ailech, (4) Oriel, (5) Ulidia, (6) Meath, (7) Leinster, (8) Ossory . Some of these states might be split up into various parts at certain periods, each part becoming for the time-being an over-kingdom . For instance, Ailech might be resolved into Tfr Conaill and Tfr Eogain according to political conditions . Hence the number of over-kingdoms is given variously in different documents . The supremacy was vested in the descendants of Niall N6igiallach without interruption until roosi but as Niall's descendants were represented by four reigning families, the high-kingship passed from one branch to another .

Nevertheless after the middle of the 8th century the See also:

• TITLE (0. Fr. title, mod. titre, from Lat. titulus)

title of ardri (high-king) was only held by the Cinel Eogain (See also:

• NORTHERN

northern Hy See also:

• NEILL, JAMES GEORGE SMITH (1810-1857)

Neill) and the rulers of Meath (See also:

• SOUTHERN

southern Hy Neill), as the kingdom of Oriel had dropped into insignificance . The supremacy of the ardri was more often than not purely nominal . This must have been particularly the case in Leth Moga . See also:

• RELIGION
• RELIGION, FOLKLORE, CUSTOM

Religion in Early Ireland.—Our knowledge of the beliefs of the See also:

• PAGAN
• PAGAN (Lat. paganus, of or belonging to a pagus, a canton, county district, village, commune)

pagan Irish is very slight . The oldest texts belonging to the heroic cycle are not preserved in any MS. before two, and though the sagas were certainly committed to See also:

• WRITING
• WRITING (the verbal noun of " to write," O. Eng. writan, to in