Uses of the Round Towers of Ireland, $c. 59 



nation of the genitive plural ; and, it was also used as an adjective signifying 

 celestial, heavenly, or holy, and is understood in this sense by Colgan, who, in 

 translating the name of a place in Ulster, called Slighe Neimheadh, renders it by 

 via ccelestis sive sancta. Trias Tkaum. p. 1 65. But the word neimheadh is 

 also used in ancient Irish MSS. in the sense of sanctuary, and also of glebe lands, 

 because, as it would appear, the glebe lands had often, anciently, the privilege 

 of sanctuary ; and hence Colgan always translates the word, when used sub- 

 stantively, by the Latin sanctuarium, as in the following examples : 



First, in translating a passage in the Annals of the Four Masters, relating to 

 the church of Knocknasengan at Louth, under the year 1148 : 



" A. D. 1148. Ceampall Cnuic na Senjjdn DO popbao lap an Gppcop O'Caollaioe ajup la 

 t)onnchao ua j-Cepoaill, ajup a coippeccab la h-ua ITIopjaip, Comapbj paccpaicc, ajup 

 Nmh6t)h, .1. calum 6cclupoa, DO opoucchao DO i u jvhao." 



" A. D. 1148. Ecclesia Lugmagensis coustructa per Episcopum Hua Coellaidhe et Donchadum 

 HiiaKeTua\i\(OrffieUicePrincipem) & consecrata per (Malachiam)Hna Morgair, Coniorbanum (id est 



successorem) S. Patricij ; qui & SANCTUARIUM Lugmagias constituit." Ada SS. p. 737, col. i See 



also Trias Tftaurn. p. 305, col. ii. 



Again, in translating a passage in the same Annals, under the year 1196, he 

 renders "Uujijbalame ceall aju]' NGlTTlhGQOh," by " Basilicarum et SANC- 

 TUAKIORUM fundator." Trias Thaum. p. 405 [recte 505], col. 2. 



That Colgan is correct in this translation can be proved by the highest 

 authorities extant. The word is thus explained in Cormac's Glossary: 



" Nerher .1. nem-iar .1. anup Dip DO eclaip." 



" Nemheth, i. e. Nemh-ia1h, [heavenly or sacred ground] i. e. which belongs to the Church." 



Thus also in an ancient Glossary in a MS. in the Library of Trinity College, 

 Dublin, H. 2. 16, Col. 120: 



" Neinio, in can ip ppi li-eclaip, .1. nem-iar .1. lac neme." 

 " Nemid, when belonging to the Church, i. e. heaven-land, i. e. land of heaven." 

 And thus again more distinctly in O'Clery's Vocabulary of ancientlrish words : 



" Neirheao .1. nearii-iar .1. peapann eaglaipe, no calarii ip oligreac oo'n eaglaip." 



" Neimheadh, i. e. neamh-iath [heaven-land] i.e. church-land, or ground which is lawful [due] 

 to the church." 



It will also be seen, from the preceding authorities, that in this sense the word 

 was supposed to have been differently formed from the word neimheadh, used 



i 2 



