42 Mr. PETRIE'S Inquiry into the Origin and 



ever, on reference to the authority quoted, not only that it states nothing of the 

 kind, but also that, even if it had, the authority of a writer so utterly unac- 

 quainted with Irish history and chronology should be held as of no value what- 

 soever. The passage is as follows : 



" The village of Kosenallis, is said to derive its name from Eossa Failgea, eldest son of Cathaoir 

 More Charles the Great. The father being in his own hereditary right King of Leinster, was 

 elected supreme monarch on the decease of Fedlimus Legifer, anno Christi 175. He attained to this 

 high dignity by his many and great virtues, but chiefly by his bold and successful opposition to the 

 Danes [ !], who piratically infested the coasts, though they had not yet attempted an invasion : he 

 was distinguished by his impartial justice and heroic valour, till he fell in the memorable battle of 

 Tailten. This monarch had many sons, polygamy being then tolerated, and Rossa his eldest and 

 favourite, was deeply skilled in the learning of these days. He is said to have built the round tower 

 mentioned in sec. IV." 



Let us now turn to the section referred to, and we shall find the following 



passage : 



" Kosenallis has the ruins of an old church that was dedicated to the Virgin Mary: the inhabi- 

 tants still observe the 1st of February, in commemoration of their patroness. A round tower, 

 connected with the ruins of Eosenallis, still remains." pp. 319, 320. 



It will be seen that all this is given on the writer's own authority, without 

 any reference to Irish records whatsoever ; nor is there a word in Irish history 

 that would warrant assertions so absurdly fallacious. What, for instance, would 

 be thought of that Irish history, if it stated, that the coasts of Ireland were infested 

 by the Danes in 1?5, when the name of Dane is unknown to all authentic his- 

 torians for several centuries later. This writer tells us, that Rossa Failgea is 

 said to have built the Tower of Rosenallis, but he has not shown that Irish 

 history says so, or given us any authority for such an assertion but his own. 

 Neither has he given us any authority for the equally absurd statement, that 

 Rosenallis derives its name from Rossa Failgea ; nor is there any reason what- 

 ever to suppose that the name was so derived. He is not even correct in his 

 statement as to the patroness of the old church with which the Tower was con- 

 nected, and which he tells us was dedicated to the Virgin Mary, the inhabit- 

 ants still observing the first of February in commemoration of their patroness. 

 The writer should have known that none of the festival days of the Virgin 

 Mary falls on that day, which is so well known to the Roman Catholics in 

 Ireland as the festival day of St. Bridget, that they have no other name to 



