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any word therein, as the interpretation of the difficult words of 

 our maternal tongue, except those which we have found explained 

 by the most able, learned and intelligent masters in the abstruse 

 parts of the Irish language, living in our own time, or those which 

 we have heard expounded. Among those learned men are chiefly 

 Boetius Roe Mac Egan, Torna O'Mulconry, Malachy Modardha 

 O'Mulconry and Lughaidh O'Clery ; and though each of these be 

 eminently learned, we have, for the most part, adopted the interpre- 

 tation of Boetius, because it was. from him we have received, and also 

 by him have found written, with others, the interpretation of those 

 words of which we treat. Moreover, because he is the most celebrat- 

 ed sage in this department of science, as is evident from the cha- 

 racter given of him by the above mentioned Lughaidh, in the 

 following verses composed for him after his death : 



. 1 i' i; Neither Atliairae, father of science, - 



Nor Dalian Forgaill the chief sage, 

 Nor Neide erudite or Feircheirtne, 

 With him are to be compared. 



The abstruse treatises of our ancestors' laws, 



The energetic language of our bards, 



Which, to our own knowledge, were long locked up, 



Their treasures, by our bard, have been unfolded. 



We know many learned men in this science, even in modern 

 times, to wit, John O'Mulconry, in his own time, cliief Preceptor to 

 those already mentioned, and to the men of Ireland in antiquities, 

 Flann Mac Carbry Mac Egan, still living, and others not here 

 named : But because few only of the books which they have glossed 

 have fallen into our hands at this side of the ocean, where we are in 



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