Mr. Petrie on the History and Antiquities of Tara Hill. 85 



and 6 hours. II. That it was divided by them, as it is among the moderns, 

 into four rathas, or quarters. III. That these four rathas, or quarters, were 

 called, as, with slight orthographical variation, the seasons are to this day by the 

 modem Irish, Samh-ratha, Summer; Foghmhar-ratha, Autumn; Geimh-ratha, 

 Winter ; and lar-ratha, (now Earrach,) Spring ; the first of these quarters 

 commencing at the vernal equinox, the second at the summer solstice, the third 

 at the autumnal equinox, and the fourth at the winter solstice. IV. That at 

 the beginning of each of these rathas a religious festival was celebrated, and 

 that though the names of these festivals, as well as those of the rathas, are still 

 retained, the periods at which they were celebrated were changed by the early 

 Christians to agree with the Christian festivals, and so obliterate the recollection 

 of the origin of the pagan rites, which they were not able utterly to abolish. Such 

 is the theory of Dr. O' Conor; and among the various ingenious arguments which 

 he advances in support of it, the strongest is that derived from the fact already 

 alluded to, that the celebration of the Druidical fire at Tara in 433 occurred 

 on Easter Eve. " All the writers of the life of S, Patrick," he states, " who wrote 

 before the Anglo-Norman conquest, agree that S. Patrick celebrated his first Easter 

 Eve in 433, that the fire which he had then lighted in his tent, near the hill of 

 Temora, caused the greatest degree of curiosity as well as indignation, because 

 it was an act so repugnant to the laws of the Kingdom, that he was conveyed as 

 a criminal to the King, and that this gave occasion to his first preaching at 

 Temora. Now Easter day in 433 agreed with the vernal equinox ; therefore 

 the Baal-tinne of the Irish concurred with that time of the year." — Stowe 

 Catalogue, vol. i. pp. 32, 33. 



While, however, the plausibility of this theory can scarcely be denied, 

 without impugning the veracity of the facts given in all the ancient lives of St. 

 Patrick, as to the period of the year at which he visited Tara, and the circum- 

 stances connected with it, on the other hand, it is but fair to state that the 

 Doctor's arguments are throughout more ingenious than satisfactory, and that 

 his references to authorities in support of his conclusions are such as, on 

 examination, will seldom be found to bear him out in his assertions. 



It does not appear from any of the Irish authorities that Oilioll Molt was 

 ever converted to Christianity. 



III. Lughaidh, the son of Laoghaire, succeeded Oilioll Molt, according to 



