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



the Four Masters, in 479> or, according to the Chronicon Scotorum, in 480 ; 

 but the more accurate Annals of Ulster place the beginning of his reign in 484, 

 which would allow an interregnum of two years. O'Flaherty, without noticing 

 this interregnum, places the commencement of his reign in 483. His death is 

 recorded in the Annals of Ulster at 506, and again, from a different ancient 

 authority, at 511, but it is correctly placed by Tigheamach in 508, with which 

 O'Flaherty, in his corrected chronology, concurs. 



From all the ancient historical accounts of the reign of this monarch, it 

 appears certain that, like his predecessors, he died an obstinate unbeliever in the 

 Christian religion ; and there are many circumstances connected with the history 

 of Christianity in Ireland during his reign, which have not hitherto received 

 that attention from historians which they seem to merit. It has been already 

 stated, at page 53, that the history of the propagation of the Gospel in Ireland, 

 as collected by historians from the lives of St. Patrick and other documents, is 

 involved in obscurities and contradictions, which the learning and judgment of 

 the most critical investigators have been unable to penetrate and explain ; and 

 though the objects of, and limits assigned to the present memoir, will not allow 

 of any elaborate attempt to elicit the truth as regards this most important and 

 interesting feature in the history of the country, a few remarks may here be 

 permitted, for the puqjose of drawing the attention of future historians to facts 

 not hitherto noticed in connexion with this subject. 



That the acts attributed to one Patrick may be referable to, at least, two of 

 the name, has been already hinted at in the passage just adverted to ; and the 

 probable correctness of this conjecture will derive support from the Irish records 

 now to be adduced ; and first, from the following historical notice of the reign of 

 Lughaidh, as preserved in the Book of Lecan: 



X)o job rhpa Cujaio TTlac Caeyaipi piji Lughaidh, the son of Laeghaire, assumed th 



n-Bpeno pe coic bliaoan, cop chuip government of Ireland for five years ; and he sent 



rechca o'lappaio na 6opoTna ; ocup ni uaip messengers to demand the Boru ; and he did not 



can chach ; ocup po rhinoil uaipli 6eichi receive it without a battle ; and he assembled the 



Cumo oo roBach na 6opuma ; ocup canca- nobles oi Zieath Chuinn to force the Boru, and 



Dup Caijnij CO ITlaj n-Qilbi. t)o cuipeo the Lagenians came to Ma^/i ^t'Mt. The battle 



chpa each TTluiji Qilbi ecuppu, cop ppa!- of Magh Ailhhi was fought between them, in 



neoD pop tugaiD, ocup pop ITIuipchepcach which a victory was gained over Lughaidh and 



nVjc Gapca, ocup pop Chaipbpi ITlop ITlac Muirchertach Mac Earca, and Cairbri Mor, the 



