Mr. Petrie on the Book of Mac Firhis. 7 



of the race of Ebhir, and of the saints descended from Lughaidh, the son of Ith, 

 who possessed one division of Munster ; the eighth, of the saints of Ireland ; and 

 the ninth and last, of the Fomoraigh, or sea-robbers from Africa, the Danes and 

 the Saxons, or Anglo-Normans. 



The first and second of these books, as Dr. O' Conor remarks, {Bibl. MS. Stow. 

 vol. i. p. 141,) are fabulous and brief: they end at page 37. The pedigree of 

 the Campbells, or Mac Aliens, of Scotland follows, and is particularly valuable, 

 not only as an unpublished historical record of that great clan, but also as pre- 

 serving the Irish historic tradition, that they were not of the Scotic, but of the 

 Belgic race. 



The third book, which contains the history of the Firbolgs, commences at 

 page 47, and ends at page 74. This book contains a list of the territories 

 named from this colony, and of the tribes anciently located in them. This 

 book is characterized by Dr. O' Conor as the best account of the Irish Belgae 

 extant, {ubi supra,)sa^ called forth the following observation from his grandfather, 

 the venerable Charles O' Conor of Belanagare. " It is particularly valuable by 

 rescuing from oblivion the names of districts and tribes in Ireland antecedently 

 to the second century ; since which the Scots have gradually imposed new names 

 of their ovm, as they were enabled from time to time to expel the old Belgic 

 inhabitants. It is a most curious chart of ancient topography, and vastly prefer- 

 able to that given by the Alexandrian geographer, Ptolemy, who must have 

 known but little of Ireland, wherein the Romans never made a descent." {Pref. 

 to Ogygia Vindicated, p. ix.) 



This book also contains at page 49 a list of the battles fought by Tuathal 

 against the Attacots ; and at page 54 an ancient historical poem of 164 verses, 

 reciting the leading features of the history of the Belgae. 



The fourth book, which begins at page 75, and contains the history of the 

 Tuatha De-Dananns, gives the names of their territorial divisions, with lists and 

 genealogies of their kings and other distinguished persons. This occupies 9 pages, 

 and ends at page 84. 



The fifth and succeeding books, with the exception of the last, are devoted to 

 the history and genealogies of the Milesians, and commences at page 84. The 

 pedigrees commence at page 114, with the northern tribes of the Kinel Owen — 

 the O'Neills, Mac Loughlins, O'Kanes, O'Gonnleys, &c. &c. ; these terminate at 



