Mr. Petrie on the History and Antiquities of Tara Hill. 129 



ing on the hill of Tara, that, to use the words of Stanihurst, " doubtless the 

 place seemeth to bear the shew of an ancient and famous monument;" and it will 

 also appear, from an examination of the ancient Irish accounts of these remains, 

 that their origin is not assigned to a period which may properly be regarded as 

 beyond the limits of true Irish history. It should not, indeed, be expected 

 that such accounts would be wholly free from fable, particularly in whatever 

 relates to the earlier national traditions ; but it should be anticipated that the names 

 and particular descriptions of the state of the monuments at the time would neces- 

 sarily have the character of truth, as there could be no inducement for fable in 

 such matters ; and that they really have this veracious character will appear 

 quite manifest from their agreement with the present vestiges of the monuments 

 to which they refer. 



The principal ancient Irish tracts written in Illustration of the origin and 

 names of Tara, and describing the localities, &c. of the hill and its monumental 

 remains, are preserved in the ancient topographical work called the Dinnseanchus, 

 a compilation of the twelfth century. Most of the documents found in this work 

 are, however, evidently of an earlier age, though in many Instances not of the 

 antiquity ascribed to them ; and though some of them are of little value to the 

 present investigation, it has been thought advisable to present them to the 

 reader without mutilation or selection ; for, however worthless in other respects, 

 they are of Importance as monuments of the ancient Irish language, and as 

 shewing the character and real value of the bardic history of the country. 



The first document in this collection is a short treatise in prose, explaining 

 the meaning and origin of the various names by which the hill of Tara was 

 anciently called. It is ascribed to Amergin, a poet of the sixth century, and is 

 followed by a poem to the same effect, ascribed to Flntan, a poet supposed to be 

 of the same age, but of whom many fabulous accounts are given by the Irish 

 Bards. They are as follows : 



tDinopeanchup ©penn anopeo, do pijne The Dinnseanchus of Ireland here, made 



Qmepjem, mac Qmaljaoa, mic TTIailepu- by Amergin, the son of Amalgaidh, son of Mael- 



am, DO nu Deipib Cempach, ba pili pen t)i- rain, of the Desii of Temur, who was the poet 



apmaoa, ITlicCeapbaiU. Ipeoo pao ailjiup of Diarmaid, the son of Cearbhall. It is he that 



pop pinocan, mac 6ocna i Cempaij, oia made the request of Fintan, the son of Bochna, 



mbai mopoail peop n-epenn i Cempai j, at Temur, when there was an assembly of the men 



im P15 n-Bpenn, im tDicpmaio, ITlac Cap- of Ireland at Teinur, with the King of Ireland, 



VOL. XVIII. r 



