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



123 



to observe that there is the clearest evidence that Druidisni still lingered in the 

 country during his reign, and even that Dermot himself kept a Druid in his 

 service. These facts appear from a notice of the battle of Cuil-Dreimne, as 

 given in the Annals of Tighearnach, and still more distinctly from an account 

 of this battle in the Leabhar Buidhe of the Mac Firbises of Lecan, a vellum 

 MS. of the fourteenth century, preserved in the Library of Trinity College, 

 Dublin, Class H. 2. 16, p. 873 : 



CinoiliD Colum Cilli Ua Neill in Cu- 

 aipcipc DO Di^ail a comaipci pop t)iapmaic. 

 Cecaic leip lapum Pepjup ocup tDomnall 

 oa TTIac TTIuipchepcaij TTlic Gapca, ocup 

 CTinmipe Plac Seona, pi Cmeoil Conaill, 

 ocup NinoiD mac t)uach, ocup Qeo TTlac 

 Gchach Uipmcapna, co Conachcaib leo. 

 X)o ^ni Ppaechan JTIac Ceintpain, imoppu, 

 DpaiDiapmacp, aipbi Dpiicro ecip inoapluas. 

 Jp ann pm ap bepc Colum CiUi inpo : 

 Q t)ia ciD nacK n-oingbai oino' 

 ]n cia rfup in nepnmaip ap a Im?' 

 In c-ploij DO boinj bpeacha oino,' 

 Sloj DO cinj a cimceall caipn ! 

 Ip mac ainbci no oop maipn. 

 Ip e mo t)paf, nim epa,* 

 mac t)e ip pipne co n-jend.* 

 Ip alamo pepap alluaj,^ 

 ^abap 6aecain piap in pluag V 

 po la 6aecan puilc buioe, 

 5epaiD a hep. puippi.' 



Columbkille assembled the Hy-Niall of the 

 North to revenge his protegee on Diarmalt. 

 There came with him then Fergus and Domhnall, 

 the two sons of Muirchertach Mac Erca, and Ain- 

 mire, son of Sedna, King of the Kinel-Connell, 

 and Ninnidh, son of Duach, and Aedh, son of 

 Eochaidh Tirmcharna, having the Connacians with 

 them. Fraechan, son of Tenisan, the Druid of 

 Diarmait, then made the Druidical Airbhi be- 

 tween the two hosts. Then Columbkille said this : 

 O God ! why wilt thou not drive from us 

 This mist which envelopes our number ? 

 The host which has deprived us of our judgment, 

 The host which proceeds around the cam ! 

 He is a son of storm who betrays us ! 

 My Druid, — he will not refuse me, — 

 Is the Son of God and truth with purity. 

 How grandly he gives the onset — 

 The steed of Baetan before the host ! 

 Power by Baetan of the yellow hair. 

 Will be gained from Erin on him [the Steed], 



' CI Dia, ciOD nac oinjba an cia, tDup a n-epmaip mtp a lin. — Chron. Scot. 



* In ceo Dupp in puipmeip a lin Ann. Tig. H. 1. 18, p."60. 



' Qn r-pluaij do Boing bpeaja Din. — Ann. Tig. Qn c-pluaij do boinj beaca Din. — Four 

 Masters. 



* \Al mela, i. e. It is no reproach. — Chron. Scot. Columbkille here alludes to the Druid of King Dermot, who was 

 engaged in pagan incantations. 



* mac t)e ip lium co n-jeba, i. e. The Son of God, and may he side with me. — Ann. Tig. 

 *> Ip alainn pepap in luao. — Ann. Tig. 



' 5ob"P 6aoDain pep in pluaj Chron. Scot. " I an ^oBap an can ip eac, & an can ip jabap." — 



O'Clery. 



' depaij a h-Gpen puippe Ann. Tig. and Citron. Scot. Baetan afterwards became king of Ireland. 



q2 



