Mr. Petrie on the History and Antiquities of Tara Hill. 163 



Respecting the meanings of the names of the well, iVeam^^ac A, and the stream, 

 Nith, — which is the name of a river in Scotland, and of another in the duchy of 

 Triers, in Germany, — the conjectural etymology of the Irish writers has been 

 already given at p. 76. On these conjectures nothing can be offered, except that 

 Neamhnach, which signifies crystalline, clear, bright, would be an appropriate 

 appellation for the well to which it was applied. 



The probable truth of the historical tradition that this mill was the first of 

 its kind erected in Ireland has been already inquired into, in the Ordnance 

 Memoir of the Parish of Templemore, p. 215 ; but, as the passage is more 

 immediately connected with the local history of Tara than of that parish, it will 

 not be improper to give it in this place. , 



"It might be supposed from a passage in Dr. Ledwlch, (see Antiquities of 

 Ireland, p. 373,) that water mills were nearly unknown in this island until a 

 comparatively recent period ; but it would appear from ancient authorities, that 

 they were even more common in ancient than they are in modern times, when 

 the mechanical force of the mill, and the facilities of communication by roads, 

 have been both increased. It is clear, from the Brehon Laws, (MS. Trinity 

 College, Class E. Tab. 3, No. 5,) that they were common In the country at a 

 very early period, and in the records of the grants of land to the monastery of 

 Kells, preserved in its ancient book, [MS. T.C.D. — A. 1.6,] it would appear, 

 than whenever the locality permitted, the mill was a common appendage to a 

 ballybetagh, or ancient townland. For example : " mumcep Cennanpa po 

 eOpaip Qpt) camma .i. baile in UiOpfn cona muiliunt) ocup cona hepunD uili 

 ocup baile ui Com^am cona hepunD uili ocup cona muiliunt) t)o Oia ocup 

 t)o Cholumcille," &c. " The family of Kells granted Ard-camma, i. e. Bally- 

 heerin, with its mill and with all its land, and Ballycoogan, with all its land 

 and with its mill, to God and to Columbkille," &c. (Book of Kells, MS. 

 Trinity College.) This grant was made in the middle of the eleventh century, 

 and similar notices occur in the registry of Clonmacnoise about the same period. 

 The charter also of lands granted to the monastery of Newry by king Muir- 

 cheartach, or Mauritius M'Loughlin, about the year 1161, after enumerating the 

 several townlands, adds, " Has terras cum molendinis, ex dono meo proprio 

 dictis monachis covfirmavi^^ &c. (CZare?zrfore MS S. in the British Museum, 

 vol. xlv. in Ayscough's Catalogue, 4792, Plut. VIII. c. p. 179.) The lives of 



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