Mr. Petrie on the History and Antiquities of Tar a Hill. 171 



buried alive four youths who were playing at a game at a spot lying to the south- 

 east of Rath Laoghaire, that is, as it would seem, on the spot on which the 

 monument was afterwards raised ; for though the monument popularly bore the 

 name of Mata, it is more probable that it was raised as a memorial of the event, 

 according to the custom still preserved in Ireland, than as a sepulchre for Mata. 

 This monument is also destroyed. 



Proceding now to the monuments situated to the north of Rath na Riogh, 

 the first in importance is that called Rath-na- Seanadh, that is, Rath of the Synods. 

 The situation of this enclosure is distinctly pointed out both in the verse and 

 prose accounts, as lying opposite to the Mound of the Hostages and north of the 

 Ziia Fail. It is evident, that the age of this Rath is anterior to the events of 

 which it was the theatre, and from which it received the popular name preserved 

 in these records, but its original name cannot now be ascertained. The ecclesi- 

 astical assemblies held here, are noticed only in the poem ; and were, first, the 

 synod of Patrick ; second, the synod of Ruadhan and of Brendan ; and lastly, 

 the synod of Adamnan, pronouncing a curse against Irgalach. The occasion of 

 the first and second of these synods has been already noticed, namely, the at- 

 tempt to convert the monarch Laoghaire and the Irish chiefs by Patrick, and 

 the cursing of King Dermot by Ruadhan, which was the cause of the desertion 

 of Tara, on the death of that monarch, in 565. 



Of the synod of Adamnan no account has been found more satisfactory than 

 the indistinct notice in this poem, but the purpose for which it was held is stated 

 in the following somewhat legendary manner in the Leabhar Breac, fol. 38, b. 

 and a similar account is found in the Book of Lecan, fol. 166, p. a, col. 4. 



QDamnan do palai in apoile lou oc im- Adamnan happened to be travelling on a cer- 



oechc ITIuije Speaj, ocup a macaip pop a tain day through the plain of Bregia with his 



mum, CO n-acacap na oa chach ic omchu- mother on his back, when they saw two armies 



apcain a cheliu. ©cmainj Din Ronaic, engaged in mutual conflict. It happened then 



macaip Qoamnain, conup acaio in mnai that Ronait, the mother of Adamnan, observed a 



ocup coppan lapaino in a laim, ocup pi oc woman with an iron reaping-hook in her hand, 



rappaing na mna eli ap in chach chocappnai, dragging another woman out of the opposite 



ocup hi lenmain a cich pioe boi m coppan. battalion with the hook fastened in one of her 



Qp cuma no bicip pip ocup mnai oc ca- breasts. For men and women went equally to 



baipc chachai ip m aimpip pin. SuiDip battle at that time. After this Eonait sat down, 



Ronaic lapum, ocup ac bepc mm bepupa and said thou wilt not bring me from this spot 



^2 



