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



is also recorded, the nature of which remains to be ascertained. Of the penalties 

 consequent on the infringement of some of these, including the Cain Adamnain, a 

 statement is found in a fragment of the Brehon Laws preserved in the Library of 

 Trinity College, — H. 4, 22, p. 37, col. b. — which is given below, though, till a 

 glossary of the technical tenns in those laws be discovered the sense must remain 

 in a great degree obscure.* 



From the preceding notice of a convention, or synod, having been held at 

 Tara in the seventh century, it appears, that though no longer the residence of 

 the kings, Tara was still occasionally selected as a place for ecclesiastical assem- 

 blies. A later instance of such assemblies there is thus recorded in the Annals 

 of Ulster at the year 779 : " Congressio Sinodorum Nepotum Neill et Laginen- 

 sium in oppido Temro, ubi fuerunt Scribe et Ancorite multi, quibus dux erat 

 Dublitter" 



Of the illustrious man whose name is connected with this and other monu- 

 ments at Tara, it would be superfluous to give any lengthened notice in this 

 place. As the distinguished author of the Life of St. Columba, his predecessor in 



* T?ir cana pharpuic co moppeiup .i. rechc cumaili caclairiie co moip peipiup. 



■Rir cana tJiapmatja co nonbup .i. pechc cumala caca laime co nonbup. 



Ric cana 6oileachra co ceo laech .i. leic pechc cumala cacha lairhe co pia ceo laech. 



Kir cana QoaiTinain co mile .i. cerh-paimclie, pecc cumala caca laime co mile. 



T?ic caipoe *i oligeo oijona co qii nonBupaib ; alainpiacaiDe aceqiaimci piac lam piac ap in 

 ceo nonbup, ocup lecpiach ap noenbup canaipci ocup ceipaimri ap in rpep nonbup a 

 caipoe .1. pechc cumala cacha laime co cpi nonbup a noli jeo oijona qii cumala a pLichr 

 ploij a caipoi. pic comoip peipep no co cpi nonbupaiB oona b-eicipeoaib, coup a m-beic co 

 Diapme do na heicipeoaiB. 



The Rith of Cain Patrick [extends] to seven, i. e. seven cumals for every hand, as far as seven. 



The Mith of Cain Dertnot [extends] to nine, i. e. seven cumals for every hand, as far as nine. 



The Rith of Cain Boileachta [extends] to one hundred laics, I. e. the half of seven cumals for 

 every hand as far as one hundred laics. 



The Rith of the Cain Adamnain [extends] to one thousand, i. e. the fourth of seven cumals for 

 every hand as far as one thousand. 



The Rith of respite and the law of Digon (wounding) [extends] to three times nine persons ; the 

 full fine extends to four cerraimihi ; the full fine on the first nine, half fine on the second nine, 

 and a quarter fine on the third nine among friends, i. e. seven cumals for every hand as far as 

 three times seven persons in the Law of Digon, three cumals for a slicht sloigh in the Dlighed 

 Ciarde. 



