13 
ample, the Calendar prefixed to the Book of Obits of Christ 
Church Cathedral, Dublin, published by the Archeological 
Society from a MS. of the thirteenth century. 
It remains now to notice the words which appear under 
the three skeleton kings, in the upper part of the picture, 
which Mr. Curry reads, man3. mur. mur., and interprets them 
as contractions of the names Manus, Muirchertach, Muircher- 
tach. 
If we regard them as the names of three departed kings 
of Connaught, of the O’Conor dynasty, it is not easy to fix 
exactly the persons who are intended. The Four Masters, 
in 1293, record the death of Manus O’Conor, king of Con- 
naught, an event which was the beginning of'a long series 
of fatal conflicts. His son was named Muirchertach, and this 
would lead us at first sight to think that we had found two at 
least of the skeleton kings of the painting. But we are at a 
loss for a second of the name; and even this Muirchertach does 
not appear to have ever succeeded to his father’s kingdom, 
for his murder, by Teige O’Conor and his son Dermot, is 
recorded in the annals at the very next year, 1294. Still, 
however, he may have been represented by one of the skele- 
tons of the fresco, inasmuch as he was the lawful heir of his 
father, aobap coicceoaig vo eine oa émeod, as he is called 
by the Four Masters. 
His second son was named Manus, and was killed in 
1315, where he is called by the Four Masters the most fa- 
mous and illustrious of the princes of Connaught; so that if 
the names on the fresco were Manus, Murtogh, and Manus, 
there would be a high probability that the three skeleton 
kings represented the extinct line of Manus O’Conor and his 
two sons, who, although kept from their rights by the supe- 
rior power of their rival, were nevertheless, de jure, the heirs 
to their father, and were doubtless regarded by many as the 
legitimate chieftain. It is therefore a question worth inquir- 
ing into, whether Mr. Curry has correctly deciphered this 
