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pleafure in reading many of the legends, written on the exploits 

 of the Irifli Fenii in profe, as well as thofe in vcrfe afcribed to 

 Oflian. In one of the latter I met the following paffage, 

 viz. " The fierce and mighty Conan was not in the defperate 

 " battle of Gabhra ; for in May, the preceding year, the daunt- 

 " lefs hero was treacheroufly flain by the Fenii of Fin, at an 

 " affembly met to worfhip the fun : — His fepulchral monument 

 " was raifcd on the North Weft ! — His wailing dirge was fung ! 

 " — And his name is infcribed in Ogam charadters on a flat 

 " ftone on the very black mountain of Callan*!" 



Being, at this time, pretty well acquainted with the alpha- 

 betical fcale of the Ogam charadter, as it is given in Mc. Curtin's 

 grammar, but not having feen any thing written in it, I very 

 much longed for an opportunity to try my fkill in decyphering : 

 To fatisfy this defire, as well as to gratify my curiofity, I fet off 

 with a companion from Ennis to vifit the monument fo parti- 

 cularly fpecified by the poem ; Mount-Callan being only from 

 eight to ten miles diftant, North Weft, from the place of our 

 departure. 



When we came within fight of the mountain my expedations 

 were exceedingly raifed, imagining I could foon feaft my eyes 



* Ni raib an Laoch fraochda Conan, an Gabhra 'fan trean dail ; 

 Am Bealtaine an Bliadhain roimhe, aig Coine adhartha na Greine ; 

 Ro torchar an Curadh nar tim, a Fiongail le Fianaibh Fin !— * 

 Ro cloidh a Feart thiar bo thuaigh; — a Cluitne Caointe bo diol truaigh ! — 

 'Sta Ainim Ogam air lie blaith, i fliabh comh-dubh Callain. 



See the Poem, entitled The Battle of Gabhra. 



with 



