' IN a mixture of fable and fact in the early annals of Ire- 

 land,' Ihe author of this tract conceives that, ' the best mode 

 of ascertaining tchat degree of credit these ancient documents are 

 justly entitled to,' would be to combat by fact and argument those 

 leading opinions, whether absurd or plausible, which, being re- 

 ceived as facts, some by the credulous, others by intelligent classes 

 of society, tend only to mislead the judgment, and, consequent- 

 ly, to confuse the genuine history of Ireland. 



He has therefore endeavoured, in the following sheets, to select 

 those prominent opinions for investigation, with a view of dispel- 

 ling the cloud, which has obscured some of our historic pages. 



b2 



