122 
numents of fire worship every where meeting the eye, the immemo- 
rial traditions and very language of the people, their annual observ- 
ances and still existing veneration for fire—all these actual testimo- 
nies, preserved after a lapse of near 2000 years, sufficiently mani- 
fest, that Ireland had not been less distinguished for Druidic, than 
for Christian learning. We still have, in common Irish conversa- 
tion, Sen-draoi, an old Druid—draodheas, druidism or magic— 
Slatan-draodheachi, the wand of Druidism—Gluine na druidhe, the 
Druid’s glass—Uilichach, the miselto, &c. The names of places, 
anciently occupied by the Druids and Druidesses of Ireland, are 
beyond counting. There is scarce a Druidic monument, in the isles 
of Aran, for which the natives do not name an occupying priest or 
priestess, of whose magic power and history they have numerous 
traditions. The Irish annals furnish the names of some of the most 
celebrated of those persons, who flourished at different periods, 
throughout the kingdom; and the same authorities inform us, that 
controversial writings, opposed, even in pagan times, to the super- 
stiious degeneracy of Druidism, were by no means uncommon: 
Conla, a pagan judge, and Cormac, a pagan monarch, had been 
distinguished-by such writings; which, however, are unfortunately 
lost. Of Conla, one of our old annalists says—Se do rinnt an 
choinbhliocht ris na Druidhibh, “ it is he that disputed against the 
Druids.” 
All'the sacred mounts were so disposed as to form a chain of con- 
nection with each other. On the eve of the first day of every ratha, 
or quarter of the year, particularly of the first of May and first of . 
November, these mounts brilliantly exhibited, throughout the king- 
dom, the great fires of Bel; sacrifices and feasting accompanied 
the solemnity ; prayers were offered for the fruits of the earth; the 
holy flame was considered essential to the preservation of cattle 
