Tlie Rev. J. II. Todd on an Ancient Irish Missal. 9 



The following is the descent of Mac Eaith from Ceallachan Caisil, King of 

 Munster,* who died A.D. 954:— 



Ceallachan Caisil, ob. 954. 

 Doimchadh, King of Monster, ob. 0C2. 

 ■ ISaerbreathacb, ob. 97D. 



Carthach, from whom Mac Raitb, ob. 1052. 



Mac CartJiy ; killed, 

 1045. 



This explains why Mac Eaidh is called Ua Donchadha, or grandson of Don- 

 chadh, in the inscription. 



The fourth inscription, on the right-hand side of the square as it stands in 

 Dr. O'Conok's plate, but oa the left hand, as it ought to be, is as follows:— 



+ OR t)0 t)iiNchat) liu caccaiN 

 DO muiNcm cLuaNQ do R15N1 



le 



" A Peayeb for Dunchadh O'Taooain, 



OF THE FAMILY OF CluAIN, WHO MADE IT." 



" The family of Cluain" signifies the monastic society of Clonmacnois. Tl 

 words DO pigrii on raonumcnts of this kind always signify, "who made or fa- 

 bricated it ;" and imply that the individual who in this sense " made" the re- 

 liquary, was the artist, or operative mechanic, who executed the work;f so 

 that Dr. O'Conor is probably correct when he says (Catal. App. No. I., p. 38) 

 that Donchadh O'Taccan, or O'Tagan, of the monastery of Cluain, " is stated on 

 our cover to be the artificer who made it." 



Of this Donchadh O'Tagan we know nothing except what we learn from 

 this inscription, that he was of the muintir (family or religious society) of 

 Clonmacnois ; and that he was the artist by whom this ornamented and costly 

 box was made for the preservation of the venerable MS. which it contains. 



There remain two other inscriptions on this side of the cover, which have 

 unfortunately been greatly mutilated, as already mentioned, and their full mean- 

 ing is therefore irrecoverably lost. They occur on two silver plates, crossing each 



* See the Genealogical Table in Dr. O'Donovan's " Battle of Magh Rath," p. 340. 

 f See O'Donovan's "Irish Grammar," p. 228. 

 VOL. XXUI. I 



