42 



Proceedings of the Royal Irish A cademy. 



map, and is here reproduced by permission of the Council of the Eoyal 

 Society of Antiquaries of Ireland, the fort consists of four roughly concentric 

 ramparts, enclosing altogether about eighteen acres. It is in fact one of 

 the largest forts in Ireland The innermost rampart is a dry-built wall, 

 composed of rough granite stones of no very large size, at present about 

 8 feet 6 inches high, and (for three-quarters of the circuit) about 18 feet 

 wide at the bottom, and 14 feet wide at the top. It is nearly circular in plan, 

 with one opening, and the space enclosed has a diameter of about 150 feet. 

 The second rampart, 30 to 50 paces from the first, is also dry-built on the 

 inner side, but faced with large stones set in earth on the outer side, with a 

 fillin g between the two faces. It is about 14 feet wide on the top and about 

 11 feet high on the outside, and there appear to have been four gates or 

 openings in it. The third rampart is only about 40 feet from the second with a 

 shallow ditch between. The stones that remain are of large size, but the 

 height seldom exceeds 5 feet, though the width is in places 14 feet. The 

 second and third ramparts, together with the intervening ditch, must have 

 formed the principal defence of the fortress. The fourth rampart is in general 

 about 100 yards from the third. It consists of earth faced with fairly large 

 stones, and is in general about 7 or 8 feet high and 10 feet thick. 



Following usage, I call this great structure a fort, but, as will be seen, 

 I regard it rather as a primitive qppidum munitum. 



About 200 yards to the north are the remains of another large fort 

 embracing 8J acres, with evident traces of a second rampart at a little 

 distance outside : and about 200 yards to the east of Eatbgall, adjoining the 

 road on the north, is a rude stone circle. This, I was told, was " the place 

 where the king of Leinster was buried." 



Since writing the above-mentioned paper, my attention has been called 

 by Mr. Stanley Lane Poole to the name Dim Ga.lion, mentioned in the Book 

 of Leinster. as possibly a forerunner of Eathgali The investigations I have 

 made into this suggestion have led me to think it probable not only that 

 Eathgali is to be identified with Dun Galion, but also that both these names 

 refer to the -inland town" marked Aovvov (Lat. Diaium) on Ptolemy's Map 

 of Ireland. The importance of these identifications, if they can be established, 

 is manifest ; and I now venture to lay before the Academy the evidence which 

 has led me to these tentative conclusions, and which I think is at least 

 sufficient to warrant further investigation both among our iiss. sources and 

 in the fort itself. 



The passage in which the fort is mentioned may be rendered as 

 follows: — " Gali6\i\n and Domnand, names for Leinstermen, as is told in 

 the Tain Bo Cualgne. There came a band of Gauls with their fosterling, 



