52 Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. 



situated, is the first river-mouth marked by Ptolemy north of the Hieron 

 Akron, or south-eastern point of Ireland (Carnsore Point). But if we compare 

 the relative positions of the places marked on Ptolemy's map between the 

 Hieron Akron, or Carnsore Point, and the Buvinda, or Boyne 1 (identifications 

 which seem certain , with the actual east coast of Ireland, we ■are forced to the 

 conclusions that Ptolemy has omitted to mark the mouth of the Slaney, that 

 his Modonnus is the Ovoca at Arklow, and that his Oboka is the Yartry at 

 "Wieklow. 5 These conclusions are rendered almost certain by the fact that 

 Ptolemy places the Brigantes on the east coast as well as on the south., so that 

 their territory must have included the southern part of the present County 

 Wexford, and above them the Coriondi, and then the Manapii, who, of course, 

 cannot be dissociated from the town of Manapia. But there is clearly not 

 room for two of Ptolemy's peoples south of a people whose centre was at 

 Wexford,' whereas, if we place the Manapii at Arklow, there is room enough 

 for the Coriondi and the Brigantes to the south of them. 4 



This last identification, about which I feel tolerably confident, has led me 

 to a further conjecture which I admit is rather hazardous, bur it fits in 

 remarkably well with all that has gone before, and even seems to give a 

 historical basis to the whole structure. Among his seven inland ' towns ' of 

 Ireland Ptolemy places \ovvov (Dununi in the same longitude as the mouth 

 of the river Birgos (to be identified with the Barrow), and very slightly f five 

 minutes) north of the latitude of the mouth of the Modonnus and the town of 

 Manapia. ZSow this name Apvvov or Dunum manifestly represents the Irish 

 dim, and might be expected to stand for the most important dun in the 

 locality indicated. This I suggest was Dim nGalion, now Bathgall For 

 assuming the identity of Arklow and Manapia, Bathgall is almost precisely on 

 the spot indicated by Ptolemy. It lies very slightly north of the latitude of 

 Arklow, and only about nine miles to the east of the longitude of the Barrow 

 estuary. Any closer approximation could only be accidental Moreover it is, 

 I think, in such works as Bathgall, with its quadruple ramparts enclosing on 



these relative positions see my ''Ptolemy's Ireland" Journal, R.S.A.I.. 1894, 

 p. 115. As Ptolemy's names here, with the exception of the Boyne, have not been traced, 

 the relative positions of the river-mouths and south-east promontory as compared with 

 the actual coast afford the best prima facie ground for identification. 



• It is hardly necessary to observe that the modern name Ovoca was taken from 

 Ptolemy's Oboka, and affords no counter-argument. 



J When I wTote my Paper on Ptolemy's Map of Ireland, I felt this difficulty, and 

 apted to obviate it by doing unwarrantable violence to my authority and placing the 

 Coriondi more inland. All these peoples came to the eastern coast 



• M treover, of his eight peoples on the eastern coast Ptolemy places only one, the 

 Cauci, between the Manapii and the Eblanii : but it would be strange if only one people 

 occupied the whole coast- line between Wesford and Dublin. 



