4 Proceedings of the Royal Irish Acndemii. 



Conall-Cernach, Get, and Cuchullin.' The Firbolgs fell, and the settlements 

 were broken up, leaving a legend and their reputed forts — " vacuae sedes et 

 inania arcana " — as theii- monument to our days." 



There is a curious allusion to the founder of Dun Aengusa, more concrete 

 than his misty name, in the tale. The helmet of Briun, son of Smethra, is 

 described thus in the " Book of Lismore" — "It was the brasier of Oengus, 

 son of Umor, who made it, even a helmet of the pure purple of the land of 

 the Indians, with a ball of gold above it." It had strings of beads of 

 carbuncles, red-gold, and white bronze, in variegated stitching, and was one 

 of the three chief fabrics of the realm of Erin.' 



Probably the Firbolg Prince once stood with less blurred outline, for (if 

 it indeed allude to the Aran Fort) a poem on " the taking of Dun Oengusa "* 

 once existed, and its loss is probably a severe one to students of the fort. 

 Besides these, it is barely possible that Tighernach, about 617, alludes 

 to the place, in recording the " combustion of Dun-ainega," for the " Firbolg 

 names " have been recast in some cases, into familiar forms, as Chonchobhair, 

 for Concraid and Chonchiurn, and Fergus for Irgus, in the legends of 1684, 

 and later attached to the forts of Inismaan and Burren. 



Now as regards the main legend, one of its versions adds, " Thus they 

 lived in fortresses." Which forts were meant by the bards of the tenth 

 century ? Dun Aengusa is certain. Roderic OFlaherty, in 1684, records the 

 legend that Dun Conor in Inishmaan was named from Conquovar ("Concraid" 

 in the older legends); but the peasantry attributed the fort to Conor na 

 Siudaine Brien,' Prince of Thomond, who fell in battle, 1267,' and whose 

 tomb is with us to this day. Caherdooneerish in Clare (s& it is still called 

 by the peasantry) was rendered " Caherdoonfergus " by the map-makers of 

 1839, with the sanction of O'Donovan.' He seems to have searched for traces 

 of Fergus, son of Roigb, and so, probably by leading questions (the deadliest 



' The l>>gi-nd of Aonghu* of DOn Aongliu«a in Ara u alio given in Keating's History of Ireland 

 (Iri»h TexU, toI. it., edited by D. C'.myn), p. 201. 



' Neither the Ute Dr. W. U. Stacpotile Weatropp in 1877 and 1878, nor my late- brother 

 Ralph Hugh Westropp and I, in 187S, could find any local legend aa t) who was the builder or 

 what was the hi»t..ry of the Doon. The same seems true of the Eev. W. Kilbridf. It is a great 

 pity tiiat this last moet favoured studi-nt of Aran seems to have only left his valuable pnper on 

 larama and some crude geneml notes in manuscript, the latter now in the coUertion of the Royal 

 Irish Academy. When John O'Flaherty wrote, at)Out 1820, Tales of Cuchullin and the Red Branch 

 heroos aa well as of Finn, Oscar, and Ossian, were recited. O'Donovan in 1830 does not seem to have 

 found any traditions of early date. 



' "Lives of the Saints, from the Books of Lismore " (ed. Whitli-y Stokes), 1890, p. xxx. 



* " Togail Duine Oengusa "— M. U'Arbois de Jnbainville's " Catalogue of the Epic Literature of 

 Ireland," p. 244. 



* " Dublin University Magazine," vol. xli.. p. 501. 



* So in Annals of Iniafallen and the Four Masters, but 126S in those of Clonmacnoia. 

 ' OrdiuDce Survey Letters, Co. Clare {na. U, B. 23, H. I. Acud.), vol. i., p. 205. 



