1'2-t Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. 



Gahdla and Flaithima Hercnn contained in the Book of Ballymote and the 

 Book of Leean. These portions when brought together are seen to form a 

 continuous and homogeneous text. So complete is the continuity that in one 

 place in the Book of Ballymote the opening sentence of the excerpt has for 

 its subject a pronoun ha\-ing reference to a personal name of which the last 

 prcAious mention is found four pages back. 



Owing to the loss of several leaves in each MS., the text of Z is not 

 complete either in BB or in Lecan ; but fortunately all that is missing in one 

 appears to be supplied in the other. Two of the sections, V. and YI., are 

 contained in both MSS. 



The present paper deals chiefly with the earlier portion of the text. In 

 the sections quoted and translated, I have omitted long lists of oriental kings 

 in which no reference to Ireland occurs. I have indicated such omissions in 

 the customary way. 



The later sections of the text embody an account of Irish matters which 

 are within the period of contemporary records or border closely thereon. 

 Of these se<;tion8, I have quoted only those parts whicli establish the date 

 of compilation. The remaining parts demand separate study and fall outside 

 of the scope of this paper. To edit the text in its entirety will be a necessary 

 part of the work of producing a complete edition of the early vei-sions of 

 the " Book of Invasions " — a work of such importance to the study of Irish 

 and British origins that one wonders why it has been hitherto neglected. 



The original of Z was written in the year 721. So far as I am aware, 

 no other document containing the general framework of Irish legendary 

 history exists of earlier date than the eleventh century. Z is thus a text of 

 the highest critical value as showing how the historical legend grew and 

 developetl in succeeding centuries. A large development will be seen to 

 have taken place in the legend of the Sons of Mil, i.e. in the origin-legend of 

 the Gaelic people. According to Gilla Coemilin, writing in the eleventh 

 centurj', the Gaels conquered Ireland about 1545 B.C. According to Z, this 

 conquest took place no earlier than 331 B.C.' 



Z, in fact, supplies a solvent by means of which we are enabled to 

 eliminate a large element of medieval elaboration and invention, and to 

 obtain a nearer and clearer view of the genuine outlines of Irish primitive 

 tradition. 



For some British archaeologists it appears to be almost a settled doctrine 

 that the Gaelic Celts reached Great Britain and Ireland in the beginning of 



■ See Zimmer, Nennitu rindiettut, p. 186. The relatioiu of A and Z to the Iriah gourccs 

 of Nenniiu majr deserve investi^tion. 



