138 Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. 



Z with the foundatioa of the Assyrian dynasty, and ending like Z with Leo III. 

 In fact, Flann's list is taken direct from the synchronism, even to the extent 

 of naming the Irish rulers contemporary with Leo. 



The concluding quatrains are as follows ( Lecan 48 13) : — 



On chetbliarf(7iM luil ros gab* co cetriagail tres blia(/(7« 



fiad gacA sluagh co nilaithe a ndal' at cuadb Q.ait/ie na Eoiuan. 

 Co flaith fir ro gab Temraig*- do ruacht awnalad amlaid 



is llurchadha maen- co mudh- is Cathail caiw a Caissiul. 

 Cach flaith failtu os gairbri glain' fris raito airdri in domain 



o Nin CO Leomain na clann'- ros rim int eolas' aenflann. 

 Flann feidbind rom ben brig breatlr fer leigind min Mainistrech. 



ro gle triana gnim a guth" ro cach rig do rcidiugnd. R. 

 Concobur clannmin na eneadh" Acd Gaiibith Diarraait Durgcn 



Donnchad da Niall com snimJi sncidlr righ na re sin co ro reidli. Tl. 



" From the first year that Julius took it [i.e. the worldkingship], witli [his] 

 first rule, a stress of years (?), in tlic presence of every multitude with the 

 keenne.'<s(?) of their assemblies, I have recounted the rulers of the Romans. 



" To the reign of the man who took Tara, tlie chronicling has thus arrived, 

 and of Murchad Maen (?) with dignity, ond of Cathal the comely in Cashcl. 



" Each ruler of gladness over clear .... who was called high-king of the 

 worlil, from Ninus to Leo of the weapons, Flann alone, the wise man, hath 

 numbered them. 



" Flann, sweet of word, the strength of judgments hath sounded' him, the gentle 

 lector of Monasterboice, his voice through his work hath made clear the explanation 

 of each king's time. 



" CoDchobor, of gentle kin, of the wounds [in battle], Aed, Gairbith, Diarmait 

 Durgen, Oonnchad, two Nialla, without petty sadness, [are] clearly the kings of 

 that time.'" 



Of the five concluding etanzas in Flann's poem, the second and third 

 prove that Flann had a version of Z hefore him as he wrote. The language 

 of Z is iliiklle-Irish, without any traces of transcription from an Old-Irish 

 original. Flann became known traditionally as an author of synchronisms. 

 He is one of the earliest writers of Middle-Irish. The spellings of unfamiliar 

 names in his poem exhibit often the same errors as in Z. All these 

 facts taken together point to Flann as the redactor of Z.' 



' S*ad Co eaith Fergaile i Temniig (?) " to the reign of Fergal in Tare." ' £tad Main (P) and 

 to proiaily for mc. Find abort, tintt hU/alhtr unit Bran. ' Rtad lann (f). * Read colaid. 



* Ituppou benaim to be )uid ni if the object icere cloc " a bell." " Conchobor Ua Mat-l-SechnaiU, 



king of Meath, 103J-1073 ; Aed Ta Canchobuir, k. of Connacht, 1033-1067 ; Gairbith Ua Cathusaig, 

 k. of Brega, 1045 f-1061 ; Diarmait (son of MaelnaniWi), k. of Ltinstcr, 1042-1072 ; Donnchad 

 (son nf Brian), k. of Munster, 1014-1065; Xiall (son of Eochaid), k. of Ulaid, 1012-1062; 

 Kiall Ca Ncill, k. of Ailech, 1036-1061. Flann died in 1056. The poem may be dated about 1060. 

 ' 8«e note at the end of this paper. 



