82 Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. 



Cemeteries of Heath. In fact, it was not until Taillten was abandoned 

 that the kings began to bury at Brugh, in the neighbourhood of 

 Drogheda. 



In the poem before quoted there is an epithet applied to the ceme- 

 tery of Taillten which strikes us as very remarkable. The line 

 runs : — 



" The Cemetery of Taillten, the select." 



Now, we think the epithet here applied to Taillten will throw 

 some light on the cause of the Ulster kings and chiefs coming so far, 

 all the way from Emania, beside the present city of Armagh, to bury 

 their dead at Taillten ; for, probably, in the whole island there could 

 not be found a more select and remarkable site than our ancient kings 

 fixed upon when they adopted the heights of that range of hills we 

 now call Sliabh-na-Caillighe for their future cemetery. 



From them the mountains overhanging the bays of Carlingford and 

 Sligo are visible, thus giving a telescopic view of Ireland from coast to 

 coast at the narrowest part of the island. Moreover, persons well 

 acquainted with the general face of the country are accustomed to point 

 out, from the peaks of Sliabh-na-Caiilighe, with the aid, of course, of a 

 clear atmosphere, elevations in eighteen out of the thirty-two counties 

 in Ireland ! This ceases to surprise us when we recollect that the 

 square-root of once and a half the height in feet of any elevation on 

 the globe's surface is equal to the distance of the offing, or sensible 

 horizon, in miles : hence, the highest peak of Sliabh-na-Caillighe, 

 having an altitude of 904 feet, must command a view of, at least, 37 

 miles all around, in a perfectly clear horizon ; and atmospheric re- 

 fraction will increase this distance by about three miles. 



Now, taking Sliabh-na-Caillighe as a centre, and with a radius of 40 

 miles, sweeping a circle on the map of Ireland, we find that this circle 

 will include the counties of Meath, Westmeath, Longford, Cavan, and 

 Monaghan ; the greater portions of Dublin, Kildare, King's County, Bos- 

 common, Leitrim, Fermanagh, Armagh, and Louth ; and will include 

 small portions, or very nearly touch the confines, of "WIcklow, Queen's 

 County, Galway, Sligo, Tyrone, and Down. Following out the same 

 process of calculation, any mountain attaining the height of 2000 feet, 

 under favourable circumstances, might be visible from Sliabh-na-Cail- 

 lighe, if not more than 92 miles distant; and this would include every 

 mountain of 2000 feet and upwards in height in every county in Ire- 

 land, except in Cork and Kerry. 



"When the sun shines out resplendently over these hill s, chasing 

 away the gloom of darkness which occasionally, and often very sud- 

 denly, obscures their summits, the gorgeous panorama, displaying a 

 profuse wealth of natural attractions, is seen with great distinctness of 

 outline, and presents a prospect probably one of the most diversified 

 and beautiful in the whole island. Nature seems to have lavished her 

 choicest treasures upon the scene, and the magnificent combination of 

 receding eminences, and distant lakes, and gracefully undulating 

 plains, could not fail to quicken the imagination to a profound sense 



