204 Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. 



Cairbre, son of Awley, whose name we have before us, we know that 

 he had a daughter, called by Mac Firbis "Sere," and a son Ninnidh, and 

 if either of these can be found in tbe introductory part of the legend, 

 caclit questio. Alas, I have been compelled to begin with " Corrbri," 

 because his name is the only part of the text that affords footing of any 

 substantial solidity. The true commencement of the legend has been 

 long buried underground, and is now, for a distance of nearly six feet 

 from the bottom of the pillar, where the name of the subject might be 

 expected to be found, hopelessly erased. In one course of reading, 

 faint traces, not inconsistent with remains of eec, may still be distin- 

 guished, but preceded by two digits only making l, or possibly bb, 

 where our quest would require four, making s; and these two digits 

 are so well marked that it is hard to believe they ever had associates 

 which could have so entirely disappeared. Independently, therefore, 

 of the Maq, which I would at present suppose to imply a son, and not 

 a daughter, and the probability that Sere would be entombed at her own 

 oratory at Itosserc, and not here in a seemingly unconsecrated place, 

 I am compelled, if not to discard, yet to lay to one side, the idea of 

 Sere, daughter of Cairbre, son of Awley, being the person here com- 

 memorated. Neither do the traces which remain show more than one 

 possible n ; so that Ninnidh seems conclusively out of the case. "What 

 then remains ? There are still four and a half feet of the text of the 

 south arris comparatively uninjured; and this, if we were sure of the 

 course of reading, might reasonably be expected to yield something in- 

 telligible. But, in the absence of the usual catch-words, there is nothing 

 to inform us whether it is to be read from below upward, or from above 

 downward, or from a stand-point to the right, or from one to the left, of 

 the line. It will also be borne in mind that there are no word- divisions ; 

 and that the text may begin with part of one word and end with part 

 of another, or even with part of a letter ; also that it may be part of a 

 string of proper names, or possibly may contain some designation or 

 name of office. I fancy it cannot be part of a pedigree ; for, if it were, 

 some form of Maqi would be present, and at once give the clue to the 

 course of reading. There seems, therefore, no means of getting at the 

 sound but the expedient, clumsy as it is, of trial by position, viz. : — 



1st. Prom top \ Prom right of arris : la.scestged[tt]lc. 



downward. j From left of arris : dacsejStgel[tj]ds. 



2nd. Prom bottom ( Prom right of arris : cl[u]bengecsal. 



upwards. / From left of arris : sd[u]le:n t gescab. 



The last seems the likeliest result. It reads upwards, and from 

 the same side as the opposite line of digits, where we have the help of 

 Maq to guide us ; also in the same course as lebc. It looks Irish, and 

 possibly might, rejecting the s, be made to yield a signification ; but in 

 the presence of those better qualified to judge, I hesitate to tread further 

 on ground so slippery. It will be seen that the several vowels, and the 

 ng are constant. This arises from the vowel-notches undergoing no 

 alteration by change of the reader's position in reference to the stem- 



