256 Kelly — Bruighean da CJwga. 



"When, on the death of Conor mac Fachtna, the Ulidians called hia 

 son Cormac Conloingeas to reign over them, he, Cormac, "was at the 

 Court of Medbh ; whose troops, flushed with victory, were then re- 

 turning from the Tain Bo Cuailgne, "with a large prey of cattle ; and 

 any one who will take a glance at the map will see that the natural 

 route of such an army from Cuailgne (the plain around Dundalk, Co. 

 Louth) would he, through Kells, Castle Pollard, skirting the north 

 shore of Loch Derryvarra to Moyvore, and thence, by the pass over the 

 gravel Esker, commencing at Bruighean da Choga, to the pass across 

 the Shannon at Athlone ; and that the key of this important pass 

 "was the Breen da Choga, situated on the lower spur of Mount Malan 

 "which rises from the edge of the bog behind "Waterstown, and which 

 has a much larger plateau than the upper one, where stood the Dillon's 

 castle. This, like the upper one, contains an earthwork, but much 

 larger than the upper one, and which, I feel no doubt, "was the Breen 

 da Choga of our narrative ; and which has still adjoining to it the re- 

 mains of a cell, probably that of St. Laisrean, and a holy "well, near 

 "which, now alas broken, stands the rock already mentioned. 



The Amazon Medbh, viewing with disapprobation Cormac Con- 

 loingeas's departure to assume the crown offered to him, ordered her 

 returning troops to attack the Ulidian contingent, and a battle ensued 

 at Druitn Drestan, close to the "Westmeath side of the Ford of Athlone, 

 just as Cormac had crossed. In this the Ulidians gradually fell back 

 to the Breen da Choga, where they were beseiged, as the narrative 

 states, and Cormac was decapitated, and bis head brought to Athlone. 



Cormac's itinerary from Cruachan is all through well-known places; 

 the battle between the Ulidians and Connacians was at Moyderg, 

 probably the flat ground between the Esker and the Biver. Opuim 

 Ncnpoip is probably the ridge from the new Cathedral towards Moydrum. 



Adjoining to the Dillon's territory of Cuircne, Avas that of the 

 M'Awleys, called Calree, stretching on towards the King's Co. and 

 comprising within it the Parish of Ballyloaghloe. Of the loc luaca 

 itself, the remains now are a well-drained, fertile meadow, With a rivu- 

 ' let, which turns a mill, flowing through it. Of the Bally there now 

 only remains one arch, which covered the souterrains of the Castle. 

 "Within a very short distance of it stands one of the finest earth- 

 works in Ireland, a truncated cone, rising from 50 to 60 feet, with a 

 platform at top 21 by 15 paces, it is surrounded by a double fosse, and 

 I believe was the t)uir)ao nnc Gmalsaid, whereon the M'Awleys were 

 inaugurated and in whose centre is their sepulchral chamber; it is now 

 called Mount Temple from the proprietor. "Within about 100 yards 

 of this moat, is a fine Cromleac. 



Note — Mr. Kelly intended to have offered to the Academy his translation of 

 his historic tale, hut forbore to do so, inasmuch as he found that at the Meeting 

 of the Academy preceeding that at which he purposed presenting it, Professor 

 O'Looney had given to the Academy, amongst his Translations, one by himself, of 

 this game tale. See preceding paper. — Ed. 



