644 Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. 



YII. — History. 



The history of the district forms a necessary portion of a report such 

 as this, to show what changes have occurred in the composition of the 

 population, what elements have been imported, and their effects. Un- 

 fortunately the material for a history of Erris is both meagre and 

 much scattered, long periods being left unaccounted for, except by 

 vagTie tradition or by the fanciful conjectures of some writers. 



The following sketch, though not pretending to be complete, gives 

 an outline of what seems to be the recorded history as gathered from 

 the few writers who have dealt with the subject. 



Erris was anciently known as lorrus Domhnann from its earliest 

 recorded possessors the Bomhnanns or Damnonii (" deep diggers"), a 

 party of Eirbolgs, who, landing at Broad Haven under the leadership 

 of their chiefs Genann and Rudhraighe, settled the surrounding 

 country, which they held for some centuries, together with another 

 tribe of the same people, the Gamaradii {Gamhraidhe lorris). They 

 were first subjugated to some extent by the Banaans, and in the 

 second century, were, according to the annalists, conquered and 

 enslaved by Tuathal Teachtmar, a Milesian or Scotic monarch ; it 

 does not appear, however, that the conquerers in either case di'ove 

 out or exterminated the original population, who were probably too 

 numerous for that, and it is even doubtful if it was permanently sub- 

 jugated, as many of the old writers speak of the Eelgae as being still 

 in power in the fifth century. From this period until the year 1180, 

 there is no record of the people. Adamnan indeed speaks of the 

 district as Erris of the Damnonii, but does not state whether that 

 people were still in power or no. Eespecting this long silence, 

 O'Donovan says (MS. Letters) : "I, who have felt deep interest in 

 the histoiy of Erris these seven years, and who have studied a gTeat 

 part of the " rays and rhymes " of history, have not yet discovered any 

 notice of it from the period of the Belgae till the year 1180, when the 

 Fiachrian O'Caithniadh^ is mentioned as the chief of it. 



The following are the records in the " Annals of the Four Masters " 

 respecting this family : — 



" A.D. 1180. — Aodh O'Caithniadh, lord of lorris, was treacherously 

 slain by O'Ceallachain at Cill Chomain." 



" a'.d. 1206.— Caithniadh O'Cathniadh, lord of lorris, died." 



' This name is probably modemised O'Kane. 



