270 Proceediitg^ of the Roi/'il Irish Academij. 



the King of Minister in the " Book of Eights,"^ which claims to he 

 of the fifth century, dates in its present form from its compilation or 

 revision hefope 902, and is fonnd in pre-Xorman manuscripts. The 

 fort, in fact, is connected in early legend Tvith the mother of the 

 pre-Christian King Fiacha iluillethan. 



Naas, County Kildare, was fortified hy the Normans in 11 86. It has 

 a mote which figures both in early legends (such as the pre-Korman 

 Dindsenchas) from 277, and in the Annals from the fifth to the 

 ninth century. It is mentioned as the "Dun of Xaas," in the 

 " Tripartite Life" (tenth centiuy),^ as being visited by St. Patrick, 

 who camped " on the green of the fort to the east of the road" ; "to 

 the north of the fort is his well." As the chief fort of the Kings of 

 Leinster it was deserted in 904. 



These legends, at least, prove the forts to be long pre-IS'orman. 



These examples from four out of the five ancient provinces (there 

 being, so far as I am aware, no ease of a mote and early Norman 

 castle "coming together" in Connaught) may suffice to show my 

 reasons for adopting the viesv that some residential motes in Ii'eland 

 are pre-Xorman and even prehistoric. 



4. Such motes occur in places where no early Xoiman castle is 

 known to have stood ; but where in some cases early forts are 

 recorded.^ 



Again confining ourselves to a few examples : — 



The great mote of Kilfinnane, County Limerick, with triple fosses 

 and rings, is evidently (from the identification of the suiTounding 

 great forts of Clare, Duntrileague, &c., &c.) the Treada na riogh or 

 triple fort of the kings named in the " Book of Eights," ante 902.* 



The complex mote with two great fosses at Donaghpatrick, 

 County Meath, appears in the " Annals of Tighernach," in 746, as 

 being stoimed ; and six of the prisoners taken in it were crucified. 



The "rath" of Magh Adhair, County Clare, lies some miles 

 distant from the bounds of the almost nominal borderland of the 



1 "Leabharna gCeart" (Ed. Donovan), pp. 87-89. 



2 Ed. "^Miitley Stokes, p. 185. 



^ Those who hold the Xorman origin of Irish motes ought first to establish 

 records of castles being built (say) before 1250, at the vast majority of forts, 

 in the long list of motes named in my paper, pp. 70S-712. Our records and state 

 papers at least are silent. Mrs. Armitage's remarks suggest an acquaintance with 

 ^Vright's ' Louthiana,' but no knowledge of motes outside the Pale. 



* Loc. cii. 



