70 Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. 



district already mentioned, the Orua, the Lor, as well as the name 

 " Sierra VaUedor," may be construed as having the root " or," gold, 

 or " orach," abounding in gold. As regards the other rivers of the 

 district — the Anclares, the Bal, the Burbia, the Duerna, the Eria, the 

 Braiia, the Ibias, the ISTavia, the Porcia, and the Qua, and Ulla — it 

 would be very ventui'esome to attempt etymologies or derivations in 

 the absence of any other data than the mere names as given on the 

 maps of the present date. It may, however, be remarked, that the 

 names Eria and Ulla, recall the Celtic names of Ireland and of Ulster ; 

 but nothing precise or well founded could be based on what may be 

 treated as mere chance resemblances. There is, however, one local 

 name which may have great significance, and to which attention may 

 therefore be called ; it is that of the mountain mass lying between 

 Luarca, on the coast, and Cangas de Tineo, in the south, and which 

 forms the eastern boundary of the valley of the river !N'avia; it is 

 indicated on the map as the Sierra de Ranadoiro. It would bound the 

 gold district of the Asturias to the north-west, and is, therefore, to a 

 certain extent, connected with it ; may it not, therefore, be of Celtic 

 origin, and represent the words " Itath-na-oir ,'" "the rath or fort, or 

 hill of the gold " ? Luarca, which may be said to be the port of the 

 district, is thus described in the "Diet, de Geo. Univ.," de Yivien de 

 S. Martin: — "Luarca, town of the province of Oviedo, at 60km. 

 therefrom, on the borders of the Atlantic, and at the mouth of the 

 river Negro, which flows from the Sierra de Eaiiadoiro. The harbour 

 has a bottom of sand, is badly protected, not spacious, and is shallow. 

 It can only receive but small vessels (' de petites, et a la rigeur, de 

 moyennes embarcations'). The inhabitants of Luarca formerly caught 

 whales on their coasts." 



It may be remembered that a whaling population must be good 

 sailors, and able to make trips farther to sea than ordinary fishermen. 

 Hence Luarca may have been a port of much more importance 

 anciently than it is at present, and may even suggest a possible key 

 to the relations of Spain with Ireland. If any importance is to be 

 attached to the Celtic derivation of the local names in this district 

 (and H. Gadow has suggested a certain number in his ^'■Northern 

 Spain"") they would tend to prove that Celts were the most ancient 

 inhabitants of the mountainous parts of Asturias and Galicia, and 

 would justify the carrying of the research into the names of the tools, 

 utensils, &c., which have come down from the Celtic populations. 



Now the mining captain, from whose report on the auriferous 

 alluvial of the Sil, extracts have already been given, speaks of the 



