70 Proceedings of the Royal Irkh Academy, 



Page 7. — "In the year of the world 3872 {i.e. 132 B.C., according ta 

 ^['Geoghegan's Chronology) died the monarch Muinemon, of the race 

 of Eher. It was this Muinemon who first caused chains of gold to he 

 worn on the necks of kings and chiefs inErinn. About the year 3870 

 died Mainmaric, King of Munster, of the line of Eher. He was the 

 first that purchased gold and silver in Erinn. In the year 3882 (b.c. 

 122) died the monarch Fail-dern-doid {i.e. the 'Man of the red-ringed 

 hands,' of the line of Eber. He was the first that caused rings of 

 gold to he worn on the fingers of the nobles of Erinn." 



" In the year of the world 4463 (a.d. 459) died the monarch 

 Lughaid Laigne, of the line of Eber, after a reign of seven years. He 

 was the first that invented bronze and bronze spears in Erin." 



O'CuiTy gives the following details concerning the localities in 

 which gold was worked in Ireland, which may not be wanting in 

 interest for the pui'poses of this paper, vol. in., p. 204: — "He men- 

 tions ' Credne^'' the celebrated ^ cerd^ or goldsmith of the Tuatha de 

 Danann. His name was derived from ' credh,' the ore of the precioits 

 metals in which he worked." 



Page 205. — " The bog of CuUen is situated in the parish of Culleu, 

 barony of Clanwilliam, and county Tipperary, and on the immediate 

 border of the county of Limerick. Erom time immemorial gold has been 

 found in all conditions of preparation from the primitive ore to the- 

 most beautiful of fashioned ornaments, nay even to the very crucibles. 

 Small bronze saucepans, with the gold arrested in its progress of 

 smelting or boiling, have been found in this bog and its neighbour- 

 hood." 



Page 207. — " There was anciently in this district a small chief- 

 tancy called ' Cerdraighe,'' that is, * the territory of the goldsmiths.^ 

 The Cerdraighe of Tulach-Grossa were named ' Cerdraighe,' because 

 every man of them was a cerd or ' goldsmith ' for seven generations." 



Page 208. — " And so we find that the trade and art of gold manu- 

 factui-e, if not of gold melting and mining, was carried on in this 

 district, probably on this very spot, diu'ing the long period of 221 years 

 from 234 a.d. to 474." 



It is worth mentioning here that the mineral district of silver 

 mines in the county Tipperary is only about twelve or fifteen miles to 

 the north of Cullen, and that the ancient mineral land of " Mianus," 

 now Meanus, in the county Limerick, is only about the same distance 

 to the west of that town. 



Page 210. — The first " Cerd " is Creidne, who takes his name from 

 " Credh,^^ which signifies the ore of copper, gold, silver, »S:c. The 



