370 Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. 



yet Co. Clare), foster-brothers of Conaire ; Coirpre Gnathcoir and Cairpre Xia 

 Fer appear in the Asal Legend : Daire Caiibre was anceetor of the Ui 

 Fidgeinte ; Cairbre Muse, ancestor of the Muscraige, was granted eastern 

 Co. Limerick by King Fiacha Muillethan at Kuockainey ; his brotlier, Caiibre 

 Baiscinn, was ancestor of the Corcavaskin in south-westein Co. Clare. We 

 find near Dun Claire a Kath Coirpre and a Tuad Claire Coirpre,* and, lastly, 

 we have Cairbre Aobda, ancestor of the Ui Cairbre tribe here. Of place 

 names, we have a Loch Carbry on the Galtees, and this assembly of 'Oenach 

 Cairbre. The King of Brugrigh is said to have been King of Ui Cairbre 

 Aobda. Indeed, the district of Kenry, between the Maigue and the Deel, was 

 Catnrauje Ui Cairbre.- Here the Munst«rmen, under Eochaid, son of King 

 Crimthann, sou of Fidach, and Maige Mescorach, fought the fierce battle, 

 where their opponent Fiachra got his death wound,' but they and the Ernai 

 were defeated. There seems confusion between a battle in " a.u. 186 " 

 and another at the end of the fourth century, about a.d. 370. Evidently 

 there was a lost but important legend which connected the district in the 

 Maigue Valley with a hero, god, or demigod, Cairbre, one of the forgotten 

 supernatural personages of Munsler. 



As to the tribe, Ui Cairbre Aolxla, it was far more recent than these 

 personages are stated U) have been.* Fiacha Muillethan, grandson of Oilioll 

 Aulom, had a son Oilioll Flann b^, who succeeded Mog Corb, son of his 

 granduncle Cormac Cass (eponynnis of the Dal Cais), in the kingship of 

 North Munster, early in the fourth centur)-. Dair, son of this Oilioll, had a 

 son, Fiacha Fidgeinte (reputed eponymous ancestor of the great western 

 tribe), whose son, Brian, had a son Cairbre Aobda. This tenth-century 

 pedigree ia. however, very doubtful.' The Ui Fidgeinte were more probably a 

 branch of the Ernai, and far earlier than tlie mid-fiflh century. In fact, the 

 Tripartite Life' (if correct) mentions that the Hui Fidgeinte territory 

 extended to MuUach Cae, south of Carn Feradaig' (Camarry), and therefore 

 overlapped the A.^al district. The Ui Cairbre AoWa were seated at Bruree 

 in later days.' I'eiligree* which derive whole large triljes from one ancestor 

 in the fifth century may l)e dismissed as non-historical documents. Indeed, 



' " Trip<utit« Life of St. Patrick." p. 20, p. 350. 



' Rev. Celt., xxiv. p. 185. from Yellow Book of Lecsn and Book of Ballymote- 

 ' Silva Gadelicn, ii, p. .STfi. 



' Extnict from Snltair of Ca.shel io " Book of I'i Maine." 



' For unf-iuiideJ claims of relationship, see preface Duanaire Finn (Ir. Texts, ed. E. 

 MacSeillj : Book of Ui Maine, " Tract on Dal Cais " ; also myra, xxx, p. 455. 



• " Trii«rt. Life." p. 2*C. 



• Knockaincy Uill haa been identified with this for no other reason than it* local name. 

 Cam Feraidhe, from Fer I, (win of Eogabal. 



" Leabhar na gCeart, p. 85. 



