Westropp — The Earthworks, fyc, of S. I'J. Co. Limerick. 130 



panions were mistaken for "men of the Side, or earth gods," and were asked, 

 " Are you of the Sidh or of the gods ? " Note how little a Christian writer 

 then hesitated to tell facts; but Tirechan's candour is as nothing to that of 

 Cormac, King-Bishop of Cashel (about a.d. S96). In the latter 's Glossary 1 we 

 find — "Ait, a god"; " Ana, mother of the Irish gods"; "Brigid, a goddess 

 worshipped by poets"; "Diancecht, god of the powers, god of healing"; 

 ' Manannan, the Irish and British call him god of the sea"; "Neit, a god of 

 battle with the pagans of Gaul"; " Nemon, his wife"; "the three gods of 

 poetry " ; and he often refers to sanctuaries and magic ri tes. He calls his 

 predecessor, Eogan, " Mog, son of Nuada," and mentions 'Aine, daughter of 

 Eogabal. Coir Unmann? has many early notes — "In Minister was wor- 

 shipped the goddess of prosperity, whose name is Ana, and from her was 

 named the 'Two Breasts of Ana,' over Luachair." 3 It mentions the gods 

 Nuada Derg Lamh, " Nia Segamain of the Siabra " ; Nuada Salfada, son 

 of Engus ; Nuada Necht ; Nuada Finn ; Nuada Argetlamh ; beside more 

 definite entries — "Manannan mac Lir, god of the sea"; "the Dagda, the 

 fire of god ; he was a beautiful god, for the Tuatha De Danann worshipped 

 him, for he was an earth god to them," 4 and " Diancecht, deus Salutis." 

 Even the rather late "Battle of Magh Leana" (p. 90) tells of Conn's 

 "powerful friends," the Tuatha De, helping him in that combat, and the 

 Mesca Ulad names " the great Dagda, son of Ethliu, the good god of the 

 Tuatha De," with " Delbath, son of Ethliu," Aengus Og, son of the Dagda 

 and Cermait honeymouth, " three noble youths of the Tuatha Do." 5 



In Tain bo Cualngc, Brudcn Da Derga, and Fled Brierend abound many 

 allusions to pagan gods — " I swear by the gods by whom my people swear," 

 " by the god of my people," or " of my tribes " or " by whom the Ulster folk 

 swear," " by the gods whom I adore," and " we give thanks to the gods for our 

 return to Erin." Indeed it was impossible to expurgate the old paganism and 

 its phraseology. They even got copied into late works like the Agallamh, 

 which, despite its sturdy euhemerism, says — " the Tuatha De Danann, who are 

 unfading and whose duration is perennial." 7 The common sense of the old 

 scribe of the Tain, in the Book of Leinster, looked facts in the face, but did 

 not omit them — " I, who have transcribed this history, or rather fable, do not 



• " Sanas Chormaic " (ed. W. Stokes), pp. :;, 4, 17, L>;!, 47, 56, G7, 90, 99, 114, L22, 14.".. 

 2 lrische Texte, Ser. iii, 12, 1897, pp. 239, 291, 295, 327, 355, and 357. 



:! Also note Doonass (Easa Danainne) rapids on the Shannon. 



4 A curious outcome remains of euhemerist attempts to clear away gods like Lugh, 

 MacCecht, &c, by giving them other gods. 



5 Mesca Ulad, pp. 31-33. 



11 Even if euphemisms for a divine personal name, they still " call gods ' gods.' " 

 7 Agallamh ii, p. 203. 



