162 Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. 



section gives a faint impression of what a rich mass of legend must have 

 existed about Luachair and its " altered gods." 



Now I have used the term " Ernai," not only for the Corca Laegde, but 



also for the Clann Degaid, and Keating (ii, p. 313) says that it was wrongly 



applied to these, and should be only used for the descendants of Conaire Mor, 



the " Muscraige," Corca Duibne, and Corca Baiscoinn. This seems doubtful ; 



it is evident that the Clann Dedad and Corca Laegde had the same cemetery 



and sanctuary on Cenn Febrat, and occupy the very position where the 



" Iouernoi " are shown by Ptolemy. The Corca Oiche, possibly, are also of 



this kindred, though they, like the Ui Fidgeinte and the Corca Laegde, 



affiliated for political reasons in later years to the Dergtheue tribes. The 



Sanas Chormaic (p. 10) speaks of the Corca Laegde or "Dairfhine" as 



descendants of" Daire Doimthech," and it seems evident that an early pedigree 



led in which he appears with certain gods ami ancestors — Lug, son 



of Ethleann, Deaga, Sithbolg, Nuada Neacht, and a group consisting 



of ' I Sirchreachtech, Lugaid Laide, Lugaid mac Con, MacNiad, and 



h," and a Sen Lugaid;' Dairine was equated with Daire. The pedigree 



was old enough t" find a place in the Saltair of CasheL When the Corca 



tried i" draw nearer t" the Claim Deagaid, they naturally identified 



tin- | ith the tatter's am i, S i l _ra (Deda), and Daire.' 



gaid Laegde h netimes as fifteenth in descent from 1th (.circa 



B.C, 900), sometimes a contemporary of Eogan and Art (about a.h. 300); 



Daire was first called "King of the West,'' then "King of the World," and 



bed the zenith of his power in the Cath Finntraga, when he invaded 



aduibne. The B made him father of Mac Con and the three 



tads, mythical kings of Ireland <A.I>. 296). Finally, it is evident that, 



when t bene tribes of Cashel and Thomond liecame powerful, the 



gthene" into their own pedigree as a common 



estor, as the Tradraige, after attempting apparently to affiliate to the 



nraige and < m, asserted their kinship to the Eoganacht of 



:i favour of the powerful King FVUimid, 3 about a.v. 640. When 



we recall the extremely mythical legend of the three Cairbres, we see that 



«• are not to let such tales weigh against the general fact that, like Crim- 



thann, Nia Nair "of the Ernai" at the beginning of our era (one of whose 



forte stood' - ereagh, near the Ernean cemetery), the term "Ernai" 



1 Identified by some with Lughaidh Laeghde " Magh Lull i," p. 9. 

 ' Miscellany of Celtic S I oica Laidhe "), pp. 4, 5, '■>. ">7. '<'■<■ Of. pedigrees 



of Duald MacFirbis, Boderio OTUhorty, in "Ogygia," and Keating, iv. 



3 R. Sue. Antt. Ir.. sxxrii, p. v>7. The Coi i ' >iohe and Oorca Muieheat are of the 

 Atheach Tuathn at tirst, but are affiliated to the Dal Cass after 890. 



