Westropp — The Earthworks, fyc, of S. E. Co. Limerick. 179 



called " Poulnadragoon," from a pool in the rivulet near it. It lias two rings, 

 3 feet to nearly 5 feet high, studded with old hawthorns, and with gaps at 

 regular intervals. It measures about 330 feet across the inner ring, and 

 430 feet across the outer ring, there being a rather wide interspace about 

 30 feet wide between the mounds. 



Temair Erann 



When I recognized the importance of the remains in the cemetery of Gush, 

 and subsequently found its description in Maccraith's poem, 1 about A.D. 990, 

 I was struck at once by its rich mythical suggestion, and the lack of mention 

 of the cemetery in other sources. As in the case of 'Oenach Chilli, 1 could 

 not for the moment free myself from the prejudice of old identifications till a 

 passage most familiar to me seemed to give a new light which made it evident 

 that here, and not near Castle Island," lay the chief cemetery of the Ernai 

 Temair Erann. Let me restate the case. 



If Cash be the constituent of Coshlea, " Foot of the Hill," and Cossetlereogh 

 or Cosse Clerough, Coss of Cleire, in 1580, 3 the Irish must have recognized 

 the cemetery as a suitable place to give its name to the district called 

 Foutymchyll by the English. Maccraith shows that, in the reign of King 

 Brian, every outstanding person of the Ernai, save Curoi, was reputed to 

 have a grave on Cenn Febrat, at Cush. There were said to rest Febra, the 

 brother, and Garban, the son of Deda, the eponymus of the Glann Dedad 

 Ernai; Lugaid Laegde, another eponymus of the Corca Laegde; the wife of 

 Daire, father of Curoi ; the famous Dodera ; Ere from Ir Luachair ; Gain, 

 son of Derg, who, like Febra, gave his name to one of the hill-heads up the 

 slope ; and Eitlme, daughter of Lugaid, the son of Daire and sister of 

 Mac N iad. 4 All the mythic valour and beauty of the tribe lay there, " each 

 in his own house." Now, the Tract on the Cemeteries says: — "The Claim 

 Declat, i.e. the race of Conaire and the Ernai (were buried) at Temair Erann ; 

 the men of Minister, i.e. the Dergthene at 'Oenach Culi"; it only names 



1 Metr. Dind S., x, p. 227, supra, xxxiii, p. 460. 



- So far as I can find, the identification was made first by Curry from the Down Survey, 

 " Sliabh Luachra is laid down . . . south-west of Castle Island " (note " Magh Leana," 

 p. 104), with no further definition, while O'Donovan brought in the Bealahantowragh 

 equation. On this deduction from a single map (despite all other evidence) came the 

 error of placing all the Munster Taras near Castle Island. Wilde places the cemetery at 

 Tara in Meath. 



3 Cossecloreogh adjoined Kilmallock and was a " patria " or barony. 



4 Silva Gadelica, ii, p. 524. Her grave is probably the N.W. disc barrow of the 

 conjoined rings of Cooloughtragh. Eithno, Maer, and Mugnin," side by side on the great 

 hill " in the other three rings, Lugaid Laegde on the slope below the spring in Glouua- 

 croghera ; Dodera up the hillside, perhaps, at Gatabaun. 



