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TEAJAIR BREG 



A STUDY OF THE REMAINS AND TRADITIONS 

 OF TARA. 



By R. A. S. MACALISTER, Litt.D., F.S.A. 

 Flaxes VII-X. 



Rend January 28, 1918. Published Jam auy 20, 1919. 

 CONTENTS. 



1. Introduction, 



2. The Topography of Temair, 



3. The Origin of Temair, 



4. The Kingship of Temair. 



231 

 234 

 278 

 323 



5. The Voice of Fal, . . 344 



6. The Gods and the Cults of Temair, 361 



7. The Place of Temair in European 



Culture, . . .383 



I. — Introduction 



One of the most important publications ever issued by the Royal Irish 

 Academy is the essay On the History and Antiquities of 1'ara Hill, by 

 Dr. George Petrie; first drawn up for Captain Larcom's abortive Ordnance 

 Survey scheme, read before the Academy in three instalments during April 

 and May 1837, and published in its Transactions, vol. xviii, pp. 25-232. ' 

 This is certainly the foremost work of its distinguished author.- It still 

 stands as a model of industry and of archaeological insight ; and it is the 

 quarry from which all later writers on the subject have drawn their 

 materials. 



Eighty years of research have passed since this monograph was presented 

 to the Academy. Facts have come to light of which no student in Petrie's 



1 The frequent references which it will bo necessary to make to Petrie's essay in the 

 course of the present paper will cite it as Turn, followed by the number of the page. 

 The place itself will throughout be referred to by its native name in the Middle-Irish 

 orthography, Temair. 



" It is not, however, an unfair criticism that Petrie hardly acknowledges with justice 

 the obligations he is under to (('Donovan's assistance. Perusal of the Ordnance Survey 

 Letters shows that the descriptions and identifications, as well as the translations of the 

 numerous Irish texts, are all due to O'Douovan. 



Jt.I.A. PltOC, VOL. XXX1Y, SECT. C. L^J 



