Macamstek — Temair Brcij „■ Remains and Traditions of Tara. 271 



enclosing one small mound, much abraded. The rest of the structure has 

 been destroyed by tillage in the adjoining field, and by the laying-out of the 

 mail; but a faint rise ran lie detected in the mail, as well as its continuation 

 into the field containing Tech Midchuarta, where there is a second small 

 mound. 



29. Edith Conchobuir 



This was beside and to the north of Treduma Neisi. It had a door facin« 

 the east, level with Corus Cind Ohon-Chulaind PD 30, VD iii 49 . It was 

 not found by Petrie, but seems to be represented by a deep gravel-pit in the 

 next field but one to the north of that containing the remains mentioned in 

 the last article. 



30. Sciuth Goii-Chultnnd 



The "Site of the Buckler of Cu-Chulaind " was level with the "Neck of 

 Cu-Chulaind " (.V/de Con-Chidirind), to the north-east. It evidently was an 

 earthen ring, representing the outline of the shield, with a mound (tid) in 

 the centre, suggesting the umbo. It is, in fact, described in exactly these 

 terms in PD 31. It was more probably < ^pulchral rather than residential 

 — a grave-mound within an enclosure, like the dolmen at the Giant's Pino- 

 near Belfast, or the cist at Longstone Port, near Naas ; and, like these, was 

 presumably a bronze-age monument, the "dedication" to Cu-Chulaind 

 having been imposed upon it when its original owner was forgotten. No 

 trace of this mound can now be discovered. 



31. Corus Cind ocus Hide Chon-Cfmlaind 



The " Measure of the Head and Neck of Cu-Chulaind " is not mentioned 

 in PD except as a guide to the identification of Edith Conchobuir and Sciath 

 Con-Chulaind. It was to the north-east of the former, according to YD iii 50, 

 and doubtless was near Sciath Con-Chulaind. In this collection of mounds, 

 one called the head, the other the shield, of an ancient hero, we see an old 

 example of the common idea of the "Giant's Grave,'* a name still current for 

 megalithic monuments in the country. The names are at least as old as the 

 story of the death of Cu-Chulaind, as it appears in the Book of Leinster, for 

 the mounds are there alluded to in the following terms -.— Otharlige a chind 

 7 a Idime dot / Ida luinne a sceith di uir, " the sick-bed of his head and of his 

 right hand, and the full of the cover of his shield of earth." 1 As in the case 

 of Sciath Con-Chulaind, we are probably to regard this as a bronze-age 

 monument, re-named at a later lime. It has now completely disappeared, 

 probably owing to tillage. 



' LL, facsimile, i>. 12] 1. 40. 



R.I. A. PKOC, VOL. XXXIV. Sl-.l'l. <'. [St)] 



