Macalistkk — Temair. Breg: Remains and Traditions of Tara. 277 



north-west of Temair (361)' : Lecc na nDriiad, the Stone of the Druids — 

 perhaps the same place, though this is said to have been norbh-«w< of 

 Temair (7957): Cnoc na nonbur, " the hill of the nine men," which, whatever 

 .we may think of the story told of it (7901), was probably a burial tumulus 2 ; 

 it was west of Temair: and Ard D" lined (1731), the height of the 

 fire, which was probably the site of a sacred fire, notwithstanding the 

 marvellous tale which the Acallam tells to account for the name. 



In Caithreim Conghail Cldiringhnigh 3 part of the scene is laid in Temair, 

 and there are some topographical notes. The text is late, and the description 

 anachronistic ; but it ought to correspond generally with the Bind-shenchas 

 topography. The curious statement is made (p. 10) that every pen tar ch had 

 buildings and laud at Temair. If this be so, it need not have been on the 

 ridge itself, but may have been in the surrounding plain. The expedition of 

 Conghal came to Temair and arrived first at Edith Uladh, the Eaith of the 

 Ulidians, " which is now called Edith na nDoirseomch, the Eaith of the Door- 

 keepers." There is no such raith recorded in the Dind-shenchas description, 

 nor do I find it mentioned elsewhere; it is not entered in the Onomasticon. 

 As the text goes on to say in effect that the travellers, coming from Ulaid to 

 Temair, stopped first at this raith in order to prepare themselves, and to 

 deposit their travelling equipment in their own houses, it was most likely 

 some outpost not on the hill itself. On three sides there are such outposts ; 

 Eaith Meidbe at the south end of the Eidge, Eingleston liaith by the side of 

 the road from Kilmessan on the west, and Eaith Miles, otherwise (according 

 to the Ordnance Survey Letters) Raith Lugha on the north. The last-named 

 may have been the doorkeepers' fort. At ]>. 20 of the same text we read that 

 on the following morning the king rose before sunrise, as by one of the gt ssa 

 attached to his office he was obliged to do.' and went to perform his ablations 

 in Tiobruid na Laochraidhi, after which he came to Duma na Riograidhe beside 

 MuiBenn Ghiarnaidhe, " for it is there that kings were wont to sit." Muillenn 

 Ghiarnaidhe is, of course, the mill on the stream Nith. The only duina near 

 this is the sid mound that was over Xemnach. and it may be that there was 

 some religious duty which the king had to perform there in the early morning. 

 Tiobruid na Laochraide is presumably the same as the unknown Laeeh- 



1 To be distinguished from Fert iu Druad (7726), which was in Connacht. In line 5871 1 

 Fert na lidruad is said to be ar faithche mi Temra — on the lawn of Temair: so that 

 possibly the Moel, Blocc, and Bluicne group of monuments is intended. The numbers 

 iu brackets refer to the lines in Stokes's edition of Acallam iia Sendrach. 



- Compare the inscription Had in Dechenboir, "the Grave of the Ten Men." on luia 

 Cealtra. 



3 Irish Texts Society, vol. v. The references are to the pages in this edition. 



■* See post, p. 36o, 



