MacNeili. — Early Irish Population-Groups. 81 



accurate tradition. Thus the genealogists tell us that the Ciarraige are the 

 descendants of Ciar, son of Fergus MacEoig, but the Ogham form Mucoi Qerai 

 (MS. Moeeu Ciara) shows that the true eponym should have been Ciara in 

 Middle Irish. The Artraige are said to descend from a male ancestor Art, 

 while the moccu formula has genitive Arta, Arte. Tliat Core Duibfind, as 

 ancestor of Oorcu Duibne, is a mere fiction of the genealogists would be 

 sufficiently obvious if we had not the Ogham examples of Mucoi Dovinias and 

 the MS. moccu Duihne. Lama, son of Conchobor mace Nessa, is the genealogical 

 ancestor of the Lamraige, but the lists of saints have Mo Gobboc moccu Laime. 

 Laigsech Cennmor is the genealogical head of the Loigse ; Adamnanus 

 has mocu Loigse. Neachtain . . . a qito Neaclitraide, Lecan 453 ; Nemangein 

 mac Neachtain do Uaitlmih diata Neachtraidi, ib. ; but moccu Nechti, NecMai, 

 NecMe, Neachta, and Gorcih Ncclitae. Fergus Oichc qui et Fogai, BB 169 b, 

 Fergus Fogo, BB 218 c, Hocha, ib. is ancestor of Corcu Oche and of S. Mo Lua = 

 Luguid moccu Ochae, AU 608. If the genealogists have not lost the genuine 

 tradition, they must have deliberately substituted masculine for feminine 

 eponyms. 



49. Adamnanus, in mocu Fir Getea, mocu Fir Roide, introduces fer 

 ("husband of") before a feminine eponym. Cp. Conall macFhir Cheiti 

 meicDeda meicSin a, quo Bal Ceiti la Mumaiji, Lecan 455. 



50. Names in -rige appear sometimes to have the name of an animal for 

 eponym. It is cm-ious if Bibraige (ep. Corcu Bibuir) contains the name of 

 the beaver (cp. Bibracte), for Dr. Scharff tells me that so far no remains of the 

 beaver are known to have been found in Ireland, though it is known to have 

 existed in Britain. Other instances are Bocc-, Catt-, Con-. Dart- (with 

 moccu, Bartada), G-abr-, Gaman-, Luch-, Molt-, Tore-. We cannot assert that 

 the animal, even pei'sonified, was regarded as the ancestor, for the adoption of 

 animal names (e.g. Conall Cii, Ailill Molt) was not rare. Moreover, as 

 instances like Ciarraige show, the eponym may really have been a fuller form 

 of the element which is retained in the people-name. 



51. Some of the collective names appear to be based on the occupations of 

 the people. Thus the Semonrige, Tuath Semon, or Semmuine, i.e. people of 

 rivets, belonged to the coppermining district of the Desi, and the distinctive 

 element in their name was not thought capable of forming an eponym ; hence 

 moccu Neth Semon = of the race of the Champion of the Eivets. In Berre, 

 Bearra, another mining district, were the Cerdraige. With this class of names 

 we may perhaps connect Tuatha Taiden or Fir Taiden, people of mantles, 

 and Fir Bolg, people of leathern bags. That Fir Bolg, commonly used as a 

 name for the older subjugated race or races, was an extension of the genuine 

 name of an historical people may l3e judged from the instances of Bolgthuath 



