MacNkjll — Earli] Irish Population-Groups. 83 



56. I know no instance of a sept-name derived from a female ancestor 

 within the documentary period. Hence I think that the feminine sept- 

 eponyms had a religious, not a genealogical, import. Cp. Ui Brigte and " Brigit 

 banfile ingen in Dagda " (BB 34 b 30), Ui Ercae and the forenames Mace Ercae 

 = Maqi Ercias, Dar Erca, Ercavicas. 



57. In the same paper, p 369, I suggested that Anavlamattias inucoi Maqi 

 Huri [lari ?] avi Axeras should be interpreted " Anblomaith of the tuath of 

 Mace lair and of the sept [thereof] Aui Acher." The sept-name has since then 

 turned up : Ac Ailill Fland Beacc comraices Hi Aicher 7 Mec Garrthaicli d- 

 rigda. [= rig] Desmuman, Lecan 454. " At Ailill Flann Becc [the pedigrees] of 

 Hui Aicher 7 the MacCarthaighs, Kings of Desmond, unite." The genitive 

 Aicher = Axeras seems to indicate an Irish r-stem outside of the nouns 

 importing the family relation. 



58. In Dtil Niad Corb, to which most of the Christian kings of Leinster 

 belonged, the eponyms of the principal septs appear in the genealogies as sons 

 of Cathair Mor : Eos Fdilge (Ui Fdilge) Daire Barrach (Ui Bairrche), Bresa 

 Enechglas (Ui Enechglais), Cetach (Ui Cetaig), Fergus Luasean (Ui Luascain) 

 Crimthannan (Ui Crimthanniiin), Eochaid Timine (Ui Timine), Fiachu Ba 

 Aiccid (Ui Baicceda), Dercmossach (Ui Dercmossaig), etc. The instance 

 of Ui Bairrche, mentioned earlier, warns us that we do not stand here 

 on any ground of solid strict historical tradition. Least of all need we 

 expect to find even an approximately true chronology. In Gilla Coemain's 

 reckoning Cathair Mor should have been king of Ireland from A.D. 123 

 to 149. But in the Synchronism of 721, his reign requires to be 

 placed quite a century later. Even this date appears too early, judged by 

 genealogies. 



59. The pedigree of Crimthann, king of Leinster in St. Patrick's time 

 (c. 450), is traced thus : 1, Cathair. 2, Fiacchu Baiccid. 3, Bresal Belach. 

 4, Labraid. 5, Enda Cennselach. 6, Crimthann. Allowing three generations 

 to a century, the floruit of Cathair should thus be placed quite at the close of 

 the third century. The Four Masters give 435 as the death-date of Bresal 

 Bdlach son of Fiacha Aicidh son of Cathair Mor. AU concurs. The most 

 that can be said is that the majority of witnesses assign Fiachu, ancestor of 

 Ui Baicceda, to the fourth century. In his line sept-names in Ui continue to 

 be formed for several generations. From Labraid son of Bresal Belach are 

 named Ui Labrada ; from Dunlaing son of Enda Nia son of Bresal, Ui 

 Lunlainge ; from Enda Cennselach son of Labraid, Ui Cennselaig. Hui Maele 

 Tuile, from Mael Tuile son of Ronan s. o. Colman s. o. Coirpre s. o. Ailill 

 s. o. Dunlaing, supply a late instance. Mael Tuile should have lived in the 

 latter half of the sixth century. See LL 315 c. 



K.I. A. PEOC, VOL. XXIX., SECT. C. [13] 



