102 Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. 



Cathnia, Druithnia and Uaithnia, i.e. (the ancestors of) Uaithni Thire and 

 Uaithni of Cliu, quod fortasse uerius (est)." 



1^5. With Tuatha Fore op. Insi Ore. Tuatha Ibotb are doubtless the 

 old traditional inhabitants of the Hebrides, Ebudae Insulae. Ibdaig 

 = *Ebudaci.' They are said here to be of the Ulaid. lubdan (= *Ebudagnos) 

 in the " Death of Fergus," Silva Gadelica, is king of an oversea country of 

 dwarfs. 



136. Uaithnia, Druithnia, and Cainuia appear to be artificial eponyms of 

 the Uaithni (hence the baronies of " Owney " in Tipperary and Limerick), 

 Ddl Druithne in Ui Maine (" west of the Shannon and north of Loch Derg "), 

 and Caenraige (hence " Kenry " barony, co. Limerick). These Irish Ibdaig, 

 like the Irish Picts, have Conall Oernach assigned to them as ancestor. 

 Their traditional habitat (Kenry, Owney, Aidni, Ui Maine, Corcu Bascinn) 

 seems to correspond with the position of the Auteni or Auteini (= Uaithni ?) 

 in Ptolemy's account. 



V. The Tricha Get = Thirty Hundreds. 



137. The term 'tricha cet' in late usage denotes a certain measure of territory. 

 Keating (For us Feasa, ed. Comyn, p. 112) gives the extent of the provinces of 

 Ireland in this measure as follows : Meath proper (an Mhidhe f ein), 1 3 ; 

 Breagha, 5 ; Cuigeadh Connacht, including Clare, 30 ; Cuigeadh Uladh, 

 extending southward to the Boyue, (35 or) 36 ; Cuigeadh Laighean, 31 ; 

 Cuigeadh Eochaidh {sic), i.e. eastern Munster, 35 ; Cuigeadh Con Kaoi, i.e. 

 western Munster, 35. Total 185. 



138. Keating adds (p. 128) that Ulster at one time contained only 33, the 

 other three having been ceded by Leinster in the time of the Pentarchy (aim- 

 sear na gCiiigeadhach), i.e. in the Ulidian heroic period. There is evidently a 

 cross-division somewhere ; and the total of 185 must be excessive. The Ulster 

 and Leinster fifths meet at the Boyne, so that these provinces must include 

 the five tricha-cets of Brega. Mide, too, i.e. central Ireland exclusive of 

 Brega, is traditionally a province of late origin, and there must be an overlap 

 in its case also. 



139. The whole account suggests an ancient (perhaps theoretical) division 

 of Ireland into five provincial kingdoms, each fifth (coiced, cuigeadh) 

 containing thirty-five tricha-cets. 



140. The thirtieth part of a tricha-cet, says Keating, is a baile or baile 



' For JJiDacliiia, Ui Sachaigh, Ui Daich, in Onom. Goed., read Ihdachu (?), Ibduchaibh, Ibdaieh. 

 Cp. also Inis Ibdan {Ibdone, Sibtond, Sipont, Ubdain), on the Shannon estuary, Onom. Goed. 

 " Garbratdi do Fearuib Ebutli it quo Oarbrnidi, cona coihnesfiih,^'' Leean -151. 



