Westkopp — Types of Ring- Forts remaining in Eastern Clare. 189 



of the Dal gCais at the raid of Fedhiuid of Cashel about 840 is well marked.' 

 He possibly recognized Lachtna as their chief. It is certain that 

 Cormac MacCuileanan, King of Cashel, at the very close of the ninth 

 century, was the first to see the growing importance of the tribe.^ Even 

 half a century later, when the decadence of the Eoghanachts, after the death 

 of Cormac at the disastrous defeat of Cashel by Leinster at Bealamoon (907), 

 and the capture of l^ing Ceallachan Caisil (941), had paved the way for 

 other competitors,' and Cenedid of the Dal gCais had been tanist of Cashel 

 (even if he had not claimed the kingship, and then consented to forego it, as 

 is stated in a rather doubtful record),'' Mathgamhan's seizure of the kingship 

 of Cashel was resented, not as a wanton reinforcement of an effete right, 

 but as rank usurpation, as gross as that of his brother Brian, when the latter 

 usurped the High Kingship of Ireland a little later. Mathgamhan paid with 

 his life for his intrusion on Cashel, which largely excused in Eoghanacht 

 eyes* the treachery of Maelmuadh and Donnabhan in 976. The reign of 

 Brian shows a feverish desire to assert vested rights to the throne of Cashel 

 from prehistoric half (or wholly) fabulous princes, Eogan and Aihll Olom. 

 The real right was that of the Lamli Zaidir, the strong hand, still borne by the 

 descendants of Brian in crest and motto. The fresh, able, physically strong and 

 long-lived princes and warriors of Craigliath (" Highlands above Lowlands," 

 as so usual) tempered in the fire of the two centuries of struggle with the 

 Norse for very existence — rose upon the ruin of the men in the rich plains of 

 the Golden Vale and the Eoghanacht of Cashel. Then, when at length their 

 claim could not be gainsaid, their opponents saved their own credit by 

 accepting the myths so flattering to the conquerors. 



Professor Mac Neill, to whom I owe much help from the records and 

 many suggestive hints, had, with greater material and knowledge, arrived 

 independently at similar conclusions to mine. Most striking of his discoveries 

 is that of the identity of the "In Deis Tuaiscirt" with the Dal gCais. He 

 notes : — " That Dal Cais was anciently known also as ' In Deis Tuaiscirt,' is 

 proved by a number of texts." The Book of Leinster, 31 9c5, ' Corn^ac Cass, 

 a quo Dal Caiss .i. Jn Deis ' (that is. In Deis). In the Book of Ballymote, 

 171&39, " Is i eland Ebir fo Erinn .i. Dail Cais, agus Dail Cein, agus Dealbhna, 



' Book of Munster, Mss. E. I. Acad., 23 e 26. 



-He even in his "will" recommended that Lorcan son of Lachtna should succeed him 

 (Keating's "History of Ireland "), vol. iii., p. 199. 



^However, Ceallachan defeated Cennedigh mac Lorcain at Maghduiue in 943 (" Chronicon 

 Scotorum "), and survived him for three years, dying 953. 



* Cathreim Cellachain Caisil (ed. Bugge, 190.5), p. 59, note, p. 122. Keating's History, vol. iii, 

 p. 223. 



= The Annals of Inisfallen do not conceal the violation of the pledge (957, i.e. 976). 



