WESTJiopr — Tijpes of Ring -Forts remaining in Eastern Clare. 197 



to be brought to Felim. The latter, after some conference, was satisfied 

 witli the good intentions of Lachtna, and said he would take his word instead 

 of hostages ; the Dalcassian set out to his tribe, promising to return even if 

 no one else joined him. Scarcely had he left when one of the king's sages 

 said : " Do you know what this Liag (the pillar) told me ? Finn mac 

 Cumhail once prophesied at it tliat a fair man from Cragliath should come on 

 a friendly visit thither and betray Erin to foreigners." Felim was afraid 

 and sent a messenger after Lachtna, who at once returned ; touched by his 

 good faith, the king gave him his robes and horse, blessing him and his 

 progeny. When he returned to his tribe and told them all, they determined 

 to send an embassy to the king, honourable terms were made, and the now 

 friendly visitor was hospitably entertained. A poem (attributed to Felim) 

 runs somewhat as follows: "Lachtna son of Core, may liis children reign 

 over the children of others ! May the Great King of Laws give him corn, 

 honey, and fat hogs ! May he excel the tribes in robes and splendour, in 

 might and valour, and his progeny be like him !" 



It is clear that the fort of the meeting, between the summit of Craglea 

 and the Boruma, is the Grianan of Lachtna; his kingship may have originated in 

 some investiture by (or agreement with) Felim. The " Tract on the Dalgcais," 

 followed by all later writers, asserts that another Lachtna,' son of Kennedy, 

 made the Grianan, about 950, but the earlier mention of its existence, and 

 the very common usage of " build " for " rebuild," besides its emphatic 

 connexion with the earlier Lachtna, justify the view that it was named 

 from the latter, and dates from before 847, the year of Felim's death, and 

 that the late liing at most repaired it. 



The fort at Boruma probably first appears in the Annals in 877, when 

 Flann Sunagh, the Ard righ, " ravaged Munster from Borhaime to Corcagh.^ 

 It was probably owing to his defeat at Magh Adlrair' that he did not also 

 ravage the part north of the Shannon so pointedly excluded in the record. 



Kincora, Ceann Coradh, tire head of the weii', first (I think) appears in 

 the poem of Cormacan Eiceas on "the Circuit of Ireland,"^ by Murcheartach 

 of the Leather Coats, King of Aileach in 941. That prince spent " a night at 



1 " Book of Lecan," quoted in " Dalg Cais,'' pp. 164, 239. This Laohtua only reigned for three 

 years after his father ; he left no issue. 



'■^ " Annals Four Masters." If " Ath na Borhaime " of Lugaid Meann's coucjuests be from the 

 " Psalter of Oashel," rt«(e 902, it is only a record of the ford, not of the fort. The Psalter was 

 probably used extensively iu the tract ■' Hal gCais," see p. 167; "Hue usque de psalterio Caisil 

 scriptum est." 



' Poems of Flan mac Louain, died 891, " chief poet of Erin." He was present, and highly praises 

 Lorcan and Essida of Ui gCaisin. Published in "Story of a Sept" (Dr. N. C. MacNamara), 

 p. 82, also p. 72. The poet negotiated with them on behalf of the Ardrigh, and exchanged horses. 

 See also " Wars," p. 67. 



* Ed. O'Donovan, Irish Archaeol. Soc., p. 43. 



