Westropp — Earthivorks and Ring Walls in Co. Limerick. 13 



Sibenraighe, Calraighe') met at "the hill of the Banshee Aine" at Knockaney. 

 Only the Mairtinigh appear in the Annals, which record their extermination, 

 possibly along the Shannon, by the Northmen in a.d. 845. An important 

 tribe, the Uaithne, called by the Normans Wethney and Owney, extended 

 across the Silvermine Hills in Owneybeg Barony in north-west Co. Limerick, 

 and in Wetheney Tire, or Owney and Arra, in Co. Tipperary. The Tipperary 

 families had migrated from Uaithne Cliach, expelled, say the legends, by the 

 race of Cathaoir Mor. The Muscraidhe Chuirc lay in Clanwilliam, round 

 Kilpeacon, while close to them, round Crecora, were the Colochur.' 

 O'Donovan places the Ara Cliach in " western " Co. Limerick by an over- 

 sight ; he evidently meant " eastern," and they seem to have migrated into 

 Arra, like the Uaithne. They were Eudrician in descent, and the "Tripartite 

 Life" places them to the east of the Ui Fidgeinti in the land of the Ui Cuanach, 

 " now Coonagh ; the Saimer or Morningstar Paver' divided these tribes. The 

 Aradha were raided (according to tradition) by the warriors of Eoghan, son 

 of Ailill Olam, and are represented in modern times by the family of 

 Ui Ciarmhaic or Kirby, of Eoghanacht Aine.^ There were three non- 

 tributary races, evidently later conquerors of " pre-Milesian " tribes — the 

 Aine Cliach, the Ui Fidgeinte, and the Dal gCais. The latter were the kings 

 of the district: under the Provincial King of Cashel, and sat "next his 

 shoulder " at banquets ; they led the van in his wars, and covered his 

 retirement or retreat. From the tenth century they alleged an alternative 

 right of succession to Cashel; but during the early historic period there is 

 little or no evidence of their having obtained this position until 

 Mathgamhain, son of Cenedig, was made king. But, hi the end, the 

 alleged alternative succession, as attributed to the will of the legendary 

 Cathaoir Mor, was accepted, even by their opponents. Later writers 

 interpolated Aedh of Cragliath (circa a.d. 573) and Lorcan son of Lachtna 

 (circa A.D. 860-900) into reigns of the Cashel line, but there was (at best) 

 confusion with Aedh of Cashel, whose kingship is more than doubtful,' and 



1 Egerton, ms. 92, f. 37 b. 



2 Black Book of Limerick, p. 100 (in 1299). 



This pretty name (which FitzGerald, History of Limerick, vol. i, p. 320, calls " The 

 River Dawn ") arose from a change of Samhair or Samer to Caimher, ''the daybreak " or 

 "Morning Star."' The real name seems akin to the Persian word Shamar — "The 

 River," (as the Samur, Samara, &.C.), in Irish possibly "the Sparkler'' (Joyce, "Irish 

 Names of Places," ser. il, chap. xxvi). It is named in Prince John's Charter to the 

 Abbey de Magio (or llonastemenagh), in 1185 (Cart. Boll ii, John in 12, confirms it), 

 " To Cillnarath as the Samir runs from it." The corrupt name occurs in 1655 as "the 

 Cavoyer" (Civil Survey, vol. xxxi, p. 1). 



* 1124, "Ui Ciarmhaic of Aue," Ann. Ulster. 



• He was ignored by the historians of the Ui Eacach, or O'Mahony clan, in south-west 

 Cork. Not appearing in the most reliable lists. 



