Westkopp — Earthworks and Ring-walls in County Limerick. 451 



and his son Connall, and of the latter's foster-father, Crimthann macFidhe, 

 A.D. 377. There is no evidence that they knew the subsequent period. To 

 Prince Brian, about a.d. 960, Core (four generations back) was the first of the 

 Dal Cais of his line to figure in history, about a.d. 810.' The tribe had very 

 full, evidently authentic, sagas about Core's successors, Lachtna, Lorcan, and 

 Cenedid.' 



In this Paper the term "Thomond" (Tuad Mumhain) means Co Limerick, 

 south from Carnarry, not Co. Clare, as in my other papers.^ 



One more point I must explain. When we quote an early story for a 

 place-name, we know as well as our critics that it is a "folk etymology"; and 

 when we speak of an eponymus of an early tribe, we only mark its position 

 in the table of races, and recognize that its founder may be absolutely 

 mythic ; or, if the shadow of a real chief, certainly not an exclusive ancestor ; 

 as (even in late history) some regard all the " O'Briens " as descended from 

 the victor of Clontarf alone. 



The silence of Ptolemy as to the " Celtic tribes "* has been, perhaps, over- 

 emphasized, even by most capable scholars. It is not unlikely that, 

 like the authorities for the Italian portolan maps, after 1330, and for the 

 same reason, his information was better for the seaboard than for the interior. 

 Just as Dulcert had heard of Laymerick and Eoss, so Ptolemy knew of 

 Makolikon, Eegia, and Dunum, and of the Ousdioi of Ossory and other 

 " pre-Milesian " tribes ; but both geographers were relying on men who 

 personally knew better the islands, the river-mouths, and headlands past 

 which they traded. The ancients heard of the Southern Ernai, louernoi, but 

 hardly of the Deirgthine, from whom the Eoghanacht and Dal Cas had not 

 yet sprung.' 



The great king Eoghan Mor, from whom nearly all the Munster 

 Princes claimed descent, was living (if legend errs not) at the time when 

 Ptolemy's Atlas was being compiled, for its astronomical data end a.d. 148, and 

 Eoghan is placed in a.d. 160. "The Deirgthine, the men of Munster, buried 



1 " Wars of the Gaedhil with the Gaill " (ed. Todd), p. 67. 



^ Book of Munster, Caithreim Ceallachain Caisil, Wars G. G. The only "earlier" 

 source (in its present recension about 1140) is the Life of St. Flannan. 



' It centred in the northern section early in the Norse wars, and only kept up a feeble 

 tie by violence till 1194. After that " Thomond " was Co. Clare plus North Tipperary, 

 and perhaps Sliabh Eibhlinn and Athairlach, or the Silver Mines and Galtees. 



* Need I warn readers against taking too literally conventional terms like " Celtic " 

 and ' ' Milesian " % The fault is not confined to Irish archEeology. 



= The later Dal Cais were yellow-haired (Book of Bights, p. 81), or golden-brown, or 

 red-haired ; blue, or greeny-blue eyed ; rosy and hot- flushing, with dark brows and long 

 lashes (Caithreim Toirdhealbhaigh). 



R.I. A. ROC, VOL. XSXIII., SECT. C, [63] 



