Westropp — Earthworlcs and Ring -walls in County Limerick, 457 



line of history, after tiie poisoning of his foster-father, Crimthann, had the 

 " swordland " granted to him as an eric for his bereavement, the foster tie being 

 dearer to the early Irish even than relationship. This legitimated his con- 

 quest in the eyes of all save the expelled tribes. This was in a.d. 377, the 

 first approximately authentic date in Munster history.^ Old warriors of 

 Conall in the retinue of his descendant. King Carthann, or at least their 

 sons, may have met St. Patrick at Singland about a.d. 434. 



The non-appearance of any Dalcassian King of Cashel after Eanna, a.d. 

 420, may mark the exhaustion of the tribe by its conquest and colonization 

 of central Co. Clare,^ while the adoption of Singland (beside Limerick) as 

 Carthann's residence evidently resulted from the extension of the territory, 

 the old palaces being on the extreme south edge of Co. Limerick. So far 

 the legend is probable, coherent, and supported by all subsequent events ; 

 the tribal pedigree is the opposite. A second redundant eponymus of the 

 Dal Cais, Cass, son of Conall, appears^ ; he had thirteen sons, ancestors of the 

 tribes in Co. Clare — Blad, of Ui Bloid, OmuUod deanery; Caisin, of Ui 

 Caisin, Ogashin deanery (the later MacNamaras) ; Aenghus Cenn Nathrach, 

 of the Cinel Fermaic (at Cenn Nathrach, or Inchiquin), the Cenel Baith, 

 the Cenel Cuallachta, and the Cenel Failbhi ; he may be the same as another 

 son Aenghus Cenn Aitinn,* ancestor of the Clann Ifernain, the later O'Quins. 

 Blad's son was Cairthenn, the first Christian prince of the race.^ The legends 

 of OilioU Olom place him at Claire and Bruree, but the latter place only 

 appears so in very late documents like the Agallamh na Senorach. The other 



as holding the distant Dun Cearmna, on the Old Head of Kinsale, about a.d. 370 

 (Keating's History, vol. i, p. 148). For him see also "Yellow Book of Lecan," Tract 

 on the Dal gCais, Rev. Celt., vol. xxi (4), pp. 177, 201, and Wars of the G. and G., p. 67. 

 O'Curry denies that Connall was King of Munster, but the legends imply influence 

 outside Thomond and Co. Clare. Aedfrith, son of Oswy (a.d. 685), names the race of 

 Aulom, Lughaidh, and Conall ("Leab. na H Uachongbala, " in "Eriu," vol. viii, p. 73). 



' If (as has been suggested) he and Lughaidh were princes of the "Non- Milesians," 

 Ui Catbar and Ui Corra, in Co. Clare, it is as inexplicable that the Eoghanachta should 

 have recognized the Dal Cais as their close kindred and free from tribute as that the 

 Dal Cais should have claimed descent from such obscure tribes. All Munster and 

 Connacht tradition regards Lughaidh as a dangerous and victorious Munster chief. 



^ The Dal Cais do not appear in the standard Annals till the reign of Cenedid, son of 

 Lorcan. For the suggestion that they are the northern Deis, see supra, vol. xxix (4), 

 pp. 188-199. 



^ Psalter of Cashel, extract in Rawlinson, B. 502, f. 82a, " ut inventus in Psalterio 

 Caissil." 



* " Furze Head," an appropriate equivalent name for Cenn Nathrach or Inchiquin 

 Hill. 



= " Tripartite Life of St. Patrick" (ed. Todd), p. 206; "Cairthenn, son of Blatt, 

 senior" (not king) "of Clann Tairdelbaigh " (the last has a late ring, suggesting the 

 Cragliath line) ; " Echu Bailldearg, son of Carthenn" (ibid.). 



