Westropp — Earthworks and Ring-ivalls in County Limerick. 461 



lion, at right angles to the rest of the range) commands the passes of Bally- 

 landers and Kilfinnan, leading into the Fermoy district, in Co. Cork. It has 

 three outstanding heads, presumably corresponding to the Cend Febrat (or 

 Abhrat), Cend Cain, and Cend Claire. 'J'he last is, undoubtedly, the north- 

 east summit, 15.30 feet above the sea. The Dindshenchas tells of Cenn Febra 

 and Cenn Cain that they were named from an ancient tragedy. Febra, son 

 of Sen, and brother of Deda, was killed by Cain, son of Derg Dualacht, 

 and his head was brought to the mountain. Deda's son, Garban (from whom 

 Dungarvan is named), revenged the crime by slaying the slayer on Sliabh 

 Cain, and brought his head to Cenn Febrat. Many a hero and heroine were 

 buried there. Garb of Sliabh Claire was one of the watchmen before the 

 battle of Ventry began. Another was from Sliabh Crot, in the Galtees. 

 Oilioll Olom's three sons gained a battle over their step-brother, Lughaidh 

 Mac Con, at Cenn A brat, probably at the end of the great pass of Bealach 

 Febhrat, or Ballyhoura, near Kilfinnan, in " a.d. 186." They were reinforced 

 by the three Oairbres, while their foe was helped by the druid Dadera, of tlie 

 Dairini, and the forces of the Ernai of Southern Ireland.^ " Dodera " is 

 elsewhere the jester and friend of Lughaidh. Cend Febrat, " the beautiful 

 mountain, enduring home of the royal men," as Macraith, son of Flann (a 

 poet, living circa a.d. 980-1020), sang. It was then famous for its fairy 

 mounds and sepulchral monuments, some of which we must now study. ^ 

 The bard continues : — 



" I came on a day of early morning over Cend Febrat of the cool flowers. 



The sound of the wind set me sleeping with vacant mind ... 



There was shown me truly and in full every sidh mound that is at Cend Febrat." 



He then names the " strong dion on hazel-set Mullach Cuillen,nvherein abides 

 the stern, smiting, thick-set hero." He met one who told him the order of 

 " the graves in the well-remembered stronghold, set in due order on Cend 

 Febrat." The grave of Cain,* son of Derg, was to the right ; then the lonely 

 grave of Ere, from Ir luachair, lay on the north side of the hill (perhaps the 

 motes of Ballinvreena and Cush, the only great mounds on that flank); 



'Ann. Four Masters, under a.d. 18(5. 



- Metrical Dind Shenchas (ed. Gwynn), Todd Lect. ser. B. I. Acad., vol. x, p. 247, and 

 notes, pp. 517. 518. See Book of Lecan, p. 237. Revue Celtique, vol. xv, pp. 441, 442. 



^Probably the "Mullach Sleibhe Claire in Blunster " Onomasticon Goedelicum. Was 

 there any sanctity (as there is reputed magic) in the hazel ? Knockainey and Tara itself 

 were once covered with it. 



' Whence " Sliabh Riach, alias Sliabh Cain " (Onomasticon). Cain is called " Mac 

 Deircc dualagh" by the Four Masters. There was a clan named Ibh (Ui) Cain. Could 

 they be the later Ui Caiomh or O'Keefl'e family. See R. I. Acad. MS., 1217 (Windele, 

 Irish Topog. 1840) for poem on the two Fermoys from Book of Lismore. Cormac's 

 Glossary (ed. Stokes, 1868), p. S5, gives Claire as ' ' Cliu Aire." 



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