480 Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. 



the " mortal immortals " who dwelt there. As a result OilioU speared the 

 King, Eogabal, son of Durgabal, and violated his daughter Aine, and she, 

 mad with horror, bit off' his ear, whence his epithet Olam, ''bare-ear" or 

 " the earless."- Her bvotlier, Ferfi, escaped aud devoted himself to vengeance. 

 Disguised as a wandering minstrel, he sat in a yew tree near the waterfall 

 of the Maigue,^ playing on a brass timpan, or lyre, so sweetly that OiloU's 

 son and stepson pursued and captured him. Eoghan, the King's eldest son, 

 and OiloU's wife's son, Lughaidh mac Con, both claimed the prize, and 

 caUed on the King to decide between them. OilioU decided for Eoghan. 

 Lughaidh appealed frantically against his prejudiced judgment, and, getting 

 no redress, fled through the hills southwards.* The Ernai aided him, aud he 

 challenged his stepfather to battle, marched up the great pass of Ballyhoura 

 to Cenn Febrat (or Sliabh riach) there, near Kilfinnan. The hosts joined in 

 battle ; Mac Con had disguised himself as his friend and jester,* Dodera, whom 

 he closely resembled, save in the superior whiteness of his legs. Eoghan, 

 noting these, flew at his kinsmaia and just missed him with his spear. Mac 

 Con fled, his counterpart Dodera, wearing the prince's diadem, was slain, and 

 (as we saw) buried on tlie mountain side, and the southerners were routed 

 down the long pass. I>ugliaid no longer dared to stay in Ireland ; he fled to 

 the King of Scotland, and concealed his identity for some years. 



OilioU, broken with the cares of state aud advancing years, abdicated in 

 favour of Eogliau, and the news reached Scotland. The fugitive, now with- 

 held by no scruple of liaving to attack his stepfather, got restive. The 

 Scottish Monarch suspected the refugees, and after some curious tests, such 

 as making them eat raw niice,^ discovered the identity of his guest. 



MacCon won his friendship and aid, and, with his foreign auxiliaries 

 landed in Ireland, marching so far into the bowels of the land without 

 impediment that he reached "Magh Mucramha Muchrime) north of Ath 

 Cliath, in gBeihra," near Clarinbridge and Galway Bay, " a.d. 195." The 



Erin always opened about Samhain." See curious note on "women and rabble" 

 praying to the witch Mongfinn, who poisoned King Crimthann (a.u. 377) on the eve of 

 Samhain (Revue Celtique, vol. xxiv, p. 179). 



' " Struck off" .says edition in Book of Leinster (Rev. Celt., vol. xiii, p. 437). 



- Agallamh, Silva Gadelica, vol. ii, p. 127. 



^ "Ess mage" waterfall of ^laigue. named in MSS. Laud., CIO, f. 95a. The yew 

 was a phantom tree. The place intended was possibly above the forts at the mill weir of 

 Bruree. O'Curry locates the waterfall at Caherass. 



''" Battle of Magh Mucramha'' from Book of Leinster (Revue Celtique, vol. xiii, 

 p. 441). Silva Gadelica, vol. ii, pp. 347-349) ; also Annals of Tighernach fragments (Revue 

 Celtique, vol. xvii, p. 102). O'Curi-y, "Manners and Customs," vol. iii, p. 259. 



" '■ Druth," more probably druid. 



° On this curious matter, and its proverb, " eating the mouse with ita tail," see Revue 

 Celtique, vol. xvii, p. 432. 



