Wkstkopp — The '^ Mound of the Fiana'''' at Cromiuell Hill. 79 



of Masonbrook, Co. Galway/ which has three stages. Two very slightly 

 marked " set-backs " are also apparent on the conjoined tumuli in the 

 assembly of Oenaeh chuli in Co. Limerick. Other notable cases of such 

 " terracing " are found at Cruachan Ai (Eathcroaghan) and Slanemore 

 (Slemain Midhe) in Westmeath, where a smaller platform occurs on the 

 mound. Whether in some cases this marks a former ring-wall, as at Bruree 

 and Eagle Mount, we can only conjecture. 



The sloping summit from the cairn to the mound was very suitable for a 

 crowd of spectators if ceremonies took place on the latter. 



One service due from archfeology to Irish literature is illustrating the 

 structures, armour, and weapons so often mentioned in our ancient tales. 

 The Sidean or Sid mound occupies a conspicuous place. The formal worship 

 of its old gods was ended, but the awe and observances were ingrained in the 

 Irish mind ; and the Church, when it abolished the worship, did not try to 

 desecrate or destroy the mound. In many cases bound up with ancient 

 assemblies it was protected by the law down to late Christian times.^ So the 

 High King Diarmaid, in the mid-sixth century, put men to death for neglect- 

 ing the solar games of the god Lug at Tailltiu, and the games and temporary 

 marriages continued to 1770, the fair to 1816. So Magh Adair was the great 

 Dalcassian assembly place till 1570, and its "iraghts" (oireachtach) were 

 kept up to the great famine of 184.5.^ 



I found no tradition of such assemblies at Cromwell Hill. The long Norman 

 occupation obliterated the record (if such existed), and no fair, like those of 

 Ballinvreena and Knockainey, replaced them to our days. We are amassing 

 notes on undoubted side&n places — they are very different in character; we 

 have rocks, sea-rocks like the Bull and Eockabill ; hillside rocks like Oebinn's 

 Sid at Craglea, the Campulnamuckagh and Sheeaun on Inisturk, and Croacha- 

 teeauu, with its vivid local awe of " the Dannans," in Co. Clare ; * some are 

 earth-mounds, like Magh Adair, Sheenafinnoge, near Monasteranenagh, and 

 perhaps Kilfiunan, the three small tumuli at Temair Erann and the conjoined 

 mounds at it,^ Knockainey and Clogherbeg. An outstanding case in literature 

 is the Duma na ngiall, the mound of the hostages, where lay the white, 

 round-ended slab, now set up on Tech Chormaic, at Tara. It was attributed 



' Supra, xxxiii, p. 507, Plate XLIV ; for Eagle Mount, see xxxiv, p. 66, and Slane- 

 more, R. S. Antt. I., vol. li, p. 134 (T. J. Shaw). 



2 Ancient Laws, i, pp. 129, 233 ; ix, p. 220 ; v, p. 473. 



^ Su23ra, ser. iii, vol. iv, pp. 55-60. "Sid, person of the broad-topped, smooth liss, 

 where the hosts assemble " (Feis tighe Chonain, p. 91), well describes such ceremonial 

 mounds. 



* Supra, xxsi (No. 2), pp. 50-52 ; R. Soc. Antt. Ir., xxxv, p. 345. 



^ Supra, xxxiii, p. 465, pp. 469-474. 



