Kane— T//6 Black Pig's Dijke. 309 



Ditch, in the parish of Creggan. Moreover, the tradition preserved among 

 the fanners supports the presumption that this alignment originally extended 

 westward through the country, and joined the entrenchments " which traversed 

 Ireland " by the route which I shall proceed to indicate. The Dorsey camp 

 seems therefore to have been placed at this part of the frontier boundary at 

 the strategic point which commanded the well-known pass to Emania by the 

 Fews. And, before passing on to the wider question of the date and object 

 of the construction of these defences, we may here lay down the general 

 position that in estimating the relationship or connexion with each other of 

 the fragmentary remains still extant, it is reasonable to conclude that if 

 detached portions of such works show a similar plan and section, allowing 

 a certain latitude for deviation and adaptation where the contour of the 

 ground suggests it ; and present a unity of design in regard to some definite 

 frontier demarcation of which we have historic testimony, we shall be justified 

 in concluding that these separate links are portions of a once complete frontier 

 line. And the prevalence of a common archaic designation attached to them 

 by the peasantry is a further corroboration that these fragments formed 

 parts of an originally unbroken whole. 



I now proceed to describe another similar line of entrenchment, running 

 from the foot of Slieve GuUion up the Newry valley. It goes locally by the 

 name of the "Dane's Cast," though the " Valley of the Black Pig" is equally 

 well known and applied to it— a designation which we find attached to the 

 whole series to be later described, even as regards its western terminal on 

 the Atlantic seaboard. Commencing near Scarvagh, the Dyke runs down to 

 the valley below in a south-westerly direction over an undulating country. 

 For perhaps a mile in length it has been largely preserved from demolition 

 by being fenced in on both sides, and planted ; and traverses Scarvagh demesne, 

 where also, though defaced and partially levelled in places, it has been 

 less liable to destructive interference. Entering the low ground, bordering 

 the ISTewry Canal at L. Shark, it ceases, but recommences again, and can be 

 traced to a little beyond Goragh Wood Station. Then it formerly turned 

 west and ran along the high levels on the west of the Newry Valley to Cam 

 Lough, but the greater part of this portion of the work is obliterated. From 

 Cam Lough it runs in indistinct and defaced segments to Meigh in the parish 

 of Killevy (formerly called Magh Chosnamhaigh, the defenders' plain), there 

 turning east, and failing in marshy ground in the valley. Hereabouts it strikes 

 athwart the Moira pass, at the eastern foot of Slieve Gullion. It is unneces- 

 sary for me to enter into many details of this fine earthwork, since the 

 existing remains, and indicated traces of its original course where obliterated, 

 are most carefully described with much exactness and precision by the 



R. I. A. PROC, VOL. XXVII., SECT. C. [46] 



