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ing portion of Antrim constituted the territory of Dalriada, 

 from Carbre Righfada, or Cairbre, the long-armed, son of 

 Conaire II.. King of Ireland. Killed a.d. 220. The capital 

 of Dalriada was Rath-muga, or Arthir-mugia, afterwards called 

 Erthermoy, in the eastern plain, situated southwest of the 

 mountain of Knocklaid, in the north of County Antrim, and 

 now known as Armoy. From this locality, at the time of 

 Cairbre Righfada, and for many years afterwards, bands of 

 the Irish, or Scoti, as they were called, crossed over to Alba, 

 now known as Scotland, until at length their numbers became 

 so threatening that the Picts made strong efforts to expel 

 them. They were, however, enabled to hold their ground until 

 the commencement of the sixth century (a.d. 506), when An- 

 gus, Loarn, and Fergus, three of the twelve sons of Ere, a 

 descendant of Cairbre Righfada, passed over to Albany from 

 Antrim. Angus became master of Arran, Iona, Isla, and the 

 adjoining isles. Loarn settled in the district now known as 

 Argyle, while Fergus held the peninsula of Cantyre. After 

 the death of Angus and Loarn, Fergus consolidated the Dal- 

 riadic colonies, and thus laid the foundation of the Kingdom 

 of Scotland, which, in the reign of Kineth MacAlpin, a.d. 838, 

 extended from Edinburgh to Caithness, and in the 12th cen- 

 tury was still more extended, and took the name of Scotland, 

 after the Scoti, or Irish colonists, from the territory of Dalri- 

 ada. The district around the now quiet village of Armoy was 

 therefore of very great importance at a very early date as the 

 seat of the Dalriadic princes. The number of ancient remains 

 still scattered over the locality bear evidence of its former 

 importance. Here we have raths, cromlechs, and rude stone 

 structures in every direction. One of the famous Round 

 Towers stands in the parish churchyard. The original church 

 was founded by St. Patrick himself, who received a grant of 

 lands for its support, from Fergus Mor Mac Erok, imme- 

 diately before that prince set forth on his celebrated expedition 

 to Alba. St. Patrick ordained Olcan its first bishop. 



