1910-1911.] Griddle or Greidell Ine or Een, 293 



to him. It is also possible that Finn may have been supreme 

 king over the Eoughbounds and the Isles, and that the king- 

 lets of Tyree and Ardnamurchan were to some extent suzerain 

 to him, just as the four Kings of Ireland were to^ some extent 

 subordinate to the king who for the time being ruled at 

 Temair or Tara, the name by which his ancient capital was 

 generally better known. 



Daire Borb, who was a man of big proportions, soon arrived 

 at Essaroy in hot pursuit, and Finn is described as being 

 small beside him. Finn had with him fifty followers, while 

 Daire Borb seems to have come alone, or at least with very 

 few followers. In defiance of Finn he seized the princess, 

 which led to a fight with Finn's men which appears to have 

 been most disastrous to them, as many were killed, and none 

 of the Feinne escaped without wounds except Finn himself. 

 Flann, son of Morne, slew Daire Borb, but in the fight was 

 so seriously wounded that one account says he died, while 

 another says that it took ten long years for his wounds to 

 heal. 



The poem says that Daire Borb was buried near where 

 he fell, — " this noble, brave, and powerful man, and on each 

 finger's ruddy point a ring was placed in honour of the 

 King." 



There was great lamentation among the Feinne for the 

 deaths of their warriors, and regret that their duty to protect 

 the princess had brought it all about. We are told that the 

 princess lived under the protection of Finn and his men for 

 a year after this sad event. 



This tale naturally suggests the question. Where in Ard- 

 namurchan did the father of Daire Borb live, and is there 

 any trace of a royal residence that may belong to such an 

 early period in history ? The answer must be at present 

 entirely conjectural, but the only likely place I know of in 

 Ardnamurchan is the vitrified fortification situated upon 

 " Torr famhair," which may be translated " The Giant's 

 Mound or Hill." This fortification belongs to a very early 

 time, and approximately to the period in which, in all 

 probability, the Feinne lived, and built their megalithic 

 burial - mounds over their renowned dead. It is situated 

 upon an isolated hill with a sharp ridge upon its summit. 



