352 



Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. 



These letters are, as a rule, good and careful, especially the letters of 

 J. 0' Donovan, P. O'Keefe, and A. Curry ; hut the ahbeys are 

 nndescrihed, or poorly described, so I have striven to visit and examine 

 all tlieir sites, though the condensed descriptions give little scope for 

 usage in these notes. I owe some explanation for my treatment of 

 some of the older authorities.^ To reject the dicta of (for example) 

 O'Donovan or Reeves calls for defence. The first of these great 

 scholars does not, however, seem to have even slightly examined 

 the Black Book, the Surveys, and State Eecords and Taxations, 

 indispensable for correct identification and judgment as to the true 

 names. !N"o one, for example, could have given Tllag J^^^^^^j 

 mebonac, for Mahoonagh, who had seen any of the countless records 

 of Mo Tawnagh and Tawnagh or identified Dysert Oenghus, near 

 Croom, with Dysert Murdebra, near Askeaton. Dr. O'Donovan seems, 

 in fact, to have had little respect for Latin and other non-Irish records ; 

 at least, he used them very little. In the case of Dr. Beeves, his 

 wonderful knowledge of the records was occasionally warped by want 

 of mere local knowledge, or of records authoritative for single names, 

 as in the cases of Crecora and Cloncoragh.^ Not a few other writers 

 have treated the subject of identifications and name-meanings with so 

 little study or judgment that I feel no hesitation in rejecting their 

 conclusions.^ It is for such reasons, and not for novelty, or from 

 underestimating our predecessors, that I note the occasions where I 

 have arrived at a different conclusion from theirs. 



^ The authorities before O'Donovan are very unreliable; such identifications, 

 for example, as Clarina for Cluan Credhail abound. 



2 Some difficulty seems to attach to the later name of Mahoonagh. It is rendered 

 Medhonach in U.S.A. I., xi. (1870), p. 629. 



^ Eaglas Montin Church (Temple Athea), though given as in Ardagh deanery, 

 is identified with Mahoonagh (in Ballingarry deanery) by Dr. Beeves. Moycro, 

 apparently near Rathurd, in the deanery of Limerick, is equated with Croagh, 

 jn the deanery of Ballingarry ; Killacollam with Ballyculhane, and Say 

 with Dunkepchy, instead of with Cullam and Caherass ; and Dr. Eeeves 

 at first appears to have identiBed Cluencomarba, near Kilmallock, with Crecora, 

 near Limerick, but I believe in later notes identified it rightly with Cloncoraha, or 

 Colmanswell : see MSS., T.C.D., 1063, p. 115. Rathronan is also identified with 

 Temple AUea, ibid., p. 103. 



^ For example, in such derivations as "Ford of the hundred fires (of Baal) " 

 lor Askeaton ; St. Athanasius " for Atheneasy (Ath-na-Deisi), the ford of the 

 Deisi ; " the church of the rough ford " (ScarifiP) for KilnegarrufF, the church of 

 Maccon the rough ; "the Church of the devout daughter " for that of Inghean Baoith, 

 daughter of Boetius ; Ardfeit = place of the miracles of Ert ; Owney Abbey, i.e., 

 St. Anthony's Abbey. 



