11 



("Nat. Hist.," p. 37, Ed. 1726). Mr. O'Managan, in his interesting 

 book on the Blackwater, quotes a charter of James L, in which it is 

 described as "the River Blackwater, called otherwise Broadwater." 

 Both Grough and Gibson, the translators of Camden, call it Broadwater ; 

 and Mr. Hennessy has directed my attention to the fact that in ISTorden's 

 Map of Ireland, compiled about the year 1610, which is published 

 with the State Papers of Henry VIII., it is marked "Broadwater." 

 I might quote many other authorities on this point, but I do not think 

 it necessary. Nothing can be plainer than Spenser's text on this river 

 Alio, telling us in one place that it rises in Slievelougher, and in ano- 

 ther place that it is the Broadwater he means. 



In support of all that has been advanced, I have now to quote the 

 opinion of the most accomplished of all Irish topographers, the late Dr. 

 O'Donovan, from which it will appear that the Blackwater was at one 

 time, either wholly or in part, called the Alio, and that consequently 

 the application of this name was not the invention of Spenser's imagi- 

 nation. The ancient territory of Duhallow and the town of Mallow 

 both lie on the Blackwater, and both derive their names from a river 

 Ealla or Alio. The original name of the former, as written in Irish 

 documents, is Duthaidh-Ealla, i. e. the district of the river Alio ; and 

 the Irish name of Mallow is Magh-Ealla, the field or plain of the Alio. 

 Duhallow might have taken name from the modern Alio, as this river 

 flows through it, but how does Mallow get its name, for it is eleven 

 miles east of the Alio ? This difficulty was so apparent to O'Donovan, 

 that in a note on Magh-Ealla in the "Eour Masters" (vol. vi., p. 2080) 

 he states his conviction that the part of the Blackwater between Kan- 

 turk and Mallow was anciently called the Alio. His words are : — 

 " Erom this name [Magh-Ealla] it is evident that the name Ealla was 

 anciently applied to that part of the Blackwater lying between Kanturk 

 where the modern River Alio ends, and the town of Magh-Ealla, now 

 Anglice Mallow." 



It does not appear that O'Donovan was acquainted with these pas- 

 sages of Spenser; if he were, he would no doubt have quoted them in 

 support of his opinion. His evidence is independent, and his corrobo- 

 ration of Spenser quite unintentional ; and this circumstance gives his 

 opinion tenfold force as an argument. It must be regarded as exceed- 

 ingly interesting to find this opinion of O'Donovan's so unexpectedly 

 confirmed by Spenser. 



Smith, in his " History of Cork," so far as I know, was one of the 

 first to discuss these rivers of Spenser, and he identifies the " strong 

 Alio" with the modern river Alio, and the Anniduff with the Munster 

 Blackwater. He is followed by Orofton Croker ("Researches in the South 

 of Ireland," p. 124). In Todd's elaborate edition of Spenser these as- 

 sertions are repeated, but Todd received his information from Joseph 

 Cooper Walker (Author of "The History of the Irish Bards" ), who merely 

 follows Smith, without adding anything of his own. I believe, indeed, 

 that modern writers generally have followed the authority of Smith 

 regarding these rivers. But Smith was evidently puzzled, and unable 



