453 



Meath and the province of Leinster. In the Book of Leacan, f. 273, 

 b. a., it gives Ruipeach .1. Qbant) lipi, the Ruireach, i. e. the River 

 Lift. This also is one of the rivers found by Partholan in Ireland. 

 The name "Ruipeac is formed from puipe, a chief, prince, king, or 

 monarch ; and hence the name signifies the chief or noble river — that 

 is, one of the chief rivers of Ireland. As to the name Lipe there is 

 not a word in O'Reilly's Dictionary beginning with the syllable 

 lip, and we must therefore form the opinion that the meaning of 

 the name is lost, unless we may suppose that puipeac is an explana 

 tion of it, i. e. a gloss upon the very old name. 



[Liefey]. — 1 am just now told by a great philologist that this 

 word should be written luipi or luibi, i. e. herbage, which would be 

 very applicable to the rich meadow lands along the River Liffey. 

 Perhaps the medical herbalists gathered their herbs on its banks, and 

 called it the Herb River. 



M. 



Maine [TTIan^]. — The River Maine, in Irish IT) an 5, Gen. TTIain^e, 

 flows through the barony of Troughanacmy, county of Kerry, and 

 passes through the bridge of Castlemaine. The word means deceit, 

 and the name may signify the treacherous river, on account of its 

 sudden floods. 



Moubne [TDobopn]. — The Mourne River unites with the Finn, 

 and both flow into the Foyle River. In O'Clery's copy of the 

 Book of Conquests the Irish name is TTlot>hopn a Cip 605am, the 

 Modhorn in Tyrone. In Lecan it is written TTlonoopn, and in the 

 Annals TTlooaipn; and this was the ancient name of the River 

 Foyle, flowing between the present counties of Tyrone and Donegal. 

 In the Book of Conquests it is given as one of the Partholanian rivers. 

 I often heard the word mooapca used, as applied to the muddy water 

 of a river in the time of floods, which appellation probably was applica- 

 ble to the ancient river in Cip 605am, now Tyrone. 



Mot [TDuai6]. — The River Moy is one of those found in Ireland 

 by Parthalon on his arrival. It rises at the foot of Knocknashea in 

 the barony of Leney, county of Sligo, and for a long distance divides 

 the counties of Mayo and Sligo, and falls into the Bay of Killala. In 

 Irish the name is written muai&, i.e., sound; and from the large 

 number of small cataracts on it, the name signifies the loud- sounding 

 river. 



N. 



Nanny "Water [Gin 50]. — The Nanny Water flows between the 

 baronies of Upper and Lower Duleek, in the county of Meath. The 

 Irish name is Qm^e, or an Qmge, the Ainge, which has been angli- 

 cized Nanny, on the same plan with that of Newry — that is, by making 

 the n of the Article an the primary letter of the name Nanny. The 

 Irish name signifies the Treacherous River, probably on account of its 

 sudden floods. , 



