PAGAN ANTIQUITIES. 
But even though it were allowed that the word Grianan was sometimes applied to a temple of 
the sun the Irish authorities will abundantly prove that this—the Grianan of Aileach—was 
not of that description In all the Irish histones the palace of the northern Irish kings is de- 
signated by the name Aileach simple, or accompanied with the epithets Grianan, Aileach-neid 
Aileach Frigreann, and its situation is stated to have been on a lofty hill in the immediate 
vicinity of Derry. This name of Aileach is still preserved in two adjacent townlands called 
Elagh-more and Elagh-beg or the great and little Elagh, and in the former there is a ruined 
castle called Aileach, built by the O Doghertys, and which has been supposed by antiquaries 
to be the remains, or at least erected on the site of the ancient palace. But the architectural 
character of the ruins of this castle leave no doubt of its comparatively modern age, and its 
situation will notadmit of the assumption that it occupies the site of the Grianan of Aileach : 
m the immediate vicinity of these townlands there is an ancient fortress, the identity of 
which with that of the kings is proved no less by its concordant architecture and loftiness of 
situation like Tara and other distinguished Irish palaces—than by its still retaining the very 
name, with its peculiarly characteristic epithet Grianan prefixed, which is applied to it by the 
lush annalists in their final notice of its destruction, a name which no other ancient Irish mo¬ 
nument is found to retain, 
All doubt of the identity of Grianan fort and the ancient palace is, however, removed by a 
description of the royal fortress, preserved m the Dinnseanchus, an Irish topographical work of 
very high antiquity, if not, as Dr. 0 Conor states, the earliest treatise of the kind which any 
country now possesses. y 
Thls wor k treats of the origin of the names of the most historically distinguished places in 
STSn'SSl'T’ Mountains, rivers, lakes, &c.; and though, like the legends of the saints, 
it is almost wholly of a fabulous character, its evidences in regard to historic and geographic 
the L a n 6 Triv* " a reS P®, Ct „ 1 he lives of the saints have been received as authority by 
s?ble ITnt t U t r ° P n e, t n r !f htly ’ as Pinkerton justly observes, “ for there could be no pos 
tw 3 f T t0 fiCtl °rt m . iAese , artlcle * s hut, on the contrary, every inducement to preserve 
the ^ d f ! UreS ® xactl y> 111 order to colour their ridiculous tales.” So in the Dinnseanchus, 
dhmr! 1 . mentl0ned . : ‘ nus t have had a real, and the persons connected with them at least a tra¬ 
ditional existence, or its legends could have had no interest at the period of their compilation 
the nrLin op'the prefator y remarks the following poem from that ancient work, explaining 
the origin of the various names of Aileach, is given in a literal and unabridged form, in prefer” 
ence to any selection merely of its valuable parts ; as it is only by placing the whole before the 
leader, that its worth as a historical record can be truly estimated, or that suspicion of unfairness 
most sure to ci° h mutllatlon ° r suppression of any portion of an ancient document is al¬ 
most sure to create The parts worthy of attention, either as illustrating the monument under 
onsideration, or illustrating ancient manners and customs, are however printed in italics. 
Oileach Ppiopeano paichi na pig pi^ou in Domain 
Oun a poicip poic po jpeaoaib cpe choic claoaib 
Cnoc ap ap chooail in oagoa oeapj a pcora. 
lpoa a chigi ceapc a chpecha cepc a clocha 
Caiplen up-apo ailech Ppi^peno paich in oeixpip 
Oun ina pcaileech ap pcolaib aeilcech emip 
lnao aibino Oilech n^abpan ^Lap a chpaeba 
Poo ca puaip* in Qa^oa ouana aoba aeoa. 
lno ip lmoaib oinopenchup ana O 1 I 15 . 
Do lepechao learh in Domain cecli oia chijib 
Oileach Fridreann, seat of the kings royal of the world • 
throu !)h which rein roads under heroes, through five ramparts ; 
Hill, on which slept the Dagda ; red its flowers. 
Many its houses, just its plunders, scarce its stones. 
ofty Caislen, is Ailech Frigrenn,/or^ of the good man, 
f, ?■’ the shelter of heroes, noble lime house • 
delightful place is oilech gabban, green its bushes, 
y f ’ m here placed the Dagda, the resting mound of Aedh. 
in it many are the accounts of the wealth of Oilech, 
M house of its houses would improve half the world 
* puaip is an ancient form of cuip, lie placed. 
Cailleach, in O’Brien’s Dictionary. 
See quotation from the Life of St. Bridget, under the word 
