and other topographical names, without any reference to the LECT. XXII. immediate presence or absence of stone in any particular district of their extensive territory. I have made out a list from the census of 1851 of all the townland names in Ireland, as taken from the Ordnance Survey, into the names of which the word Cathair enters, and, as the list is not long, I shall, without going into the local distribution of the names, give a summary of it here.

names

from

In the whole province of Ulster there is not one townland Townland taking its name from a Cathair. In Leinster there are but two- derived one in the county of Longford, and one in the Queen's County. Cathairs. In Munster there are 151, distributed as follows among the counties: Clare, 58; Cork, 32; Kerry, 35; Limerick, 17; Tipperary, 5; and Waterford, 4. In Connacht there are 91, distributed as follows: Galway, 67; Mayo, 22, of which there are 15 in the inland barony of Castlemaine; and in Roscommon there are 2; thus showing, among the many thousands of townlands in Ireland, that there are but 244 which take their names from Cathairs; whilst the number of names compounded of Dún, Lis, and Rath, is very great, but particularly the latter, which is more than three times the number of all the others. Nor can · this paucity of Cathairs, to be found at the present day in our topography, be ascribed, to any extent, to modern changes; since we find that they held exactly the same places and proportions in the inquisitions of Leinster and Ulster, taken in the reigns of Elizabeth, James the First, Charles the First, and Charles the Second, and published-so far as these two provinces about thirty years ago, under the direction of the Irish Record Commission.

It is also worth noticing that while the county of Galway preserves the names of sixty-seven Cathairs, of these only six are found in the eastern or Shannon-board baronies of the county, while in the neighbouring baronies of Athlone and Moycarne, in the county of Roscommon, there are none to be found. And yet we know that the eastern parts of Galway and Roscommon were the places longest and last held by the Firbolgs in Erinn.

that the

race than

colonists.

From all that I have said, then, it may be collected concern. No evidence ing the primitive colonists of Erinn, as we find them set down Milesians in our chronicles, as well as in our oral traditions, and-what is were a ruder even more important-in our topographical names, that nothing the previous now remains to show, with any certainty, that the periods of occupation of the various races were marked by any distinct characteristics of civilization or social refinement. And surely it is not to be supposed that the Milesians, who came in the last,

LECT. XXII. even if they were, as pretended-a ruder race-would continue to adhere to their own less refined habits and tastes, after they had become masters of the country, and that in presence of the superior civilization of their now fallen predecessors, who still remained in peace under their rule, and lived in important numbers around them.

LECTURE XXIII.

[Delivered July 5th, 1860.]

(VIII.)-OF DRESS AND ORNAMENTS. Early sumptuary law regulating the colours of dress, attributed to the monarchs Tighernmas and Eochaidh Edgudach. Native gold first smelted by Iuchadan, and golden ornaments made in Ireland in the reign of Tighernmas. The uses of colours to distinguish the several classes of society, also attributed to the same Eochaidh; the nature of those colours not specified. Household utensils, ornaments and variously coloured dresses of Ailill and Medhbh mentioned in the tale of the Táin Bo Chuailgne; the material or fashion of the dress not specified. Medhbh's preparation for the war of the first Táin; description of the parties summoned. Description of the Ultonian clanns at the hill of Slemain, forming the army in pursuit of Ailill and Medhbh, by the herald of the latter, Mac Roth, from the tale of the Táin Bo Chuailgne; his description of Conchobar Mac Nessa; of Causcraid Mend; of Sencha; of Eogan Mac Durthachta; of Loaegaire Buadach; of Munremur; of Connud; of Reochaid; of Amargin: of Feradach Find Fechtnach; of Fiachaig and Fiachna; of Celchair Mac Uthair and his clann; of Eirrge Echbel; of Mend, son of Salcholgan; of Fergna; of Erce, son of Carpri Nia Fer and his clann; of Cuchulaind's clann. Note: Cuchulaind is removed to Muirtheimne after his fight with Ferdiadh, to get the benefit of the healing properties of its stream or river; enumeration of them; while there, Cethern, who had gone to his assistance, arrives covered with wounds, and is visited by physicians from the enemy's camp, whom he drives away; Cuchulaind then sends for Fingin Fathliagh, who examines each of his wounds, and Cethern describes the persons who gave them-his description of Illand, son of Fergus; of queen Medhbh; of Oll and Othine; of Bun and Mecconn; of Broen and Brudni, sons of Teora Soillsi, king of Caille; of Cormac [Mac] Colomarig and Cormac the son of Maelefoga; of Mane Mathremail, and Mane Athremail, sons of Ailill and Medhbh; of the champions from Iruade [Norway]; of Ailill and his son Mane; of the marrow bath by which Cethern was healed, whence the name of Smirammair, now Smarmore, in the county Louth. Medhbh enumerates her dowry to Ailill; gifts promised by her to Long Mac Emonis; gifts promised by her to Ferdiadh; one of those gifts, her celebrated brooch, weighed more than four pounds. Story of Mac Conglinde; his extravagant dream; his description of a curious dress of a doorkeeper; analysis of the dress-the Cochall, the Ionar, the Ochrath; analysis of Mac Conglinde's own dress; his Leinidh. Distinction between the Léine and the Leinidh-the latter was a kilt. Description of the dress of the champion Edchu Rond in the tale of the Exile of the Sons of Duildermait; he wore a kilt. Ancient law regulating the wearing of the Leinidh or kilt, and the Ochrath or pantaloon.

In the last four lectures I applied myself to the subject of the dwellings of the people of ancient Erinn, the forms in which their houses and their strong places were built, the materials used, and the manner of building adopted in those early ages. I proceed now to give some account of the personal dress and ornaments, and of the laws connected with dress, its materials and manufacture, as we find them described in our ancient

XXIII. writings, as well as the various sumptuary laws by which particular robes and ornaments were regulated in very early times.

law regu

lating the colours of

dress.

ing of gold;

of golden

One of the earliest entries in our ancient books connected with my present subject, and referring to a period usually considered so remote as fifteen hundred years before the Christian era, is a Sumptuary notice of a sumptuary law regulating the colours to be worn in dress. Such a law implies necessarily a considerable advance in the arts connected with weaving and dyeing. The introduction of diversity of colours in dress is attributed to the monarch Tighernmas, who is said to have reigned at the remote period just mentioned. To the monarch Eochaidh Edgudach or "Eochaidh, the cloth designer", is attributed the extension and complete establishment of this early sumptuary law. The Book of Leinster, which is the oldest authority that I am acquainted with on this subject, thus speaks of it: " Tighernmas, the son of Ollaig, then assumed the sovereignty, and he broke three times nine battles before the end of a year upon the descendants of Eber. It was by him that drinking horns (or First smelt: cups) were first introduced into Erinn. It was by him that gold was first smelted [the word used means literally boiled] in Erinn, and that colours were first put into cloths (namelyand making brown, red, and crimson), and ornamental borders. It was by ornaments. him that ornaments and brooches of gold and silver were first made. luchadan was the name of the artificer who smelted the gold in the forests on the east side of the river Liffey. And Tighernmas was seventy-seven years in the sovereignty, and he nearly extirpated the descendants of Eber during that time. And he died in Magh Slecht, in the great meeting of Magh Slecht, and three-fourths of the men of Erinn died along with him, whilst adoring Crum Cruach, the king-idol of Erinn; and there survived accordingly but one-fourth of the men of Erinn. . . . The one-fourth who survived of the men of Erinn gave the sovereignty to Ecchaidh Edgudach, the son of Dairé Domthig, of the seed of Lugaidh, the son of Ith" (38) It (38) [original:-Gabas tiġernmas Lxxuii. ṁbliadain irrigain herenn, mac olliaig rige iar clanna conn acas is bec nar odilzend claind [?. •] tai acas Brisis trino, eber as in re sin. Conerbailt im cata re cind bliadna for claind_Maig Sleċt immórdáil maig Sleċt eber. 1s leis tuca cuirn atuis acas teora cethramthana ‍fer 11in heren. is Les ro berbad or erenn malle ris, ic adrad ¿roim ar tus in herinn, acas (tucad*] ¿roić, rig idaill herenn. Conaterna data for etaige acas cortara [.1. amlaitisin aċt cenċetramtha fer ruamna dearga, acas corera] is nherenn Do rat in cethLeis denad Cumtaige acas brett- ramthu therna dferaib (erenn) rinasa óir, acas argit in herenn. 1uca- ge do Eochaidh Edgudać mac Daire dan ainm na cerda ro berbad inór Domthig, do sil Lugdaċ_mac ita”. hifotraib qas [?] Life. acas bai. H. 2. 18. f. 8. b. col. 2. mid.]

* Word effaced, but was probably that in brackets.

XXIII.

colours in

was by this Eochaidh, we are told by Keating, on the authority of a similar ancient record in existence in his time, but now lost, that cloth was first coloured crimson, blue, and green, in Erinn. It was by him that various colours were introduced Variety of into the wearing clothes of Erinn, namely, one colour in the dress first clothes of servants; two colours in the clothes of rent-paying used to dis farmers; three colours in the clothes of officers; five colours in classes; the clothes of chiefs; six colours in the clothes of ollamhs and poets; seven colours in the clothes of kings and queens. It is from this that (says the old book) the custom has grown this day, that all these colours are in the clothes of a bishop.

tinguish

of these

Although the number of colours, which are here mentioned as having distinguished each of the seven classes into which the people of Erinn at so early a period had been divided by the Milesian colonists, are given, yet we have no description. specifying what these colours were exactly, which were then exact nature employed in dress, excepting brown, red, and crimson, which colours not Tighernmas is stated to have previously established. It could specified. scarcely be expected, indeed, that such a description would survive to our times in any other way than by accidental references in the course of history to the costume or wardrobes of particular individuals. And although we may not find any personal description identical with that of the higher classes in the above list, it happens that we have a very ancient reference to, and even an enumeration of, the various colours which were used in the select wardrobe of royalty, at a period which, though far within that of Tighernmas, is yet remote enough from us indeed. I allude here to the account of the display of their valuables of all kinds, made by the celebrated Medbh, queen of Connacht, and her consort, Ailill, as described in the opening of the ancient tale of the Táin Bo Chuailgne, so often quoted from in the course of these lectures.

utensils,

Ailill and

Ailill and Medbh, it may be remembered, flourished in the Household century immediately preceding the Christian era. The reader ornaments, will, doubtless, remember the account of their conversation in and dress of the palace of Cruachan, said to have been the remote origin of Medhbh; the celebrated war of the Táin Bo Chuailgne. They had been boasting of their respective possessions, and comparing their wealth together, when, at last to settle their dispute, they proceeded to make a complete examination of their furniture and trinkets. They had brought unto them, says the tale, the most brilliant of their jewels and valuables, that they might know which of them had the most of jewels and wealth. There were brought before them also, it continues, their vessels of carved yew, and their two-handled keeves, and their iron vessels; their