AN GAODHAL.
137
NAMES OF IRELAND. [concluded]
8th. name of this country was Muicinis, from
muc, pig, inis, island, so called because the De Dan-
aans, or gods of verses, as is related, agreed with
the Milesians, that if they put to sea again and lan-
ded in spite of them they should yield to them, and
the latter, having retired from the palace of Teamair
where the sons of Cearmada (Carmody) kept their
court, went to their ships in Kerry, put to sea,
whereupon the island assumed, through the aid of
the necromantic art the appearance of a hog’s back.
In the effort to struggle against the storm, raised
by diablerie, and to reach the land again, all the
sons of Mileus, except Heber Fionn, Haremon, and
Amergin were drowned.
The whole island was divided between Heremon,
Heber Fionn, and Heber or Emhir, the son of Ir-
Heremon had Leinster and Connaught, Heber Fionn
had Munster, and Heber had Ulster, but in after
times many of Ir’s posterity migrated to Kerry
and Mayo.
9th. The Milesians gave this island the appela-
tion of Scota, who was killed in battle, and buried
in Glean Scoithion, or the Vale of Scota, on the
north side of Sliab Mis (fog mountain), but Scota
herself was so called after Scythia. We understand
that human bones were lately discovered in this
place.
10th. Another name of Ireland is Hibernia, the
Latin of Haber inis, or island of Heber. This as-
sertion is disputed as Heber never ruled paramount,
whereas Heremon did. The name is defined in our
essay on Round Towers. It might have derived
this name from nbhear inis, because of its beauti¬
ful estuaries or rivers — Inbhear, a river's mouth,
and inis, an island.
As to the names Juernia, Iuernia, and Verna, they
are only corruptions of Hibernia
11th. The term "Ireland” is thus accounted for
by some writers — Fonn Ir — fonn, land, of Ir, as Ir
was the first of the Milesians buried in it when his
vessel was wrecked off the coast of Kerry. — (See
“Book of Armagh” wherein the island is called
“the grave of Ir.”) “iar lan, iar west, lan, earth,
or land ; d is often added to Celtic words for eu-
phony: Hence Ireland or Ir land (being poetic)"
land of Ir as he was the first Milesian buried in it,
or the Greek Ir, sacred, lan, land. The last we
adopt as the true interpretation.
12th. It got the name “Ogygia” from Plutarch.
It is a Greek word, and means Old land, or Ocean
land. Either signification is appropriate, as our
island was peopled, comparatively speaking, soon
after the flood, and most accurate accounts of it,
from the earliest periods, have been preserved by
antiquarians, chiefly in poetry, to prevent tamper¬
ing with facts, it being nearly impossible to intro-
duce or substitute other facts than those first re-
corded. Interpolation can easily be eflected in
prose, not in poetry. Again “Ocean land” is pecu-
liarly suited to this is and, it being at the end of
the world, in the ocean. Another derivation of
Ogygia is Oco, or Ogham, the primitive system of
writing practised by the Druids. There is a dif-
ference of opinion about the derivation of Ogham.
Some say that it was borrowed from Oghma, or
Ochma (Latin Ogmius). Now one of the gates of
the city of Thebes in Achaia, was called “Oca” or
“Oga” by Cadmus (who in our opinion was Gadel-
as) in honor of Oca, or Oga, the Pelasgic name of
Athenæ, Minerya. Hence as she was the goddess
of wisdom it is reasonable to think that the invent-
or of the Ogham system was called after her. Hence
Ogham, or Ocham, and also Ogygia. The word
might be from "O" music “cum" form."
O'BRENNAN.
NOTES AND EVENTS.
Of The Celtic Tongue Resurgent
From the conquest of Ireland (B.C. 1700) by the
sons of Gollamh, or Milesius, to its conversion by
St. Patrick, (A.D. 432) one hundred and eighteen
monarchs are numerated, who held undisputed
sway independent of petty kings or chieftains, one
was a woman.
4th. verse — Inbhear colpe, — the mouth of the
Boyne, Inis ealga, an ancient name of Ireland.
There is a tradition that a prince of Tyre came to
Ireland and married an Irish princess.
5th. verse Datti — The last pagan monarch of
Ireland, went with his army to the foot of the Alps,
and was killed by lightning, brought back, and
buried at old Cruachan the palace of the King of
Connaught.
6th. verse — King Muinemon who died of the
plague (B.C. 1328) first caused the nobility to wear
chains of gold on their necks and rings of the
same metal on their fingers. Airgeadh, (B.C. 1383)
in whose reign silver shields were first made at
Airger Ross. or the silver wood, on the banks of
the river Nore. They were given to heroes and
nobles, but the greatest step in social progress at
that remote period was the institution of the Feis
Teamhrach, or triennial assembly of Tara Ollam
Fola, the beginning of whose reign is fixed by the
Four Masters at the year of the world 3883, cor-
responding with the year B.C. 1317. All the
Chieftains, military leaders, bards, historians, &c.
were required and regularly summoned to this
meeting. After a very useful reign of forty years
he died at u -Ollamhan.
Cimbeath — Reigned, B.C. 716 there were three
princes who claimed the crown, Aodh Ruadh,
Diothorba, and Cimbaeth, sons of three brothers,
the dispute was adjusted by each agreeing to
reign in turn for seven years, Aodh Ruadh was
drowned at Assoroe on the river Erne, and le
