Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 3, 1892.djvu/503

 The Bodleian Dinnshenchas. 495

Luchta. He went on the track of the swine of Drebrenn, when they issued from Si'd Collamrach, till he found them in the oak- wood of Tarbga. The swine fled (?) before them, both hounds and men, along the Plain of Ai — for that, Ai, was the name of Enna Aignech's hound. As they reached the lough, Ni'all was drowned therein with his dogs and his robbers. Hence " Loch Neill".

Niall, with hundreds of chiefs, was drowned

On the track of thy swine, O Drebrenn !

He was a prime traitor, a strong tower.

The leader of the brigands of Ireland.

Also in LL. 167 a 2 ; BB. 387 b 42 ; H. 46 b ; Lee. 490 b ; and R. 114 a i.

A Loch Neill in Magh Aoi is mentioned by the Fo7ir Masters, at A.D. 1014 ; but it has not apparently been identified.

Enna Aignech was (according to the Fo7ir Masters) over-king of Ireland, A.M. 4888-4907.

"The swine of Drebrenn", issuing from the elf-mound of Collamair, must have been magical porkers of some kind.

[30. Mag Luirg.] — Mag Luirg, can[as] xohainmniged ? Ni ansa. Na tri Ruadcoin Mairtene is as rogabsat lorg Con- aill [Cernaig] mate Aimirgen, a Muig Luirg co Mag Slecht i mBrefne. O ronn-ortsat rucsat a cenn leo fo dess co crich Corco Laigi, condas-fil a mBrefni nitnc.

Marbsat na Rua[d]coin i recc Coftall Cernnach na cruadhgleacc : lensat o Maig Luirg ille CO m-Mag Slecht na sidgaile.

Thence the three Red-hounds of Mairtene followed the track (/org) of Conall Cernach, son of Aimergen, from Mag Luirg to Mag Slecht, in Brefne. When they slew him they took his head southwards to the district of Corco Laigdi.

The Red-hounds slew in exchange

Conall Cernach of the hard conflicts.

They followed (him) from Mag Luirg hither

To Mag Slecht of the great valour.

Also in LL. i66b 41 ; BB. 387b 8 ; H, 46a ; Lee. 490a; and R. 113b 2.

Ma^ Lmrg, now Moylurg, in the present barony of Boyle, co. Roscommon.

Brefne comprised the present counties of Leitrim and Cavan.

Mag Slecht, a plain lying round Bally magauran, co. Cavan.

Mairtine, perhaps =' the Mairtine of Munster, a Firbolgic tribe, the centre of whose territory was Emly, in the present co. of Tipperary. Topogr. Poems, p. Lxi.x. The three ^zA-hounds {sic LL. 211 b 3) are — the three ^(tA-heads (Ruadchind) of LL. 166 b 41.

Corco Laigde, the south-west part of the co. Cork.

The Bodleian text of the quatrain is much better than that of LL. On the other hand, BB., H., etc., are more explicit. It seems that when Conall Cernach was staying at Cruachu, he, at Queen Maive's instigation, murdered her husband Ailill. Then Conall fled, pursued by the warriors of Connaught. When he was slain by the three Red-heads, they took his head to Corca Laigde, in vengeance for the local dynast, Ciiroi Mac Dairi. who had been killed by Cuchulaiiin, Conall Cernach's comrade, and the lover of Cur6i's wife.