King Tighearnmas

Tighearnmas, the next king of note, reigned forty, some authors say fifty, years and won twenty-seven battles over the descendants of Eibhear. Nine lakes burst over land in his time. He was the first who found a gold mine in Ireland. At Fotharta, east of Lithfe, he had the gold smelted. Uchadan was the artificer who refined for him. In his time it was that clothes were first dyed purple, blue and green in Ireland, and embroidery, fringes and filigree put on mantles. He is credited with having introduced the custom of wearing cne colour in the slave’s dress, two in the peasant’s, three in the soldier’s or young lord’s, four in the brughaidh’s, five in the district chief’s and six in that of an ollamh, a king or a queen. He it was, too, who instituted the worship of the idol, Crom Cruach, and it was in adoration before it he died at Magh Sleacht with three-fourths of the men of Ireland.