Other Irish Legends
Above : Picture Of Queen Maeve
About three centuries before the Christian Era the light of reliable history begins to dawn, and we meet with the legends of two important events, which seem to be based upon actual facts. The first of these is the foundation of the famous palace of (Jau’iaih THaCa (Eamhain Macha) or Emania, which for six hundred years afterwards was the seat of the powerful kings of the line of Ir in the North. Its foundation is attributed to Queen Macha, whose right to succeed to her father’s throne of Ulaidh was disputed by two rivals. Having defeated and slain one, she married the other— Cimbaeth—and compelled the sons of the slain rival to build the palace, the remains of which are now known as the ” Navan ” Fort near the city of Armagh.
The foundation of Emania is regarded by Tigherneach, a celebrated and critical historian, who was abbot of Clonmacnoise in the eleventh century, as marking the commencement of authentic Irish history.
The second legend is that connected with Ugaine Mor and his family. This powerful king of the line of Heremon reigned in the south-east of Ireland soon after the time of Macha. He divided the country among his twenty-five children, but of this numerous family only two figure in legend. These were Laoghaire (Layra) and Cobhthaigh (Coffey). Coffey had usurped the throne and banished Layra’s grandson Labhraidhe (Lowry) called ” tomgf e^c,” or ” The Mariner.” Lowry fled to Gaul, where he gathered a band of mercenaries with whom he landed on the coast, marched up the river Barrow to Dinn Riogh {Dinn Ree), the royal residence, where he slew the usurper and his principal followers. From the lances or tAigtie (pronounced Lyna), which the foreign auxiliaries of Lowry Loingseach carried, the name of Laighin (Lyne) or ” Leinster,” is said to be derived. All of the so-called ” Heremonian ” families trace their descent through Ugaine M6r—those of Laighin from the successful Lowry, and the others from the defeated Coffey.
The division of Ireland into twenty-five parts made by Ugaine lasted for nearly three centuries, when it is said to have been ended by Eochy Feylagh, the father of Queen Maeve.
The foregoing traditions of early Ireland, beginning in pure mythology, obscured by wild legends, and only towards the end revealing an occasional glimpse of actual facts which are consistent with later circumstances, are obviously not history. Modern scholars have endeavoured to ascertain the truths that underlie them, and have formulated reasonable theories of the origin of the early inhabitants of Ireland. According to these the last colonisation was much more recent than is stated in our traditions, and consisted of different bands slowly pushing through the country, and establishing themselves as a dominant class over the earlier inhabitants, who, however, still remained in distinct tribes, and formed the majority of the population. These late arrivals, big, blond, fair-haired men as they are always described, were Celtic speakers, but probably Teutonic in race, who came to Ireland through Britain. In the densely wooded and thinly populated country many small bodies might be long settled in any part before arousing hostility, and even then it would be only that of their nearest neighbours.
It may be safely said that Irish history is reliable as to genealogies and the broad features of the principal events from the Christian Era, and that it is fairly reliable, from a more remote period, as a guide to such outstanding events as the foundation of Emania and the taking of Dinn Riogh.
