LETTERS TO A FRIEND.

VI.

HEREMON'S reign began A.M. 2738, and in 2752 his death closed it. He left three sons, Muimhne, Luighne, and Laighre, who reigned conjointly and peaceably for three years, at the expiration of which period the elder brother died, and their cousins, the sons of Heber Fionn, The Fair, (as he was surnamed), rebelled against the survivors, both of whom were slain in battle. There remained still a younger son of Heremon: Iriel, whose history is famous in these early annals. He was revenged of the death of his brothers by that of his four cousins who fell in battle. After four successful battles, Iriel was suffered to reign unmolested for a time; and during that time he did much for the advancement of tillage and other improvements in Ireland. He cleared a great part of the country of woods, and built seven royal palaces. He had much wisdom and learning, and wrote a history of the Gadelians. By some it is said that he reigned ten years; others say twenty. From a habit of foretelling events, he was called Iriel the Prophet. He was succeeded by his son Eithriel, who began to reign in 2766, and for twenty years was monarch of Ireland. He was also distinguished for learning, and probably finished that which his father had begun, for we hear of a history and travels of the Gede

lians, written by his own hand. He was also remarkable for his valour and military accomplishments. In his time great part of Connaught and Leinster were cleared of wood. But his good reign and his life were terminated in a battle fought against him by Conmaol, the grandson of Heber Fionn, who gained the victory and obtained the crown in the year 2786; he being the first who reigned in Ireland an absolute monarch of the Heberian race. He spent a life of warfare with the family of Heremon, and came off conqueror in 25 pitched battles.

I shall not follow Keating in his long list of kings, many of whose names are merely mentioned, however they might interest some who love to trace their genealogies-they could not profit the young people for whom chiefly I write. For the same reason I shall pass over many bloody battles and inhuman barbarities which are every where recorded of unchristianized times.

2816. Tighermas reigned; he was of the posterity of Heremon; the grandson of the learned Eithriel. He fought many victorious battles with the Heberians. In his reign the first golden1 mine was disco

1 'If we may judge from the number of ancient mine excavations which are still visible in almost every part of Ireland, it would appear that an ardent spirit for mining adventure must have pervaded this country at some very remate period. In many cases, no tradition, that can be depended upon, now remains of the time or people by whom the greater part of these works were originally commenced. It is worthy of remark, that many of our mining excavations exhibit appearances similar to the surface workings of the most ancient mines in Cornwall, which are generally attributed to the Phoenicians.'

This account is given by an experienced engineer, Richard Griffith, Esq., in his Report to the Royal Dublin Society, on the Metallic Mines in Leinster,' in 1828.

Of the Ballycastle coal works, on the coast of Antrim, the Rev. W. Hamilton gives the following account:

"The antiquity of this work is pretty evident from hence, that there

vered in this country, near the river Liffey, by a man whose name was Juchadhan or Uchan; being expert in the working of metals, the management of the ore was committed to his care.

About the same period of time, different dyes were found out, particularly blue and green, and the people began to decorate their persons. Tighermas enacted a new law respecting clothing. The slaves were ordered to appear in one colour only. A soldier had liberty to wear two, a commanding officer three. Gentlemen, or farmers of property, who entertained strangers hospitably, were privileged to wear four colours, and the nobility who ranked higher were to have five; and the highest of all, six ; which were the king, the queen, the chronologers, and men of eminent learning.

The most remarkable event (in which all the antiquaries agree) in the life of Tighermas, was his introduction of idolatrous worship into Ireland. He erected Pagan altars, and began to establish his religion, which was that of Zoroaster in Greece, about one hundred years after the Milesians had taken possession of the country. The idol which he set up was called Crom-Cruach. It was a stone capped with gold. Twelve other rough stones were placed round

does not remain the most remote tradition of it in the country; but it is more strongly demonstrable from a natural process which has taken place since its formation; for the sides and pillars were found covered with sparry incrustations, which the present workmen do not observe to be deposited in any definite portion of time.'

Of our earliest colonists the Damnii, or Danaans, it is said:'The superior intelligence of this people, and of the Clanna Rhoboig, considered with Tacitus's account of the trade of Ireland, induce me to suppose that the coal works at Ballycastle, on the northern coast, which exhibit marks of ancient operations, had been worked by either or both.'-Wood's Inquiry into the Primitive Inhabitants of Ireland.'

it, to represent the signs of the Zodiac. The worshippers sacrificed the first-born of every creature to this idol on the day of Saman.

On this festival-day, Tighermas issued a peremptory order that these sacrifices should be made, and that men, women, and children should prostrate themselves on the ground in worshipping the idol, until they drew blood from their noses, foreheads, ears, and elbows. Many died in consequence of the severity of this exercise, and hence the place of worship was called Maghsleicht, which signifies, place of slaughter. (Vet. MSS., quoted in the Collection de Reb. Hibern. No. 12.)

While Tighermas was in the act of worshipping, with many other idolators, they were struck dead by some awful visitation from heaven. Yet this did not put a stop to the unholy rites which were practised by every people that conquered Ireland until the Christian religion triumphed over Paganism.

Another record states that Tighermas was the first who adored idols, and built altars in Ireland, in the county of Leitrim, in Breifne, where he and many of his fellow-worshippers were struck dead by lightning from heaven. The place was afterwards called Maigh Sleacht,-the plain of adoration.

Many vestiges still remain in Ireland of the prevalence of such idolatrous rites.

The religion was that of the Phoenicians. The cromlech, or tomb altars, the unhewn pillars, the heaps of stones, called carnes, once held sacred, bear testimony at this day that there were sun and fire worshippers in Ireland. Many names of places still retained are evidently derived from the same source.

Baltinglass, or Bael-teinglass, means the pure fire

of Bel, or the sun, which is called, the Great Father, or the Great God.

Here the chiefs sat in council; also the entrenchments within which the nobles were stationed near the scene of debate.

Cahir, or Caer, in Gaelic signifies oracle.1

The Irish word Grian signifies the sun; from whence are the following names-Knox-greine, and Tuam-greine, hills of the sun. Cairne-grayney, the sun's heap; now called granny's bed. Grian-beacht, the sun's circle.

New Grange, near Drogheda, probably received its name from the same cause. Of this place Faber remarks, The narrow passage, in fact, and the stone bowls of this Irish grotto are merely the counterpart of those in the cave of Trophimus, the pagodas of Hindostan, and the Pyramids of Egypt.'

There is a Cromlech, or tomb-altar near Cloyne, called Carig Croith, or the sun's rock.

Many monuments have been discovered of the worship of the heavenly bodies. Golden ornaments have been dug up in the bogs, in the form of a crescentsuch as were used in worshipping the moon, which was called Re. Slieve-mis, in Antrim, signifies mountains of the moon.

The Irish also had sacred groves and wells, of which the superstitious veneration has never yet passed away. Witness the blood-stained path round many of these holy wells, which on naked knees they traverse as a penance for sin. At all of these wells the sacred tree is found, upon which each devotee leaves a piece torn off their garments suspended on

1 Miss L. C. Beaufort. Transactions of the Royal Irish Academy.