. He was
brother's-son of Senan, but had the same mother as Senan. Clearly this
indicates a _menage_ such as that indicated by Caesar as existing among
the wilder tribes of Britain; a polyandry in which the husbands were
father and sons (_De Bello Gallico_, V, xiv). These people were
probably pre-Celtic, and this strengthens the arguments already put
forward for a pre-Celtic origin for the Protagonist of our narrative.

On the subject of the burial of the chieftains of Ui Neill and the
Connachta at Clonmacnois, see Plummer, i, p. cx. Neill is the genitive
of Niall.

_Ard Manntain_ is now unknown.

The chronological indications contained in VG are sufficiently close
to accuracy to show that they have been calculated, though the
computor has made a miscount of a year. The eighth of the calends of
February (25th January) in A.D. 548 was actually a Saturday, but it
was two days before new moon. The same day in A.D. 549 was the tenth
day of the moon, but it fell on a Monday.

Of the companions of Ciaran, Oengus (properly Oenna) succeeded him as
abbot, dying in A.D. 569; Mac Nisse, who was an Ultonian, followed
him, and died 13 June 584 (aliter 587). The others, however, do not
appear to have found a place in the martyrologies. Mo-Beoc is a
different person from the famous Mo-Beog of Loch Derg in Co. Donegal.

XLII. THE FOUNDATION OF THE CHURCH (LA, VG)

The two versions are independent. But though there are no wizards or
druids in the VG version, they appear in another story connecting
Diarmait with the foundation of Clonmacnois. This is to the effect
that Diarmait was at a place on the Shannon near Clonmacnois, called
Snam da En, and saw the glow of the first camp-fire lighted on the
site of the future monastery by Ciaran and his followers. The druids
who were with Diarmait told him that unless that fire were forthwith
quenched, it would never be put out. "It shall be quenched
immediately," said Diarmait; so with hostile purpose he advanced
on Clonmacnois, but instead of doing what he proposed, he suffered
himself to be pressed into the service of the builders, as the story
in VG narrates. The tale in LA is interesting, as showing (1) the
existence of a calendar of seasons lucky and unlucky for various
enterprises, and (2) a spirit of kindly tolerance on the part of the
pagan wizard.

The wiles of wizards were exposed by various saints, _e.g._ by Aed and
by Cainnech. These tales are curious; the wizard in each ca