Gradually as literature and
learning increased, judgments delivered by men without special legal
training fell into disfavour. In the 1st century of the Christian era,
when Conchobhar or Conor Mac Nessa was king of Ulster, a crisis was
reached, the result of which was that no man was allowed to act as
Brehon until he had studied the full law course, which occupied twenty
years, and had passed a rigorous public examination. The course of study
for Brehon and Ollamh, advocate and law-agent respectively, is carefully
laid down in the law itself. The Brehonship was not an office of state
like that of the modern judge, but a profession in which success
depended upon ability and judgment. The Brehon was an arbitrator,
umpire, and expounder of the law, rather than a judge in the modern
acceptation. It appears, without being expressly stated, that the facts
of a case were investigated and ascertained by laymen, probably by the
_Aireachtas_--a local assembly or jury--before submission to a Breton
for legal decision. A Brehon whose decision was reversed upon appeal
was liable to damages, loss of position and of free lands, if any,
disgrace, and a consequent loss of his profession. No Brehon had any
fixed territorial jurisdiction. A party initiating proceedings could
select any Brehon he pleased, if there were more than one in his
district. Every king or chief of sufficient territory retained an
official Brehon, who was provided with free land for his maintenance. In
ordinary cases the Brehon's fee was said to have been one-twelfth of the
amount at stake.

Assemblies, national, provincial and local, were a marked characteristic
of ancient Irish life. They all, without exception, discharged some
legal functions, legislative or administrative, and even in those in
which amusement predominated, the _Cain_ law was publicly rehearsed.
Most of the assemblies were annual, some triennial, some lasted only a
day or two, others a week and occasionally longer. All originated in
pagan funeral or commemorative rites, and continued to be held, even in
Christian times, in very ancient cemeteries. They were called by
different names--_Feis, Aenach, Aireachtas, Dal, &c._

The Feis of Tara, in Meath, was from its origin seven centuries before
Christ down to A.D. 560, mainly national and political, being convened
by the Ard-Rig, held at his residence, presided over by him, and
consisting of the provincial kings, tanists, flaiths, Brehons, warriors,