Rudhruidhe, son of Parthalon, was drowned in Loch Rudhruidhe ^[23] Rury's Lake. This was the name of the mouth of the River Erne, in the south-west of the county of Donegal. the lake having flowed over him; and from him the lake is called.

An inundation of the sea over the land at Brena ^[24] This is called fretum Brennese in the second and fourth Lives of St. Patrick. published by Colgan. It was evidently the ancient name of the mouth of Strangford Lough, in the county of Down. as the lake formed by the inundation was loch Cuan, which is still the Irish name for Strangford Lough. in this year, which was the seventh lake-eruption that occurred in the time of Parthalon; and this is named Loch Cuan.

Parthalon died on Sean Magh-Ealta-Eadair ^[25] The old plain of the Flocks of Edar: i.e. on the plain afterwards so called, because Edar was the name of a chieftain who flourished many centuries later.
The name appears to have been applied to the plain extending from Binn-Edair, or the Hill of Howth, to Tallaght. Keating states that this was the only plain in Ireland not covered with wood, when the country was first discovered by Ninus, son of Belus. Clontarf is referred to as part of it. in this year. In the time of Parthalon's invasion these plains were cleared [of wood]; but it is not known in what particular years they were cleared: Magh-n-Eithrighe^[26] In the Chronicon Scotorum this is called Magh-Tired, alias Magh n-Edara,. There are two Magh-Tuiredhs in Connaught, one near Cong, in the county of Mayo, and the other near Lough Arrow, in the county of Sligo. in Connaught; Magh-Ithe, in Leinster,^[27] Not identified. Magh-Lii,^[28] This is a mistake for Magh-Lii in Ui-Mac-Uais. It was the name of a territory extending from Bir to Camus, on the west side of the River Bann, where the Fir-Lii, a section of the descendants of Colla Uais, settled at an early period. There was no Magh-Lii in Breagh. in Ui-Mac-Uais-Breagh; Magh-Latharna,^[29] The plain of Larne. This was the name of a tuagh or district comprised in the present barony of Upper Glenarm, and county of Antrim. For the extent of Dal Araidhe see the note under 1174. Giraldus Cambrensis also mentions the cutting down of four forests in the time of Bartholanus, and adds that in his own time there were more woods than plains in Ireland: in Dal-Araidhe.

Nine thousand of Parthalon's people died in one week on Sean-Mhagh-Ealta-Edair, namely, five thousand men, and four thousand women. Whence is [named] Taimhleacht Muintire Parthaloin.^[30] O'Flaherty states that a monastery was afterwards erected at this place, and that it is situated three miles to the south of Dublin. It is the place now called Tallaght, and some very ancient tumuli are still to be seen on the hill there. The word taimleach, or tamlact, signifies a place where a number of persons, cut off by the plague, were interred together. The word frequently enters into the topographical names in Ireland, and is anglicised tamlaght, Tawlaght, and Tallaght. They had passed three hundred years in Ireland. Ireland was thirty years waste till Neimhidh's arrival.

^[31] Neimheadh: Mythical or fictional leader of an imagined ancient settlement in Ireland. The word Neimheadh (earlier, Nemed) was used in the sense of a sacred place or sacred person, and thus seems to have been a designation of a druid.
Neimheadh, it was claimed, arrived thirty years after the people of Parthalán had been wiped out by plague. He had a fleet of numerous ships, but on their journey they came across a tower of gold on the sea. Greedy for the gold, they went to take that tower, but the sea rose in a torrent and swept them all away but for one ship. This was Neimheadh's own, and on board with him were his wife Macha and his four sons and their wives, together with twenty others.
After a year and a half wandering, they landed in Ireland. Neimheadh defeated the sea-pirates, the Fomhóire, in three battles, and he had four scions of that race build the fortress of Rarh Chinneich (in south Armagh). This they did in one day, and Neimheadh then slew them lest they build a better fortress for somebody else. He himself died from plague on the island of Ard Neimhidh (the Great Island in Cork harbour).
After his death the Fomhóire oppressed his people, imposing a heavy tribute on them, and eventually Neimheadh's people rebelled and attacked the Fomhóire stronghold of Tor-Inis. They captured the tower there, but Fomhóire reinforcements arrived and the sea went into flood. So frightful was the slaughter that only one ship of Neimheadh's people managed to get away. On board were thirty warriors, and they decided to leave Ireland completely.
This account parallels their earlier effort to seize a tower at sea, and both episodes are an echo of the primordial clash between the Tuatha Dé Danann and the Fomhóire. In handling elements of ancient myth, the mediaeval scholars were more concerned with devising a chronological pseudo-history than with avoiding duplication in narrative.
These scholars therefore claimed that later groups of settlers in Ireland were descended from Neimheadh's people. We read that one grandson of Neimheadh, called Semeon, went to Greece, where his progeny became the Fir Bolg. Another grandson, Beothach, died of plague in Ireland, but his progeny went into the northern parts of the world and became the Tuatha Dé Danann. A son of Neimheadh, Fearghus Leathdhearg, went to Britain and - the pseudo-historians claimed - from him and his son Briotan Maol were descended the Britonic people.
Neimheadh himself is probably drawn from genuine tradition. A different story has a personage of the same name being defeated in battle by three sons of Conaire mac Mogha Lámha and being buried also on the island of Ard Neimhidh. Given the druidic significance of his name, as well as the name of the goddess Macha attributed to his wife, it is likely that he originally belonged to the context of the divine pantheon known as Tuatha Dé Danann. Neimhidh ^[32] In the Annals of Clonmacnoise, as translated by Connell Mageoghegan, the arrival of "Nevie with his fower sonnes into Ireland out of Greece," is synchronized with the latter end of the reign of Altades, monarch of Assyria. O'Flaherty places it in A.M. 2029. came to Ireland. On the twelfth day after the arrival of Neimhidh with his people, Macha, the wife of Neimhidh, died. These were the four chieftains who were with him: Sdarn, Iarbhainel the Prophet, Fearghus Leithdheirg, and Ainninn. These were the four sons of Neimhidh. Medu, Macha, Yba, and Ceara, were the four wives of these chieftains.

In this year Loch Dairbhreach^[33] Now Lough Derryvaragh, a large and beautiful lake, near Castlepollard, in the county of Westmeath and Loch Ainninn^[34] Now Lough Ennell, near Mullingar, see note under 1446 in these Annals. in Meath sprang forth. these were the forts that were erected, the plains that were cleared, and the lakes that sprang forth, in the time of Neimhidh, but the precise years^[35] i.e. the precise years in which such forts were erected, plains cleared, &c., have not been recorded. are not found for them: Rath-Cinnech,^[36] There is no place now bearing this name in the baronies of Ui-Niallain or Oneilland, in the county of Armagh. in Ui-Niallain; Rath-Cimbaeith^[37] i.e. Kimbaeth's Fort. This name is now obsolete. The position of the plain of Seimhne is determined by Rinn-Seimhne, i.e. the point or promontory of Seimhne, the ancient name of Island-Magee, in the county of Antrim. in Seimhne; Magh-Ceara,^[38] A plain in the barony of Carra, in the county of Mayo. Magh n-Eabha,^[39] Now Machaire-Eabha, Magherow, a plain situated between the mountain of Benbulbin and the sea, in the barony of Carbery, and county of Sligo. Magh-Cuile-Toladh^[40] A plain in the barony of Kilmaine, and county of Mayo. and Magh-Luirg^[41] A plain in the barony of Boyle, and county of Roscommon, see note under AD 1187. in Connaught; Magh—tochair,^[42] i.e. Plain of the Causeway. This was the name of a plain at the foot of Sliabh-Sneacht, Slieve Snaght, in the barony of Inishowen, and county of Donegal, which was anciently a part of Tir-Eoghain or Tyrone. The church of domhnachmor-Muighetochair, near the village of Carn-Donagh, is referred to in the Tripartite Life of St. Patrick as in this plain. in Tir-Eoghain; Leaghmagh, in Munster,^[43] Not identified. Magh m-Bresna^[44] Unknown. in Leinster; Magh-Lughadh^[45] i.e. Lughadh's Plain, a district near Lough Neagh; but this name is now obsolete, see note under year 1218. in Ui-Tuirtre; Magh-Seredh,^[46] See the year 738, where this place is said to be Ceanannus, i.e. Kells, between the two Teffias. in Teffia; Magh-Seimhne^[47] See Rath-Cimbaoith. in Dal-Araidhe; Magh-Mirtheimhne,^[48] A level country, in the present county of Louth, extending from the River Boyne to the mountains of Cuailgne or Carlingford. Dundalk, Louth, Drumiskin, Faughard, and Monasterboice, are mentioned as in this plain. See the Annals of Tighernach, AD 1002 . This territory was otherwise called Machaire-Oirghiall, and Conaille-Muirtheimhne. See AD 1434, 1452 , 1466, and 1486. in Conaille; and Magh-Macha,^[49] This was the ancient name of the plain in which the town of Armagh is situated. It is more usually called Machaire-Ard-Macha, i.e. the Plain of Armagh. See AD 1103, 1196, and 1424. in Oirghialla; Loch-Cal,^[50] Now Lough Gall, a small lake, giving name to a village in the barony of West Oneilland (Ui-Niallain), county of Armagh. in Ui-Niallain; Loch-Muinreamhair,^[51] Now Lough Ramor, near Virginia, in the barony of Castlerahin, and county of Cavan. Luighne was an extensive territory in ancient Meath. The name is still retained in the barony of Lune, but the territory was far more extensive than this barony. in Luighne, in Sliabh Guaire.^[52] This is still the name of a mountainous district in the barony of Clankee, and the county of Cavan. See Loch-Suidhe-Odh-rain, AD 1054. The battle of Murbholg,^[53] i.e. Sea-inlet. Now Furlough Bay, on the north-east coast of the barony of Cary, and county of Antrim. Dalriada was the ancient name of that part of the county of Antrim lying north of Sliabh Mis, or Slemmish. in Dal-Riada; the battle of Baghna;^[54] This is still the name of a mountainous district in the east of the county of Roscommon, nearly coextensive with the barony of Ballintober, North. See Sliabh Baghna, AD 1572, and Tribes and customs of Hy-Many. and the battle of Cnamh-Ross^[55] i.e. Wood of the Bones. This was probably the ancient name of Camross, near Barry's Cross, in the county of Carlow. against the Fomorians. Neimhidh gained these [battles].Neimhidh afterwards died of a plague, together with three thousand persons, in the Island of Ard-Neimhidh,^[56] Now Barrymore Island, otherwise the Great Island, near Cork. in Crich Liathain,^[57] A large district in the county of Cork, comprising the village of Castlelyons, and the Great Island near Cork. See note under AD 1579. in Munster.

The demolition of the tower of Conainn^[58] Called Tor-Conaing by Keating, and in the more ancient copies of the Leabhar Gabhala, where the story of the destruction of it is given at full length. It was situated on Tory Island, off the north-west coast of the county of Donegal. There is no tradition of this Conainn, or Conaing, on Tory Island at present; but there are most curious traditions of Balor. In the Annals of Clonmacnoise, as translated by Connell Mageoghegan, it is said that "these Ffomores were a sept descended from Cham, the sonne of Noeh; that they lived by pyracie and spoile of other nations, and were in those days very troublesome to the whole world." See A.M. 3330, O'Flaherty thinks that they were the inhabitants of Denmark, Norway, Finland, &c. in this year, by the race of Neimhhidh, against Conainn, son of Faebhar, and the Fomorians in general, in revenge for all the oppression they had inflicted upon them [the race of Neimhidh], as is evident from the chronicle which is called Leabhar-Gabhala;^[59] i.e. the Book of Invasions. There are various copies of this work still extant, of which the oldest seems to be that in the Stowe Library, described by Dr. O'Connor in the Stowe Catalogue. There is a fragment of an ancient copy contained in the Book of Leinster, in the Library of Trinity College, Dublin, H.2.18, but it wants the beginning. and they nearly all mutually fell by each other;^[60] i.e. they mutually slaughtered each other almost to annihilation. thirty persons alone of the race of Neimhidh escaped to different quarters of the world, and they came to Ireland some time afterwards as Firbolgs.^[61] Fir Bolg: A people who, according to the mediaeval historians, occupied Ireland in ancient times. The designation, which means 'Bolg' -men, entails the Celtic population-name found in Britain and north-western Europe under the form Belgae. It is apparent that a group of early Celtic settlers in Ireland were called Bolga or such. The genealogists of early mediaeval times often designated septs by prefacing 'fir' (i.e. men) to their name, hence these ancient inhabitants came to be known as Fir Bolg. What the narrative literature tells of this population-group is, however, mere conjecture and phantasy. They were claimed to have been descendants of Semeon, grandson of Neimheadh, who left Ireland and went to Greece. His progeny increased till they were numbered in thousands, but they were enslaved by the Greeks, being made to carry loads of clay onto bare rocks in order to turn the barren landscape into a fruitful plain. They carried this clay in bags ('boilg'), hence the fanciful derivation of their name as 'bag-men'. An alternative notion was that the Greek king gave them to inhabit a territory full of venomous reptiles and that, as protection against these creatures, they carried about with them bags of Irish clay. Eventually they left Greece and set sail for Ireland. When they arrived, their five leaders divided the country among them from the vantage-point of Uisneach (in Co. Westmeath) which was regarded as the exact centre of the country. Thus the writers of pseudo-history explained the origin of the division of Ireland into five provinces - the word 'cuige' (i.e. a fifth) is still used for a province, even though since mediaeval times there have been only four. The Idea of the Fir Bolg was used, not only for aetiological explanation, but also for the synchronising of data. Thus we are told that, properly speaking, the descendants of Semeon who came into Ireland were in three sections. These were the Fir Bolg proper, the Gaileoin, and the Fir Domhnann. As in the case of the first section, fanciful etymologies were used to explain the designations of the other two. The Gaileoin, we are told, were named from 'the javelins of wounding' ('gai leoin') with which they dug the clay in Greece; while the Fir Domhnann were named from the deepness ('domhaine') of the clay when it was heaped onto the rocks. In reality, Gaileoin was an alternative name for the Laighin (Leinstermen - Labhraidh), and the Fir Domhnann were a group settled in various parts of Ireland whose name is cognate with the Celtic Dumnonii of Britain and western Europe. Wharever the relationship between these various Celtic groups in antiquity, to the mediaeval historians little of distinguishing characteristics survived except for their names, and so they were imagined as having been one extended tribe. The Fir Bolg, it is claimed, were in possession of Ireland for thirty-seven years, until the coming of the Tuatha Dé Danann, who conquered them at the first battle of Moytirra. Some mediaeval historians claimed that, after this battle, the Fir Bolg settled in islands off the Scottish coast. Much later, presumably, the Fir Bolg were driven from these islands by the Picts and they returned to Ireland. They entered the service of the Tara king Cairbe Nia Fear and gave him sureties, but later rebelled against him and their four leaders, the sons of Umhor, were slain by four great warriors - Cú Chulainn, Ceat mac Maghach, Conall Cernach, and Ros mac Deadha. The historians continued in this fanciful vein, eventually assimilating the Fir Bolg fully to the Érainn, which was the designation of the general body of non-dominant septs in early mediaeval Ireland. Two hundred and sixteen years^[62] Giraldus Cambrensis, in his Topog. Hib., agrees with this, which shews that this account of Neimhidh was then written. Neimhidh and his race remained in Ireland. After this Ireland was a wilderness for two hundred years.

The Firbolgs took possession of Ireland at the end of this year. Slainghe, Gann, Genann, Seangann, and Rudhraighe, were their five chieftains. These were the five sons of Deala, son of Loich. The other four ^[63] Connell Mageoghegan renders in his translation of the Annals of Clonmacnoise as follows:
"After making of which division [of Ireland into five provinces], Slane, their said elder brother, by the consent and election of his foure brothers, was chosen king, and was the first king that ever absolutely ruled Ireland."
Keating quotes the Book of Druim-Sneachta, which he says existed before the time of St. Patrick, as authority for these stories concerning the migration of these Firbolgs from Greece.
The account of the division of Ireland into provinces by these five brothers has been totally omitted by the Four Masters in their Annals. It is given in all the copies of the Leabhar-Gabhala, in the Annals of Clonmacnoise; and in Keating's History of Ireland. It is given as follows in the Annals of Clonmacnoise:
"This sept was called Ffirvolge; there were five brothers that were their chieftains, the sonness of Dela mac Loich, that first divided Ireland into five provinces.

"1 . Slane, their eldest brother, had the province of Leynster for his part, which containeth from Inver Colpe, that is to say, where the River of Boyne entereth into the sea, now called in Irish Drogheda, to the meeting of the three Waters, by Waterford, where the Three Rivers, Suyre, Ffeoir, and Barrow, do meet and run together into the sea.

"2 . Gann, the second brother's part was South Munster, which is a province extending from that place to Bealagh-Conglaissy.

"3. Seangann, the third brother's part was from Bealagh-Conglaissy to Rossedahaileagh, now called Limbricke, which is the province of North Munster.

"4. Geanann, the fourth brother, had the province of Connaught, containeing from Limbricke to Easroe.

"5. Rorye, the fifth brother, and youngest, had from Easroe aforesaid to Inver Colpe, which is the province of Ulster. The account of the division of Ireland into five provinces by the Firbolgs is also given in Dr. Lynch's manuscript translation of Keating's History of Ireland. and the Firbolgs in general elected Slainge as king over them.

Slainghe, son of Deala, was king of Ireland for a period of one year; and he died at the end of the year, at Dinn-Righ^[64] The Hill of the Kings, otherwise called Dumha-Slainge, i.e. Slainge Mound. This was a very ancient seat of the kings of Leinster. Keating describes its situation as on the brink of the River Bearbha [the Barrow], between Carlow and leighlin. This place is still well known. It is situated in the townland of Ballyknockan, about a quarter of a mile to the south of Leighlin-Bridge, near the west bank of the River Barrow. Nothing remains of the palace but a moat, measuring two hundred and thirty-seven yards at the base, sixty-nine feet in height from the level of the River Barrow, and one hundred and thirty-five feet in diameter at top. on the brink of the Bearbha.

Rudhraighe, son of Deala, assumed the government of Ireland. This is the first year of his reign.