Provides an overview of the debate about the origin of the name, its place in medieval historical sources, and its representation in early Irish literature.
Presents and discusses evidence from the Ulster tales that touches upon the landscape of Emain Macha (arranged by type of feature, with references), concluding that much of the description is imaginary and bears no relation to the actual site.
Discusses the episode of Patrick and Dáire and suggests that Armagh was chosen as primatial see because of its importance as druidic centre. vs. R. Sharpe, St. Patrick and the See of Armagh, in CMCS 4 (Winter, 1982), pp. 33–59.
Craebruad does not describe a building but more likely to describe a sacred grove. Curaid na Craebruaide represents the only legitimate employment of the term craebruad. Suggests that Emain Macha may mean ‘grove of Macha’, and that emain may derive from nemain, possibly related to Irish nemed and Gaul nemeton.
1. Two legends of Emain Macha: (1) Cess (or Noínden) Ulad; (2) The founding of Emain Macha by Macha Mongruad ; 2. TE [Tochmarc Emire] and the Dinnshenchas: (1) Conflicting views of Thurneysen and Gwynn; (2) A Dinnshenchas poem on the Boyne; (3) Other parts of the ‘riddling dialogue’; (4) A direct reference to TE in a Dinnshenchas text; 3. Cú Chulainn and the daughter of Ruad (TE §§80-4); 4. Scáthach’s prophecy for Cú Chulainn; 5. Affiliations of other LU texts: (1) Aided Nath Í; (2) Serglige Con Culainn (SCC); (3) Siaburcharpat Con Culainn (Siab. CC); (4) Immram curaig Máile Dúin; (5) Scél Tuáin meic Cairill; (6) Cethri arda in domain (‘The four quarters of the world’); 6. TBC: LU alterations and variants represented in YBL; 7. Togail brudne Da Derga (BDD); cf. Éigse 29, pp. 84-86; 8. Texts of minor tána (‘cattle raids’) lost from LU; 9. The textual tradition of the Irish Sex aetates mundi (SAM); 10. The textual history of Lebor Bretnach; 11. Scribe H’s work in two manuscripts: (1) In LU; (2) In Rawlinson B 502, ff. 1-12; 12. The probable date of scribe H: (2) ritire ‘rider, knight’; (3) Topographical glosses; 13. A reference to the Book of Dub Dá Léithe. Continued from Éigse 29 (1996), pp. 65-120.
Argues that the etymology of Emain in Noínden Ulad is first found in the second recension only; originally may have been Emain (Abhlach) as Otherworld designation; identification with Ptolemy’s Isamnion queried.
Offers a new analysis of Noínden Ulad and of the legend of Macha Mongrúad, and argues that of the four female characters called Macha in early Irish literature, only Macha Mongrúad and Macha, daughter of Ernmas, are genuine in the tradition, while Macha, wife of Nemed, and Macha, wife of Cruinniuc, are late literary inventions.