proven, the much maligned Keating removes any difficulty by the simple
and obvious remark, that "it is because of its having been written in
poetic metre, the chief book which was in the custody of the _Ollamh_ of
the King of Erinn, was called the _Saltair of Temair;_ and the Chronicle
of holy Cormac Mac Cullinan, _Saltair of Cashel;_ and the Chronicle of
Aengus _Ceilé Dé_ [the Culdee], _Saltair-na-Rann_ [that is, Saltair of
the Poems or Verses], because a Salm and a Poem are the same, and
therefore a _Salterium_ and a _Duanairé_ [book of poems] are the
same."[6]

[Illustration: SITE OF TARA.]

The oldest reference to this famous compilation is found in a poem on
the site of ancient Tara, by Cuan O'Lochain, a distinguished scholar,
and native of Westmeath, who died in the year 1024. The quotation given
below is taken from the Book of Ballymote, a magnificent volume,
compiled in the year 1391, now in possession of the Royal Irish
Academy:--

Temair, choicest of hills,
For [possession of] which Erinn is now devastated,[7]
The noble city of Cormac, son of Art,
Who was the son of great Conn of the hundred battles:
Cormac, the prudent and good,
Was a sage, a filé [poet], a prince:
Was a righteous judge of the Fené-men,[8]
Was a good friend and companion.
Cormac gained fifty battles:
He compiled the Saltair of Temur.
In that Saltair is contained