Page:Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy vol XXXIII.djvu/556

232 Proceedings oj the Royal trhh Academy. chief of Ui Mdil, died a.d. 847. What is more, another chief of the same tribe, by name Cairbre mac Cionaedha, died earher in the same year : N iall's tenure of office must therefore have occupied only a few months. We are not absolutely certain that Xiall mac Aedha Allain was the only chieftain of the name who held that rank among the Ui Mail ; our list of chieftains of this tribe is very imperfect. But he must have heen a person of some note to have earned a place in the Annals, notwithstanding the shortness of his reign ; and whUe we cannot be certain, I venture to think there is some probability in the identification suggested. If it could be maintained, it would give us what we ha"e never had before : an Ogham stone dated exactly to the year.