Below are the main conclusions I have reached in attempting to decipher a poem entitled, “An Ancient Poet’s View from Sliabh Fuaid” from the Book of Leinster (published 1160) and translated, first from Old Irish to Irish and then to English, by Professor Eoin MacNeill.

If you wish to find out how I arrived at these conclusions and also the names of individual places, within the poem, which I have attempted to identify, then you need to read sections "Verse 1" and "Verse 2", if you have not already done so.

Sliabh Fuaid, the high place the poet is sitting, is Slieve Gullion. This is a special mountain and I thought it needed a bit more than a photo to do it justice, so below are two short video from YouTube. You can also watch a short aerial video at link. For a short history of the area see "Tí Chulainn - A history of South Armagh - part 1" and "Tí Chulainn - A history of South Armagh - part 2".

Original, I concluded Sliab Fuait, in this poem, referred to all of Ireland, as Ireland does seem to be the main subject of the poem. However, after further research, I now believe it is a much smaller area which has been used metaphorically to try and explain the introduction of Christianity to the island.

So why use Sliab Fuait and where exactly is it? 

If I am being honest, I can't say specifically say where it is, but I'll give my findings. Also, as to why the poet used Sliab Fuait, I'll try to answer that later.

What I can say, from the information I have find about Sliab Fuait? 

• Sliab Fuait is between  Dundealgan (Dundalk) and Emain Macha (Navan Fort)

• Lough Echtra (Lough Ross) is between Sliab Fuait and Sliab Modurin (Fincarn Hill)

• Lough Echtra (Lough Ross) is south of Sliab Fuait.

• Most literature seems to imply Sliab Fuait is a region and not just one hill.

• It is named after Fuad (aka Fuat), a Milesian chieftain who is said to have died and was buried here. 

There are a lot more mentions. However, above are the only five pieces of information which I found useful. So, this would put Sliab Fuait in an area covered by the old barony of The Fews (see Wikipedia), plus north of this to Armagh and Navan Fort and a small part of northeast County Monaghan. The Fews has since been divided into Fews Upper, Fews Lower, Orior Upper, part of Orior Lower and the southern part of the Barony of Armagh.

For a rough outline of the area mentioned above, see map below. On the map I have also drawn a straight line between  Dundealgan (Dundalk) and Emain Macha (Navan Fort). Although, this would not be a likely route between both places, the line probably does pass through Sliab Fuait.

What is the General Consensus on Sliab Fúait?

Most sources, which express an opinion, say Sliab Fúait is the Fews Forest, some also include the areas bordering. Some even go as far to claim Sliab Fúait is either Carrigatuke, the highest point in the Fews.Forest or Deadman's Hill, 2nd highest hill in the Fews Forest. Below are a few of these claims (Note: In some sources it is spelt differently).

• Oxford Reference.

• Slige Midluachra on Wikipedia.

• Airghialla, by Hugh McGough.

• Hyperleap.

• Louth Field Names Project

• Tour De Travoy - Flight of the Earls (Part 1B).

• Irish Central.

• Ring of Gullion.

The three sources below have Sliabh Fuaid as Slieve Gullion.

• History of Shelagh Chapel (by Sr Dr Una Agnew SSL).

• Celt Site.

• Theology in the making

The above are just a few links, you can find many more yourself if you do a simple search. I have read all I can find. However, many just quote each other and I can't find any which have given a full prove of their claims.

If you add all the claims above, many others (I have read on Jstor, etc.), the writings in "Lebor Gabála Érenn" ("The Book of the Taking of Ireland", aka The Book of Invasions), the "Táin Bó Cúailnge" (aka Cattle Raid of Cooley), etc., it maybe OK to say Sliab Fuait is in an area covered by the Fews Forest, Slieve Gullion and their surroundings.

The Friends of Sliabh Fuait website states:  "Sliabh Fuait is a mountain range in County Armagh which, according to a number of sources, encompasses Lisnadill, Ballymacnab, Clady, Granemore, Newtownhamilton, Darkley, Mullyash, Keady, Lagan, Carnagh, Derrynoose and towards Monaghan..." 

Friends of Sliabh Fuait has lots of information, videos, podcasts, etc. and is well worth a visit if you wish to find out more about the area.

For a huge amount of information about Slieve Gullion and its surrounding areas, visit Ring of Gullion.

So why use Sliab Fuait?

The name Fuait is taken from Fuad (aka Fuat), a Milesian chieftain who is said to have fallen and been buried here. The Milesians are said to be descended from Adam, through Noah. They left Egypt around the same time as Moses and wandered the world for 440 years before arriving in Spain and then moving to Ireland. According to the Book of Invasions they were the last group of people to come to Ireland and are said to be from whom the Irish People are descended. The banished the last pagan gods and thus laid the grounding for Christianity to be introduced.

St Patrick came to Ireland in the 5th century and introduced Christianity. It is said he was going to build his main church at Armaghbrague in the Fews. However, he got annoyed by a bull and decided to build it at Armagh instead. To this day Armagh continues to be the Ecclesiastical capital of Ireland.

You need to remember this poem is about the history of Ireland, the people who inhabited it, their link to bible, and the introduction of Christianity. The Milesians, Christianity and St Patrick are all connected at Sliab Fuait.

I can't believe I'm actually writing about this, but this poem is so well laid out I feel I need to. I deliberately didn't do this earlier as I thought things were complicated enough without including this as well. 

I said, whilst writing up "Verse 1", "This poem is deliberately tricky. By now, I now understood, every line, word, comma, full-stop, layout, etc. in this poem meant something".

In "Verse 2", I also stated, "I didn't mention during "Verse 1" is, each verse is divided up into 7 sentences of 4 lines. Each sentence is divided into a layout of 2 by 2, that's the first 2 lines to the left on the page and the next two lines indented. All of this is relevant to what the poet is saying. You may work it out yourself as we continue going through the poem. However, I'll go into more detail in my conclusions.".

All of these things have meanings and the poet seems to have deliberately done this.

The Number 7, is mentioned more than any other, and is recognised as the most important in the Bible. According to Christianity.com, "It signifies completion and perfection, exoneration and healing, and the fulfilment of promises and oaths". Wikipedia has a large section on "7" which lists its importance in many religions and in mythology. In Christianity it lists:

• Seven loaves multiplied into seven basketfuls of surplus (Matthew 15:32–37)

• Seven demons were driven out of Mary Magdalene (Luke 8:2)

• Seven last sayings of Jesus on the cross

• Seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom (Acts 6:3)

• Seven Spirits of God, Seven Churches and Seven Seals in the Book of Revelation

References to the number seven in Christian knowledge and practice include:

• Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit

• Seven Corporal Acts of Mercy and Seven Spiritual Acts of Mercy

• Seven deadly sins: lust, gluttony, greed, sloth, wrath, envy, and pride, and seven terraces of Mount Purgatory

• Seven Virtues: chastity, temperance, charity, diligence, kindness, patience, and humility

• Seven Joys and Seven Sorrows of the Virgin Mary

• Seven Sleepers of Christian myth

• Seven Sacraments in the Catholic Church (though some traditions assign a different number)

I can think of a few more: the seven colours of the spectrum; the seven hill of Rome (where the Catholic Church is based), the seven hills on which Armagh is built; the seven wonders of the ancient world: the seven seas; the seven days of the week; God made everything in six days and rested on the seventh. I could go on here, but you probably have the point.

The lines of each sentence laid out 2 by 2. This represents Noah loading the animals 2 by 2 onto the Ark. Connections to Noah ,are throughout the poem, to him being descended from Adam and many in the poem being descended for Adam through Noah, and the Irish People descended from both.

There are 4 sentences in each verse, another number significant in Christainity: the four Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John; the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse ride in the Book of Revelation; the four corners of the earth in the book of Revelation, etc...

There are 28 lines in each verse, probably the perfect number, as 28 is a "Perfect Number" in Mathematics, and this poet seems to know something about mathematics.

If you have read everything up to now, you'll know Ith was the first of the Milesians to go to Ireland. Ith is just a way of writing "first" in old numerals, Ith.

Maybe, I'm clutching at straws, and I could go on about this, but I won't. To work out all the hidden messages in his poem, it would need an expert in "Old Irish", mathematics and the Bible. I can look at the structure after being translated into English, but some of the original structure would have been lost in translation.

In one sentence, it's about looking at what has been in the past, looking at how Ireland got here, what Ireland has now and being thankful for this.

Really it's a prayer, connecting the mythology, folklore, and pagan stories from Ireland's past and attaching a Christian slant to it. Claiming God planned it all, the Irish are descended from Adam, through Noah. They were His chosen people, and everything was laid out this way for Patrick to come to Ireland and convert its people to Christianity.

It's a great poem, a great story and I love it. Though I'm not sure it all really happened this way.

Home Page                       Tullynawood Lake with Mullyash in the background.

Verse 1                              Armagh and its two Cathedrals. Macha, is buried under the one on the left..

Verse 2                               Slieve Gullion.

Conclusions & Thoughts -       The Calliagh Berra’s Lake, Slieve Gullion.

The Two Papers               View from Slieve Gullion Trail.

The Map - Aughnagurgan Mountain, above Tullynawood Lake.

Navan Fort

Navan Fort (Old Irish: Emain Macha, Modern Irish: Eamhain Mhacha).is not included in the poem. This is surprising, as Navan Fort was one of the major sites of pre-Christian Ireland and one of the six “Royal Sites of Ireland”. It is just 8.75 miles from Carrigatuke and is fully visible from there (see map). It makes me think about the possibility of Carrigatuke being Sliabh Fuaid, and surely if this was the case, the poet would have mentioned Navan Fort. Yet, he omits it.

Navan Fort is just 19.95 miles from Slieve Gullion, but is not visible from there. It is around 35 feet below the view line of the poet (see map). Hence, reinforcing the argument for Slieve Gullion as being Sliabh Fuaid in the poem.

Probably, the biggest mystery about Navan Fort is the huge wooden structure built and then burnt. It is now the large mound on top of Navan Fort. People still try to understand why such a large construction was built then burnt. Most believe this was for ritual purposes, and they’re probably correct. However, maybe, it was built as a beacon, to be lit when the fort felt threatened or under attack. A way to send a message to their defenders at Slieve Gullion and other places throughout the land, calling on reinforcements. The fire would have been seen at Slieve Gullion, plus many other hills used as watching points by their protectors.

To read more about Navan Fort see VisitArmagh.

Although, not mentioned by name in the poem, but were implied at points. Why were the Tuatha Dé Danann originally, in Irish Mythology, portrayed as sensible and level-headed, but towards the end of this story banished to the Otherworld? I suppose this just signifies how it was God's will to get rid of the last pagan gods.

The Milesians were said to originate from Egypt. In Arabic the name Fuad means "heart". This maybe relevant to the story.

In Irish Mythology there is another Fuad. She was the wife of bardic hero Slainga, son of Parthalon. He was said to be buried on a cairn on Slieve Slanga (now Slieve Donard). I have read the cairns on top of Slieve Gullion and Slieve Donard are in some way aligned. However, I am not sure if this is relevant to the story.. 

If I am correct that Sliab Findar is Cuilcagh Mountain - "deepsoiled Sliab Findar of shrill breezes.", and this refers to the screams from Hell (and I think I am right). Then the Marble Arch Caves, under Cuilcagh, were seen as a passage to the underworld, to hell. Recently, there has been a new tourist attraction built on Cuilcagh, a boardwalk from near the caves to the top of the mountain, named The Cuilcagh Boardwalk Trail (aka Stairway to Heaven). This could only happen in Ireland, a stairway from Hell to Heaven. 

“An Ancient Poet’s View from Sliabh Fuaid” maybe c900 years old, but is probably one of the cleverest poems and greatest pieces of literature ever written. We know it was most likely to be written by a holy man, or more than one. It probably took a long time to write, but is as perfect as maybe possible. Why have I not heard of this before? Why is this type of literature not thought in our schools. For a short poem to say so much is such an achievement.

The story behind this poem (although maybe not all true) is one of the greatest stories ever told. This would make a great book and a wonderful movie.

I hope I have done this poem justice, and have found many of the old Irish place-names that have been lost in time. I didn't mean to spend this much time on it, or write so much, but I hope you have enjoyed reading and the journey.

I'll leave you with a short video, I found at YouTube. This covers the story of Irish storytelling and poetry. It is by Bard Mythologies and entitled "The Mythic History of Ireland".

After I had almost finished this website, I watched a six part documentary series, entitled "The Celts - The Complete BBC Series". I found it to be well done and informative. It tells the story of the Celtic People form 6,000 years ago until now. You can watch the full series at YouTube.

"Lebor Gabála Érenn" ("The Book of the Taking of Ireland", aka The Book of Invasions)

If you wish to read the whole book, you can do so at the LINK.

"Táin Bó Cúailnge" (aka Cattle Raid of Cooley) 

If you wish to read the whole book, you can do so at the LINK. It's available in both English and Irish.

The two videos below are a shortened version of the stories in the books above. They may sound a bit strange, but I found them quick and to the point.

Professor Eoin MacNeill, must have been a great man and scholar. It's only due to him I was able to read this poem in a language I understood. His notes in the "Two Papers" published by the CLAHS Team also proved really helpful. You can read more about Professor Eoin MacNeill at Wikipedia.

County Louth Archaeological and History Society (CLAHS) for producing the Two Papers, and to JSTOR for making them available on their website.

Darren Rice for directing me to all the useable photos at Ring of Gullion. I've used three of these.

My Two Daughters, my Sister and my Brother for accompanying me on trips to look at some of the places included in the poem.

Thanks, to All of You, who have stayed to me this far. I hope I haven't confused or bored you too much. However, I may add to this website in the future.