commonly so called, or otherwise Eadha Meath, to distinguish it from the county called West Meath: A county of Ireland, in the province of Leinster, bounded by the counties of Cavan and Louth on the north, the Irish channel on the east, Kildare and Dublin on the south, and West Meath and Longford on the west. It is a fine champaign country, abounding with corn, and well inhabited. It returns 14 members to parliament; and gives title of earl to the family of Brabazon. It contains 326,480 Irish plantation acres, 139 parishes, 12 baronies, and six boroughs; chief town Trim. This district being the most ancient settlement of the Belgians in Ireland, the inhabitants were esteemed the eldest and most honourable tribe: from which seniority their chieftains were elected monarchs of all the Belgae; a dignity that was continued in the Hy-n-Failian without intermission, until the arrival of the Caledonian colonies, under the name of Tuath de Danan, when Conor-Mor, chief-tain of these people, obtained, or rather usurped, the monarchial throne, obliged Eochy Failloch, with several of his people, to cross the Shannon, and establish themselves in the present county of Roscommon, where Crothar founded the palace of Atha or Croghan, a circumstance which brought on a long and bloody war between the Belgian and Caledonian races, which was not finally terminated until the close of the 4th century, when the Belgian line was restored in the person of O'Nial the great, and continued until Brian Boromh usurped the monarchial dignity, by deposing Malachy O'Malachlin, about the year 1001. Tuathal Tettethomar, by a decree of the Tarah assembly, separated certain large tracts of land from each of the four provinces, where the borders joined together; whence, under the notion of adopting this spot for demesne lands to support the royal household, he formed the county or kingdom of Meath, which afterwards became the peculiar inheritance of the monarchs of Ireland. In each of the portions thus separated from the four provinces, Tuathal caused palaces to be erected, which might adorn them, and commemorate the name in which they had been added to the royal domain. In the track taken out of Munster, he built the palace called Flachtaga, where the sacred fire, so called, was kindled, and where all the priests and druids annually met on the last day of October; on the evening of which day it was enacted, that no other fire should be be used throughout the kingdom, in order that all the fires might be derived from this, which being lighted up as a fire of sacrifice, their superstition led them to believe would render all the reil propitious and holy; and for this privilege every family was to pay threepence, by way of acknowledgment to the king of Munster. The second royal palace was erected in the proportion taken out of Connaught, and was built for the assembly called the convocation of Vifneach, at which all the inhabitants were summoned to appear on the 1st day of May, to offer sacrifice to Beal, or Bel, the god of fire, in whose honour two large fires being kindled, the natives used to drive their cattle between them, which was supposed to be a preservative for them against accidents and distempers, and this was called Beal-Tinne, or Bel-Tine, or the festival of the god of fire. The king of Connaught at this meeting claimed a horse and arms from every lord of a manor or chieftain, as an acknowledgement for the lands taken from that province, to add to the territory of Meath. The third was that which Tailtean erected in the part taken from Ulster, where the fair of that name was held, which was remarkable for this particular circumstance, that the inhabitants brought their children thither, males and females, and contracted them in marriage, where the parents having agreed upon articles, the young people were joined accordingly; every couple contracted at this meeting, paid the king of Ulster an ounce of silver by way of acknowledgment. The royal mansion of Tarah, formerly destroyed by fire, being re-built by Tuatha, on the lands originally belonging to the king of Leinster, was reckoned as the fourth of these palaces; but as a fabric of that name had stood there before, we do not find that any acknowledgment was made for it to the king of Leinster.

Meath, with Clonmacnoise, is a bishop's see, valued in the king's books at L. 373:7:0½ Sterling, by an extent returned anno 28th Elizabeth; but, by a former extent taken anno 30th Henry VIII., the valuation amounts to L. 373, 12s. which being the largest and most profitable for the king, is the measure of the first fruits at this day. This see is reputed to be worth annually L. 3400. There were formerly many Episcopal sees in Meath, as Clonard, Duleek, Kells, Trim, Ardbraccan, Donaghclun, Slane, and Four, besides others of less note; all these, except Duleek and Kells, were consolidated, and their common see was fixed at Clonard, before the year 1152; at which time the division of the bishoprics in Ireland was made by John Paparo, cardinal-priest, entitled cardinal of St Lawrence in Damaso, then legate from Pope Eugene III. to the Irish. This division was made in a Synod held on the 6th of March in the abbey of Melifont, or, as some say, at Kells; and the two sees of Duleek and Kells afterwards submitted to the same fate. The constitution of this diocese is singular, having no dean nor chapter, cathedral, or economy.—Under the bishop, the archdeacon is the head officer, to whom, and to the clergy in general, the conge d'elire is used while bishops were elective. The affairs of the diocese are transacted by a synod, in the nature of a chapter, who have a common seal, which is annually lodged in the hands of one of the body, by the appointment and vote of the majority. The diocese is divided into twelve rural deaneries.

Of Clonmacnoise, now annexed to Meath: There is no valuation of this see in the king's books; but it is supposed to be included in the extent of the see of Meath, taken anno 30th Henry VIII. The chapter of this see consisted anciently of dean, chanter, chancellor, treasurer, archdeacon, and twelve prebendaries, but most of the possessions of them have fallen into lay-hands. At present the deanery is the only part of the chapter which subsists, to which the prebend of Cloghran is annexed, and he hath a seal of office, which appears to have been the ancient Episcopal seal of this see. This see was founded by St Kiaran, or Ciaran, the younger, in 548 or 549; and Dermot, the son of Ceroll, king of Ireland, granted the site on which the church was built.

Wof Meath. See Westmeath.