£  O'Lconey,  Bee  Fola,  187,  189.     See  also  Oss.  Soc,  iv.  289  and  301,


CHAP.  Ill]  MONARCHICAL  GOVERNMENT  65

receptacles.  One  man,  and  sometimes  two,  had  charge  of
the  chessboard  and  chessmen.  The  board  was  enclosed  in
some  sort  of  case,  and  the  men  were  often  kept  in  a  bag  of
wire  netting.*

There  was  a  tdisech  scuir  or  master  of  the  horse ;  who
had  charge  of  the  king's  stables  and  horses,  and  there  was
an  echere  or  groom.  Three  outriders  or  esquires  {mar>,aig
or  ritiri  :  '  horsemen  '  or  '  knights  ')  attended  king  Conari,
each  of  them — even  when  off  duty — holding  a  whip  or
scourge  (sraigell)  in  his  hand,  symbolical  of  office,  f  We
find  mentioned,  among  the  other  officials,  chief  swineherds
and  chief  cooks,  whose  positions  were  obviously  considered
of  importance. I  Runners,  i.e.  messengers  or  couriers,  were
always  kept  in  the  king's  or  chief's  employment :  and  not
unfrequently  we  find  women  employed  in  this  office.  Finn
Mac  Cumail  had  a  female  runner  who  figures  in  the  story
of  Dermot  and  Grania.
