PREFACE.
The following Play is founded on a Milesian legend, translated from the original Irish
by Dr. Keating, entitled “The Death of the Children of Usnach.” A beautiful translation
of the ancient dramatic Irish tale, literally rendered from the original Gaelic, entitled
“Daidra; or, The Lamentable Fate of the Sons of Usnach,” may be found in the first volume
of the Transactions of the Gaelic Society of Dublin, by Theophilus O'Flanagan.
It will be perceived by the dramatic critic that I have adopted the English mode of pronouncing
the Irish proper names, instead of the ancient Gaelic, as being not only more
poetical, but decidedly more dramatic. Thus, Daidra is pronounced Da-i-dra; Naisa,
Na-i-sa; Ainli, Ain-li; Ardan, Ar-dan; Lavercam, Lav-er-cam; Cuchullan, Cu-chul-lan;
Conal Carnach, Con-al Car-nach; Buini, Bu-i-ni; Barach, Ba-rach; Manani, Ma-na-ni;
Eogan Mor, E-o-gan Mor; and so of all the others.
T. H. C.
Mount Vernon, New York, Nov. 7th, 1854.
