could be used as a fingering notation, a tablature to guide the player's hand through the range of the harp. O’Boyle's case has been examined from a musicological standpoint by Máire Egan (1983). While it is certain that Ogham was first designed as a system of writing and not for recording music; it is still possible that Ogham could have been used for musical notation after its invention. However, according to Egan, the lack of evidence of how exactly the traditional Irish harp was played means that the case cannot be proved one way or another. No. 11 Runogam na fian/Secret ogam of warriors No. 14 Ogam Bricrenn /Ogham of Bricrenn This follows the principle of one dot for B . two dots for L .. three dots for F ... and so on right up to twenty dots for I. A short composition then appears in this rather laborious system. Macalister could make neither head nor tail of it, and declared it to be an ancient fragment of druidic lore. However, Meroney re-examined the verse and found it to be a ditty about a poet bemoaning his poor choice of affordable drink! Uisge slébi ním sása coibche gon gére n-gnúsa deoc daim duinn techtas blusar bes lúsar gen go lúsa 'Mountain water does not satisfy me a boon that makes me pull a wry face drink of a brown deer that bellows maybe it enjoys it, but I do not' This alphabet is named after Briciu, the satirical poet in the court of the Ulster king Conchubar Mac Neasa, famed for his wicked tongue and skill in fomenting trouble. No. 17 Ogam adlenfid/Letter Rack Ogham: This variety involves a single score against the stemline in the manner of the appropriate aicme, with as many horizontal strokes at the end of it as needed for the letter. It is very similar to no. 51, except that the strokes are put at the end of the score. No. 19 Crad Cride Ecis/ Anguish of a Poet's Heart: This variety involves a rectangular figure laid against the stemline in the appropriate manner for the aicme, with as many projecting scores from its top as needed for the letter. It is hard to see what makes this alphabet more a cause of anguish than many of the others, but at least the name shows that a sense of humour is in operation. No.