the area. These numerous caves and underground passages provided a shelter for early settlers. The ringed forts were built for defense during the Bronze Age and were used up to the 12th Century and later. They were built of clay, stone and bushes. Medieval The earliest surviving reference to Glangevlin is a poem called Acallam na Senórach composed c. 1180. In the poem Caílte mac Rónáin meets Saint Patrick and relates tales to him about the Fianna. In one of these tales Fionn mac Cumhaill is captured by the High King of Ireland, Cormac mac Airt. In order to release Fionn, Caílte must bring two of every wild animal in Ireland to Cormac. One stanza states- Dhá cháochan a Ghleann Gaibhle, (Two chough birds from Glangevlin). The tale is also found in Book of the Dean of Lismore. A variant of the tale is in the Great Book of Lecan. The Book of Magauran also contains several early mentions of Glangevlin. Poem VI, stanza 2, composed c. 1290 by Giolla Pádraig Mac Naimhin, states- Ad chondairc me aislingi tiar ar bord Glinni Gaibhli iarrfoidhmid na haichinti go findum in bha taibsi dar Dia smaith mo tairisi bam breth uaithibh i nairdi. (I had some visions in the West beside Gleann Gaibhle; I will consult knowledgeable folk to find whether they were merely a vain dream; great is my hope, I swear, of being mounted on a horse by them). Poem V, stanza 5, composed c. 1323 by Lúcas Mac Naimhin, states- Ro bo minci crodh na ceall ar comairci a craibh Railenn tainte sluaigh Glindi Gaibli tre buaibh cilli ar comairghi. (Most often was the kine of churches spared by the Hero of Raoileann; the flocks of the host of Gleann Gaibhle are safe owing to those churches' kine being spared). Stanza 31 in the same poem states- Tug Gleand nGaibli gan ghabhail marbhadh meic Meg Amradain fagus tra in gabhal don glinn in ladhar ge ta ar toitim (That Gleann Gaibhle is untaken is caused by the death of McGovern's son; the fork lies near the glen, though its prongs are broken). Poem XXIII, stanza 27, composed c. 1339 by Aonghus Ó hEoghusa, states- Ni gael crechi cimsa a tiri Teallach nEachthach anba an toir beth ag on fhir im Gleand nGaibhli fidh ma ceand ni daingni doibh (Tullyhaw's borders know little of being raided- it would be too