The ecclesiastical element in the Old-Irish legal tract Cáin Fhuithirbe

This paper examines some aspects of the Old Irish legal tract Cain Fhuithirbe, especially the role of the church in its compilation. This text is of particular importance in that it can be dated on historical grounds to within a few years of AD 680. The paper discusses the state of preservation of the text, analyses various passages which can shed light on the date and style of composition of, and ecclesiastical involvement in, this fragmentarily preserved text, and concludes with a discussion of the final part of the text which is of relevance to Patrician studies.