"These two poems together constitute a
compendium of the
topography of pre-Norman
Ireland, as seen, however, by poets who lived two centuries after the invasion. Triallam timcheall na Fodla ... is an account of the territories of the northern half of Ireland and
Leinster, indicating the ruling family or families of each
district. Tuilleadh feasa ar Éirinn óigh ... treats in similar fashion of the southern half of Ireland, including Leinster, of which we have therefore two independent accounts. The introductory
stanzas of Ó hUidhrín's poem, in which he defines the scope of his work and its relation to that of his predecessor, may be summarised as follows: I shall tell you here of the noble
kindreds of Ireland who have been omitted by Ó Dubhagáin. It is not through want of knowledge that he has not described Leinster, for he has treated of
Conn's half only. To describe the
southern half,
Munster, Leinster, and the lands about the lower
Shannon, falls within my province."