'^ /bs ' < (^ IRISH ARCHiEOLOGICAL SOCIETY. BDSTDN COLLEGE LIBRARY ADVERTISEMENT. CHESTNUT HILL, MASS. The Council having discovered that the third Tract, whicli was intended for the present Volume, had been previously announced by the Camden Society, have resolved upon withholding it for the present, reserving for future con- sideration, whether it may be desirable to resume the Publication. In the mean time they have determined upon issuing to the Members that part of the Volume which is ready, and contains : I. The Circuit of Ireland, by Muircheartach Mac Neill, A.D. 942. Edited by John O'Donovan, Esq. II. A Brief Description of Ireland, 1590. Edited by Aquilla Smith, M.D., M.R.I.A. their temporary office, deem it their duty to lay before this Meeting the following brief statement of the prospects of the Society and of their own proceedings : " They are happy to be able to say, that the favour with which the general design and objects of the Society have been received, and the highly respect- able names that will be found in the accompanying list of the original Mem- bers of the Society, leave no doubt of the practicability of the undertaking, and supply every motive, that the certainty of success can hold out to your future Council, to exert themselves to the utmost in the prosecution of your designs. a " The IRISH ARCHiEOLOGICAL SOCIETY. At the First Annual General Meeting of the Irish Arch^ological Society, held in the rooms of the Natural History Society, No. 202, Great Brunswick-street, DubUn, on Tuesday, the 3rd day of May, 1841. John Smith Furlong, Esq., Q. C, in the Chair. The Rev. J. H. Todd, D. D., Secretary of the Society, announced that His Excellency the Lord Lieutenant had been graciously pleased to permit himself to be named Patron of the Society. Also that His Grace the Duke of Leinster, at the invitation of the Council, had accepted the office of President for the year now commencing. The Secretary then proceeded to read the following Report from the Provisional Council: " The Provisional Council of the Irish Archaeological Society, on resigning their temporary ofSce, deem it their duty to lay before this Meeting the following brief statement of the prospects of the Society and of their own proceedings : " They are happy to be able to say, that the favour with which the general design and objects of the Society have been received, and the highly respect- able names that will be found in the accompanying list of the original Mem- bers of the Society, leave no doubt of the practicability of the undertaking, and supply every motive, that the certainty of success can hold out to your future Council, to exert themselves to the utmost in the prosecution of your designs. a " The " The tlianks of tlie Society are due to His Excellency the Lord Lieutenant, who, at a very early stage of its existence, was pleased to signify his intention of becoming a Member, and has since consented to accept the office of Patron of the Society. " To His Grace the Duke of Leinster also your thanks are due, for the inte- rest he has expressed in your design, and for the prompt and gracious manner in which he has condescended to comply with the request of the Council, by undertaking to fill the Chair of President for the year now commencing. " But, notwithstanding the very encoiu-aging support that the Society has received, the Council would strongly recommend that efforts be made to increase the number of Members, and particularly to induce a larger proportion of the gentry of Ireland to join the Society. For tliis purpose, it would be desirable that each Member should apply to liis own private friends, or suggest to the Council the names of persons likely to feel an interest in the objects of the So- ciety, in order that the subject may be officially brought before them by the Secretary. It is, in fact, the interest of every one who has already joined the Society, to enlarge the number of its Members, because the value and number of its pubKcations must be in proportion to its income ; and, therefore, upon the general income of the Society, or in other words, upon the number of its Members will depend the return which each Member will receive for his subscription. " The Council have little doubt, from the patronage already given to the Society, that as soon as your first pubKcation is in the hands of the Members there will be no difficulty in increasing your numbers, and they would there- fore suggest, that a discretionary power be lodged in the hands of your future Council of enlarging the limit originally proposed to the number of Members, so as not to exceed five hundred. And here it may be remarked, in answer to some who have expressed surprise at any Hmit to the number of Members having been fixed in your Rules, while, at the same time, the importance of increasing your numbers is so strongly felt, that it is absolutely necessary to name some limit, and that as near as possible to the actual or probable number of your Members, in order that the Council may be able to determine the number of copies to be printed of each publication, and thus to avoid the useless expense of printing a larger niimber than is likely to be required for the use of the Society. By this arrangement the additional advantage is also gained, that those who join the Society after the announced limit is completed, will have no no reason to complain, if it should turn out that the earlier publications can- not be supplied to them. " The first step taken by the Provisional Council, with a view to the future operations of the Society, was to put into the hands of Mr. O'Donovan and Mr. Curry, two scholars pre-eminently qualified for the task, the celebrated Glos- sary of Connac Mac Cuillionan, King of Munster and Bishop of Cashel, who flourished at the end of the ninth century, and was killed in battle, A. D., 908. This curious repertory of ancient Irish is of incalculable value to all students of the obsolete part of the language, and will be indispensable hereafter to ourselves, if our Society should so far prosper as to be able to undertake the publication of our Brehon laws, and other difficult remains of the ancient literature of Ireland. " Through the kindness of Mr. George Smith, a very ancient manuscript of Cormac's Glossary was placed at the disposal of the Council, and another very valuable MS. for the use of which the Society is indebted to George Petrie, Esq., has been adopted as the basis upon which the text of the work has been formed, by a careful collation with the MSS. deposited in the Libraries of the University and of the Royal Irish Academy. This collation has been already com- pleted by Mr. O'Donovan, assisted by Mr. Curry, and from the text thus formed Mr. O'Donovan is at present engaged in preparing a translation and illustrative notes. Mr. Curry has also undertaken to examine other ancient glossaries, preserved in the University Library, by whose aid he has been enabled to throw much light on the obscurities of the original; and the Council have every reason to hope that the continuance of his labours will be cro^vned with still greater success. They would, therefore, strongly recommend it to their successors not to be in too great haste to publish this work, but to keep it by them in Mr. O'Donovan's hands, until it receives such accessions, from a full examination of all the other sources of information on the sub- ject, which are or may be placed within his reach, as will render it as nearly complete as the nature of the case will admit. " In the meantime, the Council have made provision to satisfy the literary cravings of the Society, and it is hoped that a volmne of miscellaneous tracts will be ready for distribution among the Members, in about six weeks firom the present time. This volimie will contain three very curious and interesting tracts, the first of which, to be edited by Mr. O'Donovan, is an Irish poem, a 2 written written in the year 942, describing a journey undertaken by Muircheartach, Prince of Aileacli, for the purpose of taking hostages from the native chiefs, who were most likely to oppose his accession to the throne of Tara, of which he was then the heir apparent. This poem vnll be published in the original, accompanied by a translation and notes, in which a mass of infor- mation, historical and topographical, the greater part of which was never before published, has been brought together in a manner highly creditable to Mr. O'Donovan's industry and learning. It will also be accompanied by a Map of Ireland, in which the names of the districts and places mentioned in the poem are given, and which may, therefore, be considered as a very correct representation of the geographical state of this country in the middle of the tenth century. " The second tract in the volume will be edited by Dr. Aquilla Smith ; it is a reprint of a very scarce tract printed in London in the reign of Eliza- beth, and is a description of Ireland by an English settler named Payne, who had obtained ground in the County Cork, and who wrote evidently with a\'iew to attract others of his countrymen to embark their capital in a similar speculation. For the use of this very rare tract the thanks of the Society are again due to Mr. George Smith. " The third tract is an accoimt of the war of King James the Second, in Ireland, written by Colonel Charles O'Kelly, one of the commanders in the army of that prince, and a very accomplished scholar. The tract will be edited by George Petrie, Esq., from a MS. which has recently been added to the collection of Trinity College. " Great pains have been taken to render the typographical execution of the volume now in the Press creditable to the Society and to Ireland ; and the Council can confidently promise that there will be no cause for complaint in that department. They have procured for their title page a beavitifully exe- cuted head of Sir James Ware, taken from the engraving by Vertue ; which they hope will be received as a tribute of respect to the memory of an anti- quary, to whom more, perhaps, than to any other individual, if we except only the illustrious Primate Ussher, Irish literature and Irish history are indebted, not only for the information which is published to the world in his writings, but for thei still more valuable service of having been the means of preserving, in an age in which such sources of learning were but little valued, the precious precious remains of our ancient chronicles, and laws, and poetry. In his writings, too, as well as in those of Usslier, we have an eminent example of a calm and unprejudiced use of these fountains of history, in the true spirit of real learning, not distorted by any party bias, and influenced, as purely as can be expected, perhaps, from the weakness of our nature, by a sincere and manifest love of truth. " The Council have also resolved upon getting an ornamented initial letter engraved for every Irish tract, or work, printed by the Society, to be taken from some remarkable Irish manuscript ; and they hope by this means to collect some valuable specimens of ancient Irish calligraphy, which cannot fail to prove interesting to the Members of the Society, and which may also, perhaps, assist in removing the prejudice, or scepticism, that has unreasonably prevailed on the subject of the ancient literature of Ireland ; a prejudice which is founded chiefly, if not entirely, upon ignorance, and which cannot better be assailed than by laying before the learned pubHc specimens of what Irish artists of the middle ages really did effect ; since it must be evident, that a people, whose literary remains are adorned with such exqmsite designs of penmanship, could hardly have been the rude and ignorant barbarians that it has hitherto been the fashion to represent them. In the forthcoming volume there will be found an ornamented letter and head-piece, for which the Society are indebted to Dr. Aquilla Smith, which are accurately copied from the Book of Kells, in the library of Trinity College. " There is but one other subject upon which the Council feel it necessary to make any observations in this Report ; it is in reference to an objection which has been made against one of the Rules of the Society — that which pro- liibits the sale of our books to the public, and which confines their circulation to our own Members. " The Rule has been adopted after the most mature consideration, and from a conviction of its expediency, grounded on the experience of other similar So- cieties. The object of this Society is not to publish works of amusement or entertainment to suit the popular taste, but to rescue from oblivion, and to preserve for future historians and philologists such ancient documents as could never otherwise, perhaps, have found a publisher ; and yet, to the scholar, and for the interests of learning, and even as supplying the materials for those more popular works which may hereafter, perhaps, be founded upon them, it is most important important that sucli documents should be printed, although in themselves they contain nothing to induce a bookseller, with any prospect of profit or remu- neration, to undertake their publication. " Now, if such works are, from time to time, printed by this Society, along with others of a more popular and generally attractive character, and if all the publications of the Society be offered for sale to the world, it is obvious that many will l)e induced to abstain from becoming Members, on the ground that they can procure such of the Society's publications as are of any interest to them, without being compelled to take those which are of a heavier or graver cast; and thus the income of the Society will be diminished, and its power of pub- lishing the less popular, and more important publications, materially limited. In short, a Society that depends for its funds, in any great degree, upon the sale of its publications, will necessarily find itself bound to consider the popular taste, rather than the advantages of solid learning, in the selection of documents lor publication ; and must, in fact, be guided, more or less, by the same prin- ciples, and therefore circumscribed and limited in the same way, as a bookseller would be, who should undertake the publication of a series of such works, with a view to remuneration. " The Council, therefore, are of opinion that this regulation is a vital one, and cannot be abandoned, without abandoning in a great degree, one of the principal objects ibr the attainment of whicli the Society was instituted." The Rc})ort having been read, it was resolved — " That the Report now read be adopted, and that the Council be requested to consider the expediency of printing and circulating it, with a view to make the objects of the Society better known." The Ibllowing Rules were then considered and adopted as the FUNDAMENTAL RULES OF THE SOCIETY. 1. The number of Members shall be limited to 500. 1 1 . The alfairs of the Society shall be managed by a President and Council of twelve Members, to be elected annually by the Society. 111. Those Noblemen and Gentlemen who have already been admitted Members Members, up to the first day of May, 1841, sliall be deemed the original Mem- bers of the Society, and all future Members sluill be elected liy the Council. IV. Each Member shall pay fbiu' pounds on the first year of his election, and one pound every subsequent year. These ])aymcnts to be made in advance, on or before tlie lirst day of January, annually. V. Such Members as desire it may become Life Members, on ])aym('nt ol' the sum of thirteen pounds. VI. Every Member whose subscription is not in arrear shall be entitled to receive one copy of each publication of the Society issued subsecpiently to his admission ; and the books printed by the Society vshall not be sold to the public. VII. No Member wlio is three months in arrear of his subscription shall be entitled to vote, or to any other privileges of a Member; and any Memlx^r who shall be one year in arrear shall be considered as having resigned. VIII. Any Member who shall gratuitously edit any book, approved of by th(> Council, shall be entitled to twenty copies of such book, when printed, for his own use: and the Council shall at all times be ready to receive suggestions from Members, relative to such rare books or manuscripts as they may be ac- quainted with, and which they may deem worthy of l)eing printed by the Society. IX. The Council shall have power to appoint officers ; and to make by-laws not inconsistent with the fundamental lawsof the Society. The following Noblemen and Gentlemen were then elected as the President and Council of the Irish Archtcological Socic!ly for the ensuing }'ear : — ^resilient. HIS GRACE THE DUKE OF LEINSTER. (iDouncil. The Eaul of Leitrim. Viscount Adare, M.P. Lord Fitzgerald and Vesci. Lord George Hill. Rev. J. H. Todd, D.D. Rev. Richard Butler, M.A. John Smith Furlong, Esq., Q.C. James Mac Cullaoii, Esq., LL.D. Aquilla Smith, Esq., M.I). Joseph Huband Smith, Esq., M.A. George Petrie, Esq., R.II.A. Edward Cane, Esq. It It was proposed by Joseph Huband Smith, Esq., and seconded by the Rev. Dr. Todd, and resolved unanimously, " That the thanks of this Society be given to the Natural History Society, for the kind and handsome manner in which they have granted the use of their rooms for this Meeting." And then the Society adjourned. ORIGINAL MEMBERS OF THE SOCIETY. 1841. \_Life Memheis are nmrJied thus *.] patron : HIS EXCELLENCY THE LORD LIEUTENANT OF IRELAND. *HIS GRACE THE DUKE OF LEINSTER. His Grace the Archbishop of Canterbury. His Grace the Lord Primate of Ireland. * His Grace the Duke of Buckingham. His Grace the Duke of Northumberland. The Marquis of Conyngham. The Marquis of Downshire. The Marquis of Ely. The Marquis of Ormonde. * Tlie Marquis of Kildare. The Earl of Bandon. The Earl of Carlisle. The Earl of Cawdor. The Earl of Charlemont. The Earl of Donoughmore. The EARLof Dunraven. The Earl of Enniskillen. The Earl of Fife. The Earl Fitzwilliam. The Earl of Leitrim. The Earl of Meath. The Earl of Powis. The Earl of Rosse. The Viscount Acheson, M.P. The Viscount Adare, M.P. The Viscount De Vesci. The Viscount Lismore. The Viscount Lorton. The Viscount Massareene. The Viscount Morpeth. * The Viscount Palmerston. The Viscount Powerscourt. The Viscount Templetown. Lord George Hill. The Lord Bishop of Cashel, Waterford, and Lismore. The Lord Bishop of Clogher. The Lord Bishop of Cork, Cloyne, and Ross. The Lord Bishop of Derry and Raphoe. The Lord Bishop of Down and Connor. lO Tlio Lord Bishop of Elphin. The LoKU liisiioi' of Kiluake. Lord Caubkky. Loud Ckemorne. Lord Farniiam. Lord Fitzgerald and Vesey. Loud Trimlestown. Abraham Ahcll, Esq., M.ll.LA., Cork. William Antiscll, Esq., Alihcy-st., Dublin. .John Hopkins Armstrong', Esq., Fitzwiliiain- squarc, l)ut)lin. Hugh Barton, jun., Esq., Regent-st., London. Robert Bateson, Esq., Belview, Belfast. Miss Beaufort, Hatch-street, Dublin. Sir Miebael Dillon Bellew, Bart., Mount Dillon, Galway. Rev. William M. Beresford, Ballytore. .John Blacliford, Esq., 30, Moorgate-street, London. Maxwell Blacker, Esq., Q. C, Merrion- square, Dul)lin. Loftus Bland, Esq., Pembroke-st., Dublin. I'.indon Blood, Esq., M.R.LA., F.R.S.E., Edinl)urgh. * Beriah Botfield, Esq., M.P., M.R.LA., London. HiKlit Hon. Maziere Brady, Lord Cliief Baron of the E.\che(iuer, M.R.LA. Hailiday Bruce, Esq., M.R.LA., Dublin. .lohn Bruce, Esq., F.S.A., 17, King's Parade, Chelsea, London. Rev. Doctor Brunton, Edinburgh. Samu(!l Bryson, Esq., Belfast. Rev. Samuel Bnteher, A.M., Fellow of Tri- nity College, Dublin. Rev. Richard Butler, A.M., Trim. Robert Callwell, Esq., M.R.LA., Herbert- place, Dublin. Edward Cane, Esq., M.R.LA., Dawsou-st., Dublin. George Carr, Esq., M.R.L A.,'MountioY-s(|., Dublin. -^ ^ Rev. .losejib Carson, A.M., M.R.LA., Fel- low of Trinity College, Dublin. Rev. William Carus, A.M., Fellow of Tri- nity College, Cambridge. Thomas Cather, Esq., 20, Blessington-street, Dublin. Rev. Wm. Cleaver, A. M., Delgany. Rev. Thomas De Vere Coneys, A. M., Pro- fessor of Irish in the University of Dublin. Fred. W. Conway, Esq., M.R.LA., Rath- mines-road, Dublin. .T. R. Cooke, Esq., Blessington-st., Dublin. Rev. G. E. Corrie, B.D., Fellow of St. Catherine's Hall, Cambriilge. Very Rev. Henry Cotton, LL.D., Dean of Lismore. Thomas Coulter, Esq., M.D., M.R.LA, Trinity College, Dublin. James T. Gibson Craig, Esq., Edinburgh. Rev. John Clarke Crosthwaite, A. M., Dean's Vicar, Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin. Rev. Edward Cupples, LL.B., V. G. of Down and Connor, Lisburn. Miss J. M. Richardson Currer, Eshton Hall, Yorkshire. Rev. Robert Daly, A.M., Powerscourt. C. Wentworth Dilke, Esq., 118, Sloane- street, London. Rev. Robert Vickers Dixon, A. M., M. R. I. A., Fellow of Trinity College, Dublin. W. C. Dobbs, Esq., Fitzwilliam-place, Dub- lin. Major Francis Dunne, A.D.C., Brittas, Clo- naslee. Rev. Charles R. EIrington, D.D., M.R.LA., Regius Professor of Divinity, Dublin. Sir Robert Ferguson, Bart., M.P., London- derry. Patrick Vincent Fitzpatrick, Esq., Eccles- street, Dublin. 1 1 W. D. Freeman, Esq., Upper Mount-street, Dublin. Alfred Furlong, Esq., Newcastle, County Limerick. John S. Furlong, Esq., Q.C., Leeson-street, Dublin. Edmund Getty, Esq., Victoria-place, Belfast. Rev. Richard Gibbings, A.M., Trinity Col- lege, Dublin. Rev. A. T. Gilbert, D.D., Master of Bra- zenose College, Oxford. Michael Henry Gill, Esc^., Great Brunswick- street, Dublin. The Knight of Glin, Limerick. Robert J. Graves, Esq., M.D., M. R. L A., Dublin. G. B. Grant, Esq., Grafton-street, Dublin. John Gray, Esq., Greenock, Right Hon. Thomas Grenville, Cleveland- square, London. Richard Griffith, Esq., M.R.LA., Dublin. John Gumley, Esq., LL.D., St. Stephen's- gi'een, Dublin. James Haire, Esq., Summer-hill, Dublin. Sir Benjamin Hall, Bart., M.P., Wimpole- street, London. J. Orchard Halliwell, Esq., Hon. M.R.LA., London. James Hardiman, Esq., M.R.LA., Galway. Andrew Searle Hart, Esq., LL.D., M.R.LA., Fellow of Trinity College, Dublin. Hon. Algernon Herbert, Saffi'on Walden. John E. Herrick, Esq., Belmount, Cooks- town. Thomas Hewitt, Esq., Cork. Sir J. W. H. Homan, Bart., Cappoquin. W. E. Hudson, Esq., Upper Fitzwilliam- street, Dublin. John Hely Hutchinson, Esq., Rue neuve de Luxembourg, Paris. Sir Robert H. Inglis, Bart., M.P., London. David Irving, Esq., LL.D., Edinburgh. John Hewitt Jellett, Esq., A.B., Fellow of Trinity College, Dublin. Robert Jones, Esq., Portland, Dromorc West. Robert Kane, Esq., M.D., M.R.LA., Glou- cester-street, Dublin. William Kane, Esq., Gloucester-street, Dub- lin. Denis H. Kelly, Esq., Castle Kellv, Mount Talbot. Henry Kemmis, Esq., Q.C., Merrion-square, Dublin. Right Hon. the Knight of Kerry, Listowell. Rev. Henry Barry Knox, Monks Eleigh, Bilderstone, Suffolk. George J. Knox, Esq., M.R.LA., Maddox- street, Regent-street, London. David Laing, Esq., Signet Library, Edin- burgh. Henry Lanauze, Esq., College-green, Dublin. Captain Thos. A. Larcom, R.E., M.R.LA., Dublin. William Lee, Esq., A.M., M.R.L A., Fellow of Trinity College, Dublin. The Right Hon. Thomas Lefroy, M.P., Leeson-street, Dublin. John Lindsay, Esq., Cork. Rev. Humphrey Lloyd, D.D., V.P.R.LA., Fellow of Trinity College, Dublin. Rev. Richard Low, Ahascragh, Galway. John Low, Esq., Dublin. Joseph Lowell, Esq., London. Very Rev. J. P. Lyons, Lyons Port, Belmullet. *Jas. Mac Cullagh, Esq., LL.D., M.R.LA., Fellow of Trinity College, Dublin. Alexander M'Donnell, Esq., Dublin, George M'Dowell, Esq., A.M., M.R.LA., Fellow of Trinity College, Dublin. M'Gillicuddy of the Reeks. James M'Glashan, Esq., Dublin. Rev. John M'Hugh, Baldoyle. John W. M'Kenzie, Esq., Edinburgh. Rev. Thomas M'Neece, A.M., M.R.LA., Fellow of Trinity College, Dublin. Sir Fred. Madden, Hon, M,R.I.A., British Museum, J. Magee, Esq., Lower Merrion-st., Dublin. b2 12 John Mahon, Jun., Esq., Warneford-court, Throckmorton-street, London. Pierce Mahony, Esq., M.R.I. A., Dame-st., Dublin. Rev. Samuel Roffey Maitland, F.R.S., Pa- lace, Lambeth. Andrew John Maley, Esq., Merrion-square, Dublin. Henry Hartley, Esq., L. Gardiner-st. , Dublin. George Mathews, Esq., Spring Vale, Belfast. Rev. George Maxwell, Askeaton. Henry J. Monck Mason, Esq., M.R.LA., Dublin. Rev. Charles H. Monsell, Coleraine. William Monsell, Esq., Tervoe, Limerick. Thomas Moore, Esq., Sloperton, Devizes. John Shank More, Esq., Great King-street, Edinbm'gh. J. Nelson, Esq., 28, Gloucester-st., Dublin. Joseph Neeld, Esq., M.P., Grosvenor-square, London. William Nugent, Esq., Killester Abbey, Raheny. Sir Lucius O'Brien, Bart., M.R. L A., Dromo- land. Augustus Stafford O'Brien, Esq., Blather- wycke Park, Wandesford, Northampton- shire. William Smith O'Brien, Esq., M.P., Carmoy Hill, Limerick. Daniel O'Connell, Esq., M.P., Dublin. Mat. O'Connor, Esq., M.R.LA., Mountjoy- square, Dublin. The O' Donovan, Mountpelier, Douglas, Cork. * John O'Donovan, Esq., Dublin. Thomas O'Hagan, Esq., Upper Mountjoy- street, Dublin. Major O'Hara, Annamoe, Collooney. Charles O'Malley, Esq., North Gt. George's- street, Dublin. Rev. Caesar Otway, A.B., M.R.LA., Dublin. Rev. Mortimer O'Sullivan, D.D., Killyman. Right Hon. Sir Robert Peel, Bart., M.P., London. Louis Hayes Petit, Esq., F.R.S., No. 9, New Square, Lincoln's Inn, London. George Petrie, Esq., R.H.A., M.R.LA., Great Charles-street, Dublin. Sir Thomas Phillipps, Bart., Broadway, Worcestershire. John Edward Pigott, Esq., 8, Merrion- square, South, Dublin. Robert Pitcairn, Esq., Queen-st., Edinburgh. William Potts, Esq., L. Mount-st., Dublin. Hon. Edward Preston, Gormanstown Castle, Balbriggan. Colonel J. Dawson Rawdon, M.P., Cold- stream Guards, Stanhope-street, London. Rev. L. F. Renahan, College, Maynooth. Rev. Thomas R. Robinson, D.D., M.R.LA., Observatory, Armagh. Richard Rothwell, Esq., Rockfield, Kells. Rev. Franc Sadleir, D.D., V.P.R.LA., Provost of Trinity College, Dublin. Francis A. Sanders, Esq., A.B., Dublin. Rev. William Sewell, A.M., Fellow of Exeter College, Oxford. Right Hon. Frederick Shaw, M.P., Recorder of Dublin. Remmy H. Sheehan, Esq., Mespil House, Dublin. Evelyn R. Shirley, Esq., M.P., Eatington Park, Shipton-on-Stour. Rev. Joseph H. Singer, D.D., M.R.LA., Senior Fellow of Trinity College, Dublin. Aquilla Smith, Esq., M.D., M.R.LA., Baggot-street, Dublin. * Rev. John Campbell Smith, Glasgow. Jos. Huband Smith, Esq., A.M., M.R.LA., Dublin. William Smith, Esq., Carbeth Guthrie, Stirlingshire. John Smith, Esq., LL.D., Secretary of the Maitland Club, Glasgow. Rev. J. J. Smith, M.A., Fellow of Caius College, Cambridge. * George Smith, Esq., Lower Baggot-street, Dublin. J. George Smyly, Esq., Merrion-st., Dublin. George Lewis Smyth, Esq., 16, Bridge-street, Parliament-street, London. Sir Wm. Meredith Somerville, Bart., M.P. Thomas Stack, Esq., A.M., Fellow of Trinity College, Dublin. William Stokes, Esq., M.D., M.R.LA., Regius Professor of Physic, Dublin. Andrew Storie, Esq., Signet Library, Edin- burgh. Hon. Andrew Godfrey Stuart, Aughnacloy. Rev. Hamilton Stuart, Rochfort, Buncrana. William Villiers Stuart, Esq., Dromana, Cappoquin. George Studdert, Jim., Esq., A.B., Trinity College, Dublin. * Robert James Tennent, Esq., Belfast. James Thompson, Esq., Belfast. Robert Tighe, Esq., Fitzwilliam-square, Dub- lin. W. F. Tighe, Esq., Woodstock, Liistiogue. * Rev. James H. Todd, D.D., V.P.RJ.A., Fellow of Trinity College, Dublin. George Tomb, Esq., Temple-street, Dublin. Rev. Rob. Traill, D.D.,M.R.L A., F.R.S.E., SchuU, Skibbereen. Travers Twiss, Esq.,F.R.S., University Col- lege, Oxford. Crofton Moore Vandeleur, Esq., Kilrush. Sir Hussey Vivian, Bart., M.P., Ordnance, London. John Walker, Esq., Cornhill House, Cold- stream, W.B. Rev. Charles Wm. Wall, D.D., M.R.LA., Senior Fellow of Trinity College, Dublin. James Wall, Esq., Baggot-street, Dublin. Hugh Walsh, Esq., Drumsna. Samuel HibbertWare, Esq., M.D., F.R.S.E York. Charles T. Webber, Esq., M.R.LA., 22, Upper Gloucester-street, Dublin. Hon. Henry R. Westenra, Dell, Windsor. Lestock P. Wilson, Esq., North Audley-st., London. Rev. John Wilson, B.D., Fellow of Trinity College, Oxford. Rev. James Wilson, D.D., Precentor of St. Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin. Edward Wright, Esq., Blessington-street, Dublin. Rev. Walter Young, Enniskillen. WORKS PREPARING FOR PUBLICATION. I. The Book of Obits of the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity, commonly called Christ's Church, Dublin : to be edited from the original MS. in the Li- brary of Trinity College, Dublin, by the Rev. John Clarke Crosthwaite, M.A., Dean's Vicar in Christ Church, Dublin. II. The Battle of Moira, from an ancient Irish MS. in the Library of Trinity College, Dublin : to be edited, with a Translation and Notes, by John O'Donovan, Esq. III. Grace's Annals of Ireland, a Latin MS. in the Library of Trinity College, Dublin : to be edited, with a Translation and Notes, by the Rev. Richard Butler, A.M. IV. Cormac's Glossary, in the original Irish : to be edited, with a Translation and Notes, by John O'Donovan, Esq. V. The Royal Visitation Book of the Province of Armagh in 1622, from the Original in the Library of Trinity College, Dublin : to be edited by James H. Todd, D.D., Fellow of Trinity College, and Treasurer of St. Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin. VI. The Progresses of the Lords Lieutenants in Ireland, from the original jMS. in Trinity College Library : to be edited by Joseph Huband Smith, Esq. IRISH ARCH^OLOGICAL SOCIETY. patron : HIS EXCELLENCY THE LORD LIEUTENANT OF IRELAND. ^res&ent : His Grace the Duke of Leinster. Council : Elected May, 1841. The Earl of Leitrim. The Viscount Adare, M. P. Lord Fitzgerald and Vesci. Lord George Hill. Rev. James H. Todd, D. D., Secretary. Rev. Richard Butler, M. A. John Smith Furlong, Esq., Q. C, Treasurer. James Mac Cullagh, Esq., LL. D. Aquilla Smith, Esq., M. D. Joseph Huband Smith, Esq., M. A. George Petrie, Esq., R. H. A. Edward Cane, Esq. TRACTS RELATING TO IRELAND, PRINTED FOR THE IRISH ARCH^OLOGICAL SOCIETY. VOL. I. BOSTON^'^CDLLEGE LIBRAKY CHESTNUT HILL, MASS. DUBLIN: MDCCCXLI. 205569 DUBLIN : PRINTED AT THE UNIVERSITY PRESS BY GRAISBERRY AND GILL. o ILLUSTRATE THE ■EARTACH MAC NEILL. FOR THE IRISH ARCH/€OLOCICA L SOCIETY 1841, thp: CIRCUIT OF IRELAND, BY MUIRCHEARTACH MAC NEILL, PRINCE OF AILEACH; A POEM, WRITTEN IN THE YEAR DCCCCXLII. BY CORMACAN EIGEAS, CHIEF POET OF THE NORTH OF IKELAND. NOW FOR THE FIRST TIME PRINTED, WITH A TRANSLATION AND NOTES, BY JOHN O'DONOVAN. DUBLIN: FOR THE IRISH ARCH^OLOGICAL SOCIETY. MDCCCXLI. DUBLIN : PKINTED AT THE UNIVEBSITV rUKSS UY GKAISUEKliy AND (JIM.. ^ INTRODUCTORY REMARKS. ;c^IIE following Poem is now translated and printed for the first time. The text has been obtained from two copies, the only MSS. of it known to the translator, which are preserved, the one in the Leahhar Gahhala, or Book of Invasions of Ireland, the other in the Genealogical Book of the O'Clerys, both deposited in the Library of the Royal Irish Academy. These books were transcribed by the eminent antiquary Peregrine O'Clcry, chief ofhisname, who was one of the assistants to his relative Michael O'Clery in com- })iling the celebrated chronicle, called the Annals of Donegal, or more commonly the Annals of the Four Masters, and also the three works described by Colgan in the preface to his Acta Sanctorum. The copy of the Leahhar Gabhala, above mentioned, is beyond a doubt, the original MS. of the third of these works. Colgan {lie. cit.) has given the following account of its contents: — " Tertius agit de primis Hibernian inhabitatoribus, de successivis ejus a diluvio per diversas gentes conqusestibus sive expugnationibus, de regibus interea regnantibus, de bellis et prailiis inter hos obortis, alilsque publicis Insula? casibus et cventibus ab anno post diluvium 278, usque ad annum Christi 1178." The poem itself, as stated in this work, was composed by Cormacan Eigeas, or Cormacan the Poet, who died in the year 948.* He was chief poet of the North of Ireland, and the friend and follower of Muircheartach or Murtogh, commonly called Muircheartach of the Leather Cloaks, from the circumstance of * Annal. IV. Mag. ad ann. 946, which date corresponds with A.D. 948. IRISH. ARCH. see. I. B 2 of his having provided coverings of leather for his soldiers on the expedition to which this poem relates, as shall be presently shewn. Mnircheartach was King of Aileach, and as such was entitled to the tributes of all the province of Ulster, with the exception of Tulach Og,^ Craebh,'' Moy Ith,*^ Inishowen,^ and Tirconnell, which were free territories,^ and he was, more- over, by birth, the next heir to the throne of Ireland. In the year 941, after a brilliant career of victory over the Danes of Dublin, and after having reduced to subjection for the monarch, (who was then an old man, and died soon after, in 944,) the native princes of Ossory and the Desies, he determined by a bold movement to facilitate his peaceful accession to the throne, by impressing the conviction on the minds of the Irish in general, that he was the next most powerful, as well as the most legitimate, heir to the monarchy then existing. Accordingly, in the depth of winter, when he knew that his opponents, not ex- pecting such a movement, were unprepared to make any formidable resistance to it, he set out "svith an army of a thousand chosen men to make the circuit of Ireland, for the purpose of exacting hostages from all such chieftains as he sup- posed were likely to oppose his future elevation. In this expedition he was eminently successful : he led the provincial kings or their sons captive, and after having detained them as hostages for five months at his palace of Aileach, he sent them to Donnchadh, or Donogh, the supreme king of Ireland, in testimony of his own loyalty, and to shew that he made no pretensions to the throne during the life-time of the reigning monarch. Donnchadh, however, resolving not to be outdone in generosity, refused to accept the hostages thus obtained ; and there is every reason to believe, though it is no where distinctly stated, that they were conducted back to Aileach and detained there until the death of Mnircheartach, which occurred in the year 943. It appears certain, from the poem itself, that on this journey of Prince Muir- cheartach, he was attended by Cormacan, its author, and that the poem was composed shortly after their return to Aileach. The date of its composition is therefore •> Now Tullyhoge, in the present county of of Donegal. Tyrone. ^ A barony in the present county of Done- '^ A territory in the present county of Derry, gal, formerly a part of Tyrone, in latter ages belonging to a branch of the ■ See Leabhar na g-Ceart, in Lib. Lecan, family of O'Kane. fol. 188, p. a. col. a. '' Now the barony of Raphoe, in the county therefore absolutely determined to tlie year 942, for it possesses internal evidence of having been written while Muircheartach was still alive, and yet not for some months after his return with the hostages, since it records the fact of their having been sent to King Donnchadh, which it also expressly says did not happen for five months after Muircheartach's return. These dates are determined in accordance with the chronology of the Annals of Ulster, corrected by the addition of one year to each date, so as to bring the years of our Lord into agreement with the lunar and solar cycles given in the same annals. The Annals of the Four Masters place each event two years earlier than the dates given in the corrected chronology of the Ulster Annals ; and they appear in this to have followed the authority of an ancient poem (which will be quoted in the course of these remarks) in which the year 941 is given as the date of Muircheartach's death. But this date does not agree with the days of the week as given in the Annals of Ulster, or by the Four Masters themselves ; the fonner annals, for example, record that Muircheartach was killed on Sunday, the 4th of the Kalends of March, in the year 942 ; but the 4th of the Kalends of March did not fall on Sunday in that year, but in the year 943, which is the true date intended by the annalist. The date assigned to this event in the Annals of the Four Masters is the 4th of the Kalends of March, in the year 941, but the day of the week is not added. If, however, the Ulster Annals be correct as to the day of the week, the year 941 given by the Four Masters cannot be at all correct, for in that year the 4th of the Kalends of March fell on Friday .s The comparative correctness of the dates in these two collections of annals, namely, of Ulster and of the Four Masters, about this period, may be more dis- tinctly tested by another entry found in both, recording Muircheartach's victory over the Danes at the Bridge of Cluain na g-Cruimther. Both agree that this victory was gained on a Thursday, the 28th of December, which actually fell on ^ It is stated in Mageoghegan's Translation therefore, that " Shrovetide Sunday" may be of the Annals of Clonmacnoise, that Muir- a mistake for Mid-lent Sunday, which was cheartach was killed in the year 936, " on certainly the day on which Muircheartach was Shrovetide Sunday." But the chronology of killed, for the 4th of the Kalends of March these annals is about this period seven years was Mid-lent Sunday in the year 943, which antedated, and the translator has interpolated is the true date of his death, the work in many places. It is possible. on that day of the week in the year 926, the date assigned in the Annals of Ulster; but the Annals of the Four Masters incorrectly place this event in 924, in which year the 28th of December fell on Tuesday. And hence, as Dr. O'Conor and Dr. Lanigan have already shown, the Annals of the Four Masters are about this period antedated by two years, though at a later period they are only one year antedated, and after the eleventh century their chronology be- comes correct.'' Ha\dng premised so much with reference to the date of this poem, we may now proceed to bring together such notices of its hero as are to be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, following, however, the corrected chronology of the Annals of Ulster. We first meet him in the year 921, in company with another chieftain, en- gaged in successful resistance to the inroads of the Danes : — " The country was plimdered in every direction by Godfrey, the grandson of Imar, namely, westwards as far as Inis Labhradha, eastwards as far as the RiA'cr Bann, and northwards as far as Magh-Uillsen ; but the army that went to tlie North was opposed by Muircheartach, the son of Niall, and by Aignert, the son of Murchadh, who defeated the Danes and slew great numbers of them ; a few, however, escaped in the darkness of the evening."' Five years after this, (A.D. 926), he gained two other victories over the same formidable enemies : — " The defeat of the Danes by Muircheartach, the son of Niall, at Snamh Aighnech uhi cc. decollati sunt."^ " A \dctory gained over the Danes by Muircheartach, the son of Niall, and the Ulidians, at the Bridge of Oluain na g-Cruimther, on the 28th day of De- cember, being Thursday ; where were killed 800 of the Danes, besides their chieftains, Albdan, the son of Godfrey, Aufer, and Roilt.'^ The other half of them ^ The Annals of CI onmacnoise also, though ' Annal. IV. Mag, ad ann. 919. Annal. they are in many instances seven years ante- Ulton. ad ann. 920 [921.] dated before the 1 1th century, are thencefor- ' Annal. Ulton. ad ann. 925 [926,] and poem ward very nearly correct. There is a defec of Flann on the Kinel Owen, in all our copies of the Annals of Tighear- ''Dr. O'Conor is mistaken in his version nach, from A. D. 766 to 973, in which is of this passage in the Annals of the Four unfortunately included the period of Muir- Masters ; he renders it thus : — " In qua cheartach's life and actions. occisi sunt octingenti duces, et Albdanus 7 tliem were besieged for a week at Ath Cruitlme, until Godfrey, lord of tlie Danes, came to their assistance from Dublin."^ The victory at the Bridge of Cluain na g-Crnimther is thus more distinctly recorded in the Annals of Ulster at the year 925, [926] : — " The fleet of Lough Cuan [Strangford Lough] took up their station at Linn Duachaill under the command of Alpthann, the son of Gothbrith [Godfrey] in Prid: Non: Septemb. A victory was gained by Muircheartach, the son of Niall, at the Bridge of Cluain na g-Cruimther in quintaferia, in quint: Kal: Jan : where Alpthan, the son of Gothbrith, was slain with a great slaughter of his army. The other half of them were besieged for a week at Ath Cruithne, until Gothbrith, king of the Danes, came from Dublin to relieve them." The next year (927) we find him engaged in a deadly feud with a native L'ish cliieftain, and also with Donnchadh, monarch of Leland : — " Goach, the son of Dubh-Roa, lord of Cianachta Glinne Gemhin,'" was slain by Muircheartach, the son of Niall. " Donnchadh, the grandson of Maoileachlainn, was prevented from celebrating the fair of Taillteann" by Muircheartach, the son of Niall, in consequence of a challenge of battle which was between them : but God separated them without slaucrhter or bloodshed."° His and Leabhar Gabhala of the O'Clerys, p. 211. " Cianachta Glinne Gemhin> is the ancient territorial name of the present barony of Keenaght, forming the N. W. part of the county of Londonderry. The River Roa, from which this chieftain's father took his name of Dubh-Roa, or Black man of the Roa, flows through this barony, dividing it into two nearly equal parts. " Now Teltown, in the county of East Meath, situate on the river Sele, now the Blackwater, midway between the towns of Kells and Navan. See Ordnance Map of the parish of Donaghpatrick, on which the site of the fair and sports of Taillteann is shewn. ° Annal. IV. Mag. ad ann. 925. Annal. Ulton. ad ann. 926 [927,] and Flann's poem on the Kinel Owen. filius Godfredi, Auferus et Roltus." Eight hundred leaders seems a large number to be slain in one engagement ; and accordingly Mr. Moore, in his account of this battle, alters it to eighty — Hist, of Ireland, vol. ii. p. 69. But the Irish will not bear either version. Ou in po mapbao occ cceo imo rcoipeacaib .1. Qlboann mac ^op- paic, Qupep, ajup Roilc. The true ver- sion of these words is given above ; and in the Annals of Inishfallen, where the same words in the original occur (ad ann. 926), they are correctly translated by Dr. O'Conor. Eight hundred was the total number of the slain on the side of the Danes, together with three of their leaders, Albdann, Aufer, and Roilt. ' Annal. IV. Mag. ad ann. 924. Annal. Ulton. adann.925[926.]BookofLeinster,fol.l3,rt.i. His quarrel with Donnchadh, however, still continued, for it is recorded in the Annals of the Four Masters, at the year corresponding to A. D. 929, that " An army was led by Donnchadli to LiathdruimP against Muirctieartach the son of NiaU, but they separated without bloodshed or coming to blows."^ Another victory over a Danish chieftain, who had a fleet on Lough Neagh, is recorded at the year 932 : — " Torolbh, the Earl, was killed by Muircheartach, the son of Niall, and the Dalaradians.'"^ In the next year (933) we find this heroic prince defeated in one battle by a native prince, and victorious in another against the united forces of the Uh- dians and the Danes : — " A victory was gained at Magh Uatha^ by Fergal, the son of Domhnall, and by Siochfraidh, the son of Uathmaran, i. e. the son of the daughter of Domh- nall, over Muircheartach, the son of Niall. In the fight Maolgarbh, son of Gairbith, lord of Derlas,* and Comnal, the son of Bruadi'an, and many others, were slain Matadhan, son of Aedh, with the Ulidians, and AmlafF, the son of Godfrey, with the Danes, plimdered and wasted the province [Ulster], westwards as far as Sliabh Beatha,^ and southwards as far as Mucnamha ;" but they were opposed by Muircheartach, the son of Niall, and a battle was fought between them in which Muircheartach gained the victory, and there were left with him two hundred heads [of the enemy] besides prisoners and spoils.'"^ The Annals of Ulster record the same fact, but give 1200 as the number of the enemy slain by Muircheartach.^ In P Liathdruim is the Irish name of the vil- of the counties of Monaghanand Fermanagh, lage of Leitrim in the County Leitrim. of which a good view is obtained from the '' Annal. IV. Mag. ad. ann. 927. Annal. town of Clones. It still retains its ancient Ulton. ad ann. 928 [929.] Irish name, but is anglicized Slieve Beagh. ' Annal. IV. Mag. ad ann. 930. Ann. " Now Mucknoe, near Castle Blayney, Ulton. ad ann. 931 [932,] and Flann's poem in the county of Monaghan. This place was on the Kinel Owen. never identified with history before. ' Magh Uatha is a plain in Heath, but the " Ann. IV. Mag. ad ann. 931, and Flann's name is now lost. poem on the Kinel Owen. » A territory lying to the east of the River " Ann. Ult. ad ann. 932 [933.] The poem Bann in Ulidia. of Flann makes 240 heads the amount of the " A celebrated moimtain on the frontiers slain, with which the Leabhar Gabhala agrees. In 938, Muirclieartach and Donnchadli, the monarch of Ireland, laid aside tlicir differences, and united their forces against the Danes of Duhlin: — " A challenge of battle between Donnchadh, the King of Ireland, and Muir- clieartach, the son of Niall Glundubh, lord of Aileach : until they made peace with each other; after which Donnchadh and Muircheartach, and all the forces of both fully assembled, went to lay siege to the Danes of Dubhn, so that they spoiled and plundered all that was under the dominion of the Danes from Dublin to Ath-Truisten."y In the year 939 the Danes plundered the Royal Palace of Aileach, and hid Muircheartach captive to their ships on Lough Swilly ; but he made his escape from them soon after, to the great joy of the Irish: — " Aileach was plundered by the Danes, who conveyed Muircheartach, son of Niall, as a prisoner to their ships. But God redeemed him from them [soon after."]^ In 940 we find Muircheartach and the monarch Donnchadh again in alliance : — " An army was led by King Donnchadh and by Muircheartach, the son of Niall, into Leinster and Munster, until they received their hostages.'"' — The next year (941) is particularly rich in the exploits of this prince. In the early part of the year he ravaged the territories of Ossory and Desies, and com- pelled their chieftains to submit to his arms. He then made a naval expedition to the Hebrides, and returned with great booty : and, hearing that Callaghan Cashel, Kinff of Munster, had slauf^htered the inhabitants of the Desies for having sub- mitted to him, he lost no time in revenging such an outrage, and set out in the winter of the same year on the expedition to which the following poem relates. These events are briefly recounted in Flann's poem on the History of the Ivinel Owen, and are thus recorded by the native chroniclers, as collected by the Four Masters : — " Muircheartach, the son of Niall, with the men of Fochla'' and Bre- gia, '' Annal. IV. Mag. ad ami. 93G. Annal. '" Annal. IV. Mag. ad ann. 938. Ann. Ult. ad ann. 937 [938]. Ath-Truisten is a Ulton. ad ann. 939 [940]. ford on the River Greese, near Athy. ^ Fochia, more generally Fionn Fochla, was ' Annal. IV. Mag. ad ann. 937. Annal. thenameofaterritory in the North of Meath, Clonmac. ad ann. 939. the ancient inheritance of the O'Ruaidhri, IRISH ARCH. SOC. I. C 10 //ill/' W(!nl, iiilo tJic U;r)i(,ori<;S of Ossory :i,ii'l tJic Dcsics, :iti'l pluiidc^ntd mid niViijjcA i]\(: nil.iic r.i>ot y, allci' liaviii;/ vau- (jiiiKlicd and Hiihducd llx; iiiliaMtuiitiS. "Tin; l)(!Hi(jH wen; Hlan^/litcnjd by (/allagliun, [Kin;/ of JVIunHtcr,] and tli«; moi) oC MiiMHl/(;i', hccauHc tliiiy liad Hid)inill«:d l,o Mnii(di<:i.tt,ac,li, tlx; Hon onnac, Maolt'oiin, thf! Hon o('(Ji)»hl(t(han, S<';.nlu, the Hon oCOchLdan, and (/Icircaeji, tho Hon ol'ScNHta, I all <;Iii(!(H of th(; I )(!Hiose liini, hut linally a;.Meed l-o Huhinit to him lie took Lorean, the Kin;/; of LeinHl,(!r, with him | aH u hoHta;.'e]. Il(' JVI inii-ier wei'i; in ri'adinesH on his jirrival to ;^ive him hattle, hut they ultimately I(!HoIv(!(1 to f^dvo up thitir Kin^f, (!al- la;irlian, and MuircJicaituch put a (ettcir ii|)on him. Ho ulttirwai'dH |)roc(;ode(i 1,0 Connau^lit, wimro Oonc<;|>har, the won of 'J eiffc, camu to niect him, but no li'lter iiiiuidiiiK (11 tin- ti»|)ojy IIk' '' It woiihl mci-iii iiIiiiohI, rcrdiiii lli;i.l in iinnuliHiM to (li'Hi^niili^ llic Norlli ol' li-i'laml. tliin |iii,HHii^'n tiin wuril l''i>rlilii iiiiihI, Ih' ini- It in ni)( niMy, licnvrvrr, In ililiiininr in vvluit plnyril lo .sij^iiiiy tlin North oC Iri'liind ; iiitlii' M'liHi- llir iinniilisl I iiijilo^H Mil' vvuril liiit'. In n ronl ul' lliiH traiiHiictioii f^ivi'ii in Mit,^'iiof^li(>- llii' Annats nf ( 'luninarnoimi, ii» traiiHlali-il ^an'H AnnaJN nf (Moniiiacni)im>, it in Mlatcil tlint li)' (^iiini'll Mafn'Of^litij^aii, it in Mtatucj l.liat it wim not lliriiicn urtiii' Nnrtli, l)iit tlut Kinj^'M Miiirrlirardiili wi'iit 1)11 tliiMiircaMiuii, with llic I'DriM-H, wiiirii wi'iit witli him (o (/'iiHhi'i; Imt lurrcs ul'lhc Ndilli, wlilrh inif^hl, hi' a ini.ila,lu' ihJH is runtrai')' Id liiii I'viildii'i' dC lliin |ini'iii, nl' llial IraiiMhilur, aa ihi- nrij^inal annaliMt whirh .slalr.s (ha,( lliry vviii' ol" ihr rare nt niif-'lil havi' iiiliinlcd Hn- wonl lu a|i|ily (<> l',()|.diaii,iuiilrnn.i(i|iiriilly Ialace of the foreigner from the fact that it was built by Frigrenn, or Fririn, a foreign mason, from which circumstance this fort is frequently called Aileach Fririn. — See Ordnance Survey, uhi sup. p. 222, seq. The phrase " of steeds'' is a mode of expressing the dignity and importance of the palace of Aileach, al- though the word was probably added chiefly for the sake of the metre and rhyme ; but the Irish frequently employ some epithet taken from horses to express the splendour of their heroes, and the celebrity or strength of their man- sions and fortresses. — See line 16 of this poem, where our hero is called " Muircheartach of the great steeds." 5. Thou didst go forth. — DocoDaip, now E cuaoaip, the 2nd pers. sing. pret. of the ir- regular verb ceiDim, I go. \^a^n,from us, is now, and more correctly, written uainn. 6. The race of Eoghan, ceneLBojain, generally translated genus Eogain by the compiler of the Annals of Ulster. The Eoghan, (Owen or Eugenius), from whom this tribe derived their name, was Eoghan, fourth son of King Niall of the Nine Hostages, who ascended the throne of Ireland, A.D. 375. 8. Of the yellow hair. — monjbuiDe, yellow -haired. Many authorities tend to shew that the ancient Scoti or Mile- sian Irish were a light haired race, and that they considered light or yellow hair a mark of beauty. — See line 24 of this poem. 9. Cuchullin. — This is the Cuthullin of Mac Pherson, the most celebrated of the heroes of the Red Bi-anch in Ulster ; his death is recorded in the Annals of Tigher- nach, at A.D. 2, where he is called For- tissimus Heros Scotorwn. — See O'Fla- herty, Ogygia, Part III. cap. xlvii. 10. Thejust Conchobhar. — Conchobhar Mac Nessa, King of Emania, or Ulster, who began his reign, according to the Annals of Tighernach, in the year before Christ 30. — ^See O'Flaherty, Ogygia, Part III. cap. xlviii. 28 Dianiab beo pep^uf mac l?oich, Di D-rapc TTleat)b piab ip onoip, m biab a]\ cino oo cloibirh a mhuijiceapuaij rhop^poibij;! Diamab beo Cupoi na parh, a rheic mair, a TTlViuipiuccan, po ba6 piapac Deic co a roi^, Cupaei mac Oaipe t)opn5loin. Qn la t)o coohaip uam foip, 1 ^-coi^eab coem Concobaip, pob lomba oep oap ^puam n-5pmn occ bannrpachc Oilij poilrpinn. 15 20 Qbaig 1 1 . The renown of his shield. — The poet wishes to say, that on Muircheartach had descended that invincible valour, which covered Cuchullin the bravest of the heroes of the Red Branch. 12. ^edh Finnliath. — Muircheartach was the grandson of Aedh, (or Hugh), Finnliath, King of Ireland, whose death is recorded in the Annals of Ulster, at the year 878, and by the Four Masters at the year 876 ; which dates correspond to the year 879 of the common aera. — O'Flaherty, Ogygia, Part III. cap. xciii. p. 434. 13. If Fergus. — ■tDiamao would now be written 06 m-baD. Ihid. Fergus Mac Roich. — King of Emania, or Ulster, A.M. 3934, according to O'Flaherty [Ogygia, Part III. cap. xlvi. p. 274). Being dethroned by his own subjects he tookrefugeinConnaught, then governed by Olioll and Queen Meadhbh, who received him with honour, and assisted him to wage a war upon Ulster, which was carried on for seven years. — See the celebrated Irish histori- cal tale, called Tain bo Cuailgne, of which there are copies in MS. in the Libraries of Trinity College, Dublin, and of the Royal Irish Academy. 14. Respect. — Piao signifies respect, welcome, and also land ; but it is more probably used in the former sense here. 15. Thy superior in valour. — Literally, " he would not be over thy sword," mean- ing, " he would not display greater skill or bravery in the use of the sword, than thou." This form of expression is still in use in Ireland. 17. Curoi of the oars. — Curoi Mac 29 If Fergus Mac Roich were living (To whom Meadbli gave respect and honour), He would not be thy superior in valour, Muircheartach of the great steeds ! If Ciiroi of the oars were living, (0 good son! O mariner!) He would become subject to thee, with his house. Even Curoi Mac Daire of the fair hands. The day that thou didst set out from us eastwards. Into the fair province of Conchobhar, Many were the tears down beauteous cheeks Among the fair-haired women of Aileach. 15 20 We Daire, King of the Deagads, or Clanna Deagha, of Munster, just before the Chris- tian era. He is celebrated in the ancient historical tales and romances for his travels into foreign parts, and is said to have lived in the celebrated Cyclopean fort of Caher-Conroi, in the county of Kerry, where he was killed by Cuchullin. 18. O mariner. — The word muipiujdn is not given in any of the Irish dictiona- ries or glossaries. It is probably formed from muipioe, marine , and may there- fore signify a mariner ; this seems to be confirmed by the epithet '•'• of the oars" given to Curoi, to whom the poet makes his hero superior. The meaning of the whole passage is probably this, " If Curoi, so celebrated for his marine ex- ploits, w^ere now living, he would be com- pelled to submit to thee, who art a greater mariner." Muircheartach's recent suc- cessful expedition to the Hebrides, made the very year in which he undertook the circuit of Ireland, was a sufficient ground for the poet to give him the epithet of mariner. — See Introd. p. 10. 19. He wouldhecome subject., kc. — Jio bao piapuc oeic co a coi j, would now be written, Ro buo piapacouic 50 n-a rij. The preposition co may signify here, either to, unto, as far as ; or rvith, to- gether with. 20. Of the fair hands. — This is a mark of personal beauty often introduced by the Irish poets, and generally applied to heroes, as contradistinguished from slaves and working men. — See line 30. 22. Province of Conchobhar. — i.e. Ul- ster, so called from Conchobhar Mac Nessa, already mentioned in note on linel 0. 3° Qoaig t)uin 05 Oenach Cpop, — mp b'oibne beic i papbop, — pu^pomap Loin^peach Line t)o lap Uhipe Uhaippnsipe. Qohai^h 6uri a^ Dun GacTiDach, 'con cuipe t)oit)-^eal Deabracb, pu^poTTiop l?i5 Ulab lenn moiprimcheall uile Gpenb. Qbaij 6uin im TTiui^ l?ar ]\et>, abaig 1 n-^linn Ri^he pel, a6ai5 a^ Capan Cinne, pop a6ai5 bup be^ ^ille. 25 30 35 Q6ai5 25. If^e were a night. — Qoaij ouin, or aoaij oun, now written oioce ouinn, a night hy us, scil. was spent, or passed, i. e. we were a night. This idiom is still used in modern Irish. Ibid. Oenachcros. — Or Aonach cros, i. e. the Fair of Crosses. A celebrated place in the county of Antrim, much spoken of in Irish history, although its exact situation is not now known. 27. Line, otherwise called Magh Line, the Plain of Line, a beautiful and fertile plain in the barony and county of Antrim, extending from Lough Neagh to near Carrickfergus. Its exact limits are given in the Ulster Inquisitions, 7 Jac. I. It was bounded on the north by the river of Glenwherry, on the west by Shane's Castle, on the south by the Six-mile Water, and on the east by Magheramorne. Loingseach was the chieftain of that country, whom Muircheartach seized as a hostage, and carried with him. 28, Land of promise. — Cip caippnjipe; this name, taken from " the land of pro- mise" in the Old Testament, "a land overflowing with milk and honey," is frequently applied by the Irish poets, par- ticularly by O'Dugan and O'Heerin, to any beautiful and fertile districts whose praises they were singing. It must not be taken as a proper name belonging to any particular place, but merely as a poetical epithet applicable to any district remarkable for fertility and beauty. 29. Dun Eachdach. — Now Dunaghy, a townland and parish on the banks of the famous river Fregabhail (now Ravel) in the barony of Kilconway and county of Antrim. — See the Ordnance Map. The 31 We were a niglit at Oenach-cros; — (Not more deliglitful to be in Paradise), — We brought Loingseach of Line From the midst of that land of promise. We were a night at Dun-Eachdach, With the white-handed warhke band; We carried the King of Uladh with us In the great circuit we made of all Ireland. We were a night at the level Magh Rath; A night at the bright Glinn Righe; A night at Casan Linne; It was a hard night of good light. 25 A name Dun Eachdach signifies the fort of Eochaklh. 30. Hand. — Con cuipe, would now be written aj an cuipe. O'Clery in his Glos- sary explains the word cuipe bybuioean, i. e. a hand, or troop. See also cecepn, which is explained in Cormac's Glossary by cuipe aimioe, 31 . Uladh. — (Lllao, in Latin, Ulidia, or Ultonia), was originally the name given to the entire province of Ulster ; but at the time to which this poem relates, it was applied only to the country possessed by the ancient Ultonians, or Rudricii, which comprised the present counties of Down and Antrim only. — SeeColgan's note (31) on cap. xxxi. of Joceline's Life of St. Patrick ; Trias Thaum. p. 109. 33. Magh Rath, — locally believed to mean Plain of Forts, although by some authorities explained Plain of Prosperity . It is now Moira, a parish giving name to the present town of Moira, in the ba- rony of Lower Iveagh, county of Down. 34. Glinn Righe. — This place is often mentioned by Irish writers as forming the western boundary of the country of the Clanna-Rury, after their conquest by the Collas, A.D. 333. The name is given on Norden's map of the country lying between Dundalk and Lough Erne, from which it appears that Glinn-Righe was the vale of the Newry river which divides the coun- ties of Down and Armagh. The remarka- ble trench or dyke, called the Dane's Cast, described by Dr. Stewart in his History of Armagh, was the ancient boundary between the territories of Oriel and Ulidia, as we learn from an ancient MS. in the Library of Trinity College, Class H. 3. 18. p. 783. 35. Casan Linne. — Was the ancient name of the River Lagan, in the county of Down. The church of Linn Duach- 32 Q6ai5 c(cc Qu ^abla ^lan, iQji na bapach oap bpea^rha^;, puapamop peo6 pop pnecca pop TTlaj dlainn pnm Galua. Qoaij t)un ace Qrh Cliach cam ; nip uo oeap pip na ^ctUaib; — po baoi bean ij'in Oun rpom pop e TTlac Neill a hanom: t)uc paccaip co m-beir im vnmj:, Clap uo bior olc an abai^. "Ciiccab cuilleoh a loin leip DO mhuipceapcac Do rhac Neill, t)o paill, DO chpuirneacc cam, coip, pop pir piach pola Deap^ oip. 40 45 aill, now Magheralin. in the N. W. of that county, is described in the Felire Unguis, or Festilogium of Aengus Ceile De, as situated on the banks of the Casan Linne ; Colman linne t)u- achaille, pop Bpu capan linne 1 n-Ulcaib. " Cohnan of Linii-Duachaill on the banks of Casan-Linne in Ulster." A.D. 699. Aengus Ceile De flourished at the beginning of the ninth century, and a copy of his poem, called Felire, is pre- served in the Leabhar Breac, in the Library of the Royal Irish Academy. There was another place called Casan Linne, in the east of ancient Meath, which is mentioned in the Annals of the Four Masters at the year 1045. 37. AthGabhla.— The ford of Gabhla; the name of a ford on the River Boyne, near Knowth, in the County Meath. See 50 Qipil the Book of Leinster, (in the Library of Trin. Coll.), fol. 45, a., and the Book of Lecan, (in the Library of the Royal Irish Academy), fol. 253, a. 38. Breagh-Mhagh. — Otherwise called Magh Breagh, and in Latin Bregia, signifying " Campus speciosus," as Colgan has rendered it, {Trias Thaumaturg. p. 20, n. 58), is the country between Dublin and Drogheda, extending also to Moybolgue in East Meath, to Sliabh Bregh in the county of Louth, and to some dis- tance beyond Kells. 40. Magh n-Ealta. — IDajn-ealca, is the ancient name of the territory lying be- tween Dublin and the Hill of Howth. Clontarf is said to be in Magh n-Ealta by the Irish annalists. 41 . Ath Cliath. — Or Baile Atha-Cliath, is still the Irish name for Dublin in every 33 4o A night at tlie clear Ath Gabhla; On the morrow we passed over Breagh-mhagh. We found frost on the snow, On the dehghtful fau^ Magh n-Ealta. We were a night at fair Ath-chath; (It was not pleasing to the Galls, [i. e. the Danes];) — There was a damsel in the strong fortress Whose soul the son of Niall was : She came forth until she was outside the walls, 45 Although the night was constantly bad. A plentifid supply from an abundant store was given [by the Dane s] , To Muircheartach, the son of Niall, Of bacon, of fine good wheat. Together with penalties for bloodshed in red gold. 50 Joints part of Ireland. It signifies " the ford of hurdles," or " the town of the ford of hurdles." Adamnan, in his Life of St. Columba, calls Dublin Vadum Cliad, Lib. ii. c. 4 ; see also Ussher, Primordia, p. 861. 42. The Galls. — This word was origi- nally applied to the Gauls, a colony of whom, from the coast of France, settled in Ireland under Labhra Loingseach, A.M., 3682.— (OTlaherty, Ogygia, Part III. c. cxxxix. p. 262). From this it came to signify any foreign invaders, and is hence usually employed to designate the Danes and Norwegians in the Irish Annals. The Irish of the present day apply the term to the English, whom they call clanna jail as well as Saxons, (Sajpanaij). — See 0"Brien, Irish Diet. IRISH ARCH. SOC. I . F in voce ^c^^- Colgan [Acta SS. p. 603, n. 11) says, " Hiberni enim vulgo Anglos, sive Anglo-Saxones Gaill, et Anglum Gall, vocant ; licet vox hsec ex suo etymo potius Galium denotat." 43. There was a damsel. — Nothing has been yet discovered to prove who this lady was. 45. t)ur: paccaip, — is an obsolete verb signifying he or she advanced, proceeded, &c. The particle duc is here a sign of the past tense like the modern do. 49. SaiU, — is still in use in the spoken Irish to denote bacon or any fat meat. Ibid. Cpmrneacr, — wheat. This word is also still in use. 50. Piuch polci — probably means blood money. It will be recollected that the Danes of Dublin had slain the fatjher of 34 Qipil ocup caip cam ont) T^io^hain po rhair, ]io glain, ocup cuccab pia cloipn bjiac Dacha cec oen roipig. UuccpoTn linn Sicpiucc na peo, 55 |iiom ]io h-e|iba6 a coirhet); ocup ni clia]iDa6 aip ^lap na geirheal aloinn arhnap. bamap Muircheartach in the year 919. conjecture it to be a modification of clop, yJzV^. t)eap5-6p, — red ffold, isveryfre- which is explained in old glossaries as quently, if not always, used in the ancient fame, renown, &c. The translation adopted MSS. for the modern phrase op buioe, expresses the probable meaning. i. e. yellow gold. 51. Qipil. — This word, though of fre- quent occurrence in the ancient Irish MSS., is not given in any of the Irish dic- tionaries, but its meaning is undoubtedly a joint of meat. The word is used in the life of St. Bridgit preserved in the Leabhar Sreac, fol. 31 b., and the passage in which it is used is translated by Colgan, Trias Thaum. p. 528, Co cue uipill ip in coipe DO, i. e. " Cui disposuit carnem coquere." It is also used in the Book of Lecan, fol. 307, a, a, and in Cormac's Glossary under the word t)each, where its meaning can- not be mistaken : Se h-aiple pil 6 cmo m meoip co h-alc na jualano, i. e. " There are six joints (aiple) from the extremity of the fingers to the joint of the shoulder." Ibid. Caipe, — is still the word to denote cheese. In Cormac's Glossary it is de- rived from the Latin caseus. 53. Ria cloipm. — The meaning of this phrase is not evident ; the word cloipm is not in any Irish dictionary, but we may 54. 6pacDaca, — "a garment of colour," i.e. acoloured garment. This passage shows that Dublin was then a place of some trade. 55. Sitrictlie wealthy ., — literally "Sitric of the jewels." The word peao is still in use in the spoken Irish in the sense of jewel or any precious article, but in an- cient MSS. it is often applied to wealth in the same sense as the Latin word^a;^a. It is not easy now to determine with cer- tainty what Sitric is here alluded to. In the Leabhar Gabhala he is styled King of the Danes of Dublin ; but it is not di- rectly mentioned in the poem that he was \hQKing of Dublin, and it certainly is not true, that the principal governor of the Danes of Dublin at this period was named Sitric, for we have the testimony of all the more ancient Irish Annals, that Blacar, the warrior by whom Muircheartach was slain in 943, was King of Dublin the year in which this circuit was made. Godfrey, the grandson of Imar, was Chief or King of the Danes of Dublin from the vear 35 Joints of meat, and fine cheese, were given By the very good, the very beautiful Queen; And there was given ivith hberahty A coloured mantle for every chieftain. We carried off with us Sitric the wealthy ; To me was assigned the duty o/" keeping him; And there was not put upon him a manacle, Nor poUshed tight fetter. SS 920 to 934, when he was succeeded by his son Amlaff, who ruled as chief till he fled with his people to England from fear of the Irish in the year 937 [939]. In the year 938 [940] Blacar, the son of Godfrey and brother of Amlaff, returned to Dublin, and was the chief governor of the Danes until the year 943 [945] when he was driven from Dublin by his brother Amlaff. The only Sitric mentioned in the ancient annals as King of Dublin, whose period at all approaches the time of Muircheartach's circuit, was Sitric, the grandson of Imar ; but the death of this prince is recorded in the Chronicon Scotoru))i and the Annals of Iriishf alien at the year 927, that is fourteen years be- fore the period of which we are treating. And hence it is evident, that the Sitric carried off by Muircheartach on this oc- casion was not King of Dublin, but some chief of distinction, whom Muircheartach considered a man of sufficient dignity and importance to be taken as a pledge of the Danish king's allegiance ; and it seems most probable, that this hostage was Sitric, thebrother of the Godfrey who suc- F; We ceeded as King of Dublin in 948, and the son of Sitric, the king of Dublin, by whom the father of Muircheartach was slain in 919, and who died himself in 927. This Sitric, the son of Sitric, is set down in the table of the succession of the Danish kings of Dublin in Mr. Lindsay's View of the Coinage of Ireland, (Cork, 1839), but no dates are added. — See Ware, orig. ed. p. 109, and Harris's Hist, of Dublin. 56. TJiom po h-epbao a coimeo. — This would be written, according to the modern mode of orthography, liom oo heapbao a coniieaD. The verb eapbao, to command, is now obsolete in the spoken Irish; but O'Clery explains it by the mo- dern words pupaileam no opDujao, to command, or order. It is frequently used in the ancient MSS., as in the Leahhar Breac, fol. 31, b, " l^o eapboo 6hpi5ic a coirhec, i. e. he ordered St. Bridgit to keep it." 57. ^tap, — a lock or fetter, is still in common use. It was translated catena by Jocelin in the 12th century. 58. Qrhnap, — i. e. severe, bitter, " arh- nap .1. Doilij," O'Clery. 36 bamap at)liai5 occ Liarhain, Tiip b'uarab boi ap ap n-iapaip, (yQi^in 1 n-^linD TTlama i muig ocup Ui chaoirh Cheinnpealaig. '5^r 5-coccup 1 n-^lino TTlaTTia Do Cai j;nib co po 6ana, nin po lampauup caeb ppimi, o rhdnaic an la lainpino. Qbaij Dun inD Qillinn uaip; canaic an pneachca a n-aipruai6; pob lar ap D-roi^i cen pomn ap 5-cocbaill coppa cpocoinn. Lopcan, mac bjicapail na m-bo 6o 65 70 ruccpom Ibid, ^eimeal, — a fetter, is a very an- cient word still well understood. Dr. O'Brien {Irish Diet.) writes this word geibheal, and states, that it corresponds not only with the Hebrew, but also with the Chaldean, Syrian, and Arabic languages in the affinity of sound and letters as well as in the identity of meaning. It is also evi- dently cognate with the English gyve. 59. Liamhain, — called also Dun Liamhna, was an ancient seat of the kings of Leinster. The place is now called Dunlavan, and is a market and post town in the county of Wicklow, twenty-one miles S. W. from Dublin, and a prebend in St. Patrick's Cathedral. 61. Gleann Mama, — is the name of a valley situated near Dunlavan, in the county of Wicklow, and famous in Irish history for a battle fought there in the year ^^Q, between the Irish and the Danes. 62. Ill Ceinnpealaij, — i. e. Nepotes Kenselachi, or descendants of Enna Ken- sellach, who was King of Leinster about the beginning of the fourth century. Their country which bore their tribe name, it being the custom of the Irish to give the name of the people to the territory they possessed, comprised the entire of the county of Wexford, the barony of Shile- lah, in the county of Wicklow, and also a portion of the county of Carlow. 63. '^ap j-coccup, — would be written, according to the modern mode of ortho- graphy, 05 ap j;;-co5up. The word cojup is of frequent occurrence in the Irish An- nals in the sense of conspiracy or insur- rection. — See O'Brien's Dictionary, in voce, where an example of its use is ad- duced from the Annals of Tighearnach. 'hi We were a niglit at Liamhain ; There were many in piu^snit behind us, The Lagenians icJio assembled at Glen-Mama, And the comely race of Kennsealach. A conspiracy was formed against us at Glen-Mama, By the Lagenians very boldly, But they durst not approach us, Wlieu the bright day came. We were a night at the cold Ailhnn; The snow came from the north-east; Our onli/ houses, without distinction of rank, Were our strono; leather cloaks. Lorcan, descendant of Bresal of the cows, 60 65 70 We 67. Aillmn. — This, which was another seat of the kings of Leinster, retains its original name to the present day. Its remains are situated on a hill a short dis- tance to the north of Old Kilcullen, in the county of Kildare, and it is the largest fort in Ireland, with the single exception of Emania, the seat of the ancient kings of Ulster, near Armagh. This Aillmn is to be distinguished from the hill oi Al- mhain, now anglicised Allen, which is better known to the Irish people, through the poems of Ossian, as being the seat of the famous warrior Finn Mac Cumhail, the Fingall of Mac Pherson. The hill ofAlmhain, now Allen, is five miles to the north of the town of Kildare, and the fort of Aillmn is about the same distance to the east of it. Both are accurately shown on the Ordnance Map of the county of Kildare. 71. mac 6peapail, — must behere con- sidered as an error of transcription for Ua 6peapa]l; for Lorcan, who was King of Leinster about this period, was not the son of Breasal, but of Faolan. It ap- pears, however, by a quotation from an ancient poem given by the Four Masters, that he was usually called f-opcdn uu 6peapail, i, e. Lorcan, descendant of Breasal Bealach, King of Leinster. The first mention we find made of this Lorcan in the Irish Annals is at the year 923, [925] when it is stated [An. iv. Mag.) that he was taken prisoner by the Danes of Dub- lin, together with his father, who was then King of Leinster. His father Faolan lived till the year 940, when it is recorded by the Four Masters that he died of a fall at the fair of Aenach Colmain, which 38 cuccy^OTTi lenn, — ni lnoiTiapgo, — po limbab ^einiiul ^apb ^el ap aipt)[ii5 lionrhap Caigen. Qbaij; i m-belac TTiugna; nip poilcpom ap n-Dea^lnipla ; po bai pneachca t)iin ap lap, 1 m-bealac ^lopach ^habpan. QbaiT^ t)un 'con piiooaip pint); puapamop biab ocup linn, t)on puachcap cuipc ap D-coige o pio^pame pel Oppui^e. UuccaD luac a b-pailre 6aib, t)'Oppui^ib ip in corhoail; — ni beachaib peap Diob Da roij, gan aipcceb n-aloinn n-eppai6. Qbaij; 6un i TDui^ Qipb uaip, 75 8o 85 as was held on the Curragh of Kildare, in MoylifFey ; but he must have resigned the government to his son some time previ- ously, for Lorcan is styled Arch-King of Leinster in this poem. According to the catalogue of the kings of Leinster pre- served in the Book of Leinster, a reign of only one year is given to this Lorcan. He was killed, according to the Annals of the Four Masters, in the year 941 [?:. e. A.D. 943] :— " Lorcan, the son of Faelan, King of Leinster, was killed by the Northmen as he was plundering Dublin, after he had previously defeated them in a battle in which many of them were slain." It does not appear from the pedigrees in the Book of Leinster that this Lorcan was the founder of any family. 72. Cuccpom lenn, — would now be written cujamap Imn. 75. Bealach Mughna, — now Ballagh- moon, in the southern extremity of the county of Kildare, and two miles to the north of the town of Carlow, not Bally- moon, in the county of Carlow, as Dr. Lanigan asserts in his Ecclesiastical His- tory of Ireland, vol. iii. pp. 351, 352. It is celebrated in Irish history for a battle fought there in the year 908, between Flann Sinna, Monarch of Ireland, and Cormac Mac Cuillionan, King of Munster and 39 We carried off with us ; — / speak no falsehood, — A rouo-h briojht fetter was fastened Upon that Arch-king of populous Leinster. A night we passed at Bealach Mughna; 75 We did not wet our fine hair; The snow was on the ground before us In the noisy Bealach Gabhran. We were a night at the clear Fhodais; We received food and ale, 80 And hogs were sent to our camp, By the hospitable chiefs of Ossory. The reward of their hospitahty was given to them. To the men of Ossory in the Assembly; — Not a man of them returned to his house 85 Without a beautiful present of dress. We were a night at the cold Magh Airbh, At Archbishop of Cashel, in which the latter 83. Pailce, — literally signifies wel- was defeated and slain. come, and figuratively hospitality. 78. Bealach Gahhrain. — i. e. the road 86. eappao, — signifies generally a or pass of Gabhran, now Gowran, in the battle dress, though it is sometimes used east of the county of Kilkenny. The to signify any dress. Eng. array. — See meaning of the epithet jlopac, noisy, O'Brien's Dictionary, in voce. applied to this road, is not very clear, 87. Magh Airbh, — was the name of unless it alludes to the shouts or clamours a celebrated plain in Ossory, nearly co- of the inhabitants. extensive with the present barony of 79. Fliodais, — seems to have been the Crannagh, in the N. W. of the county of name of a river in Ossory, but that name Kilkenny. In this territory was Grian is now forgotten. Airbh (now Greane in this barony) 82. Muircheartach received this atten- which is mentioned in the Annals of tion from the people of Ossory because he Clonenagh, quoted by Keating, as being was married to Dubhdara, the daughter of on the common boundary of the dioceses the chief of that territory. of Cashel and Ossory. 40 ag ciobparraib bpiorain biiain; a6ai5 a^ Claji Doipe rhoip, po puapamop ap n-onoip. Uaip^erap coinOrheaD ip cuaipr, CO poppaoili6 CO pioppuaipc, Oeipi, pip TTlurhan maiche ; t)on jiiiachrup a n-Deajplaire. Qdqi^ bun 1 rhui^ peinnin, CO oeapb ocup co Deirhin, abai^ hi Caipiul TTlurhan; ann po TTiaoire an mop pubap. Uuapccabra upi each cpoba, Diana, Deapcca, Oimopa, 90 95 100 CO 88. Tiobradaihh Britain, — "the wells or springs of Britan," now Tubbridbritain, in the barony of Crannagh and county of Kilkenny, and adjoining the parish of Kilcooley, in the county of Tipperary. It is clear from the relative situations of those places that Muircheartach did not proceed directly to Cashel, but that he moved in different directions to receive the submissions of different chieftains. 89. Clar Voire Mor, — i. e. the plain of Doire Mor. This place is frequently mentioned in Irish history as situated in the territory of Ely, not far from Roscrea. Its exact situation is thus pointed out in the life of St. Mochoemhog or Pulcherius : (c. xvi.) " Ipseenim [Colmanus] eratin suo monasterio quod Scotice dicitur Doire mor, id est JVemus magnum ; et est po- situm in confinio Mumuniensium et Lage- niensium ; sed tamen positum est in re- gione Mumuniensium in regione scilicet Eile.'" {Colgan. Acta SS. ad xi. Mart, p. 591). The place has since been called Kilcolman, from a church erected there by the St. Colman mentioned in this pas- sage, and is situated in the Barony of Bal- lybritt, in the King's County, formerly a part of the territory of Ely O" Carroll which belonged to Munster. 91. ComorheaD. — This word, which signifies a feast or refection, is generally anglicised coigny by English writers on Irish affairs. Spenser in his State of Ire- land, (Dublin Ed. pp. 52, 53), speaking of the customs of Coigny and Livery has the following remarks : — " It is apparent that by the word livery is there meant 41 At the wells of the long-lived Britan; A night at the plain of Doire-mor, Where we received our due honour. 90 Coigny and tribute were offered, With cheerfulness and with wilhngness, By the Desies and the good men of Munster ; Their upright chieftains waited on us. We were a night in Magh Feimin, 95 Assuredly and certainly, A night at Cashel of Munster; There the great injury was inflicted on the men ofMunder. There were arrayed against us three battalions brave, Impetuous, red, tremendous, 100 So horse meate, like as by the word coigny is understood man's meate ; but whence the word is derived is hard to tell ; some say of coine, for that they used commonly in their coignies not only to take meate but coine also ; but I think rather this word coigny is derived of the Irish. The which is a common use amongst land- lords of the Irish to have a common spending upon their tenants, being com- monly but tenants at will, they use to take of them what victuals they list : for of victuals they were wont to make but small reckoning." — See also Harris's Ware, vol. ii. Antiq. p. 77. 95. Magh Feimin. — A beautiful and fertile plain in the S. E. of the present county of Tipperary, extending from the River Suir northwards to the fort of KnockgrafFon, and from Cathair Duin IRISH ARCH. SOC. I . lascaigh, now the town of Cahir, to the verge of the present county of Kilkenny. The boundary between it and the territory of Eoghanacht Chaisil extended across the mountain of SUabh na mhan hh-Jionn, now Slievenaman. This was a part of the country of the Desies. 98. Qnn po maoice an mop pi'ioap "There the great injury was inflicted,'' that is, even though the men of Munster did not fight us, they nevertheless sus- tained a great injury in being obliged to give up their prince, who considered him- self a greater man than Muircheartach, as being King of all the south of Ireland, and Muircheartach's mortal enemy. 99. UuapccaBca. — This verb is now en- tirely obsolete, but it is explained by O'Clery from more ancient glossaries, as signifying, to raise, " cuap^aib .i. do cojaib.' G 42 CO n-aca cacli apoile, ap ceajiclap an rhop rhoijhe. Po laipeani ap 5-cochla t)inn, map no lab muinriup oei^pij; po baoi TTluipcheapcac jlan, jle, oc imbipc a piDcille. CIc piibapr Ceallachan cpuai6, — ocup po ba6 Dun a buaib, — a piopa niurhan co m-blab, na ercpuicciD clann Gojhoin. Qppa TTieipi Do 6ul leo, inDap ap 5-cop uile 1 njleo; muipbpicc Duine ceac pip, TTiuincep Tniabac TTIuipceapraij. 'CuccpoTTi linn Ceallacan coip, po uapaprap a onoip, 105 1 10 115 pail 101. Co »i-aca each apoile. — Would be expressed in the modern language, " ^o B-paca cac a ceile." 102. In the centre of the great plain. — That is the great plain of Cashel then called Corca Eathrach, and now popularly the Golden Vale. 103. T3o laipeam ap 5-cochla otnn. — Would be expressed t)o cuipeamap ap J5-COCU1II omn in the modern Irish. The verb laoaim, which is of constant occur- rence in the ancient MSS. is now obsolete, but O'Clery explains it by the modern verb cuipim, I put, " la .1. cup : lauio .1. cuipiD." 106. pioceall. — Certainly signifies a chess-board. It is described in Cormac's Glossary as a quadrangular board with black and white spots. For the meaning of this word the reader is also referred to OTlaherty's Ogygia, p. 311. 109. Co m-blao. — i. e. with fame or renown. The word blao, which is some- times written blac, occurs frequently in the last syllables of Irish verses, and signi- fies fame or renown : "Vox blath correpte pronunciata idem sonat quod decus vel fama." — Colgan, Acta SS. p. 129, n. 3. 111. Qppa. — Is now generally written upa; it is the comparative form of the ad- jective upup or F^P^fj 6asy. The form appa is obviously cognate with the Eng- 43 So that each party confronted the other, In the centre of the great plain. We cast our cloaks off us, As became the subjects of a good king; The comely, the bright Muircheartach was at this time 105 E7igaged in playing his chess. The hardy Callaghan said, — (And to us it was victory), — " men of Munster ! men of renown ! Oppose not the race of Eoghan. no Better that I go with them, as a hostage^ Than that we should all be driven to battle; They will Idll man for man. The noble people of Muircheartach." We took with us therefore Callaghan the just, 115 Who received his due honour, Namely, lish easy, though no English or Saxon form of that word bears any resemblance to the positive form pupup. 113. muippicc Duine ceca pip. — This idiom cannot be literally rendered into any English form ; the nearest would be "they will slay a man of each man ;" but as this would be unintelligible, the translator is obliged to adopt the nearest English form of the sentence which can be understood. 115. Callaghan the just. — This Cal- laghan is called the turbulent King of Munster in Mageoghegan's translation of the Annals of Clonmacnoise. The first mention of him in the Irish Annals is in the Chronicon Scotorum at the year 936, when we find him, in conjunction with a party of the Danes, plundering Clonmacnoise. His death is recorded in the same Chronicle, at the year 954. He is the ancestor of the families of Mac Carthy and O'Callaghan, of the latter of whom Lord Lismore is the present head. The descent of the present Mac Carthy, of Carricknavar, near Cork, as far as the Editor has been able to ascer- tain it, may be seen from the genealogical table in note B, at the end of this Tract. 116. His honour. — i. e. such honour as was due to him. The expression would seem to be ironical, but it may allude to the ring (of gold perhaps) of fifteen ounces, which may have been put on him as a mark of distinction. G2 44 pail C015 n-unjae n-oecc po Imrh, 16 iai|iii ma coip corhlain. Q6ai5 oun uile inoalle 1 TTiachaipe O 5-Caipppe; po be ap 5-clichap, po be ap 5-coill ap 5-cocaill coppa cpocoinn. Ceol ajoinn 1 moi^ 'ya coi^, coipcecc pip in 5-caippeapnai^; — an Dap lenn, ba ropann rpom 10 pirla6 na ^-cpuaD-chocholl. Ctbaij; 1 5-C1II Da Lua liiini ; ru^poTTi a^aib ppi Lech Cuinn; 120 125 abaij 1 1 7. Pail. — A ring, this word is still in use. 118. 16 — Or 106, is explained a chain or collar, in all the published Irish Dic- tionaries, and correctly. With this word all the Irish antiquaries have been made acquainted through the 16 mopainn, i. e. Moran's chain, mentioned by Vallancey in his Collectanea. 120. The plain of Hy-Cairbre was the level country extending from the River Shannon towards Kilmallock, in the pre- sent county of Limerick. After the esta- blishment of surnames, the hereditary chiefs of this territory took the surname of O'Donovan, as we learn from 0'Heerin"s topographical poem, in which this terri- tory is described as comprising the coun- try " along the sluggish River Maigue, [now the barony of Coshma, called in Irish coip mai5e, i. e. along theMaigue], and the plains down to the Shannon." Muircheartach went into this territory to receive the submissions of Cathal, the chief of this territory, who was cotem- porary with Callaghan Cashel. From this Cathal, Morgan William O'Donovan, of Montpelier, near Cork, a member of the Irish Archaeological Society, is the twenty-eighth in direct descent. 127. cm Dalua. — i. e. the church of St. Dalua or Luanus, now the town of Killaloe, on the Shannon, in the S. E. of the county of Clare. 128. Leatli Cuinn. — i. e. "Conn's half," so called from Conn of the hundred battles, who ruled over it in the second century. The southern half of Ireland was called Leath Mogha, i. e. Mogh's half, from Mogh Nuadhat, Kingof Mun- ster, who, after having defeated Conn, monarch of Ireland, in ten battles, com- 45 Namely^ a ring of fifteen ounces on his hand, And a chain of iron on his stout lea;. We were a night all together In the plain of the Hy-Cairbre ; Our only shelter, our only woods Were our strong leather cloaks. Music we had on the plain and in our tents, Listening to its strains we danced awhile There methinks a heavy noise was made, By the shaking of our hard cloaks. A night at the barren CiU-Da-Lua ; We next turned our faces towards Leath-Cuinn ; 1 20 125 A pelled him to divide Ireland into two equal portions, of which Conn was to have the government of the northern half, and himself that of the south- ern. See Annals of Tighearnach, at the year 166, and O'Flaherty's Ogygia, Part III. Cap. 60. The boundary which separated those two divisions was called Eiscir Ulada, and extended from High- street, in Dublin, to Ath Cliath Meadh- raighe, now Clarin Bridge, in the county of Galway. This Eiscir, which is a con- tinuous line of gravel hills, is described in our ancient MSS. as extending from Dublin to Clonard, thence to Clonmac- noise and Clonburren, and thence to Meadhraighe, a peninsula extending into the bay of Galway, a few miles to the south of the town. The writer has walked along this ridge, and found it to extend by the hills of Crumlin, and so along by the Esker at Lucan, then south of the LifFey, near Celbridge, and so across that river near Clane, onwards by Do- nadea, until it strikes the high road near Clonard, then extending southwards of the conspicuous hill of Croghan, until near Philipstown a line of road takes ad- vantage of its elevation to run between two bogs. It is next to be seen in a very conspicuous ridge two miles to the north of Tullamore, where Conn and Mogh fought the battle of Moylena, and thence it ex- tends in a very well developed line through the barony of Garrycastle until it strikes the Shannon at Clonmacnoise. It can next be seen in a very distinct line at Clon- burren, on the west side of the Shannon, and at the town of Ballinasloe, whence it extends in the direction of the Abbey of Kilconnell, thence it wends in the direc- tion of Athenry, and so on to thepromon- 46 a^aij 1 Cinn coyiaib caff, a6ai5 i LiiiTYineacli lionn^lap. Qbaij; t)iin icc Qcli Caille, pop ceajic bpu na Sionainne; rii puapuf, ap t>-cecc 6 m' roi 5, conaip map an ^-Cpecpalai^. Ctoaig ace Sleb Sume an T^ioj; po laipeani t)in uile ap pnfom; ni puapamup ap n^opaD 1 TTlui^ aloinn uap Qohap. Qoai^ Dun ic Loch l?iach peil, t)o miiuipceapcac, 00 rhac Neill, 130 35 140 abaij tory of Rinn Tamhan now Towan Point, in Meadhraighe, or the parish of Bally- nacourty, a few miles to the south of the town of Galway. 129. Ceann Coradh. — i. e. head of the weir, generally anglicised Kincora, was the name of a hill in the present town of Killaloe, on which the King of Thomond erected a palace. It is well known to the readers of Irish history as the palace of the celebrated Brian Boru, monarch of Ireland. It was demolished, and its ma- terials, both stone and wood, hurled into the Shannon by Turlogh 0' Conor, King of Connaught, in the year 1118. Button, in his statistical account of the county of Clare, confounds CeannCoradh with the fort of Beal Borumha, which still remains situated about one mile to the north of the site of the palace of Ceann Coradh. But of Ceann Coradh palace itself, which extended from the present Roman Catholic chapel to the brow of the hill over the bridge, not a vestige remains. The name is still retained in Kincora Lodge, the seat of O'Brien, Esq. 130. Luimneach. — Is still the Irish name for the city of Limerick. It was originally the name of that part of the River Shannon extending from the city of Limerick to its mouth, as is clear from many ancient Irish documents. 131. Atli- Coille.—l e. Woodford. There is no place on the brink of the Shannon, near Limerick, now bearing this name. We cannot assume it to be the Ath-Coille, or Woodford, in the south of the county of Galway, as that place is several miles from the River Shannon. It must have been the ancient name of some place near Dunass or O'Brien's Bridge, between Limerick and Killaloe. 47 A night at the strong Ceann-Coradh ; A niofht at Lidmneach of the azure stream. We were a night at Ath-Caille, On the very brink of the Shannon : I did not meet, since I left my home, A pass like unto Cretshalach. A night at Shabh-Suidhe-an-riogh, Where we put away all our anxiety; We were miable to warm ourselves On the beautiful cold Magh-Adhair. We were a night at the bright Loch Riach, With Muircheartach the son of Niall; 130 ^35 140 A 134. Cretshalach. — Now Cratlagh, a well known place in the county of Clare, situated about four miles N. and by W. of the city of Limerick, on the road to Ennis. The ancient road or pass of Cratlagh ran over a steep hill, and it is to be supposed that the poet alludes here to the difficulty with which it could be traversed. 135. This mountain is called Sliahh Oidhe an Righ, i. e. " The mountain of the death of the king," by the Four Mas- ters and O'Flaherty, and also by the more ancient writers ; and there can be little doubt that Oidhe was here changed into suidhehy Cormacan merely to form allite- ration. SeeO(/i/gia,i[).385. Its exact situa- tion is pointed out in the Annals of the FourMasters at the year 1 56 1 . This name is now remembered by very few, the mountain being popularly called the Crat- lagh Mountain. 138. Magh-Adhair. — Is frequently mentioned by the Irish annalists, and also by the modern writers of Irish history, as a place in Thomond where the Dalcassian princes were inaugurated, but its exact situation has never been pointed out by any of them, though the original name is still locally retained. It is situ- ated in the townland of Toonagh, parish of Cloney, barony of Upper Tulla, and county of Clare, and the mound on which the O'Brien was inaugurated is still to be seen there on the margin of a stream called Ahhainn Ifrinn. For an account of the inauguration of several princes of the O'Brien family on this mound the reader is referred to Magrath's Wars of Turlogh at the years 1242, 1267, 1277, and 1311. 139. Loch Riach. — Now Loughrea, 48 abai^ 1 ITIedDa Seola, 00 rniuiipcheaprac birh-be6t)ha. puapoTnoji ic Qrli inac Cin^ ]iio5|iai6e Chonnacc ap ap ^-cmn; DO pacab apccac ip op t)o'n chuipe Builig bpeac-rhop. Concobap, mac Uam^ uapbba, aipopi Connachc comclialma, canaic lenn gan ^eimeal jloin, 1 n-^pianan uaine Oilij. C[6ai5 1 TTlui^ Qi iiaine; abaig oile i Paich ^uaipe; aibint) ino abai^, nf chel, bamap ic Spacb an pi pen. 45 150 Q6ai5 a market and post town in the barony of Loughrea and county of Galway, and eighteen miles E. by S. of the town of Galway. 141. Meadlux Seola. — This place is frequently mentioned by our writers, but its exact situation has not been pointed out by any of them. It retains, however, its ancient name to this day, and is a very conspicuous hill situated near Castle- Hackett, in the barony of Clare and county of Galway See Annals of the Four Masters at the year 1580, and OTla- herty's Ogygia, p. 162. 143. Ath mac Cing. — This is the an- cient Irish name of the townof Headford, in the barony of Clare and county of Galway, as appears from a description of O'Flaherty's country preserved in a MS, in the Library of Trinity College, Dublin, where the place is called ^tli Cinn and ^th mac Cinn. It is now called ^th Cinn by the old natives when they speak Irish, and Headford is only an attempt at translating it. 146. 6peac. — i. e. speckled. This term seems to allude to their wearing clothes of various colours according to the rank of each. 147. Conchobliar, the son ofTadhg. — This Conchobhar or Conor, was not King of Connaught at this period, nor is it stated in the poem that he was, though the Four Masters have taken it for granted. His 49 A night at INTeadha Seola, With Mim^cheartach the ever-vigorous. We found at Ath-Mac-Cing The Kings of Connaught awaiting us; Gold and silver were given 145 To the handsome great band of many coloiu^ed garments. Conchobhar the son of Tadhg, the bull-like, The arch-king of Connaught, exceeding brave, Came with us, as a hostage, without a bright fetter, Into the green palace of Aileach. 150 A night on the green Magh-Ai : Another night at Rath-Guaire ; Dehghtful was the night, — I will not conceal it. On which we were at Srath-an-fhiren. We father, Tadhg of the Three Towers, King of Connaught, lived up to the year 955, when it is to be supposed his son suc- ceeded. The death of Conchobhar, King of Connaught, is recorded at the year 972 in the Annals of Ulster, but his death is entered under the year 971 in the Annals of the Four Masters. This Conchobhar, or Conor, is the ancestor after whom the O'Conors of Connaught have taken their name, and the present O'Conor Don is the twenty-fifth in direct descent from him, as will appear from the table given in note C. at the end of this tract, which is as curious a specimen of genealogical his- tory as any nation in Europe can boast of. 150. Magli Ai, — is the ancient name of a celebrated plain in the county of IRISH ARCH. SOC. I. H Roscommon, which is often also called Machaire Chonacht, i. e. the plain of Connaught. It extends from Cloonfree, near Strokestown, to the bridge of Castle- reagh, and from a hill near the town of Roscommon to the Turloughs of Mantua. 151. Rath Guaire, — is the present and ancient Irish name of Rathwire, a village in the parish of Killucan ; Bar of Farbil and county of Westmeath, about three miles N. N. W. of Kinnegad ; but it is not cer- tain that this is the Rath Guaire here re- ferred to. The writer is not aware, how- ever, of the existence of any other place of the name. 153. Srath-an-fhiren, — i. e. the strath, or meadow, of the just man. Now un- known. 50 Q6ai^ Dun ic Suil Dmni Dein, 155 DO rniiiii]iceajirac do TTlac Neill; ocup ni ]io rjiapccaip 01 pn, a]i b-peabup imon 5-coTnloinn. Qdqi^ Dun ICC Qch Seanai^, cen rheinj ocup cen rheabliail; 160 ppoinD cerr cecli picher pia jioinn o Chenel j-calina 5-Conoill. Qbai^ Dun 1 m-6eapnup buan, ocup ]iop' aibinD Diap ylua^: aDai^ Dun, |iia D-recc Diap D-ci^, 165 occ Lice in^eine LaoiDi^. Ctbaig Dun 1 TTIuij ^lap gopni; ap na bopach D'ol na 5-copn; po bai jlop, cen bpon, co m-blaiD, ir roi^ nrioip a TTllniipceapcoi^! 170 O Cochan uane na n-eacb po la]' ^lolla CO h-Oileacli, Dia pab pi Oub n-Daipe n-Dail, mnd 155. Suil Daimh, — i. e. the ox's eye. Ballyshannon. Now unknown. The term smjY when used 162. Cinel Conaill. — These words are topographically is applied to a circular generally translated by the compiler of the whirlpool in a river. Annals of Ulster, Genus Co7iaiU/i.e. race 1.'59. Ath-Seannigh, — i. e. the ford of or progeny of Conall. They are the de- Seanach, a man's name, now Ballyshan- scendants of Conall Gulban, the son of non, a well known town on the river Niall of the Nine Hostages, monarch of Erne, in the county of Donegal. It is Ireland in the fourth century. The now generally called in Irish Beal Atha ancient chiefs of this people were the Seanaigh, i. e. the mouth of the ford of O'Muldorrys and O'Canannanns, up to Seanach, and locally anglicised Bally- the beginning of the thirteenth century, shanny, which is far more correct than and the O'Donnells from that period till 51 We were a night at the rapid Suil Daimh, 155 With ISIuircheartach the son of Niall ; And we were not defeated, Through the valour "with which we fought. We were a night at Ath-Seanaigh, Without treachery, and without guile ; 160 Dinner sufficient for an hundred, to be distributed to every twenty. We received from the brave race of Conall. We were a night at the everlasting Beamas, And it was deUghtful to our army: We were a night, before reaching our home, 165 At Lig Inghine Laoidliigh. We were a night at the green Magh-glas; On the morrow we reached our home to di'ink the goblets; There was noise of rejoicing, with glory, In thy great house O Muircheartach. 170 From the green Lochan na n-each A page was despatched to Aileach To tell Dubhdaire of the black hair. To the year 1608. the barony of Haphoe and county of Do- 163. Beamas, — i. e. the gap, or chasm, negal, but it is now forgotten. It is still the name of a very remarkable 171. Lochan na neach, — i.e. the small gap in a mountain in the barony of Tir- lake of the horses. The name is now hugh and county of Donegal, and about lost. five miles to the east of the town of Done- 173. Dubhdaire was Muircheartach's gal. The road leading from Donegal to queen at this time. She was the daughter Stranorlar passes through it. of the Chief of Ossory. The meaning of 166. Lig Inghine Laoidhigh. — Not the word oail in this line is uncertain. It known to the Editor. is again applied to Dubhdaire in line 222, 167. Maghglas, — i. e. the green plain, and in line 247 to Donnchadh monarch was the ancient name of a level tract in of Ireland, and may by a figure of speech H2 52 mna Oo cup ip in luachaip. Gipij I'uap a Ohubooipe, 17^ oarh ponn Do chunn t)o choi^he, ppiochail cec ii-t)uine t)ib map 00 ppiochailce aipopij. Qbaip ppim cia Oarh cicc ann, inD Oileach puipec Pijpeann? 180 inni]" Dam a ^ille 51I, CO n-Deapnap 1 ppiorailirh. Riojpame 6peann 1 ngeirhlib maille pe Tllac Neill neirhnij, Deic ceD laecli 1 n-jaipcceD spinn, 185 Do Chenel Go^ain e^, pinD. l?o ba buiDeach TTiac De Dein DO rnhuipceapcach, Do TTIac Neill; pob Clan 1 cpeipi 6anba, D'ua Neill pp<^ppoi5 po chalma. 190 l?o ppiorailn an Pio^paiD peil, lonup pop ail Do cloinn Meill, cen bpon, cen Duba 'p^^'^ ^^5* im signify of the black hair, being the ge- reign of Queen Elizabeth, nitive case of oael or oaol, a chafer, 175. These are the words of the an insect remarkable for its jet black gilly, or messenger, to the Queen of colour. Aileach. 174. Ip m luachaip, — lit. "to send 179. These are the words of the Queen women into the rushes," i. e. to cut rushes of Aileach to the gilly, or messenger. to strew the floors, and perhaps to make 180. Aileach Rigreann. — The palace of beds for the soldiers. The custom of Aileach was so called from Rigreann, or strewing the floors with green rushes Frigreann, the architect, by whom it was is still common in Ireland, and continued erected towards the latter end of the third in England to so late a period as the century. 53 To send women to cut rushes. " Rise up O'Dubhdaire," (spake the page) ^ lye " Here is company coming to thy house, Attend each man of them As a monarch should be attended." " Tell to me," (she answei'ed), " what company comes hither, To the lordly Aileach-Rigreann, i8o Tell me, O fair page. That I may attend them." " The kings of Erin in fetters," (he replies), " With Muii'cheartach son of warhke Niall, Ten hundred heroes of distinguished valour 1 85 Of the race of the fierce fair Eoghan." The Son of the living God was pleased With Mmrcheartach, the son of Niall; Long in possession of the sovereignty of Banba Be the descendant of Niall Frassach, the most valiant. 1 90 The noble kings were attended According to the pleasure of the race of Niall, Without sorrow, without gloom in the house. As 183. This quatrain contains the gilly's orders in the monastery of St. Columb- answer. kille, on the island of lona, where he died 186. 65 is here used for y%\-^, sharp, in the year 778. The hero of this poem Jierce — See O'Brien's Dictionary in voce, is thus descended from him : 189. Banha, was one of the most an- Niall Frossach, King of Ireland. cient names by which the bardic writers I 1, T 1 1 Aedh Oirdnighe, Kins of Ireland, call Ireland. 1 190. Ua HeiU Ppoppaij, — i. e. de- Niall Cailne, King of Ireland. scendant of Niall Frossach. Niall Fros- ^^^ j, 1^^^,,,^ ^.^^ ^^ j^^,^^^ sach became monarch of Ireland in the year | 763 ; after a reign of seven years he abdi- ^'''" Glundubh, King of Ireland. cated the crown, and entered into holy Muircheartaeh of the Leatticr Cloaks. 54. iTTi map no beirri[' cleiyii^. Oeich b-pichic nriuc, — monap n-^lan, 195 Oeich b-pichic bo, xya cheo t)arh, po maipccri int) Oiliuch emneach, t)o TTlhuipcheapcac rhoip geirhleach. Upi piclnu oabacli t)o ^puiD, I'ocliaibe t)ap pcaoilj'eac ^pui^, 200 CO b-puprhain t)0 rhiob rheaohpach, t)o miiuipcheaprac rhoip-rheamiinac. Da Dabai^ oecc Do rhiob rheann cuccab t)o Riojpaibe Gpeann, ppoinD ceo t>i cec biab co m-blaib, 205 mo apbapc t)oip o'n Rio^hain. Saob bealai5 ^abpain na n-gleann po t)eleb t)o rhnaib Gpeann, iTYi ^eanup, im chell ^an col, im chabaipr, im cbiobniicol. 210 beanDacc cec pip co D-rean^aib pop in^in iTiair rhoip Cheallai^, ocup beanoacc Clipipc ^loin ^le pop ingin l?i5 Opjiaige. Noca n-paca reap no rhuaib, 215 uile pon Gpinn apm-puaib, nocha 195. nrioriap, — is very frequently used Irish as an article of food. — See Spenser in ancient Irish poems.— See line 235. It on Boolies, Dublin edition, p. 82, where is now obsolete, but O'Dugan in his Foras he says, that the Irish who lived in Boolies Focal, and O'Clery in his Glossary of fed only on the milk and white-meats of obsolete Irish words, explain it by the their cattle, modern word obaip, a work. 200. ^puij, — a disagreeable look; the 199. t'wrrf*,— were much used by the dejected, cheerless look of a hungry man. 55 As if they liad been clerics. Ten score hogs — no small work, — ig^ Ten score cows, two hundred oxen, Were slaughtered at the festive Aileach, For Miurcheartach of the great fetters. Three score vats of curds, Wliich banished the hungry look of the army, 200 With a sufficiency of cheering mead Were given by the magnanimous Muircheartach. Twelve vats of choice mead Were given to the kings of Erin, The dinner of an hmidred of each kind of food, nobly 205 Was given gratuitously to them from the Queen. Sabia of Ballagh-Gabhran, district of glens, Has surpassed the women of Erin, In chastity, in wisdom, in purity, In giving, in bestowing. 210 The blessing of every man with a tongue Be on the good, great daughter of Kellach; And the blessing of the pure and glorious Christ Be on the daughter of the King of Ossory. I have not seen in South or North, 215 Throughout all Erin of red weapons, I See O'Brien's Diet, in voce. The name Sadbh is still in use as a 201. Puprhain, — is now obsolete, but woman's name, but anglicised Sarah, or O'Clery explains it by the modern words Sally. pajxiTTi no Daoirin, enovgh^ sufficiency, 212. See the note on line 173. Kellach 207. Ballagh Gahhran, — i. e. the road was King of Ossory ; he was killed in the or pass of Gowran in Ossory. — See line 78. battle of Bealach Mughna, near Carlow, This Sadbh or Sabia was in all probability in the year 908. — See note, line 75. the mother of Dubhdara, Queen of Aileach. 215. Noca n-paca, — Would be now 56 nocha n-puayiup, riap no roip, bean map t)o rhnaoi, a TTIliuiiiceaprai^. Cen po baoi an Rio^paib na n-t)peann inD Qiliuch puipeac Ppijpeann, 220 gan clioinOTYieaD pop neach oile ace pop Oub n-Dail n-oa^ ooipe. Oubt)oipe nochan peapp occlach oile buioheach ; Dia ip Duine apa roi^ 225 DubDoipe ua r^i^eapnoij;. Uuccrlia I05I1 a leanna lain DO OhubDoipe t)il, Dpeaclinaip, Do chpeich Dal Ctpaibe uaip, D'op Do Darhaib Do bea^hbuaib. 230 piclie bo inD cech mboiTi co mblaD, piche Darn inD ceach aen Darn, piche miic cec mine, ba par, DO OiibDoipe o mhiiipcheapcac. 1 5-cinD coicc miop, — monap n-glan, 235 po leiccri an PiogpaiD pop maj;, Dia m-bpir Do OonncliaD mac pioinn, Do P15 IDiDe mop, aloinn. Qppiiu Duic an RiogpaiD peil, ap TTluipceaprac, ap TTlac Nell, 240 oip ap cu a DhonnchaiD, Deapb leam, Duine ap peapp D'peapaib Gpeann. Qp written ni pacap in the south and west of 223. There is some defect in this qua- Ireland, and ca n-pacap in the north. train. 219. Cen po baoi, — would be ex- 230. Co m-blao, nobly, — is inserted pressed in the modern Irish peao 00 Bf. here merely for the sake of rhyme, and 57 I have not seen in West or East A woman like thy wife Muircheartach. While the kings of battles were detained In the lordly Aileach Frigreann, 220 They received no coigne from any one else Except from the good Dubhdaire the black-haired. Dubhdaire, it is not better That any other youth than myself shoxAdi be thankful; God and man go thankful from the house 225 Of Dubhdaire, descendant of Tighernach. The reward of her plenteous ale was given To the lovely, modest-faced Dubhdaire, Out of the plunder of the cold Dalaradia, In gold, in oxen, in good cows. 230 Twenty cows for every cow, nobly, Twenty oxen for every one ox. Twenty hogs for every hog, — a good return, — Were given to Dubhdaire, by Muircheartach. At the end of five months, — a noble work, — 235 The kings were led out on the plain, To be brought to Donnchadh, the son of Flann, To the great and splendid King of Meath. " Here are the noble kings for thee." Said Muircheartach, the son of Niall, 240 " For thou, Donnchadh, it is certain to me. Art the best man of the men of Erin." " Thou has scarcely a glimpse of meaning. It and husband were considered as distinct, occurs again ver. 251. at the period when this poem was written. 234. It appears from this passage that 237. Donnchadh, the son of Flann,was at the possessions and property of the wife this time monarch of all Ireland, though IRISH ARCH. SOC. I. I S8 dy peap]i cu-pa anu]'a a l?i, pi or nocha ^eb neach i ^-cpi, ap ru ru5 an piojjiam peil, 245 a miiuipceapcaig rhic rhoip Meill. Cly peapp ru-pa, a Ohonnchait) Oail, inDap Duine 'n-dp o-calrhain; 5ipe be]'p h-i o-Ueampai^ cemn, ap e ap aipo-pi^ pop Gpinn. 250 6eip mo beanDachuain co mblom, a rheic Nell ^lunomb ^le jloin, copop uaic ^abcliap Uearhaip, a plairh Loclia pinn peabail. Copop lac' chinel TTla^ m-bpea^, 255 5upab leu Uearhaip chaoib^heal, CO m-berc ^eill ^aei6eal ic' C015, a TTlhic rhair, a TTlhuipceapcai^. a mhuiTJCheaRuaish. here called King of Meath, for no other century; but the chiefs of the southern reason than because he resided in Meath. Hy-Niall family when they became mo- 243. The dialogue is supposed to be narchs continued to be styled kings of continued to the end of the poem, Donn- Tara, because that was a phrase under- chadh here replies to the compliment of stood to mean monarch of Ireland. In- Muircheartach ; who rejoins by a further deed, the monarch of Ireland was, by the compliment, (ver. 247— 250); and Donn- poets, generally styled King of Tara chadh concludes by praying that Muir- wherever he resided; as, for example, cheartach may become his successor. Malachy II. was generally so called, though 249. Tara was not inhabited at this he lived at Dun na Sciath, on the brink period, nor had it been since the sixth of Lough Ennell, not far from Mullingar, 59 ' Thou art better now thyself, O King ! With thee no one can vie ; It is thou who didst take captive the noble kings, 245 Muircheartach, son of great Niall." Thou art better thyself, Donnchadh the black-haired ! Than any man in our land. Whoever is in strono; Tara He it is that is monarch of Erin." 250 Eeceive my blessing, nobly, son of Niall Glundubh, bright, piure. May Tara be possessed by thee, O prince of the bright Loch Feabhail ! May thy race possess Magh Breagh, 255 May they possess white-sided Tara, May the hostages of the Gael be in thy house, O good son, Muircheartach !" O MUIRCHEARTACH. and even Brian Boru was styled King of Tara, though he lived at Kincora, in the present town of Killaloe, in the county of Clare. 254. Loch Feabhail. — Now Lough Foyle, near Derry. 255. Mai/ thy race. — To get possession of Magh Breagh is another mode of say- ing to become monarch of Ireland ; for the plain of Magh Breagh, in which the regal palace of Tara was situated, was originally included in the mensal lands of the monarch. 259. Q mhuipcheapraijh — It is the custom of Irish scribes to write at the end of every poem, the word or words with which it commences. This origi- nated in the rule that every poem should end with the same word with which it began; and when this rule was violated, and afterwards, as in the present instance, whether it was violated or not, the initial words were repeated at the end, as being deemed necessary to the completion or perfection of the poem. I2 ADDITIONAL NOTES. ADDITIONAL NOTES. NOTE A. Seepage 26. Genealogy of Viscount O'Neill, The noble family of O'Neill have taken their surname from Niall Glundubh, who was monarch of Ireland for three years, and was slain A. D. 919. Tliegenealogy of the present Lord O'Neill in descent from this monarch is as follows : — 1. NiAix Glundubh. 2. MuiRCHEARTACH of the Leather Cloaks, Prince of Aileach, killed A.D. I 943. 3. Domhnall (Donnell) of Armagh, Prince of Aileach, died 980. 4. Muircheartach Midheach, killed by Amlaff the Dane, 975. .5. Flaithbheartach (Flahertach) an frosdain, or of the Pilgrim's Staff, j went to Rome in 1030, and died in 103G. 6. Aodh (Hugh) Atlaman, died 1033. I 7. Domhnall. 8. Flaithbheartach. I 9. Conchobhar (Conor) na Fiodhga. 10. TadhgGlinne. 1 1 . Muircheartach of Moylinny. 12. Aodh (Hugh) Toinlesc, died 1230. Aodh (Hugh) Meith. Domhnall Og. Aodh Boy I., Chief of I Clannaboy, slain in 1283. Brian. Henry. Muircheartach Ceannfada. Brian Ballach, Chief of I Clannaboy, slain ] in 142G. Aodh Boy IL, Chief of I Clannaboy, slain 1444 Con of Belfast, died 1482. Niall of Edenduffcarrick, Chief I of Clannaboy, died 1537. 13. Niall Roe, 1225. 14. Brian of the Battle of Down, slain 12G0. 15. Domhnall, died 1325. 10". Aodh Reamhar, died 1364. 17. Niall Mor, died 1397. 18. Niall Og, died 1402. I 19. Eoghan (Owen), died 1456. 20. Henry, died 1489. 21. Con More, slain 1493. 22. Con Bacach, created Earl of Tyrone in 1542, died in 1559. 23. Shane (John) the Proud, murdered 1567. | I 23. Ferdoragh, Baron of Dungannon. I 2.5. Henry. 26. Felim. I 27. Gordon. 24. Hugh, Earl of Tyrone, died at I Rome in 1616. 25. John, died without issue. Feidhlimidh (Felim) Bacach. Brian, murdered in 1574. He is I called the senior of the race of I Eoghanby the Four Masters. John, died in 1619. 1 25 26. Sir Henry, died 1637 26. Arthur. I 27. John. 28. Charles, died in 1769. 29. John, made Baron O'Neill in 1793, Vis- I count 1795, murdered 1798. 23. Brian Faghartach, i. e. of Kinelarty, I Chief of Clannaboy, slain by John the Proud, of Tyrone, in 1548. 24. Niall. 25. Feidhlimidh (Felim). 26. Aodh (Hugh) Mergech. 27. Eoghan(Owen), died in 1744. 28. John O'Neill, of Banville, " a man re- markable for prodigious strength, majestic form, princely deportment, affable manners, and unbounded be- nevolence." — Hist. Armagh, pp. 130, 63J. Charles Henry St. John, created Earl O'Neill, 1800, died 1841, and with him the earldom ex- pired. 30. John Bruce, born 1780, Viscount O'Neill, on the death of his brother, 1841, and with him this ancient and noble line becomes extinct for ever. 64 NOTE B. See page 43. Genealogy of Mac Carthy. 1. Ceallachan (Callaghan) Cashel, King of Munster, died 954. 2. Don'nchadh (Donogh) died 962. 3. Murchadh, or Murrogh, died I 1014. 4. Domhnall, or Donnell, died I 1044. I 5. Ceallachan, or Callaghan, from whom the surname of O'Callaghan is derived, living in 1092. Cinneide, or Kennedy. I Aodh, or Hugh. 6. 7. 8. Murchadh, or Murrogh. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 3. Saerbhrethach or Justin, a minor in 977, Ann. Inisf. I 4. Carthach, the progenitor, from whom the name Mac Carthy is derived, was called after the great St. Carthach, of Lisraore. He was chief of Eoghanacht-Chaisil, and was kiUed in 1045. 5. Muiredhach Mac Carthy, died 1095. I 6. Cormac of Moytawny, King of Desmond, celebrated by St. I Bernard, died 1138. 7. Diarmaid, of Kill Baghuine, King of Desmond, slain 1185. I 8. Domhnall (Donnell) Mor na Curra, King of Desmond, slain I 1185. 9. Cormac Finn, King of Desmond, died 1215. I 10. Domhnall Ruadh (Donnell Roe), King of Desmond, died I 1302. 11. Domhnall (DonneU) Og, King of Desmond, died 1303. I 12. Cormac, King of Desmond, 1320. 13. Diarmaid (Dermot) Mor, of Muskerry. I 14. Cormac. I Mathghamhain, or Mahon. 1 Magrath. I Lochluinn, or Loughlin. I Maoileachluinn, or Melaghlin. I Magrath. I Cinneide, or Kennedy. I Donnchadh, or Donogh. I ConchobharLaighneach,( Conor I LynaghJ. Tadhg Ruadh. I Donnchadh. I Conchobhar, or Conor. I Ceallachan, or Callaghan. 20. Cormac, Lord Viscount Muskerry in 1601. 15. Tadhg. I 16. Cormac, slain 1495. 17. Cormac Og, surnamed the Robust. 18. Tadhg (Teige). I 19. Diarmaid (Dermot). (Cahir 21. Domhnall (Donnell) Spaineach, i. e. the Spaniard. I 22. Cormac Spaineach. I 23. Domhnall, or Donnell Mac Carthy, died at Carrignavar in I 1 692. He married Lady Caher, who died in 1 703. 24. Domhnall, or Daniel. Cathaoir Modhartha I Moder). Donnchadh, or Donogh. I Donnchadh Og. 1 Domhnall, or Donnell. I Donnchadh (Donogh), or De- 25. Domhnall (Daniel) Og. nis O'Callaghan, Esq., living in |_ 1773. The Editor does not know how the present Lord Lismore descends from this line. Dr. O'Brien states (Irish Dic- tionary, iwrocePoBUL L Cheal- lachain) that the chief of this family was transplanted by Oliver Cromwell from the county of Cork into the county of Clare, where Donogh O'Callaghan, Esq., was then chief of the name. 26. Justin Mac Carthy, a child, living at Carrignavar in 1762, died without issue. 26. Robert. I 27. Justin, now living at Carrignavar. He is the present senior representa- tive of the noble house of Mac Carthy, of Muskerry, and possesses a considerable remnant of the territory of his ancestors. 65 NOTE C. See page 49. Genealogy of O'Conor Don. 1. Tadhg, or Teige of the Three Towers, King of Connaught, I died in 954. 2. CoNCHOBHAR or Conor, King of Connaught, the progenitor j of the O'CoNORS of Connaught, died in 972. 3. Cathal, King of Connaught, died 1009. I 4. Tadhg, or Teige, of the White Steed, King of Connaught, killed I 1030. 5. Aodh, or Hugh, of the Broken Spear, the heroic King of Con- I naught, killed 1067. 6. Ruaidhri, or Roderic, of the Yellow Hound, King of Con- I naught, dethroned in 1092. 7. Toirdhealbhach, or Torlogh, More, Monarch of Ireland for I twenty years, died in 1136. 8. Cathal Croibhdhearg, or Charles the Redhanded, King of I Connaught, brother of King Roderic, died in 1224. 9. Ruaidhri, or Roderic, the brother of Hugh, King of Con- I naught, who was killed in 1228. 10. Eoghan or Owen, King of Connaught, killed in 1278. i 11. Aodh, or Hugh, King of Connaught, killed in 1309. I 12. Toirdhealbhach, or Torlogh, King of Connaught, killed in I 1343. I 13. Aodh, or Hugh, King of Connaught, killed in 1336. I 14. Toirdhealbhach, or Torlogh, Don, the ancestor of O'Conor I Don, and the last who was inaugurated King of the Irish I of Connaught, kiUed 1406. 15. Feidhlim, or Felim, Geangeach, chief of his name, killed in I 1474. 16. Eoghan, or Owen, Caech, chief of his name, died at Ballinto- I ber in 1485. 17. Cairbre, or Carbry, died at Ballintober in 1546. I 18. Diarmaid, or Dermot, flourished in 1583. I 19. Aodh, or Hugh, O'Conor Don, of Ballintober, died 1627. I 20. Cathal, or Charles, O'Conor, of Belanagare, died 1634. I 21. Cathal, or Charles, Oge O'Conor, of Belanagare, died in 1696. I 22. Donnchadh, or Denis, O'Conor, of Belanagare, died 1736. I 23. Charles O'Conor, of Belanagare, the historian, born 1710, I died 1790. 24. Denis O'Conor, of Belanagare, died in 1804. 25. Owen O'Conor, of Belanagare, who, on the ' ' death of his kinsman, the O'Conor Don ^3. Charles, [Editor 23. Mathew, of Mount- [Dominic] of Clonalis in 1793, took the ^^ *^<^ ^'''■- ^'^- I °'^"^'^- name of The O'Conor Don. Scriptores.\ 26. Denis. 26, Denis O'Conor Don, now The O'Conor Don. IRISH ARCH. SOC. I. K INDEX. [^The references are to the lines of the Poem']. Line. A. ABhainn Ifrinn, 138, ra. Aedh Finnliath, 12 Aileach, 3, 150, 180, 219 Aillinn, 67 Almhain, Hill of, (now Allen), . . 67, n. Ath-Cliath, (now Dublin), .... 41 Ath Cliath Meadhraighe, (now Clarin Bridge), 128, w. Ath-Coille, 131 Ath-Gabhla, 37 Ath mac Cing, (now Headford, County Galway), 143 Ath- Seanaigh, (now Bcdly shannon), . 159 B. Banba, 189 Bealach Gabhrain, (now Gowran-road, County Kilkenny), 78, 207 Bealach Mughna, (now Ballaghmoon, County Kildare), . . . . 75, 212, n. Bearnas, 163 Breasal Bealach, King of Leinster, . 71, n. Breagh-mhagh, 38 Britan, 88 C. Callaghan, King of Cashel, . . . ,115 Casan Linne, (river Lagan), .... 35 Cathair Diiin lascaigh, (now Cahir), 95, n. Ceann Coradh, {Kincora), . . . .129 Line. Cill Dalua, (now Killuloe), . . . .127 Cinel Conaill, 162 Clar Daire-Mor, 89 Coigny, meaning of, 91, n. Conall Gulban, 162, re. Conchobhar Mac Taidhg, 147 Conchobhar Mac Nessa, . . . . \Q, n. Conchobhar, Province of, 22 Corca Eathrach, 102, n. Coshma, barony of, 120 Cretshalach, (now Cratlagh, Co. Clare), 134 Cuchullin, 9 Curoi Mac Daire, 17, 20 D. Dalaradia, 228 Donnchadh, 236 Dun-Eachdach, {Dunaghy, Co. Antrim), 29 Dun Liamhna, (now Dunlavan), . 59, n. Dubhdaire, . . . .173, 225, 227, 233 E. Eiscir Riada, boundary desci'ibed, . 128, w. Eoghan, Q,n. Eoghanacht Chaisil, 95, n. F. Faolan, 71, «. Fergus Mac Roich, 13 Fliodais, 79 Fregabhail, (river Ravel), .... 29, n. 68 Line. G. Galls, 42, w. Glen-Mama, 61 Glenn Righe, 34 Grianan, 4 Grian Airbli, (now Greane), . . 87, n. H. Headford, 143, n. Hy-Cairbre, 120 Hy-Kenselach, 62 I. Inis Fail, 2 K. Kellach, King of Ossory, 212 Kilcolman, 89, n. Leath Cuinn, 128 Leath Mogha, ih. Liamhain, (now Dunlavaii), .... 59 Lig Inghine Laoidhigh, 166 Linn Duachaill, (now Magheralin), 35, n. Line, 27 Lochan na neach, 171 Loch Feabhail, (now Loch Foyle), . . 254 Loch Riach, (now Loughrea), . . . 139 Lorcan O Breasail, 71 Luimneach, (now Limerick) .... 130 M. Mac Car thy, pedigree of, . . . . 115, n. Machaire Chonacht, 150, n. Magh Adhair, 138 Magh Ai, 150 Magh Airbh, 87 Magh Feimin, 95 Magh glas, 167 Line. Magh-Line, 27 Magh n-Ealta, 40 Magh Rath, (now Moira), .... 33 Meadha Seola, 141 Meadhraighe, 128, n. Muircheartach, 1, et passim. , his descent from Niall Frossach, 190, n. N. Niall Frossach, 190 Niall Glundubh, 1, w. O. O'Brien, inauguration of the, . . 138, n. Oenach-cros, 25 O'Callaghan, pedigree of, .... 115, «. O'Conor Don, pedigree of, ... 147, n. O'Donovan, descent of, 120, 7J. O'Neill, pedigree of, \, n. R. Rath Guaire, 151 Rigreann, 180 Rinn Tamhan, (now Towan Point), 128, n. S. Sadhbh, 207 Sitric, 54 Sliabh-Suidhe an righ, where, . . 135, 7i!. Sliabh na m-ban bh-fionn, (now Slieve na man), 95, n. Srath an-fhiren, 153 Suil Daimh, 155 Tighernach, 225 Tubbridbritain, 88, /*. U. Uladh, {Ulidia), 31 FINIS A BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF IRELAND: 1590. A BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF IRELAND: 1590 EDITED BY AQUILLA SMITH, M.D, M.R.I.A. DUBLIN: FOR THE IRISH ARCH^OLOGICAL SOCIETY. MDCCCXLI. DUBLIN : PBINTED AT THE UNIVERSITY PRES? BY GRAISBEKRY AND GILL. INTRODUCTION. THE second edition of this little tract was not known to be in existence until November, 1 840, at which time it was purchased at a book sale, in Dublin, at a very considerable price, by a member of the " Irish Archaeological Society," who has kindly permitted it to be reprinted. It contains many interesting particulars, which are narrated in a manner calculated to impress the reader with perfect confidence in the fidelity of the Author's relation of what he " discovered and learned" during his residence in the South of Ireland. It maybe assumed that it is of extreme rarity, as it is not mentioned in Harris's edition of Sir James Ware's " History of the Writers of Ireland ;" neither does it appear in the valuable Catalogue of Manuscripts and Printed Books, relating to this country, compiled by the late General Vallancey, and presented to the Library of the Royal Irish Academy in February, 1839, by the Marquis of Normanby, at that time Lord Lieutenant of Ireland ; nor is it to be found in any of the public libraries in Dublin. The earliest bibhographical notice of the first edition of Payne's tract is given by Ames, with the title as follows : — " A Briefe description of Ireland : Made in this year. 1589. by Robert Payne, vnto xxv. of his partners, for whom he is vndertaker there. Truely pubhshed verbatim, according to his letters, by Nich. Gorsan, of Trowell, Nottinghamshire, one of the sayd partners, for that he would his countreymen should be partakers of the many good notes therein contaiyned. The Three Cranes, &c.," i6mo. 1589. — Typog. Antiq. 4to. 1786. Vol. ii. p. 1127. This description has been copied in the " Bibliotheca Britannica" by Watts, who has printed Corsan instead of Gorsan. IRISH ARCH. soc. 2. Lowndes VI Lowndes in his Manual, 1834, gives a very short notice of it, without refer- ence to any sale catalogue. The circumstance of the first edition only, of this tract, being known to these authors, attaches much interest to the second and enlarged " impression," !i, reprint of which is now presented to the members of the " Irish Archajological Society." Of the author, Robert Payne or Paine, (p. 9), little more is known than that he appears to have been resident manager in Ireland for " xxv. of his partners," for each of whom and himself, he provided four hundred acres of land in the county of Cork, (p. 7). It may be presumed that he was selected for this ofHce, on account of having previously directed his attention in England to agricultural pursuits, and the m<;ans of improving waste grounds, for he was probably the Roljcrt Payn who published, in 1583, a work on this subject, whose title is given by Ames as follows: — ''Rob: Payn his Ilill-mans Table, which shewcth how to make Ponds to continue water in higli and drie grounde, of what nature soeuer. Also the Vale-mans Table, shewing how to drainc moores, and all other wcttc grounds, and to lay them drie for eucr. Also how to measure any roufe ground, wood or water, that you cannot come into, &c. Prin. 1583." — Typoff. Anf.ifj., Vol. iii. p. 1662. His letters arc dated from a place called " Poynes-end," (p. 9), the exact locality of which the Editor has not been able to discover. The Author appears to have fully appreciated the great advantages which would result from judiciously cultivating the soil of this fertile island; and by abstaining from national niflcctions, and divesting himself of all undue preju- dices, he is prominently distinguished from many of the writers of his time, who too commonly " j'ldg'd the many, by the rascal few." The origin of the " Undertakers," to which class of persons Pa3aie belonged, may now be briefly noticed. By the Act of Attainder passed in 1586, the twenty-eighth year of Elizabeth, against Ocrald Fitzgerald, the sixteenth and last Earl of Desmond, and his ac- complices in rebellion, — Irish Statutes at larrje, Vol. i. p. 418, — property, amounting in all to 574,628 acres of land, was forfeited, and became vested in the VII the Queen, except wliat was restored to Patrick Condon, and tlie Wliite Knijrlit, &c. Her Majesty was Intent on peopline claro, — In the clear, or so much profit. Page 1 1 , liiie 3. Master Phane Beecher — The Editor is indebted to Sir William Betham for a copy of the abstract of the grant to Phane Beecher, of London, who, " on the 30th September, 1588, received from Queen Elizabeth the Castle of O'Mahony alias O'Mahownes Castle, and the moiety of all the county of Kilnalmeky alias Kinal- mechi, and the moiety of all the landes and heriditaments therein, 14,000 acres at the yearly rent of £,QQ 13s. 4^i?." Smith states that Fane Beecher, Esq., had a grant of 12,000 acres, and that in the year 1602, Sir Richard Boyle (afterwards Earl of Cork) purchased a great part of Beecher's seignory, on which he built the town of Bandon. — History of Cork, vol. i. p. 55. This family is at present represented by Sir William Wrixon Becher, who as- sumed 23 sumed the additional surname and arms of Becher, in obedience to the will of his uncle, from whom he inherited an estate. Sir William was created a baronet in September, 1831.— Burke's Peerage, 1832. Page 1 1 , line 4. Kenallmechie. — Or Kinealmeaky, is a small barony in the county of Cork, it was formerly a part of Carbery, and being forfeited by O'Mahony in the Earl of Des- monds rebellion, it was by Queen Elizabeth granted to Greenville and Beecher, Eng- lish undertakers, by whom it was first planted with English, and then got the name of a barony. It afterwards gave title to the noble Lewis Boyle, Lord Viscount Kinalmeaky and Baron of Bandon-bridge, who was slain at the battle of Liscarolin 1642.— Smith's Cork, vol. i. p. 235. Smith says, that from Flan descended Beake, from whom, according to the Munster annals, the territory of Kinalmeaky took its name, which signifies the head of the noble root. From ceann a head, neal noble, and meacan a root ; in old Irish probably alluding to this sept of the Mahonys. — Vol. i. p. 24. In the preceding page he says, " Those Mahowns derive their pedigree from Kean Mac Moyle More who married Sarah, daughter to Brien Boruma, King of Munster, by whom he had Mahown, the ancester of all that sept." The Editor is indebted to Mr. John O'Donovanfor the following remarks : — " No- thing can be more erroneous than the derivation given by Smith in his History of Cork, for the name Kinalmeaky ; it is taken altogether from the English spelling, and shews that the writer never saw the word in the original Irish, where it is spelled cmeal m-6ece, and signifies the race of Bece ; the b being eclipsed in pronuncia- tion by the m, it is pronounced nearly as Kinalmeaky, for the c in Irish is always hard, and the e final is sounded. 6ece is a man's name not uncommon among the ancient Irish, and was the name of the ancestor of the O'Mahony, as appears from the genealogies of the Munster families in the Books of Lecan and Ballymote, and in the Book of Duald Mac Firbis in the Royal Irish Academy, in which the genealogy of O'Mahony is traced up from Con, the son of Dermot More O'Mahony, Chief of Hy. Eachach through twenty-four generations to Bece, who flourished in the seventh century, and from whom the tribe name was derived. The territory of Ctneal m-6ece is mentioned in the genealogies, and in the topographical Poem of Giolla na Naomh O'Heerin, or O'Huidhrin, who died A. D. 1420." Ibid. Tym,oleagne. — Or Timoleague, (the u is inverted in the original) i. e. cij or ceac mdaja 24 TTlolaja, the house or residence of St. Molagga, whose festival day, according to Col- gan,is on the 20th of January — Acta Sanctorum, p. 145 : Molagga was the founder and patron saint of this place, which is situated on an arm of the sea, a few miles west of Kinsale, in the County of Cork. Page 1 1 , line 6. River called Bandon. — This " goodly river" runs from west to east, through the southern part of the County of Cork, and falls into the sea at Kinsale. Page 12, line 20. Sixe millions of men. — If the author intended to estimate the Queen's subjects in Ireland only, he has fallen into a great error ; for the earliest census taken in this country is that of Sir William Petty, who, in 1672, found the entire population of Ireland to be only 1 ,320,000 ; and it is said that during the wars in the reign of Elizabeth, the population of Ireland was reduced to considerably less than a million. Page 12, line 26. Sir William Standly. — Or Stanley, was knighted by Sir William Drury, Lord Justice of Ireland, who died at Waterford in September, 1579. Shortly after, Stanley was in command of the garrison at Adair, in the County of Limerick ; in 1584 he was Sheriff of the county of Cork, and in 1587 he left this country, together with one thousand men, who were sent to serve in the war in Holland, — Cox's Ire- land, fol. 1689, Pt. 1, p. 358, &c. — where he was made governor of the town of Deven- ter, in the Netherlands, which, in the same year, he betrayed, with its garrison of twelve hvmdred soldiers, into the hands of the Spaniards, for a sum of money. — Hume's England, 8vo. 1807, vol. v. p. 328. Page 12, line 34. The last greate Earell of Desnionde. — Gerald Fitzgerald, the sixteenth and last Earl of a powerful and ancient family, had, during the early part of the Rebellion, affected to support the Queen, and gave his son as a pledge for his loyalty. His false pretences were, however, soon discovered by some of his followers, who were taken prisoners. The Lord Justice, Sir William Pelham, in October, 1579, caused letters to be sent from Kilkenny to the Earl, to induce him to repair to him, in order that he might renew his allegiance to her Majestic ; but to no purpose, and accord- ingly he was proclaimed a traitor, on the second of November, 1579, unless he sur- rendered within twenty days. On 25 On the twentieth of November, the Earl wrote a letter to the Lord Justice, stating that he and his brethren had entered into the defence of the Catholic faith, under the protection of the Pope and the King of Spain, and even advised his Lordship to join with him ; a few days after he addressed letters to such lords and gentlemen of Leinster, as he supposed were inclined to support him in his rebellion. He was vigorously attacked by the Queen's forces, and in the beginning of April, 1580, was dispossessed of all his castles; in 1582 he was reduced to great extremities, and " was forced to keep his Christmas m K'dqucgf/ Wood, near Kilmallock," and, finally, he took refuge in the wood of Glawniginky, four miles from Tralee, where he was slain in November, 1583, by a common soldier of the name of Kolly [KellyJ. — Cox's Ireland, Part L p. 358, &i,c. Thus terminated the career of this unfortunate nobleman. His head was sent to England, as a present to the Queen, who caused it to be fixed on London Bridge ; his body, which was concealed for eight weeks, was buried in the chapel of Killana- mana, near Arnegragh, in the County of Kerry. Pier Majesty, in a letter dated fourteenth of December, 1585, " ordered that her well-beloved subject and soldier, Daniel Kelly, who slew the late traytor Desmond, for his very good services therein, should have, at least, for thirty years, without fine, so much of her lands, spiritual or temporal, as should amount to thirty pounds ster- ling per annum." This same Kelly, who was so liberally rewarded for his services, was afterwards hanged at Tyburn. — Smith's Cork, vol. ii. p. 64. Page 13, line 2. One did eate another for hunger. — This revolting statement is supported by Spencer, who was cotemporary with our Author. — Slate of Ireland, fol. 1633, p. 72. Page 13, line 8. The Iiish would gladly e haue their publike masse againe. — The celebrating of the mass in Ireland was first abolished by Edward the Sixth ; it was restored in 1553, by Mary, and it was again put down by Elizabeth in the second year of her reign. — ll^ares Annals of Ireland, A. D. 1559. Page 13, line 25. Mast. — The fruit of the oak and beech. IRISH ARCH. SOC. 2. E Page 0.6 Page 14, line 8. There is neither mol, pye, nor carren crom. — The mole (Talpa Europaea) has never been naturalized in Ireland ; and as to the magpie (Pica caudata) our author is probably correct, for Derricke, who wrote in 1581, in his " Image of Ireland," says, " ^o pies to plucke the thatch from house, are breed in Irishe grounde : But worse then pies the same to burne a thousand e maie be founde." Somer's Tracts, 2nd Edit. 4to. vol. i. p. 582. " Ireland," says Moryson, in 1617, " hath neither singing nightingall, nor chat- tering />ye, nor undermining mouler — Itinerary, Part iii. B. 3, p. 160, And Smith, who published the second edition of his " History of Cork," in 1774, says, "the magpie, or pianet, was not known in Ireland seventy years ago, but are now very common." — Vol. ii. p. 330. The earliest notice of this bird as indigenous in Ireland is in " Keogh's Zoologia Medicinalis Hibernica, Dublin, 8vo. 1739;" he merely mentions the "magpie, or pianet, Hih. Maggidipye." This evidently Anglo-Irish word, for we have no name for it in the ancient Irish language, favours the opinion held by our best informed naturalists, that this bird is of recent introduction into this country. Of the Carren, or carrion crow, (corvus corone,) we have not any authority as to the date of its introduction into Ireland. Moryson says, we have not the " blacke crow, but onely crowes of mingled colour, such as wee call Eoyston crowes ;" Part iii. B. 3, p. 160 ; and Smith tells us that " the common, or carrion crow, so called from its food, is very common in England, but more rare with us;"' vol. ii. p. 329; and, according to Mr. Thompson of Belfast, " it frequents the coast chiefly through the northern parts." The Irish word for a crow is pionnoj, which signifies the scare or scald crow, or royston crow, (corvus cornix,) which, according to Smith, is " a very common and mischievous bird" in Ireland. 6aDb also signifies the royston crow, or any ravenous bird. Page 14, line 9. There is neither sheepe dieth on the rat, nor beast on the murraine The Editor is unable to say, how long the " rot," as a disease of sheep, is known in Ireland, but it is certain that it was known before our Author's time, for we have the word leiche, which signifies the " rot in sheep," occurring in manuscripts of a very early date; and the "murraine" 27 " murraine" is frequently mentioned in the Annals of Ireland. In 1502, " A great miirraine was in all parts of Ireland, which destroyed a world of cattle.'" — Ware's Annals, A. D. 1502. An earlier instance may be quoted from the Annals of Clon- macnoise, "A. D. 981. This yeare began the morren of cowes, called in Ireland moilegarie." — Mac Geoghegan's MS. Translation, Lib. Trin. Coll. Dublin, F. 3, 19., and it would be easy to collect many ancient authorities if it were worth while to search for them. E2 INDEX 29 INDEX. Page. A. A Ssizes, 4 B. Bandon, river, 11 Barley, price of, 6 Beans, price of, 6 Beecher, Mr. Phane, 11 Beef, price of a fat, 7 Bog mine, or iron ore, 6 Bream, price of, 6 Butter, price of a pound, 6 , price of a firkin, 9 C. Carriage of goods to England, ... 7 Cheese, price of a waye of, ... . 9 Cockles, 7 Coin, 9 Conelogh, 4 Cork, 4 Corporations, 12 Cranes, 7 Crow, carrion, 14 Curlews, 7 Page. D. Deer, price of a red, 7 Desmond, Earl of, 12 Desmond, country of, 4 E. Eggs, price of, 6 G. GoRSAN, Nich, Title page. Government as in England, .... 4 Greenfield, Sir Richard, .... 8 H. Heath-cocks, 6 Heifer with a calf, price of, ... . 7 Hen, price of a fat, 6 Herrings, price of, 6 Honey, 7 Horses, 7 Hospitality of the Irish, 3 House keeping, cost of, 7 I. Idle people, 4 Interest 3° Page. Interest on money, 8 Irish, charucter of the, 3 Iron stone G J. Judges, . . Jury, trial l)y, K. Kenallmechie, 11 Kemiory, 4 Kernes, 4 Kerry, 4 Kinsale, II Knight of the Valley, 4 Land, rent of, 8 Law officers, 4 concerning stolen cattle, Laws, Lead ore, Limerick, school at, Living in Ireland, cost of, ... M. Mackerel, price of, 6 Madder, 9 Magistrates, 4 Magpie, 14 Malt, price of, 6 Map of Ireland, 5 .... 7 .... 14 .... 14 .... 7 .... 7 Milk, price of, . . Mole, Mui'raine, Muscles, .... Mutton, price of a fat. Page. O. Oak plank, price of an, 6 Oats, price of, Oivrntu'uod, or Orniond 4 Oysters, 7 P. Paine, Robert, 9 Partridge, 7 Peas, price of, 6 Pheasants, 7 Pig, price of a fat, Plovers, green and grey, 7 Population of Ireland, 12 Poynes end, 9 Q. Quails, price of, 7 K. Rabbit warren, 9 Rabbits, price of, 14 Rails, 7 Religion of the Irish, 5 Rent of land, 8 Rot in sheep, 14 S. Salmon, price of, 6 Salt, price of, 6 Samphire, 7 School at Limerick, ;} in Co. Cork, 11 Soil, good for agriciUtm'e, 6 Standlv, Sir William, 12 Stone in the bladder, remedy for, . . 7 Swans, 7 T. 31 Page. T. Talluw, 7 Tipperary, 4 Tymoleagnc, II U. Uiidortakers, 7 Page. W. Warron, rabbit, 'J Waterford, 4 Wax, 7 Wheat, price of, 6 Woad, Woodcocks, price of, 7 F I N I S. Date Due t/iM *) f) O/Wa/'i tJnii c f AiUi) 1 f) i I in mil II 11 nil nil III until ill! nil III 3 9031 0127636 205569 Boston College Library Chestnut Hill 67, Mass. Books make kept for two weeks unless a shorter time is specified. Two cents a day is charged for each 2-week book kept overtime; 25 cents a day for each overnight book. If you cannot find what you want, inquire at the delivery desk for assistance. ^ 11-46