Then, the
southern
Hy-Niall preyed so far as Tealach-Oog, and having obtained spoils, they returned towards Meath.
O'Hanlon - Lives of the Irish Saints - v4
There they were courteously received, and the clansmen were gene- rously rewarded by the Irish monarch.
This visit took place, subsequent to A.
D.
1009.
^9 The King of Leinster received all due respect at the court, where he was welcomed by his sister,5o \^qix supposed to preside over its hospitalities.
The name was Gormghlath, or Gormlaith.
s' By her marriage withBryanBoiroimhe,shewasacknowledgedasQueenofIreland.
'' How-
ther implied vassalage on the part of the re- cipient.
« . See Cojat)! ! jACDliel-ne ^Allaibli, or The War of the Gaedhil with the Gaill, edited by Rev. James Henthorn Todd. In- troduction, n. i. , p. clxi.
*" They were both the children of Mur- chad, who was slain A. D. 970, so that they *3 One account has it, that the tribes were must have been forty years old—if not more—at this time. Their grandfather was Finn, chief of the Ui Failyhe. He was slain, A. D. 928, and his father who died A. D. 921, <* Probably the present SUeve Bloom was Maelmordha, the son of Conchobliar, chief of Offaly. Sir Charles Coote, without
O'Connor's Keating's "General History of
Ireland," Second Book, p. 489.
* Rev. Dr. Todd deems this an interpola-
tion, ill his text, though found in two of the
copies, from which it was prepared ; for, if it were to be admitted, there must have been more than the three masts, to which allusion had been previously made by his author.
obliged to proceed in single file, at a particu- lar place, and they were respectively too proud to yield precedence.
Mountains, which seem to have lain on their way to Killaloe.
" Falgia is derived from Hy Bealgia, that —is
*3 This place has not been identified.
" The CojAoh Jieohet Re SAlUvibVi has it, ascending a boggy mountain.
the country of the worsliippers of Beal. " "General View of the Agriculture and Manufactures of the King's County," &c. Introduction, p. 1.
5' His death is recorded, at A. D. 1020.
5» it is said, she was the most beautiful woman of her day in Ireland. See Alfred
bi
"
" See Dermod O'Connor's Keating's General History of Ireland," Second Book,
p, 490.
* According to the Irish customs of Tanis-
try, a gift presented from one king to ano- Vol. IV. —No. 7.
quoting his authority, tells us, that
Hy
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [April 23.
386
ever, a considerable difficulty is here raised, to account for the truth of such a statement. No doubt, our historians assert, that Gormflaith had been mar- ried to Bryan Boromha ; but, it may be questioned, if this marriage took
place after 1009, when his wife Dubhcobhlaigh, daughter to Cathal O'Conor, King of Connaught, died. Gormflaith's character has been subjected to much obloquy. She is said to have been the mother of Bryan's son Donn- chadh, who fought in the battle at Clontarf ; so that, her marriage with the monarch must have been an earlier one. It has been suggested, that after Dubhcobhlaigh's death, Gormflaith, who was probably divorced from the monarch, might have visited Kincora, in the hope of recovering her position ; but, finding herself coldly received, she became "grim" against Bryan. ss and resolved on a deadly revenge. 54 After the usual greetings and ceremonies had past, between the brother and sister, the King of Leinster desired the queen, that she would be pleased to fix a button upon his mantle, in place of the one he had lost. He then related, how a dispute had arisen between those tribes, that were appointed to carry the masts, which he was proud of the honour of bearing upon his shoulders, as a testimony of his subjection and obedience to her husband, the King of Ireland. Reflecting upon the independence and renown of her ancestors, who never paid homage to any prince, the queen was so incensed, at this servile disposition of her brother, that she upbraided him severely, for his cowardice and meanness of spirit. She declared, that he had degenerated from the courage and bravery of his family, in submitting to a yoke, that never had been worn by any of her illus- trious house, and so, by such means, entailing bondage and slavery upon all his posterity. Then violently pulling the mantle from his shoulders, with indignation, she threw it into the fire. ss
Her words and action naturally irritated her brother, and prepared him to resent every insult offered by the Dalcassians. An occasion was soon
presented, for a private quarrel, while Maelmordha, the King of Leinster, was their guest, at the castle of Brian Boroimhe and of Gormflaith. Being at an
entertainment, held in Kincora, a game of chess s* or tables was played, the next morning, between Murrougb, the son of Bryan, and Conning,? ? the son of Dunchuain ; or, as other accounts have it, the confessor s^ of St. Caomhgin,
of Glendalough, was the person then engaged, playing against the heir appa- rent of Ireland. The King of Leinster was a mere spectator of the tourna-
ment. But, when Morrough was at a point of this game, Maolmordha observed a critical position, and advised the antagonist to a movement, which caused the Munster prince to lose the game. This conduct netded Morough, who observed to the King of Leinster with a sneer, that if he had given as good advice to the Danes, when they fought at the batde of Glen-mama, they should not have received so great an overthrow. This allusion awakened
unpleasant recollections, and it provoked a retort. Maolmordha answered indignantly, that if the Danes had been defeated, owing to his advice, he
Webb's " Compendium of Irish Biography," p. 35.
53 This is an expression used, by the Njal-
Saga,
5< See CosATah SAeohel tie SAlliibh,
or the Wars of the Gaedhil with the Gaill,
edited by the Rev. James Henthorn Todd.
Introduction, p. clxi,, n. I.
55 See Dermod O'Connor's Keating's
"GeneralHistoryoflreland," Second Book,
pp. 489 to 491.
5' This was a favourite game in Ireland,
especially in the castles of the kings and nobles.
s? He was the nephew of Bryan, and, after- wards killed, in the Battle ofClontarf.
"
ss Conaing O'Carroll,
head of the charity
and piety of the Gaeidhil," and erenach of
Glendalough, died a. d. 1031, according to
Dr. O'Donovan's " Annals of the Four Mas-
ters," vol. ii. , pp. 822, 823.
S9 " Have the yew-tree made ready for
them by yourself," is said to have been the reply of Murchadh, according to the account
April 23. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
387
should soon put them in a way to retrieve their loss ;59 while, he intended to take full revenge, not alone on Murrough, but on his father Bryan, the mon-
arch of Ireland.
Whereupon, Murrough replied, that those foreigners had
been so frequently chastised by the Irish army, that he stood in no fear of
any attempt they could make, even if the King of Leinster were at their head.
Instantly, Maelmordha became violently enraged, and he retired to a bed-
chamber. ^ So great was his indignation, that the Leinster dynast refused to
appear at the public banquet. He passed the whole night in restless anger,
andin to his —
devising means, indulge schemes for revenge. To avoid being
— morninghearose,andsetoutinthedirectionforLeinster. Withouttaking
arrested by Morough
a course the of King
Leinster feared early the
next
leave of his host, the high-souled monarch, or any of his household,*' Maol- mordha was already on the road. His conduct affected the good monarch,
when hearing of the royal guest's departure. Bryan sent one of his servants, named Cocaran,*' after the King of Leinster, to request his return and recon- ciliationwithMorough. TheservantofBryanovertookMaelmordha,while
given, in the CogAt)! ! jAeoViet Re 5<iL- Ln-oh. pp. 144, 145. This was an allusion to Maolmordha having concealed himself in a yew-tree, after the battle ofGlenmama. See n. 3, ibid.
*" The Book of Howth has probably con-
structed quite a different version of the occur-
rences, from this story, as generally told by
our Irish shanachies, and which may be re-
garded as al together romantic ; for, that
chronicle, | disregarding good authority or
consistency, too frequently abounds in the marvellous. An incident of family intrigue
and dishonour, reflecting on Murrough
O'Brien's character, is there related to have
stirred up the great war, between the Irish
and the and which was re- • Danes, finally
solved at Clontarf. Thus it is abridged from Hanmer, and it is only ofany worth, because
relating incidently some details, that serve to illustrate the Anglo-Norman traditions about Clontarf. A Danish merchant of Dublin, and said to have been fourth son to the King of Denmark, was jealous of his fair and Irish- born wife. Having occasion to absent him- self on a mercantile travelling excursion in
far countries, the White Merchant—
forsohe
to
Hanmer,
he Iwillbe
added, " revenged
is called
left his wife as a in
lady waiting, upon
partakers
—
him and his
cidents quite as credible.
"See L'Abbe "His- Ma-Geoghegan's
toire de I'lrlande Ancienne ct Moderne," tome i. , chap, vi. , p. 410.
'' From this Cogaran, the Jobh Cogaran, in the province of Munster, received its tribe
andundertheprotection of Bryan's wife. The King of Ireland assumed duty of her guar- dianship, during that merchant's absence. However, distrustful of the result, his journey was made unhappy, by doubts about her fidelity. The remainder of this romantic story savours of invention, and that tasteless flavour of improbability, which served to amuse the frivolous minds of that age, when it had been composed. Hastening his return, the merchant came, early in the morning, and having a private key, by surprise he en-
tered into his wife's
found her in company with Morough, the monarch's eldest son. We need only observe here, the unblushing inconsistencies of this unsavoury narrative, so redolent of a filthy
apartment.
There he
imagination, which catered for the lords, who ruled in castles. We are left to wild conjec- ture, as to how the private key could hare been obtained by the Danish merchant, to
—we are to presume of Kincora or, as to how a stranger could approach there in perfect secrecy. Following Hanmer's very absurd
any apartment in King Bryan's palace —
''
hee wheeled about, devising what was best to be done, at length resolving himselfe to depart for that
time, tooke Moroghs sword, and put it into liis owne scabbard, and his into Moroghs
indignantly repaired monarch Bryan, and complained of the in-
jury and indignity, which Murrough had per- petrated against him. The just and inflexi- ble monarch answered, that although Mur- rough was his own son, yet if the Danish
merchant gave judgment against him, it should immediately be put into execution. Themerchant declared, that he should leave his unfaithful wife to Murrough, but, according
narrative of the merchant,
—"Chronicle of Ireland," 183. The spirit of knight-errantry governs the sequence of the story-teller's account ; the merchant to the
scabbard. "
p.
in the field, as soone as possibly may be, and I doubt not but all Ireland shall rue the day of this vil- lanie. " Afterwards, he went to Denmark, and brought over the Danes and Norwe- gians, who fought at Clontarf. It is proba- ble, that the foregoing account passed for history, not alone among the castellans of Howth, but among the Anglo-Normaiis of Dublin, for many succeeding generations. Nor is it wonderful, since great masters of historic fiction can fill modern novels with in-
388 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [April 23.
mounting his horse, at the east of the Shannon River, and not far from Killa- loe, near the end of the plank-bridge. He deHvered the message from the monarch, who desired his return, until he should carry home with him both catde and pay. *3 But, this overture was rejected by Maelmordha. All the while, he listened only with indignation, to the servant's proposal. As soon as he was done speaking, Maelmordha raised the staff of yew, which he held in his hand, and brandished it over the innocent messenger's head. Giving him three furious blows with that walking-stick, the Leinster king fractured hisskull. *• Thisoutrageousandunprovokedact,madeknownloBryaninashort time, showed how little Maelmordha respected the monarch, and how utterly he rejected such reconciliation, owing to his ungovernable passion. 's Some advised the monarch, to pursue the King of Leinster, and to bring him back, untilheshouldbeobligedtomakesubmission. But,Bryanmagnanimously declared, he would not take advantage of the offending king, in his palace ; while, he resolved to demand justice from him, at the threshold of his own house. ** Maolmordha pursued his way on horseback, and hastened to his ownprovinceofLeinster. Thespeedofhisjourneymaybeestimated,when it is credited, that he arrived that very night at Sen Leas Abain, or the old fort of St. Alban, which was built on the Douglas, a tributary stream of the RiverBarrow. Thiswassituated,withinthedistrictofUam-Buidhi,*? which comprised the present baronies of Ballyadams and of Slieveraargy, in the Queen's County. The distance between this place and Killaloe cannot be mucii under sixty miles. This might be regarded, as an unusual journey on horseback, in a single day. Maelmordha spent the night, at the house of the son of Berdai, King of Ui-mBuidhi. Early the next morning, he arrived at the Garbh Thamhnach. *^ Here was the house of Dunlang, son to Tuathal, KingoflartharLiphi. *9 Thereheassembledhischiefsandnobles,inacon- vention, representing to them the insult he had received at Kincora. It was a one-sided statement, we may rest assured, yet not the less effective on that account. Hisimmediateliegeswereinflamedtosogreatadegree,thatthey entered into the views of their king, and resolved to renounce their allegiance toBryan. Accordingtothecounselagreedto,theydespatchedmessengers toFlaith-Chertach, King of Ailech, and son to Muircheartach O'Neill, exhort- inghimtomakewaruponMaelsechlainnanduponUladli. Othermessengers were sent to Fearghal Ua Ruairc, King of Brefni, and to Ualgarg Ua Ciardha, King of Cairbre. Moved by those representations made to them, these potentates agreed to renounce their allegiance to Bryan, 7° and to unite for the purpose of taking the initiative against him, and against his faithful ally, Maelseachlainn. Aseriesofcombinedattackswasarranged,andthesewere to be directed from different quarters. The next object of Maolmordha was to confederate with the Danes, and to seek their alliance, so that he might bid the monarch defiance, when ready to appear in the field, and at the head of
his various contingents.
name. See Dermod O'Connor's Keating's ""
'' In his Topographical Poem, O'Huidh- rin alludes to Crioch O'Muighi, another form of Crioch Ua m-Buidlie, lying on the west side of the River Barrow. See Dr. O'Dono- van's teibhdp ii<i ^-Ce&pc, or "Book of Rights," n. (n), pp. 213, 214.
'^ The meaning seems to be "a rough
field producing fresh green grass. " No
correspondingdenominationisnow traceable, ''This may be rendered, " west of the
Liffey" River.
? " See CojatjIi 5<iex)1iel He S^lUaibh,
chap. Ixxxiv.
General Histoiy of Ireland, Second Book, p. 493.
'3 See C05AT)h jAe-ohel He 5Alt&ibh, chap. Ixxxiii. , pp. 144, 145.
'•• It was necessaiy lo carry Cocaran to Kincora, in a litter, according to the received accounts.
'5 See Rev. James Wills' " Lives of Illus-
trious and Distinguished Irishmen," vol. i. , Second Period, p. 208.
^ See CogATih jienheL lie SAllAibVi, chap. Ixxxiii. , pp. 146, 147.
April 23. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 389
Owing to this combination, a great war soon raged, between the foreigners and the Gaeidhil. It broke out in the year 1012. '' Apparently, the first movements were directed by the restless Flaithbhertach, who led an army into Cinel-Conaill, until he arrived at Magh-Cedne,'' in the southern part of Donegal. Then,hecarriedoffagreatpreyofcows,andreturnedsafetohis house. A second time, the same Flaithbheartach entered Cinel-Conaill, when he advanced to Druim-Claibh, and Tracht-Eothaile. There Niall, son of Gillaphadraig, was slain, and Maelruanaidh Ua Maeldoraidh was defeated. It seems likely, that the latter had been chased out of Tiis own territory of Tyrconnell, and that he had been overtaken, at Tracht-Eothaile. Meantime, Maelseachlainn finding the principality of Tir-Eogain exposed to his attacks, led his forces so far as Magh-da-ghabhal, which was burned.
Then, the southern Hy-Niall preyed so far as Tealach-Oog, and having obtained spoils, they returned towards Meath. Again, Flaithbheartach brought his retainers to Ard-Uladh,73intheeastofDowncounty; whileheplunderedallthatcoun- try, taking with him an immense number of cattle, and many prisoners. It is difficult now to distinguish the intricacies of those various conflicts, which were doubtless the results ot counter-policies and diversions of interests, among the leading Irish potentates. Flaithbhertach next marched upon Meath, which, for the most part, he plundered and ravaged. It would seem, that Bryan had sent some of his officers to aid Maelseachlainn, more imme- diately exposed to aggression, until the monarch should be able to create a diversion in his favour. In one of those encounters, which took place, a high steward of the monarch, and who is called Osli,''* son to Dubhcenn,'5 son of Imar, was slain, with many more. '*
Soon, the attention of Maelseachlainn had been directed towards another
quarter. A great depredation was committed, by Ualgharg Ua Ciardha, lord of Cairbre, and by Fearghal, the son of Niall O'Ruairc, vvitli the men of
Teathbha," in Gaileanga. ? * Being at that time intoxicated after drinking, a few good men composing the household of Maelseachlainn overtook them, and,
without considering their own inferiority, imprudently challenged them to fight a battle. This the people of Teathba accepted, and they proved victorious. Several fell in the encounter. Among the slain were found Domhnall. w son
to Donnchadh,^ and grandson of Maelseachlainn ; Dubhtaichligh Ua Mael-
pp. 146, 147.
'' See Dr. O'Donovan's " Annals of the
Four Mailers," vol. ii. , pp. 768, 769.
'" Now Moy, a plain situated between the
Rivers Erne and Diowes.
" Now the Ards, Latinized, Altiludo
'*0r Galeng, also calle'l G. illen. The
name of G. iileanga Mor, or Great Gaileanga, was the principality of O'Leochain. The name is still preserved, in the barony of Mor- Gallion, in the northern part of . Meath county, the configuration of which is shown,
Ullortim. See Dr. O'Donovan's "Annals on the fine Map, designed by William of the Four Masters," at A. l). loio rede Larkin, A. D. 1812, for the Grand Jury of the
loii, and loii, recte 1012, with notes, pp. 762 to 767.
'• lie was probably of Scandinavian ori-
gin.
'5 This n. ime may be Anglicized, Black
Head.
''See Cojaoh jAeohel lie JdVUiibh,
chap. Ixxxiv. , pp. 146, 147.
" Al-o called Tcffia, in I. atin, and Angli-
cised Taffa, Teffii, and Teffa-land, by Conall
Mageoghan, in his translation of the "Annals
of Clonmacnoise. " This territory lay, in calls him the royal heir of Temhair.
I,on;;ford and Westmeath counties, the River
Eithne, or Inny, dividing it into two parts, distinguished as north and south.
*"
According to the Four Masters, this
county of Meath. But, it seems probable, that the ancient territory had been of much greater extent, since it took in the moun- tainous district of Sliabh Guaire or Slieve Gorey, now a part of Clonkee barony, county ofCavan. See"TheTopo-^raphicalPoems of John O'Dubhagain and Giolla na Naomh O'Huidhrin," edited by Dr. O'Donovan, n. 21, p. vi.
" According to the CogAoh gaeohel Ue 5<slL4ibh, chap. Ixxxiv. , pp. 148, 149, which
person, thfe son of Maelseachlainn, was slain.
390 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [April 23.
challann,*' lord of Dealbhna-Beag,*' Donnchadh, son to Donnchadh Finn, royal heir of Teamhair; Cearnachan,'3 son to Flann, lord of Luigne,^* Seanan Ua Leochain,'5 lord of Gaileanga, with many others. With his army, Mael- seachlainn afterwards overtook them. The spoils taken were then left behind.
In the struggle which ensued, Ualgharg Ua Ciardha, lord of Cairbre, and Tadhg Ua Cearnachan,^* with many others, perished. *'
With combined forces, those foes to the King of Meath had ventured to
make a fierce incursion into Malachy's province. He repelled that injury, by levying a considerable following, and by an inroad into Leinster. This
—he and he burned the as far as the Hill province ravaged, country, of
Howth ancientlyknownasBenHedar. **TheNorthmenthenheldposses- sion of all that country, immediately adjoining Dublin. While Maelseachlainn
advanced unguardedly, his progress was intercepted, a few miles northwards
fromAth-Cliath, by thecombined forces of the King of Leinster and by the Danes,
who attacked his troops. Not dreaming of a surprise, Sitric and Maelmordha
overtook one of his preying parties, at a place called Draighnen,'? now
Drinan, near Kinsaly, in the county of Dublin. Malachy's force was de-
feated, with a great loss of lives. Among the slain were his son, and many
chiefsofhisprovince. Inthisencounter,besidesFlann,9°sontoMaelseach-
lainn, fell the son of Lorcan,'' son to Echthigern, lord of Cinel-Meachair, and
many other men, numbering in all two hundred, who were slain,9' althougii the Ulster Annals only make this loss of lives one hundred and fifty. Maol-
mordha had already engaged in his confederacy, not alone the Irish, but the foreigners. The Scandinavians of Dublin, and those living abroad, were next invited to unite a vast force, destined to oppose Bryan and Maelseach-
lainn. « But, time was required for the maturing of this expedition. While awaiting their arrival, the King of Leinster collected a body of his provincials, with the Danes, and penetrating into Meath, he reached Termon-Feichin, also called the Fabhar of Fechin. Captives and cattle were seized at this place. 94 The King of Leinster then retreated, destroying the country, and carrying off an immense booty. ss In his distress, ^L-^lachy addressed an ap- peal, to the chief and now recognised monarch of Ireland. He complained,
' Now Anglice, pronounced MulhoIIand, but without the prefix of O'. There were several distinct families of this name, in Ire-
«» In the Co^atjIi 5Ae-o1ieL Tie Saltaibli, chap. Ixxxiv. , pp. 148, 153, we find Alb. i- n. ich, or the Scotchman, substituted,
9" Lorcan himself is named, as haN-ing been killed, in the work just quoted.
9= In commemoration of the defeat at
Draighuen, a quatrain was composed, and it is thus rendered into English :—
"Not well on Monday on the expedi- tion did Meathmen go to overrun ;
The foreigners, it was heard were joyful of the ioumey at the Draieh- nen. "
land. See Rev. William Reeves'
"
Ecclesi-
astical Antiquities of Down, Connor and
Dromore," pp. 37010375.
^' Or Little Delvm, now the barony of
Fore, or Demifore, in the north-west of the county of Me. ith.
*3 He is called Cernach, in the Co5^T)h jAe'ohel ne 5Al. l<sibh, chap. Ixxxiy, pp. 148, 149.
'< Sometimes found written Lijii, or Line.
85 Also called Ua Leuchan.
i
^His death is noiiced, in the Cojd-oh jAeohel ne SAlUibh, /Wi/,,-pp. 148, 149.
93 See Dr. Sylvester O'Halloran's " Gene- *? See Dr. O'Doiiovan's '( Annals of the ral History of Ireland," vol. ii. , Book xi
Four Masters," vol. ii. , pp. 766 to 769. ^The Rev. James Wills incorrectly inter- prets it, "the mountain ^f Dirds," in his "Lives of Illustrious and Distinguished
chap, viii. , p. 259.
94 See theCogioh rAcDhelUe 5<j,lUibh,
chap. Ixxxv. , pp. 148, 149.
9S See Dr. Sylvester 0'Hallor. -in's " Gene-
Inshmen," vol. i. , part i. , Second Period, ral History of Ireland," vol. ii. , Book xi. ,
206.
P- I
»9 The translated r. inals of Ulster have it spelled Draynan.
chap, viii. , p. 250.
96 See the cb5At)h Jaexihel ne 5^1-
U,bh, chap. Ixxxv. , pp. 148, 149.
April 23. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 391
that his territory had been plundered, and that his sons had been killed. He
earnestly prayed, that the foreigners and the Laighin, with the Breifni, the Cairbri, and the Cinel-Eoghain, should not be allowed to direct all their forces
against himself, without being afforded any succour. '* It is said, that he proceeded in person to the palace at Kincora, or to Ball Boirumhe,'? for that purpose ; and, he represented the danger to which he was exposed, from the hostility of his formidable neighbours. '^ To this application, however,
a refusal was returned, although promises of assistance were probably made. " The King of Meath was thus left to defend his possessions, by such means
as his own narrow resources '°° The supplied.
of that refusal
well be doubted ;'°' but, it is probable, that Bryan could not readily engage, at
the time, to support the depressed state of Malachy.
The defeat of Maelseachlainn was attended with other consequences, as
a triumph thus obtained emboldened the victors to follow up their successes. It soon required a movement on the part of Bryan, to restrain the Leinstermen and Danes. '"' These of Dublin combined with the Irish of Wicklow, and both parties soon assumed a menacing attitude. It was now necessary to check their progress, and Bryan was ready to move his forces, to those points threatened by the confederates. The Ossorians appear to have combined, likewise, against him. Accordingly, the monarch summoned his chiefs, and now led his army towards Leinster. The Irish forces wasted the lands of Ossory,ontheirlineofmarch. DunnchadhMacGiollaPatraic'°3seemsto have been its king, at this time, and hostile to the Ard Righ. The men of Munster and of Connaught were chiefly those engaged on the expedition. ,His army was led by Brian, towards Ath-an-chairthinn,"* and he there en- camped. '°5 He laid siege to the foreigners, as the Annals state, for three months ; but, probably, not at this particular place, as they held no strong- holdsthen,intheinteriorofmidlandErinn. Brian,withtheforcesunderhis command,""encampedatSliabhMairge,"°7todefendMunster. Theposi- tion was admirably chosen as a strategic and commanding post. While his enemies to be encountered lay in the plains before him, those he had kept in check were behind, in the plains of Ossory ; nor could it be safe to advance, while Thomond and Desmond were exposed to a possible attack. A depre- dation, by Murchadh, eldest son of Brian, in Leinster, is recorded in our Annals; and,thiswasprobablydirectedfromSlieveMargytowardstheeast, while the monarch's forces were still in observation. When the covering army deemed it safe to march from its mountain cantonments, their tents were struck, and the Irish forces moved onwards, in a northerly direction, and towards thechiefstrongholdoftheScandinavians. Activelyengagedinthisexcur- sion,butapart,wasthetrustyandbraveMorough. WhileBryanremained
" See Dr. Sylvester O'Halloran's "Gene- ral History of Ireland," vol. ii. , Book xi. , chap, viii. , p. 260.
a. d. 996, by Donovan, son of Imar, King of Waterford, and by Domhnal, son of Faelan,
** See Thomas Moore's "
prince of the Deisi.
Shearman's " Loca
See Rev. John F.
land," vol. ii. , chap. xxi. , pp. 105, 106. "
p. 365.
'"< Dr. O'Donovan renders Ath-na-
Chairthinn : i. t. , Ford of the Rock, the situation of which is unknown, as he states.
'"S It is Latinized " Vadum Officinoe fer-
'" See John D'Alton's History of the County of Dublin," pp. 604, 605.
'°°
See the Annals of Inisfallen, at A. D.
History
of Ire-
Patriciana,"
No. xii. ,
1013.
'" ""
See Rev. James Wills' "Lives of rarias, in Rev. Dr. Conor's Rerum Hiber- lUustrious and Distinguished Irishmen," nicarum Scriptores," tomus iv. Annales
vol. i. , part i. , Second Period, p. 206.
ther implied vassalage on the part of the re- cipient.
« . See Cojat)! ! jACDliel-ne ^Allaibli, or The War of the Gaedhil with the Gaill, edited by Rev. James Henthorn Todd. In- troduction, n. i. , p. clxi.
*" They were both the children of Mur- chad, who was slain A. D. 970, so that they *3 One account has it, that the tribes were must have been forty years old—if not more—at this time. Their grandfather was Finn, chief of the Ui Failyhe. He was slain, A. D. 928, and his father who died A. D. 921, <* Probably the present SUeve Bloom was Maelmordha, the son of Conchobliar, chief of Offaly. Sir Charles Coote, without
O'Connor's Keating's "General History of
Ireland," Second Book, p. 489.
* Rev. Dr. Todd deems this an interpola-
tion, ill his text, though found in two of the
copies, from which it was prepared ; for, if it were to be admitted, there must have been more than the three masts, to which allusion had been previously made by his author.
obliged to proceed in single file, at a particu- lar place, and they were respectively too proud to yield precedence.
Mountains, which seem to have lain on their way to Killaloe.
" Falgia is derived from Hy Bealgia, that —is
*3 This place has not been identified.
" The CojAoh Jieohet Re SAlUvibVi has it, ascending a boggy mountain.
the country of the worsliippers of Beal. " "General View of the Agriculture and Manufactures of the King's County," &c. Introduction, p. 1.
5' His death is recorded, at A. D. 1020.
5» it is said, she was the most beautiful woman of her day in Ireland. See Alfred
bi
"
" See Dermod O'Connor's Keating's General History of Ireland," Second Book,
p, 490.
* According to the Irish customs of Tanis-
try, a gift presented from one king to ano- Vol. IV. —No. 7.
quoting his authority, tells us, that
Hy
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [April 23.
386
ever, a considerable difficulty is here raised, to account for the truth of such a statement. No doubt, our historians assert, that Gormflaith had been mar- ried to Bryan Boromha ; but, it may be questioned, if this marriage took
place after 1009, when his wife Dubhcobhlaigh, daughter to Cathal O'Conor, King of Connaught, died. Gormflaith's character has been subjected to much obloquy. She is said to have been the mother of Bryan's son Donn- chadh, who fought in the battle at Clontarf ; so that, her marriage with the monarch must have been an earlier one. It has been suggested, that after Dubhcobhlaigh's death, Gormflaith, who was probably divorced from the monarch, might have visited Kincora, in the hope of recovering her position ; but, finding herself coldly received, she became "grim" against Bryan. ss and resolved on a deadly revenge. 54 After the usual greetings and ceremonies had past, between the brother and sister, the King of Leinster desired the queen, that she would be pleased to fix a button upon his mantle, in place of the one he had lost. He then related, how a dispute had arisen between those tribes, that were appointed to carry the masts, which he was proud of the honour of bearing upon his shoulders, as a testimony of his subjection and obedience to her husband, the King of Ireland. Reflecting upon the independence and renown of her ancestors, who never paid homage to any prince, the queen was so incensed, at this servile disposition of her brother, that she upbraided him severely, for his cowardice and meanness of spirit. She declared, that he had degenerated from the courage and bravery of his family, in submitting to a yoke, that never had been worn by any of her illus- trious house, and so, by such means, entailing bondage and slavery upon all his posterity. Then violently pulling the mantle from his shoulders, with indignation, she threw it into the fire. ss
Her words and action naturally irritated her brother, and prepared him to resent every insult offered by the Dalcassians. An occasion was soon
presented, for a private quarrel, while Maelmordha, the King of Leinster, was their guest, at the castle of Brian Boroimhe and of Gormflaith. Being at an
entertainment, held in Kincora, a game of chess s* or tables was played, the next morning, between Murrougb, the son of Bryan, and Conning,? ? the son of Dunchuain ; or, as other accounts have it, the confessor s^ of St. Caomhgin,
of Glendalough, was the person then engaged, playing against the heir appa- rent of Ireland. The King of Leinster was a mere spectator of the tourna-
ment. But, when Morrough was at a point of this game, Maolmordha observed a critical position, and advised the antagonist to a movement, which caused the Munster prince to lose the game. This conduct netded Morough, who observed to the King of Leinster with a sneer, that if he had given as good advice to the Danes, when they fought at the batde of Glen-mama, they should not have received so great an overthrow. This allusion awakened
unpleasant recollections, and it provoked a retort. Maolmordha answered indignantly, that if the Danes had been defeated, owing to his advice, he
Webb's " Compendium of Irish Biography," p. 35.
53 This is an expression used, by the Njal-
Saga,
5< See CosATah SAeohel tie SAlliibh,
or the Wars of the Gaedhil with the Gaill,
edited by the Rev. James Henthorn Todd.
Introduction, p. clxi,, n. I.
55 See Dermod O'Connor's Keating's
"GeneralHistoryoflreland," Second Book,
pp. 489 to 491.
5' This was a favourite game in Ireland,
especially in the castles of the kings and nobles.
s? He was the nephew of Bryan, and, after- wards killed, in the Battle ofClontarf.
"
ss Conaing O'Carroll,
head of the charity
and piety of the Gaeidhil," and erenach of
Glendalough, died a. d. 1031, according to
Dr. O'Donovan's " Annals of the Four Mas-
ters," vol. ii. , pp. 822, 823.
S9 " Have the yew-tree made ready for
them by yourself," is said to have been the reply of Murchadh, according to the account
April 23. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
387
should soon put them in a way to retrieve their loss ;59 while, he intended to take full revenge, not alone on Murrough, but on his father Bryan, the mon-
arch of Ireland.
Whereupon, Murrough replied, that those foreigners had
been so frequently chastised by the Irish army, that he stood in no fear of
any attempt they could make, even if the King of Leinster were at their head.
Instantly, Maelmordha became violently enraged, and he retired to a bed-
chamber. ^ So great was his indignation, that the Leinster dynast refused to
appear at the public banquet. He passed the whole night in restless anger,
andin to his —
devising means, indulge schemes for revenge. To avoid being
— morninghearose,andsetoutinthedirectionforLeinster. Withouttaking
arrested by Morough
a course the of King
Leinster feared early the
next
leave of his host, the high-souled monarch, or any of his household,*' Maol- mordha was already on the road. His conduct affected the good monarch,
when hearing of the royal guest's departure. Bryan sent one of his servants, named Cocaran,*' after the King of Leinster, to request his return and recon- ciliationwithMorough. TheservantofBryanovertookMaelmordha,while
given, in the CogAt)! ! jAeoViet Re 5<iL- Ln-oh. pp. 144, 145. This was an allusion to Maolmordha having concealed himself in a yew-tree, after the battle ofGlenmama. See n. 3, ibid.
*" The Book of Howth has probably con-
structed quite a different version of the occur-
rences, from this story, as generally told by
our Irish shanachies, and which may be re-
garded as al together romantic ; for, that
chronicle, | disregarding good authority or
consistency, too frequently abounds in the marvellous. An incident of family intrigue
and dishonour, reflecting on Murrough
O'Brien's character, is there related to have
stirred up the great war, between the Irish
and the and which was re- • Danes, finally
solved at Clontarf. Thus it is abridged from Hanmer, and it is only ofany worth, because
relating incidently some details, that serve to illustrate the Anglo-Norman traditions about Clontarf. A Danish merchant of Dublin, and said to have been fourth son to the King of Denmark, was jealous of his fair and Irish- born wife. Having occasion to absent him- self on a mercantile travelling excursion in
far countries, the White Merchant—
forsohe
to
Hanmer,
he Iwillbe
added, " revenged
is called
left his wife as a in
lady waiting, upon
partakers
—
him and his
cidents quite as credible.
"See L'Abbe "His- Ma-Geoghegan's
toire de I'lrlande Ancienne ct Moderne," tome i. , chap, vi. , p. 410.
'' From this Cogaran, the Jobh Cogaran, in the province of Munster, received its tribe
andundertheprotection of Bryan's wife. The King of Ireland assumed duty of her guar- dianship, during that merchant's absence. However, distrustful of the result, his journey was made unhappy, by doubts about her fidelity. The remainder of this romantic story savours of invention, and that tasteless flavour of improbability, which served to amuse the frivolous minds of that age, when it had been composed. Hastening his return, the merchant came, early in the morning, and having a private key, by surprise he en-
tered into his wife's
found her in company with Morough, the monarch's eldest son. We need only observe here, the unblushing inconsistencies of this unsavoury narrative, so redolent of a filthy
apartment.
There he
imagination, which catered for the lords, who ruled in castles. We are left to wild conjec- ture, as to how the private key could hare been obtained by the Danish merchant, to
—we are to presume of Kincora or, as to how a stranger could approach there in perfect secrecy. Following Hanmer's very absurd
any apartment in King Bryan's palace —
''
hee wheeled about, devising what was best to be done, at length resolving himselfe to depart for that
time, tooke Moroghs sword, and put it into liis owne scabbard, and his into Moroghs
indignantly repaired monarch Bryan, and complained of the in-
jury and indignity, which Murrough had per- petrated against him. The just and inflexi- ble monarch answered, that although Mur- rough was his own son, yet if the Danish
merchant gave judgment against him, it should immediately be put into execution. Themerchant declared, that he should leave his unfaithful wife to Murrough, but, according
narrative of the merchant,
—"Chronicle of Ireland," 183. The spirit of knight-errantry governs the sequence of the story-teller's account ; the merchant to the
scabbard. "
p.
in the field, as soone as possibly may be, and I doubt not but all Ireland shall rue the day of this vil- lanie. " Afterwards, he went to Denmark, and brought over the Danes and Norwe- gians, who fought at Clontarf. It is proba- ble, that the foregoing account passed for history, not alone among the castellans of Howth, but among the Anglo-Normaiis of Dublin, for many succeeding generations. Nor is it wonderful, since great masters of historic fiction can fill modern novels with in-
388 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [April 23.
mounting his horse, at the east of the Shannon River, and not far from Killa- loe, near the end of the plank-bridge. He deHvered the message from the monarch, who desired his return, until he should carry home with him both catde and pay. *3 But, this overture was rejected by Maelmordha. All the while, he listened only with indignation, to the servant's proposal. As soon as he was done speaking, Maelmordha raised the staff of yew, which he held in his hand, and brandished it over the innocent messenger's head. Giving him three furious blows with that walking-stick, the Leinster king fractured hisskull. *• Thisoutrageousandunprovokedact,madeknownloBryaninashort time, showed how little Maelmordha respected the monarch, and how utterly he rejected such reconciliation, owing to his ungovernable passion. 's Some advised the monarch, to pursue the King of Leinster, and to bring him back, untilheshouldbeobligedtomakesubmission. But,Bryanmagnanimously declared, he would not take advantage of the offending king, in his palace ; while, he resolved to demand justice from him, at the threshold of his own house. ** Maolmordha pursued his way on horseback, and hastened to his ownprovinceofLeinster. Thespeedofhisjourneymaybeestimated,when it is credited, that he arrived that very night at Sen Leas Abain, or the old fort of St. Alban, which was built on the Douglas, a tributary stream of the RiverBarrow. Thiswassituated,withinthedistrictofUam-Buidhi,*? which comprised the present baronies of Ballyadams and of Slieveraargy, in the Queen's County. The distance between this place and Killaloe cannot be mucii under sixty miles. This might be regarded, as an unusual journey on horseback, in a single day. Maelmordha spent the night, at the house of the son of Berdai, King of Ui-mBuidhi. Early the next morning, he arrived at the Garbh Thamhnach. *^ Here was the house of Dunlang, son to Tuathal, KingoflartharLiphi. *9 Thereheassembledhischiefsandnobles,inacon- vention, representing to them the insult he had received at Kincora. It was a one-sided statement, we may rest assured, yet not the less effective on that account. Hisimmediateliegeswereinflamedtosogreatadegree,thatthey entered into the views of their king, and resolved to renounce their allegiance toBryan. Accordingtothecounselagreedto,theydespatchedmessengers toFlaith-Chertach, King of Ailech, and son to Muircheartach O'Neill, exhort- inghimtomakewaruponMaelsechlainnanduponUladli. Othermessengers were sent to Fearghal Ua Ruairc, King of Brefni, and to Ualgarg Ua Ciardha, King of Cairbre. Moved by those representations made to them, these potentates agreed to renounce their allegiance to Bryan, 7° and to unite for the purpose of taking the initiative against him, and against his faithful ally, Maelseachlainn. Aseriesofcombinedattackswasarranged,andthesewere to be directed from different quarters. The next object of Maolmordha was to confederate with the Danes, and to seek their alliance, so that he might bid the monarch defiance, when ready to appear in the field, and at the head of
his various contingents.
name. See Dermod O'Connor's Keating's ""
'' In his Topographical Poem, O'Huidh- rin alludes to Crioch O'Muighi, another form of Crioch Ua m-Buidlie, lying on the west side of the River Barrow. See Dr. O'Dono- van's teibhdp ii<i ^-Ce&pc, or "Book of Rights," n. (n), pp. 213, 214.
'^ The meaning seems to be "a rough
field producing fresh green grass. " No
correspondingdenominationisnow traceable, ''This may be rendered, " west of the
Liffey" River.
? " See CojatjIi 5<iex)1iel He S^lUaibh,
chap. Ixxxiv.
General Histoiy of Ireland, Second Book, p. 493.
'3 See C05AT)h jAe-ohel He 5Alt&ibh, chap. Ixxxiii. , pp. 144, 145.
'•• It was necessaiy lo carry Cocaran to Kincora, in a litter, according to the received accounts.
'5 See Rev. James Wills' " Lives of Illus-
trious and Distinguished Irishmen," vol. i. , Second Period, p. 208.
^ See CogATih jienheL lie SAllAibVi, chap. Ixxxiii. , pp. 146, 147.
April 23. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 389
Owing to this combination, a great war soon raged, between the foreigners and the Gaeidhil. It broke out in the year 1012. '' Apparently, the first movements were directed by the restless Flaithbhertach, who led an army into Cinel-Conaill, until he arrived at Magh-Cedne,'' in the southern part of Donegal. Then,hecarriedoffagreatpreyofcows,andreturnedsafetohis house. A second time, the same Flaithbheartach entered Cinel-Conaill, when he advanced to Druim-Claibh, and Tracht-Eothaile. There Niall, son of Gillaphadraig, was slain, and Maelruanaidh Ua Maeldoraidh was defeated. It seems likely, that the latter had been chased out of Tiis own territory of Tyrconnell, and that he had been overtaken, at Tracht-Eothaile. Meantime, Maelseachlainn finding the principality of Tir-Eogain exposed to his attacks, led his forces so far as Magh-da-ghabhal, which was burned.
Then, the southern Hy-Niall preyed so far as Tealach-Oog, and having obtained spoils, they returned towards Meath. Again, Flaithbheartach brought his retainers to Ard-Uladh,73intheeastofDowncounty; whileheplunderedallthatcoun- try, taking with him an immense number of cattle, and many prisoners. It is difficult now to distinguish the intricacies of those various conflicts, which were doubtless the results ot counter-policies and diversions of interests, among the leading Irish potentates. Flaithbhertach next marched upon Meath, which, for the most part, he plundered and ravaged. It would seem, that Bryan had sent some of his officers to aid Maelseachlainn, more imme- diately exposed to aggression, until the monarch should be able to create a diversion in his favour. In one of those encounters, which took place, a high steward of the monarch, and who is called Osli,''* son to Dubhcenn,'5 son of Imar, was slain, with many more. '*
Soon, the attention of Maelseachlainn had been directed towards another
quarter. A great depredation was committed, by Ualgharg Ua Ciardha, lord of Cairbre, and by Fearghal, the son of Niall O'Ruairc, vvitli the men of
Teathbha," in Gaileanga. ? * Being at that time intoxicated after drinking, a few good men composing the household of Maelseachlainn overtook them, and,
without considering their own inferiority, imprudently challenged them to fight a battle. This the people of Teathba accepted, and they proved victorious. Several fell in the encounter. Among the slain were found Domhnall. w son
to Donnchadh,^ and grandson of Maelseachlainn ; Dubhtaichligh Ua Mael-
pp. 146, 147.
'' See Dr. O'Donovan's " Annals of the
Four Mailers," vol. ii. , pp. 768, 769.
'" Now Moy, a plain situated between the
Rivers Erne and Diowes.
" Now the Ards, Latinized, Altiludo
'*0r Galeng, also calle'l G. illen. The
name of G. iileanga Mor, or Great Gaileanga, was the principality of O'Leochain. The name is still preserved, in the barony of Mor- Gallion, in the northern part of . Meath county, the configuration of which is shown,
Ullortim. See Dr. O'Donovan's "Annals on the fine Map, designed by William of the Four Masters," at A. l). loio rede Larkin, A. D. 1812, for the Grand Jury of the
loii, and loii, recte 1012, with notes, pp. 762 to 767.
'• lie was probably of Scandinavian ori-
gin.
'5 This n. ime may be Anglicized, Black
Head.
''See Cojaoh jAeohel lie JdVUiibh,
chap. Ixxxiv. , pp. 146, 147.
" Al-o called Tcffia, in I. atin, and Angli-
cised Taffa, Teffii, and Teffa-land, by Conall
Mageoghan, in his translation of the "Annals
of Clonmacnoise. " This territory lay, in calls him the royal heir of Temhair.
I,on;;ford and Westmeath counties, the River
Eithne, or Inny, dividing it into two parts, distinguished as north and south.
*"
According to the Four Masters, this
county of Meath. But, it seems probable, that the ancient territory had been of much greater extent, since it took in the moun- tainous district of Sliabh Guaire or Slieve Gorey, now a part of Clonkee barony, county ofCavan. See"TheTopo-^raphicalPoems of John O'Dubhagain and Giolla na Naomh O'Huidhrin," edited by Dr. O'Donovan, n. 21, p. vi.
" According to the CogAoh gaeohel Ue 5<slL4ibh, chap. Ixxxiv. , pp. 148, 149, which
person, thfe son of Maelseachlainn, was slain.
390 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [April 23.
challann,*' lord of Dealbhna-Beag,*' Donnchadh, son to Donnchadh Finn, royal heir of Teamhair; Cearnachan,'3 son to Flann, lord of Luigne,^* Seanan Ua Leochain,'5 lord of Gaileanga, with many others. With his army, Mael- seachlainn afterwards overtook them. The spoils taken were then left behind.
In the struggle which ensued, Ualgharg Ua Ciardha, lord of Cairbre, and Tadhg Ua Cearnachan,^* with many others, perished. *'
With combined forces, those foes to the King of Meath had ventured to
make a fierce incursion into Malachy's province. He repelled that injury, by levying a considerable following, and by an inroad into Leinster. This
—he and he burned the as far as the Hill province ravaged, country, of
Howth ancientlyknownasBenHedar. **TheNorthmenthenheldposses- sion of all that country, immediately adjoining Dublin. While Maelseachlainn
advanced unguardedly, his progress was intercepted, a few miles northwards
fromAth-Cliath, by thecombined forces of the King of Leinster and by the Danes,
who attacked his troops. Not dreaming of a surprise, Sitric and Maelmordha
overtook one of his preying parties, at a place called Draighnen,'? now
Drinan, near Kinsaly, in the county of Dublin. Malachy's force was de-
feated, with a great loss of lives. Among the slain were his son, and many
chiefsofhisprovince. Inthisencounter,besidesFlann,9°sontoMaelseach-
lainn, fell the son of Lorcan,'' son to Echthigern, lord of Cinel-Meachair, and
many other men, numbering in all two hundred, who were slain,9' althougii the Ulster Annals only make this loss of lives one hundred and fifty. Maol-
mordha had already engaged in his confederacy, not alone the Irish, but the foreigners. The Scandinavians of Dublin, and those living abroad, were next invited to unite a vast force, destined to oppose Bryan and Maelseach-
lainn. « But, time was required for the maturing of this expedition. While awaiting their arrival, the King of Leinster collected a body of his provincials, with the Danes, and penetrating into Meath, he reached Termon-Feichin, also called the Fabhar of Fechin. Captives and cattle were seized at this place. 94 The King of Leinster then retreated, destroying the country, and carrying off an immense booty. ss In his distress, ^L-^lachy addressed an ap- peal, to the chief and now recognised monarch of Ireland. He complained,
' Now Anglice, pronounced MulhoIIand, but without the prefix of O'. There were several distinct families of this name, in Ire-
«» In the Co^atjIi 5Ae-o1ieL Tie Saltaibli, chap. Ixxxiv. , pp. 148, 153, we find Alb. i- n. ich, or the Scotchman, substituted,
9" Lorcan himself is named, as haN-ing been killed, in the work just quoted.
9= In commemoration of the defeat at
Draighuen, a quatrain was composed, and it is thus rendered into English :—
"Not well on Monday on the expedi- tion did Meathmen go to overrun ;
The foreigners, it was heard were joyful of the ioumey at the Draieh- nen. "
land. See Rev. William Reeves'
"
Ecclesi-
astical Antiquities of Down, Connor and
Dromore," pp. 37010375.
^' Or Little Delvm, now the barony of
Fore, or Demifore, in the north-west of the county of Me. ith.
*3 He is called Cernach, in the Co5^T)h jAe'ohel ne 5Al. l<sibh, chap. Ixxxiy, pp. 148, 149.
'< Sometimes found written Lijii, or Line.
85 Also called Ua Leuchan.
i
^His death is noiiced, in the Cojd-oh jAeohel ne SAlUibh, /Wi/,,-pp. 148, 149.
93 See Dr. Sylvester O'Halloran's " Gene- *? See Dr. O'Doiiovan's '( Annals of the ral History of Ireland," vol. ii. , Book xi
Four Masters," vol. ii. , pp. 766 to 769. ^The Rev. James Wills incorrectly inter- prets it, "the mountain ^f Dirds," in his "Lives of Illustrious and Distinguished
chap, viii. , p. 259.
94 See theCogioh rAcDhelUe 5<j,lUibh,
chap. Ixxxv. , pp. 148, 149.
9S See Dr. Sylvester 0'Hallor. -in's " Gene-
Inshmen," vol. i. , part i. , Second Period, ral History of Ireland," vol. ii. , Book xi. ,
206.
P- I
»9 The translated r. inals of Ulster have it spelled Draynan.
chap, viii. , p. 250.
96 See the cb5At)h Jaexihel ne 5^1-
U,bh, chap. Ixxxv. , pp. 148, 149.
April 23. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 391
that his territory had been plundered, and that his sons had been killed. He
earnestly prayed, that the foreigners and the Laighin, with the Breifni, the Cairbri, and the Cinel-Eoghain, should not be allowed to direct all their forces
against himself, without being afforded any succour. '* It is said, that he proceeded in person to the palace at Kincora, or to Ball Boirumhe,'? for that purpose ; and, he represented the danger to which he was exposed, from the hostility of his formidable neighbours. '^ To this application, however,
a refusal was returned, although promises of assistance were probably made. " The King of Meath was thus left to defend his possessions, by such means
as his own narrow resources '°° The supplied.
of that refusal
well be doubted ;'°' but, it is probable, that Bryan could not readily engage, at
the time, to support the depressed state of Malachy.
The defeat of Maelseachlainn was attended with other consequences, as
a triumph thus obtained emboldened the victors to follow up their successes. It soon required a movement on the part of Bryan, to restrain the Leinstermen and Danes. '"' These of Dublin combined with the Irish of Wicklow, and both parties soon assumed a menacing attitude. It was now necessary to check their progress, and Bryan was ready to move his forces, to those points threatened by the confederates. The Ossorians appear to have combined, likewise, against him. Accordingly, the monarch summoned his chiefs, and now led his army towards Leinster. The Irish forces wasted the lands of Ossory,ontheirlineofmarch. DunnchadhMacGiollaPatraic'°3seemsto have been its king, at this time, and hostile to the Ard Righ. The men of Munster and of Connaught were chiefly those engaged on the expedition. ,His army was led by Brian, towards Ath-an-chairthinn,"* and he there en- camped. '°5 He laid siege to the foreigners, as the Annals state, for three months ; but, probably, not at this particular place, as they held no strong- holdsthen,intheinteriorofmidlandErinn. Brian,withtheforcesunderhis command,""encampedatSliabhMairge,"°7todefendMunster. Theposi- tion was admirably chosen as a strategic and commanding post. While his enemies to be encountered lay in the plains before him, those he had kept in check were behind, in the plains of Ossory ; nor could it be safe to advance, while Thomond and Desmond were exposed to a possible attack. A depre- dation, by Murchadh, eldest son of Brian, in Leinster, is recorded in our Annals; and,thiswasprobablydirectedfromSlieveMargytowardstheeast, while the monarch's forces were still in observation. When the covering army deemed it safe to march from its mountain cantonments, their tents were struck, and the Irish forces moved onwards, in a northerly direction, and towards thechiefstrongholdoftheScandinavians. Activelyengagedinthisexcur- sion,butapart,wasthetrustyandbraveMorough. WhileBryanremained
" See Dr. Sylvester O'Halloran's "Gene- ral History of Ireland," vol. ii. , Book xi. , chap, viii. , p. 260.
a. d. 996, by Donovan, son of Imar, King of Waterford, and by Domhnal, son of Faelan,
** See Thomas Moore's "
prince of the Deisi.
Shearman's " Loca
See Rev. John F.
land," vol. ii. , chap. xxi. , pp. 105, 106. "
p. 365.
'"< Dr. O'Donovan renders Ath-na-
Chairthinn : i. t. , Ford of the Rock, the situation of which is unknown, as he states.
'"S It is Latinized " Vadum Officinoe fer-
'" See John D'Alton's History of the County of Dublin," pp. 604, 605.
'°°
See the Annals of Inisfallen, at A. D.
History
of Ire-
Patriciana,"
No. xii. ,
1013.
'" ""
See Rev. James Wills' "Lives of rarias, in Rev. Dr. Conor's Rerum Hiber- lUustrious and Distinguished Irishmen," nicarum Scriptores," tomus iv. Annales
vol. i. , part i. , Second Period, p. 206.
