Because,forsooth,several of our Genealogies and Pedigrees are not only carried back to Milesius, but even to Adam ;'^3 several ignorant, prejudiced, and illogical writers of our his- tory have rashly assumed,
widioutany
examination of the question, that those Gaelic documents must be concoctions or conjectures, resting on no reliable authorities.
O'Hanlon - Lives of the Irish Saints - v4
— Four Masters.
'< He was monarc—h, for seven years, and he died, A. M. 4469. Four Masters.
tituIed,"The Kings of the Race of Eibhear," and it notes their descent and reigns, down
to a period, long subsequent to the death of Brian Boroimha. A Preface and Notes are added, by the editor.
'= He had several sons, of whom the fol- lowing three alone left issue, viz. : Eoghan- More, Cormac Cas and Cian. See John
*= He was monarch, for seven years, and
O'Donoghue's
4415.
years. '"Hewas
of
King Munster,
for two
died, A. M. 4328.
' He was — for twelve monarch, years,
and
" Historical Memoir of the
years ; the Four Masters have it eleven, and his death,
O'Briens" i. , 3. chap, p.
"* He was King of Munster, for twenty-
three
'' He was prince of Munster.
<' He was half-king of Munster, for thir-
teen years.
°« He was half-king of Munster, for ten
years.
years.
' He was Prince of Munster.
he died, a. m. 4319. Four Masters.
9' He was monarch, for five years ; the Four Masters have it ten, and his death at
A. M. 4306.
93 Hewas —for and monarch, twenty years,
'' He was King of Munster, for seventeen years.
73 He was
of for
King Munster, thirty-six
years.
'< He was Monarch of
he died, A. M. 4290. Four Masters.
9*Hewas — fornine monarch, years,
died, A. M. 4247. F"our Masters.
andhe
for ten years, and, he died, A. M. 5041. See Dr. O'lJonovan's "Annals of the Four Masters," vol. i,, at that date. The same authority is
subsequently quoted.
Ireland,
years
his death, at a. m. 5016.
'' He was monarch of Ireland, for three
years ; the Four Masters have it nine, and
his death, at AM. 4990.
'* He was monarch of Ireland, for seven
years, and he died, a. m. 4887. —Four Mas- ters.
" He was monarch of Ireland, for five years, and he died, a. m. 4787. —Four Mas- ters.
*° He was monarch of Ireland, for eleven years, and he died, a. m. 4737. —Four Mas- ters.
'' He was monarch of Ireland, for seven years, and he died, a. m. 4701. —Four Mas-
he died, a. m. 4422.
*' Hewas monarch, for nine
—Four Masters.
at a. m.
'' He was monarch, for six years, and he
died, A. M. 4394.
** He was monarch, for seven years, and
he died, A. M. 4368.
'' He was monarch, for twelve years, and
he died, A. M. 4356. —Four Masters.
'° He w as mon. irch, for nine years, and he
95 He was monarch, for twenty-two years ; the Four Masters have it twelve years, and
his death, at A. M. 4198.
April 23. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 281
son to EHm,5^ son of Rotheachta," son of Roane,^^ son to Failbhe,'' son of Cas Cead Chaigneach,'°° son to Failderghoid, or Aildergoid,'°" son of Muinheamhoin,'°' son to Casclothacht,'°3 son to Irereorda,'°« son of Rothea- chta,'°5 son to Glas, son of Nuagatt Deaghlamh, son of Rosa,"°* son to Eoch- aidh Faobharglas,'°7 son of Conniaol,'°^ son of Heber or Eber Fionn,'°9 one of the sons of Milesius,"° the other two being Heremon,"' or Eremon, and Ir. '" Thus, Brian was directly descended from Milesius,"^ the Spanish con- queror and colonizer of Ireland ; and while, on the father's side, he came from the line of Heber,"* on the mother's side, his ancestry seems to have been derived from Heremon, the elder brother. The mother of Bryan was named Beibhionn Cianog, and she was daughter to Archadh,"^ who ruled over a western territory of the Connaught province.
Before the time of Bryan Boroimha, there was no general system of family names in Ireland ; for, every man or woman "* took the name, son or daughter of the father,"? who was son of the grandfather, and this was run backwards, in the order we find laid . down in ancient chronicles,"* as illus- trated in the pedigree of this great monarch, already given. Touching the illustrious subject of our present memoir demands a preliminary statement, which is closely connected with it, and which must be a matter of interest, for the —reader to know. In ancient
>* He was monarcb, only for one year, and he died, a. m. 4177.
"He was monarch, for seven years, and he died, A. M. 4176.
* He was prince of Ireland.
99 He was King of Munster, for twenty- six years.
"" He was King of Munster, for thirty-six
years.
"" He was monarch, for seven years, some
Do^n and of Antrim. Among these, the family of Magenniss is specially noticed. The O'DriscolIs of the south also descend from
Lugaidh, son of Ith, his cousin, as may be seen, in the Genealogy of the Corca Laidhe. See "Miscellany of the Celtic Society, "- edited by Dr. John O'Donovan, pp. i to 183.
"3 It seems strange, that his presence in
have it ten. ters.
He died, a. m. 3882. —Four Mas-
" of Ireland " the sons History ;" although,
the — of various Irish times, genealogies
"9
families especially those of illustrious lineage were traced by our anti-
—
"" He was monarch, for five years, and dubiously to have landed on the Irish
he died, a. m. 3872. —Four Masters.
'°^ He was King of Munster, for thirteen
years.
'°* He was
coast, 1300 years before the birth of Christ, according to the Bardic Chronology. See vol. i. , chap, v. , p. 79.
monarch, twenty years, hedieH, A. M. 3727. Four Ma-ilcrs.
and
"'
Like the Jews, the Irish took no notice
of Ireland.
"* See " Lectures on Eugene O'Curry's
prince
'°s He was monarch, for twenty-five years,
the Manuscript Materials of Ancient Irish His-
and he died, a. m. 3842—Four Masters. "* He was prince of Ireland.
"^ He was — for
"* He was monarch, for thirty years, and hedied,a. m. 3579.
'°9 He was half-monarch of Ireland, for
tory," Lect. X. , pp. 207 to 213. "5 He was son of Morough.
one
against his brother Eremon, a. m. 3501. Four Masters.
"° He was King of Spain. His sons are
said to have arrived in Ireland, A. M—. 3500,
following the Septuagint calculation. Four Masters.
'" From him, descend the great families of Ulster, Leinster and Connauj^ht, such as the O'Neills, O'Donnells, the Mac Murroughs, O'Conors, &c. He reigned fifteen years, and he died, a. m. 3516.
'" From him descend the ancient races of Uladh or Ulidia, in the present counties of
Ireland is ignored, by Thomas Moore, in his
"
of Milesius are allowed somewhat
of the pedigrees of womep, beyond their de- scent on the father's side.
"'Itis remarkable,thatthissameusage
prevailed among the Jews, as we find every-
killed in a battle, — where illustrations of such in
year, being fought custom, both
the Old and New Testaments.
"' We almost invarial;ly find the king,
chief,;or otlier remarkable personage, traced
back, through ail the generations, to one or other of the four great heads of Irish fami-
lies, viz. : Eremon, Eber, Ir, or Iih, as to the remote ancestor, or at least to some per-
son, whose pedigree was clearly traceable, in the great genealogical treatises.
"' In the i. Book of Esdras, we have a
long enumeration by name, of " the chiefs of
families, and the genealogy of them," &c. , chap. viii.
—
Cobhthach, the O'Donnells, the O'Neills, and other Ulster families, as well as all the Con-
allusion will be made to the great Munster families, and to their descent,
has been publislied by Professor Eugene O'Curry, in his "Lectures on the Manuscript Materials of Ancient Irish History," Lect.
naught
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
[April 23.
quaries to some remote parent-stock, from which a distinct tribe name sprang. This included, not alone the direct family descent, but its relation to all the other families of distinction, that came from the same origin, wliich was very generally a remote one. "° The Books of Irish Genealogies and of Pedigrees appear to have been very numerous, in former times ; although several of these records are now lost, yet many still exist, in various Irish Manuscripts, or they are indirectly quoted in the Lives of our Kings, Saints, and Heroes ; so that, in all the great Books of Genealogies, the principal races are traced. However, among those Genealogies, one of the most important, now known to remain, is that of Dubhaltach Mac Firbisigh,'^' or Duald Mac Firbis, who compiled it, in the years, from 1650 to 1666. The pedigrees of our ancestors, in like manner, trace a particular individual, through the various generations backwards, to that distinguished head, who gave rise to the family name. "* Those contain many important items of historical information, which are not entered, in any of our Annals ; while they shed a considerable amount of light, on the former social state of many independent tribes and families. Owingtoerrorsofcalculationandoftranscription,it sometimeshappens, that a link or single generation may be wanting ; but, this it is often possible to supply, from some other authentic document. Every third year, and from times very remote, the provincial and clan records were returnable for examination, at the great Feis or Convention, at Tara. According to the statements of our historians, the most authentic and complete collection of national Records was preserved, for long centuries, at Tara, once the Ard- Righ's residence. After its ancient renown had been obscured, and when that seat had been deserted by the chief monarch, there can hardly be a doubt, but a like care was manifested, in whatever fortress he happened to reside. Those records were liable to be revised, by public authority; and, they had been often collated with similar documents, and corrected, when an error had been discovered. Not only the chief monarch of Erinn, but every provincial King, and territorial Chief, had his own Ollamh or Doctor of Learning, and his Seanchaidh^ or Antiquary, versed well in historical literature, and preserving
"° Thus, from UngaineMor, who flourished Uladh excepted. All the great families of over 500 years before the Incarnation of our Meath and of Ulster trace their pedigrees, to Lord, descended through his elder son one or other of Niall's sons. Later on, fuller
families; while,fromhissecondson
Laeghaire, the chief families ofLeinster are
derived. In the second century of the Chris-
tian era, a great division of families in
Leinster took place ; for, its monarch x. , pp. 215 to 228.
Cathair Mor, divided the province among
his sons, to some one of whom all the later
Leinster families trace their descent. Again,
inthe fourth century, a great division of (ami-
lies and of territories took place in Ulster,
and in Connauglit, between the three sons of
the monarch Eochaidh Muighmheadhoin. at, regarding such a topic.
These were Brian, Fiachra and Niall, after-
wards called Niall of the Nine Hostages.
The two elder sons settled in Connauglit ;
and from them descend the chief families of
that province, north and south, excepting given ; although long before the introduction the O'Kellys, the Mac Ranells, and some of Christianity into Ireland, the ancient
others. The younger son Niall succeeded to the sovereignty. He had seven sons, . and among these he partitioned the territories of Meath and of Ulster, that district known as
p. agan colonists traced their pedigrees to that remnte ancestor. It is alsosaid, the Bactrians, the Parlhians, and otlier people, claimed de- scent from him, as well as the Milesians.
'°'A ofitscontents very complete digest
"'
Eugene O'Curry very justly remarks, that notwithstanding the sneers of English and anti-Irish writers, who so contemptu- ously regard an Irish or a Welsh pedigree, a great deal of serious study may be required, before any rational conclusion can be arrived
'" In the Book of Genesis, it is stated, that Japliet, the son of Noah, had a son. named Magog, see chap, x. , 2. It is remaik- able, that the names of his sons are not tliere
April 23. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 283
inbooks,national,provincial,andfamilyrecords.
Because,forsooth,several of our Genealogies and Pedigrees are not only carried back to Milesius, but even to Adam ;'^3 several ignorant, prejudiced, and illogical writers of our his- tory have rashly assumed, widioutany examination of the question, that those Gaelic documents must be concoctions or conjectures, resting on no reliable authorities. The concurrent extrinsic and intrinsic evidences still remaining
amply refute such presumption ; and, the most sceptical enquirer must find it an impossible task, to prove the assertion, that all of those correlative re- cords should be regarded as fictitious narratives, since to no past period or writer can the charge or even suspicion of forgery be brought. The wonderful unanimity and concordance of mere dry details, relating to the names and reigns of chief monarchs and provincial kings or chiefs, their length of duration, their line of descent, with an occasional want of uniformity in state- ment or in date, or a missing link of pedigree, with a certainty of unknown, but undoubtedly original sources from which existing records are drawn, take us altogether away from the region of bardic invention or of histor—ic improba-
—ur lines of descent have been traced some bility. All o existing family long
centuriesago evidentlybygenealogists,whoentertainednodoubts,regarding the bare and circumstantial data presented to their view, and of which they were mere copyists. The eastern origin alleged, for the derivation of the Milesians, induces the belief, that a custom prevailing among the ancient Jews—as the Sacred Scriptures attest—to preserve genealogies and pedigrees of their tribes and families,"* even from the first of the human race,"5 had analogous usage among the conterminous nations, while their historians, so far as known, fully reveal its practice. "*
According to the Irish Genealogies and Pedigrees, from Heber or Eber Fionn proceed all the families, belonging to the south of Ireland. In the
third century of the Christian era, a great division of territories took place, in Munster, between Fiacha Muilleathan, son to Eoghan Mor, the Elder, and
Cormac Cas, younger son to OilioU Oluim,"? king of that province. Eoghan's son was placed in possession of South Munster, the seat of power being in theCityofCasliel; while,hisuncleCormacCasbecameKingoverNorth Munster,alsoknownasThomond. AllthegreatMunsterfamiliesofHeber
"< Remarkable are the analogies, as found in the Book of Josue, regarding the division of lands and cities among the Jews, (see chap. xiii. , xiv. , XV. , xvi. , xvii. , xviii. , xix. , xx. ,
xxi. , xxii. , iii. Kings chap, iv. , ii. Esdras. , chap, vii. ), and as met with in the old tribal divisions of Ireland.
"s We need only refer to the Book of Genesis, chap, v. , x. , xi. ; to Exodus vi. ; to Numbers i. , xiii. , xxvi. , xxvii. , xxxii. , xxxiv. ; toi. Paralipomenon i. , ii. , iii. , iv. , v. , vi. , vii. , viii. , ix. , xi. , xii. ,xiv. , xxiii. , xxiv. , XXV. , xxvi. , xxvii. ; toi. Esdras, ii. , vii. , viii. ,x. ,ii. i'^sdras, xi. ,xii. Likewi>e. in the
records, sufficiently demonstrate. A Dublin writer, and a barrister, Mr. Hamilton, has written a treatise, to prove that the Irish
of New Testament, we have the —
ourLordJesusChrist—through -St. Joseph traced from Abraham, in St. Matt, i. , and
his generation is traced from Hcli, the Jew- ish legal faiher of . St Joseph, back to Adam, in St. l. uke, iii.
"°Nor was this the only custom, common
Yes, sad one of Sion, if closely resem-
bling,
In shame and in—sorrow, thy
wither'd-up heart
If drinking deep, deep, of the same ''
of
cup trembling
genealogy
to the ancient Jews and to the early Irish, as fought A. D. 167. See John O'Donoghue's a careful study and comp;irisonof the Sacred " Historical Memoir of the O'Briens," chap. Scriptures, with the perusal of our historic i. , p. 2.
were originally Jews. This lent inspiration to one of the most noble and significant of Moore's "Irish Melodies," having for its title "The — and the first verse of
which runs
Parallel," :
'*
'''His father Mogh Nuadhat divided Erinn with Conn of the Hundred Battles, but he was killed in the battle of Moylena,
Could make parent thou art. "
us our thy children,
284 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [April 23.
Fionn's line trace their pedigrees to one or other of those two personages. "' Now OilioU Ohiim had several sons, and no less than seven of these are said to have been killed, in a celebrated batde, fought at Magh Mucruimhd,"' in the county of Galway. Among these was his eldest son, called Eoghan or
Eugene Mor,'3° from whom, through his son Fiacha Muilleathan, is derived the Eugenian line. '3' His second son, Cormac Cas, was the only one of Oilioll OKiim's children, that survived the battle of Magh Mucruimh6 Ano- ther of his sons, Cian, killed in this batde, left a son, named Tadhg, now ren- dered Teige or Thaddeus. '3" After this great engagement, the old king divided his Munster kingdom into Thomond or North Minister, which he gave to Cormac Cas, and into Desmond or South Munster, which he gave to Fiacha Muilleathain. It is said, too, he left it in his will, that the kingdom of Leath-Mogha, or that half of Ireland south of the Escir Riada, should pass respectively to the reigning princes of Thomond and of Desmond, by what was called " The Law of alternate Succession. " '33 This was a very unwise and unfortunate provision, for it caused perpetual strife, between both lines of in- heritance, and especially, in reference to the sovereignty of Leath-Mogha. The wife of Cormac Cas is said to have been daughter of the celebrated Poet Oisin, or Ossian,'34 the son of Finn Mac Cumhaill, or Fin Mac Cool. At that time, the northern division did not comprise the present county of Clare, which was in occupation of a tribe, belonging to the old Firbolg race. Sub- sequently, his descendant Lughaidh Meann contended with the Firbolgs, and took possession of their territory. Then, attaching it to his patrimony, the whole inheritance was afterwards denominated Tuadh Mhumhain, in modern timesAnglicisedintoThomond,orNorthMunster. TheDalcassians'35are so called, on account of deriving their descent from Cormac Cas,'36 gQ^ to Oilioll Oluim, King of Munster. The O'Briens of Thomond and their corre- latives were the people thus designated. However, there are others who assert, that the Dalcassians were more immediately derived from Cais or Cas,
'=' See M. M'Dermot's " New and Impar-
tial History of Ireland," vol. i. , chap, xvi. ,
p_ 246.
'=' The date of this engagement is referred
to A. D. 195. See John U'Donoghue's " His- torical Memoirs of the O'Briens," chap, i. ,
p, J. '3°FromhimproceedtheEoganachts,who
occupied the southern parts of Munster, from Magh Feimin, the plain extending from the River Suir to Cashel, on the east, and to mountain of Brandon, in Kerry, on the west. See ibid.
3" The MacCarthys, the O'Callaghans, the O'Sullivans, the O'Keefes, and others, are derived from it.
'3' From him are descended the O'CarroUs of Ely O'Carroll, the O'Reardons, the O'Haras, the O'Garas, &c. , as also several families of EastMeath.
'33 See Daniel MacCarthy (Glas), "His- torical Pedigree of the Sliochd Feidhlimidh,
Ossian. " A new edition, in two 8vo vols. , has been published, in London, 1807. To it is prefixed A Critical Dissertation on the
Poems of Ossian, the son of Fingal, by Hugh Blair, D. D. Also, at Edinburgh, A. D.
"
1818, was issued
air an cur amach airson maith coitcheannta muinntirnaGaeltachd,"inan8vo. volume, The authenticity of the originals and transla- tion has been violently contested, and, in
1807, appeared in London, "The Poems of Ossian," in the original Gaelic, with a Uteral translation into Latin, by the late Robert Macfarlan, A. M. Together with a Disser- tation on the authenticity of the Poems, by SirJohnSinclair, Bart. Andatranslation from the Italian of the Abbe Cesarotti's Dis-
sertation on the controversy respecting the authenticity of Ossian, with notes and sup-
pleiv. ental essay, by John M'Arthur, LL. D. , published under the sanction of the Highland Society of London, in three 8vo volumes,
'3= A very interesting account of the
of Gleanncroim, from Cart- hach, twenty-fourth in descent from Oilioll
Olurn to this Day," p. 3.
3< This celebrated Irish Bard has become
famous all the world over, since the publica- tion of the pretended English translation, in I773> °f James Macpherson's "Poems of
the MacCarthys
IJana Oisein Mhic Fhinn,
branches, belonging to this race, will be found "
in Roderick O'Flaherty's
iii. , cap. Ixxxii , Ixxxiii. , pp. 3S6 to 390.
'3' He was the second son of Oilioll Oluim, who is so celebrated, in the pages of Irish history.
Ogygi. ! ," pars.
April 23. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 28s
the son of Conall Eachluath, or Conall of the Swift Steeds. This Cas had twelve sons,'37 viz. , Bloid, or Bled, Caisin. 's^ Lughaidh,'39 Seadna,'<° ^ngus
Cinnathrach. '^' Carthainn, Cainioch, ^ngus Cinnaitin/'t^ Aedh,'i3 Nae, Loisgenn, and Dealbaeth. '-t* Of these, the eldest son Bloid or Blod is the
great stem of the Dalcassian race, which is directly represented by the O'Briens ; and, he had two sons, who are called Carthinn Finn and Brenan Ban. '-ts The eldest Carthinn Finn had two sons ; one of these was Eochaidh, surnamed Bailldearg, or "of the Red Mole," and the other was Aengus. '*'^ The former was born, during the time, when St. Patrick '" was on his first mission in Munster; while he received baptism and benediction, at the hands of the great Apostle himself. '-t' Thus were the Eugenians and Dal- cassians the two leading tribes of Munster, with distinctive territories ; but, owing to their numbers and to the extent of their possessions, the former line was more powerful. The kingship of Munster was contested, between the chieftains of both families ; but, generally, the Eugenians monopolized pro- vincialrule. However,asanalternaterightofsuccessionwasclaimed,bythe chiefs and people ofThomond, when they had force enough to prevail, they were sometimesrecognised,assuperiorsinMunster. '•9 But,underallcircumstances, the rulers and people of Thomond remained in undisturbed possession of their own patrimonial houses and lands. '5° Thomond, called by the Irish Tuath Mumha, or North Munster, extended from Leim Chonchulainn,'5i now Loop Head,'5^ at the mouth of the River Shannon, to Bealach Mor, Muighe-
Uala,'53 now Ballaghraore, in Upper Ossory ; and, from Sliabh Echtghe, or Slieve Aughty,"S'« a mountainous district, on the frontiers of the counties of Clare and Galway, to Sliabh Eibhlinne, now Slieve Phelim. 'ss in the county
'3' A Poem of forty stanzas, orone hundred
and sixty lines, and relating to them, has
betn ascribed to Mac Liag. It begins with,
t)a mac 0^5 no imti 6 chaj-, or " Twelve
sons that de-^cended from Cas. " See Ed-
ward " Account of O'Reilly's Chronological
nearly Four Hundred Irish Writers," p. txii. There are copies of this Poem, in the Book of Ballymote and of Lecain.
the O'Cormacans, now called Mac Cormacs, the O'Seasnains, now called Sextons, the O'Riadas, now Reidys, &c.
'" See his Life, at the 17th of March, chap. xix.
'»* See "Lectures on Eugene O'Curry's
the Manuscript Materials of Ancient Irish History," Lect. x. , pp. 209, 210.
''^ Thus, they were a perfectly inde- pendent tribe, from whom it was not lawful to levy tribute, nor rent, nor pledge, nor hos-
'5* From him descend the Soil Aodha, who
are represented by the MacNamaras, the
O'Gradys, the Mac Flannchadhas, now tage, nor fostership fee ; but, who were
called Clanchys, the O'Caisin^;, &c.
'" From him proceed the Muintir Dobhar-
chon, who are represented by the O Liddys ofClare.
'* Pronounced Shedna, and from him
were the Cinel Sedna, whose representatives appear to be unknown.
'*' TheO'Deasderivetheirdescentfrom him.
«» The O'Quinns and the O'Nechtanns descend from him.
"' From him, the family of O'Hea is de- rived.
'"The Mac Cochlanns ofDealbhna, or Delvin, in the county of Westmealh, and the O'SculIys, descend from him.
"5 The O'Hurleys and O'Maloneys are his descendants. The descendants of the other sons of Bloid are not now distinguish- able.
'" From Aengus, the younger son, are de- rived the O'Comhraidhe, now called Curry,
bound to check aggression on the freedom of CaAhel, against Leth Cuinn, and to supply numerous forces for the maintenance of that freedom. Theywereboundonlytogivere- cognition to the supreme monarch of Ire- land, even when he did not belong to the
south. See CocAoh Jae'oheL Ue 5<sLbAibh, the War of the Gaedhil with the Gaill, edited by the Rev. James Henthorn Todd, pp. 521057.
'5° See Professor Eugene
O'Curry's
" Lec-
tures on the M. nnuscript Materials of Ancient
Irish History," Lect. x. , pp. 203 to 228.
'5' Or CuchuUain's Leap, as a local tradi- tion has related.
'5' This is a corruption of Leap Head.
'53 Otherwise called Slighe IJala, or the road leading from the south side of Tara Hill, and extending to the territory of Ossory.
'5' Sometimes called Baughty.
'55 The present Keeper Mountains.
286 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [April 23.
of Tipperary. In ancient times, it is thought to have been much more exten- sive,especiallytowardsthesouth. 'ss TheprincipalityofThomondembraced the whole of the present county of Clare ; the parishes of Iniscaltra and Kil- rush, in the county of Galway ; the entire of Ely O'Carroll, in the King's County ; the baronies of Ikerrin, Upper and Lower Ormond, Owney and Arra, and more than the western half of Clanwilliam barony, county of Tip- perary ; the baronies of Owneybeg, Coonagh and Clanwilliam, with the eastern halves of the baronies of Small and Coshlea, in the county of Lime- rick. '5? The southern boundary of this great territory is yet preserved, in that, which forms the diocese of Killaloe. 'ss This ecclesiastical division has
an interesting history and description of its own. '59
At an early period—about the end of the sixth century—a St. Lua,'*° or
Molua,'^' had selected a beautiful site, on the River Shannon, for the erection of
hisreligiousestablishment,withintheancientprincipalityofThomond. The church, or oratory, which he built there, is said to have given name to the con- siderable city, which arose at Killaloe ;'*= and, it is thought to have stood upon an islet, in the River Shannon, where are the ruins of an ecclesiastical pile. '*3 At present, this is called Friar's Island. It lies, about one half mile below Kil- laloe, and about tiiirty-five yards from the land.
'< He was monarc—h, for seven years, and he died, A. M. 4469. Four Masters.
tituIed,"The Kings of the Race of Eibhear," and it notes their descent and reigns, down
to a period, long subsequent to the death of Brian Boroimha. A Preface and Notes are added, by the editor.
'= He had several sons, of whom the fol- lowing three alone left issue, viz. : Eoghan- More, Cormac Cas and Cian. See John
*= He was monarch, for seven years, and
O'Donoghue's
4415.
years. '"Hewas
of
King Munster,
for two
died, A. M. 4328.
' He was — for twelve monarch, years,
and
" Historical Memoir of the
years ; the Four Masters have it eleven, and his death,
O'Briens" i. , 3. chap, p.
"* He was King of Munster, for twenty-
three
'' He was prince of Munster.
<' He was half-king of Munster, for thir-
teen years.
°« He was half-king of Munster, for ten
years.
years.
' He was Prince of Munster.
he died, a. m. 4319. Four Masters.
9' He was monarch, for five years ; the Four Masters have it ten, and his death at
A. M. 4306.
93 Hewas —for and monarch, twenty years,
'' He was King of Munster, for seventeen years.
73 He was
of for
King Munster, thirty-six
years.
'< He was Monarch of
he died, A. M. 4290. Four Masters.
9*Hewas — fornine monarch, years,
died, A. M. 4247. F"our Masters.
andhe
for ten years, and, he died, A. M. 5041. See Dr. O'lJonovan's "Annals of the Four Masters," vol. i,, at that date. The same authority is
subsequently quoted.
Ireland,
years
his death, at a. m. 5016.
'' He was monarch of Ireland, for three
years ; the Four Masters have it nine, and
his death, at AM. 4990.
'* He was monarch of Ireland, for seven
years, and he died, a. m. 4887. —Four Mas- ters.
" He was monarch of Ireland, for five years, and he died, a. m. 4787. —Four Mas- ters.
*° He was monarch of Ireland, for eleven years, and he died, a. m. 4737. —Four Mas- ters.
'' He was monarch of Ireland, for seven years, and he died, a. m. 4701. —Four Mas-
he died, a. m. 4422.
*' Hewas monarch, for nine
—Four Masters.
at a. m.
'' He was monarch, for six years, and he
died, A. M. 4394.
** He was monarch, for seven years, and
he died, A. M. 4368.
'' He was monarch, for twelve years, and
he died, A. M. 4356. —Four Masters.
'° He w as mon. irch, for nine years, and he
95 He was monarch, for twenty-two years ; the Four Masters have it twelve years, and
his death, at A. M. 4198.
April 23. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 281
son to EHm,5^ son of Rotheachta," son of Roane,^^ son to Failbhe,'' son of Cas Cead Chaigneach,'°° son to Failderghoid, or Aildergoid,'°" son of Muinheamhoin,'°' son to Casclothacht,'°3 son to Irereorda,'°« son of Rothea- chta,'°5 son to Glas, son of Nuagatt Deaghlamh, son of Rosa,"°* son to Eoch- aidh Faobharglas,'°7 son of Conniaol,'°^ son of Heber or Eber Fionn,'°9 one of the sons of Milesius,"° the other two being Heremon,"' or Eremon, and Ir. '" Thus, Brian was directly descended from Milesius,"^ the Spanish con- queror and colonizer of Ireland ; and while, on the father's side, he came from the line of Heber,"* on the mother's side, his ancestry seems to have been derived from Heremon, the elder brother. The mother of Bryan was named Beibhionn Cianog, and she was daughter to Archadh,"^ who ruled over a western territory of the Connaught province.
Before the time of Bryan Boroimha, there was no general system of family names in Ireland ; for, every man or woman "* took the name, son or daughter of the father,"? who was son of the grandfather, and this was run backwards, in the order we find laid . down in ancient chronicles,"* as illus- trated in the pedigree of this great monarch, already given. Touching the illustrious subject of our present memoir demands a preliminary statement, which is closely connected with it, and which must be a matter of interest, for the —reader to know. In ancient
>* He was monarcb, only for one year, and he died, a. m. 4177.
"He was monarch, for seven years, and he died, A. M. 4176.
* He was prince of Ireland.
99 He was King of Munster, for twenty- six years.
"" He was King of Munster, for thirty-six
years.
"" He was monarch, for seven years, some
Do^n and of Antrim. Among these, the family of Magenniss is specially noticed. The O'DriscolIs of the south also descend from
Lugaidh, son of Ith, his cousin, as may be seen, in the Genealogy of the Corca Laidhe. See "Miscellany of the Celtic Society, "- edited by Dr. John O'Donovan, pp. i to 183.
"3 It seems strange, that his presence in
have it ten. ters.
He died, a. m. 3882. —Four Mas-
" of Ireland " the sons History ;" although,
the — of various Irish times, genealogies
"9
families especially those of illustrious lineage were traced by our anti-
—
"" He was monarch, for five years, and dubiously to have landed on the Irish
he died, a. m. 3872. —Four Masters.
'°^ He was King of Munster, for thirteen
years.
'°* He was
coast, 1300 years before the birth of Christ, according to the Bardic Chronology. See vol. i. , chap, v. , p. 79.
monarch, twenty years, hedieH, A. M. 3727. Four Ma-ilcrs.
and
"'
Like the Jews, the Irish took no notice
of Ireland.
"* See " Lectures on Eugene O'Curry's
prince
'°s He was monarch, for twenty-five years,
the Manuscript Materials of Ancient Irish His-
and he died, a. m. 3842—Four Masters. "* He was prince of Ireland.
"^ He was — for
"* He was monarch, for thirty years, and hedied,a. m. 3579.
'°9 He was half-monarch of Ireland, for
tory," Lect. X. , pp. 207 to 213. "5 He was son of Morough.
one
against his brother Eremon, a. m. 3501. Four Masters.
"° He was King of Spain. His sons are
said to have arrived in Ireland, A. M—. 3500,
following the Septuagint calculation. Four Masters.
'" From him, descend the great families of Ulster, Leinster and Connauj^ht, such as the O'Neills, O'Donnells, the Mac Murroughs, O'Conors, &c. He reigned fifteen years, and he died, a. m. 3516.
'" From him descend the ancient races of Uladh or Ulidia, in the present counties of
Ireland is ignored, by Thomas Moore, in his
"
of Milesius are allowed somewhat
of the pedigrees of womep, beyond their de- scent on the father's side.
"'Itis remarkable,thatthissameusage
prevailed among the Jews, as we find every-
killed in a battle, — where illustrations of such in
year, being fought custom, both
the Old and New Testaments.
"' We almost invarial;ly find the king,
chief,;or otlier remarkable personage, traced
back, through ail the generations, to one or other of the four great heads of Irish fami-
lies, viz. : Eremon, Eber, Ir, or Iih, as to the remote ancestor, or at least to some per-
son, whose pedigree was clearly traceable, in the great genealogical treatises.
"' In the i. Book of Esdras, we have a
long enumeration by name, of " the chiefs of
families, and the genealogy of them," &c. , chap. viii.
—
Cobhthach, the O'Donnells, the O'Neills, and other Ulster families, as well as all the Con-
allusion will be made to the great Munster families, and to their descent,
has been publislied by Professor Eugene O'Curry, in his "Lectures on the Manuscript Materials of Ancient Irish History," Lect.
naught
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
[April 23.
quaries to some remote parent-stock, from which a distinct tribe name sprang. This included, not alone the direct family descent, but its relation to all the other families of distinction, that came from the same origin, wliich was very generally a remote one. "° The Books of Irish Genealogies and of Pedigrees appear to have been very numerous, in former times ; although several of these records are now lost, yet many still exist, in various Irish Manuscripts, or they are indirectly quoted in the Lives of our Kings, Saints, and Heroes ; so that, in all the great Books of Genealogies, the principal races are traced. However, among those Genealogies, one of the most important, now known to remain, is that of Dubhaltach Mac Firbisigh,'^' or Duald Mac Firbis, who compiled it, in the years, from 1650 to 1666. The pedigrees of our ancestors, in like manner, trace a particular individual, through the various generations backwards, to that distinguished head, who gave rise to the family name. "* Those contain many important items of historical information, which are not entered, in any of our Annals ; while they shed a considerable amount of light, on the former social state of many independent tribes and families. Owingtoerrorsofcalculationandoftranscription,it sometimeshappens, that a link or single generation may be wanting ; but, this it is often possible to supply, from some other authentic document. Every third year, and from times very remote, the provincial and clan records were returnable for examination, at the great Feis or Convention, at Tara. According to the statements of our historians, the most authentic and complete collection of national Records was preserved, for long centuries, at Tara, once the Ard- Righ's residence. After its ancient renown had been obscured, and when that seat had been deserted by the chief monarch, there can hardly be a doubt, but a like care was manifested, in whatever fortress he happened to reside. Those records were liable to be revised, by public authority; and, they had been often collated with similar documents, and corrected, when an error had been discovered. Not only the chief monarch of Erinn, but every provincial King, and territorial Chief, had his own Ollamh or Doctor of Learning, and his Seanchaidh^ or Antiquary, versed well in historical literature, and preserving
"° Thus, from UngaineMor, who flourished Uladh excepted. All the great families of over 500 years before the Incarnation of our Meath and of Ulster trace their pedigrees, to Lord, descended through his elder son one or other of Niall's sons. Later on, fuller
families; while,fromhissecondson
Laeghaire, the chief families ofLeinster are
derived. In the second century of the Chris-
tian era, a great division of families in
Leinster took place ; for, its monarch x. , pp. 215 to 228.
Cathair Mor, divided the province among
his sons, to some one of whom all the later
Leinster families trace their descent. Again,
inthe fourth century, a great division of (ami-
lies and of territories took place in Ulster,
and in Connauglit, between the three sons of
the monarch Eochaidh Muighmheadhoin. at, regarding such a topic.
These were Brian, Fiachra and Niall, after-
wards called Niall of the Nine Hostages.
The two elder sons settled in Connauglit ;
and from them descend the chief families of
that province, north and south, excepting given ; although long before the introduction the O'Kellys, the Mac Ranells, and some of Christianity into Ireland, the ancient
others. The younger son Niall succeeded to the sovereignty. He had seven sons, . and among these he partitioned the territories of Meath and of Ulster, that district known as
p. agan colonists traced their pedigrees to that remnte ancestor. It is alsosaid, the Bactrians, the Parlhians, and otlier people, claimed de- scent from him, as well as the Milesians.
'°'A ofitscontents very complete digest
"'
Eugene O'Curry very justly remarks, that notwithstanding the sneers of English and anti-Irish writers, who so contemptu- ously regard an Irish or a Welsh pedigree, a great deal of serious study may be required, before any rational conclusion can be arrived
'" In the Book of Genesis, it is stated, that Japliet, the son of Noah, had a son. named Magog, see chap, x. , 2. It is remaik- able, that the names of his sons are not tliere
April 23. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 283
inbooks,national,provincial,andfamilyrecords.
Because,forsooth,several of our Genealogies and Pedigrees are not only carried back to Milesius, but even to Adam ;'^3 several ignorant, prejudiced, and illogical writers of our his- tory have rashly assumed, widioutany examination of the question, that those Gaelic documents must be concoctions or conjectures, resting on no reliable authorities. The concurrent extrinsic and intrinsic evidences still remaining
amply refute such presumption ; and, the most sceptical enquirer must find it an impossible task, to prove the assertion, that all of those correlative re- cords should be regarded as fictitious narratives, since to no past period or writer can the charge or even suspicion of forgery be brought. The wonderful unanimity and concordance of mere dry details, relating to the names and reigns of chief monarchs and provincial kings or chiefs, their length of duration, their line of descent, with an occasional want of uniformity in state- ment or in date, or a missing link of pedigree, with a certainty of unknown, but undoubtedly original sources from which existing records are drawn, take us altogether away from the region of bardic invention or of histor—ic improba-
—ur lines of descent have been traced some bility. All o existing family long
centuriesago evidentlybygenealogists,whoentertainednodoubts,regarding the bare and circumstantial data presented to their view, and of which they were mere copyists. The eastern origin alleged, for the derivation of the Milesians, induces the belief, that a custom prevailing among the ancient Jews—as the Sacred Scriptures attest—to preserve genealogies and pedigrees of their tribes and families,"* even from the first of the human race,"5 had analogous usage among the conterminous nations, while their historians, so far as known, fully reveal its practice. "*
According to the Irish Genealogies and Pedigrees, from Heber or Eber Fionn proceed all the families, belonging to the south of Ireland. In the
third century of the Christian era, a great division of territories took place, in Munster, between Fiacha Muilleathan, son to Eoghan Mor, the Elder, and
Cormac Cas, younger son to OilioU Oluim,"? king of that province. Eoghan's son was placed in possession of South Munster, the seat of power being in theCityofCasliel; while,hisuncleCormacCasbecameKingoverNorth Munster,alsoknownasThomond. AllthegreatMunsterfamiliesofHeber
"< Remarkable are the analogies, as found in the Book of Josue, regarding the division of lands and cities among the Jews, (see chap. xiii. , xiv. , XV. , xvi. , xvii. , xviii. , xix. , xx. ,
xxi. , xxii. , iii. Kings chap, iv. , ii. Esdras. , chap, vii. ), and as met with in the old tribal divisions of Ireland.
"s We need only refer to the Book of Genesis, chap, v. , x. , xi. ; to Exodus vi. ; to Numbers i. , xiii. , xxvi. , xxvii. , xxxii. , xxxiv. ; toi. Paralipomenon i. , ii. , iii. , iv. , v. , vi. , vii. , viii. , ix. , xi. , xii. ,xiv. , xxiii. , xxiv. , XXV. , xxvi. , xxvii. ; toi. Esdras, ii. , vii. , viii. ,x. ,ii. i'^sdras, xi. ,xii. Likewi>e. in the
records, sufficiently demonstrate. A Dublin writer, and a barrister, Mr. Hamilton, has written a treatise, to prove that the Irish
of New Testament, we have the —
ourLordJesusChrist—through -St. Joseph traced from Abraham, in St. Matt, i. , and
his generation is traced from Hcli, the Jew- ish legal faiher of . St Joseph, back to Adam, in St. l. uke, iii.
"°Nor was this the only custom, common
Yes, sad one of Sion, if closely resem-
bling,
In shame and in—sorrow, thy
wither'd-up heart
If drinking deep, deep, of the same ''
of
cup trembling
genealogy
to the ancient Jews and to the early Irish, as fought A. D. 167. See John O'Donoghue's a careful study and comp;irisonof the Sacred " Historical Memoir of the O'Briens," chap. Scriptures, with the perusal of our historic i. , p. 2.
were originally Jews. This lent inspiration to one of the most noble and significant of Moore's "Irish Melodies," having for its title "The — and the first verse of
which runs
Parallel," :
'*
'''His father Mogh Nuadhat divided Erinn with Conn of the Hundred Battles, but he was killed in the battle of Moylena,
Could make parent thou art. "
us our thy children,
284 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [April 23.
Fionn's line trace their pedigrees to one or other of those two personages. "' Now OilioU Ohiim had several sons, and no less than seven of these are said to have been killed, in a celebrated batde, fought at Magh Mucruimhd,"' in the county of Galway. Among these was his eldest son, called Eoghan or
Eugene Mor,'3° from whom, through his son Fiacha Muilleathan, is derived the Eugenian line. '3' His second son, Cormac Cas, was the only one of Oilioll OKiim's children, that survived the battle of Magh Mucruimh6 Ano- ther of his sons, Cian, killed in this batde, left a son, named Tadhg, now ren- dered Teige or Thaddeus. '3" After this great engagement, the old king divided his Munster kingdom into Thomond or North Minister, which he gave to Cormac Cas, and into Desmond or South Munster, which he gave to Fiacha Muilleathain. It is said, too, he left it in his will, that the kingdom of Leath-Mogha, or that half of Ireland south of the Escir Riada, should pass respectively to the reigning princes of Thomond and of Desmond, by what was called " The Law of alternate Succession. " '33 This was a very unwise and unfortunate provision, for it caused perpetual strife, between both lines of in- heritance, and especially, in reference to the sovereignty of Leath-Mogha. The wife of Cormac Cas is said to have been daughter of the celebrated Poet Oisin, or Ossian,'34 the son of Finn Mac Cumhaill, or Fin Mac Cool. At that time, the northern division did not comprise the present county of Clare, which was in occupation of a tribe, belonging to the old Firbolg race. Sub- sequently, his descendant Lughaidh Meann contended with the Firbolgs, and took possession of their territory. Then, attaching it to his patrimony, the whole inheritance was afterwards denominated Tuadh Mhumhain, in modern timesAnglicisedintoThomond,orNorthMunster. TheDalcassians'35are so called, on account of deriving their descent from Cormac Cas,'36 gQ^ to Oilioll Oluim, King of Munster. The O'Briens of Thomond and their corre- latives were the people thus designated. However, there are others who assert, that the Dalcassians were more immediately derived from Cais or Cas,
'=' See M. M'Dermot's " New and Impar-
tial History of Ireland," vol. i. , chap, xvi. ,
p_ 246.
'=' The date of this engagement is referred
to A. D. 195. See John U'Donoghue's " His- torical Memoirs of the O'Briens," chap, i. ,
p, J. '3°FromhimproceedtheEoganachts,who
occupied the southern parts of Munster, from Magh Feimin, the plain extending from the River Suir to Cashel, on the east, and to mountain of Brandon, in Kerry, on the west. See ibid.
3" The MacCarthys, the O'Callaghans, the O'Sullivans, the O'Keefes, and others, are derived from it.
'3' From him are descended the O'CarroUs of Ely O'Carroll, the O'Reardons, the O'Haras, the O'Garas, &c. , as also several families of EastMeath.
'33 See Daniel MacCarthy (Glas), "His- torical Pedigree of the Sliochd Feidhlimidh,
Ossian. " A new edition, in two 8vo vols. , has been published, in London, 1807. To it is prefixed A Critical Dissertation on the
Poems of Ossian, the son of Fingal, by Hugh Blair, D. D. Also, at Edinburgh, A. D.
"
1818, was issued
air an cur amach airson maith coitcheannta muinntirnaGaeltachd,"inan8vo. volume, The authenticity of the originals and transla- tion has been violently contested, and, in
1807, appeared in London, "The Poems of Ossian," in the original Gaelic, with a Uteral translation into Latin, by the late Robert Macfarlan, A. M. Together with a Disser- tation on the authenticity of the Poems, by SirJohnSinclair, Bart. Andatranslation from the Italian of the Abbe Cesarotti's Dis-
sertation on the controversy respecting the authenticity of Ossian, with notes and sup-
pleiv. ental essay, by John M'Arthur, LL. D. , published under the sanction of the Highland Society of London, in three 8vo volumes,
'3= A very interesting account of the
of Gleanncroim, from Cart- hach, twenty-fourth in descent from Oilioll
Olurn to this Day," p. 3.
3< This celebrated Irish Bard has become
famous all the world over, since the publica- tion of the pretended English translation, in I773> °f James Macpherson's "Poems of
the MacCarthys
IJana Oisein Mhic Fhinn,
branches, belonging to this race, will be found "
in Roderick O'Flaherty's
iii. , cap. Ixxxii , Ixxxiii. , pp. 3S6 to 390.
'3' He was the second son of Oilioll Oluim, who is so celebrated, in the pages of Irish history.
Ogygi. ! ," pars.
April 23. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 28s
the son of Conall Eachluath, or Conall of the Swift Steeds. This Cas had twelve sons,'37 viz. , Bloid, or Bled, Caisin. 's^ Lughaidh,'39 Seadna,'<° ^ngus
Cinnathrach. '^' Carthainn, Cainioch, ^ngus Cinnaitin/'t^ Aedh,'i3 Nae, Loisgenn, and Dealbaeth. '-t* Of these, the eldest son Bloid or Blod is the
great stem of the Dalcassian race, which is directly represented by the O'Briens ; and, he had two sons, who are called Carthinn Finn and Brenan Ban. '-ts The eldest Carthinn Finn had two sons ; one of these was Eochaidh, surnamed Bailldearg, or "of the Red Mole," and the other was Aengus. '*'^ The former was born, during the time, when St. Patrick '" was on his first mission in Munster; while he received baptism and benediction, at the hands of the great Apostle himself. '-t' Thus were the Eugenians and Dal- cassians the two leading tribes of Munster, with distinctive territories ; but, owing to their numbers and to the extent of their possessions, the former line was more powerful. The kingship of Munster was contested, between the chieftains of both families ; but, generally, the Eugenians monopolized pro- vincialrule. However,asanalternaterightofsuccessionwasclaimed,bythe chiefs and people ofThomond, when they had force enough to prevail, they were sometimesrecognised,assuperiorsinMunster. '•9 But,underallcircumstances, the rulers and people of Thomond remained in undisturbed possession of their own patrimonial houses and lands. '5° Thomond, called by the Irish Tuath Mumha, or North Munster, extended from Leim Chonchulainn,'5i now Loop Head,'5^ at the mouth of the River Shannon, to Bealach Mor, Muighe-
Uala,'53 now Ballaghraore, in Upper Ossory ; and, from Sliabh Echtghe, or Slieve Aughty,"S'« a mountainous district, on the frontiers of the counties of Clare and Galway, to Sliabh Eibhlinne, now Slieve Phelim. 'ss in the county
'3' A Poem of forty stanzas, orone hundred
and sixty lines, and relating to them, has
betn ascribed to Mac Liag. It begins with,
t)a mac 0^5 no imti 6 chaj-, or " Twelve
sons that de-^cended from Cas. " See Ed-
ward " Account of O'Reilly's Chronological
nearly Four Hundred Irish Writers," p. txii. There are copies of this Poem, in the Book of Ballymote and of Lecain.
the O'Cormacans, now called Mac Cormacs, the O'Seasnains, now called Sextons, the O'Riadas, now Reidys, &c.
'" See his Life, at the 17th of March, chap. xix.
'»* See "Lectures on Eugene O'Curry's
the Manuscript Materials of Ancient Irish History," Lect. x. , pp. 209, 210.
''^ Thus, they were a perfectly inde- pendent tribe, from whom it was not lawful to levy tribute, nor rent, nor pledge, nor hos-
'5* From him descend the Soil Aodha, who
are represented by the MacNamaras, the
O'Gradys, the Mac Flannchadhas, now tage, nor fostership fee ; but, who were
called Clanchys, the O'Caisin^;, &c.
'" From him proceed the Muintir Dobhar-
chon, who are represented by the O Liddys ofClare.
'* Pronounced Shedna, and from him
were the Cinel Sedna, whose representatives appear to be unknown.
'*' TheO'Deasderivetheirdescentfrom him.
«» The O'Quinns and the O'Nechtanns descend from him.
"' From him, the family of O'Hea is de- rived.
'"The Mac Cochlanns ofDealbhna, or Delvin, in the county of Westmealh, and the O'SculIys, descend from him.
"5 The O'Hurleys and O'Maloneys are his descendants. The descendants of the other sons of Bloid are not now distinguish- able.
'" From Aengus, the younger son, are de- rived the O'Comhraidhe, now called Curry,
bound to check aggression on the freedom of CaAhel, against Leth Cuinn, and to supply numerous forces for the maintenance of that freedom. Theywereboundonlytogivere- cognition to the supreme monarch of Ire- land, even when he did not belong to the
south. See CocAoh Jae'oheL Ue 5<sLbAibh, the War of the Gaedhil with the Gaill, edited by the Rev. James Henthorn Todd, pp. 521057.
'5° See Professor Eugene
O'Curry's
" Lec-
tures on the M. nnuscript Materials of Ancient
Irish History," Lect. x. , pp. 203 to 228.
'5' Or CuchuUain's Leap, as a local tradi- tion has related.
'5' This is a corruption of Leap Head.
'53 Otherwise called Slighe IJala, or the road leading from the south side of Tara Hill, and extending to the territory of Ossory.
'5' Sometimes called Baughty.
'55 The present Keeper Mountains.
286 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [April 23.
of Tipperary. In ancient times, it is thought to have been much more exten- sive,especiallytowardsthesouth. 'ss TheprincipalityofThomondembraced the whole of the present county of Clare ; the parishes of Iniscaltra and Kil- rush, in the county of Galway ; the entire of Ely O'Carroll, in the King's County ; the baronies of Ikerrin, Upper and Lower Ormond, Owney and Arra, and more than the western half of Clanwilliam barony, county of Tip- perary ; the baronies of Owneybeg, Coonagh and Clanwilliam, with the eastern halves of the baronies of Small and Coshlea, in the county of Lime- rick. '5? The southern boundary of this great territory is yet preserved, in that, which forms the diocese of Killaloe. 'ss This ecclesiastical division has
an interesting history and description of its own. '59
At an early period—about the end of the sixth century—a St. Lua,'*° or
Molua,'^' had selected a beautiful site, on the River Shannon, for the erection of
hisreligiousestablishment,withintheancientprincipalityofThomond. The church, or oratory, which he built there, is said to have given name to the con- siderable city, which arose at Killaloe ;'*= and, it is thought to have stood upon an islet, in the River Shannon, where are the ruins of an ecclesiastical pile. '*3 At present, this is called Friar's Island. It lies, about one half mile below Kil- laloe, and about tiiirty-five yards from the land.
