He is said to have
occasionally
made the clergy instruments of his ambition, and to have harassed them in turn when they would not go all his lengths.
O'Hanlon - Lives of the Irish Saints - v8
9 to II.
This is in eleven paragraphs, and there an at- tempt has been made to elucidate his Acts,
De SS. Rufo et Carpone, Carponio, vel Carpophoro Martyribus, Capuae in Cam-
"
vi,, Augusti xxvii. , De S. Rufo Episcopo ing them by ea—rlier writers.
Critica, in the
Acta Sanctorum," tomus
and to examine the various notices of him in ancient records.
3 The same Father John Stilling has edited the " Passio " of both these Martyrs in the "Acta Sanctorum," tomus vi. , Augu. ^ti
pania Italia, he has a previous commentary in eight paragraphs, and in these he criti- cally examines what has been stated regard-
'
Article I. by Kelly,
p. xxxiii.
a,,
Thus t? ei olimi o mAcCpich.
Edited Rev. Dr.
August 28. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 399
said to have been of Claire. 3 His son, who afterwards ascended the throne ofMunster,wasbornprobablytowardsthecloseoftheeighthcentury. The young prince appears to have received a liberal education for it is related,
that he was an excellent scribe—which means according to Irish acceptance— a writer, although none of his compositions have come down to us. Nor is the school in which he studied known. It is stated, also, that Feidhlimidh entered into Holy Orders,* and that afterwards he presided as Archbishop5 over Leath Mogha,6 otherwise in the See of Cashel. However, there is no sufficient warrant for such a statement. Moreover, in his enumeration of the Archbishops of Cashel, Sir James Ware does not record any earlier bishop than Cormac MacCullinan,? who flourished towards the close of the
;
ninth and beginning of the tenth century.
From what has been stated in the Irish Annals regarding Feidhlimidh,
we are led to infer, that he must have succeeded in the principality of Munster, in or about the year 820. 9 He was remarkable for personal courage and force of character—qualities which were sufficient to excite the admiration of his followers, and to cause his interested and over-partial panegyrists in prose and verse to overlook or conceal his many deficiencies. Having been recognised as a King over Ireland, by some authorities, without
TO his
with the period when Gaithen," the son of Cionaedhe, was chief over
Laeighis or Leix, a territory contained within the present Queen's County. He is also noticed, as having lived about that period, when the death of the
Ostman tyrant Turgesius took place. Moreover, he is supposed by Giraldus Cambrensis to have been a King over Ireland, and the . seventeenth
predecessor of Roderick O'Conor, 12 the latest recognised monarch, who died towards the close of the twelfth century. ^
Our native Annalists, for the most part, do not class Feidhlimidh among the supreme monarchs of Ireland ; although some of the Munster chroni- clers and bards, who state that he ruled twenty-seven years over that province, reserve seven of these for jurisdiction over all the otlier provincial
denning
the term or the number of
years ;
reign
has been
synchronized
kings and chiefs of the nation. 14
3 See the "Chronicum Scotorum," edited, with a translation by William M. Hennessy,
M. R. I. A. , pp. 146, 147.
Jeffry Keating's "History of Ireland," part ii.
This claim nevertheless can hardly be
Dounchadh, had begun to reign, A. D. 819, according to Roderick O'Flaherty, and was regarded as king over Ireland for the en-
4 See Rev. Dr.
fourteen See "
years. Ogygia," pars
= This is a mistake of Mr.
O'Daly.
In
I0 See " Trias
Colgan's Thaumaturga,"
where allusion is made to him, in Septima
Vita S. Patricii, pars iii. , cap. xxvi. , p. 155. " In St. Patrick's time, the Irish Apostle is said to have foretold the destruction of
his time, Cashel had not been erected into
an Archiepiscopal See.
6 The south half of Ireland was generally
so called in ancient times.
7 See his Life in the Ninth Volume of this
work, at the 14th of September, when he is
commemorated as a saint and martyr, in the
Irish Calendar,
8"
In his Preface to Archiepiscoporum Cas-
" ventus ab A scholiast on the Tri- partite Life refers the fulfilment of that pro- phecy to Goithin, "enim vox Hibernica ex suo etymo venteum vel ventuosum denotat. "
seliensium et —Tuamensium Vitas," Sir
James
This is said to have occurred "
Conchonario,"
regnantibus
Ware writes
libentius desudavi, quia omnia pene Vetera utriusque sedis monumenta (Casseliensis scilicet et Tuamensis) sive per incuriam et
:
"Atque
in hac
indagine
eo Fedhlimidio et Ireland.
over
I2 See Giraldi Cambrensis "Opera," edited by James T. Dimock, M. A. , vol. v. negligentiam, sive per bellorum rabiem " Topographia Hibernica," Dist. iii. , cap.
peiierunt, vel salter—n per invidorum malitiam
hodie diletescunt. " Ad Lectorem, Dublini,
1626, sm. 4to.
» At this time Conchobhar, the son of
xliv. , p. 188.
8
suing
iii. , cap. xciii. , p. 433.
then inferno exortus, "
Rath-Bacain,
building, by
I3
ferred to A. D. 1 198.
By the Irish historians his death is re- I4 Thus, in an Irish poem by John
/'. <? ,,
4oo LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [August 28.
allowed ; but, having been a highly successful raider in his time, provincial tradition probably assigned that elevation to him, and caused it to be circulated for belief in other districts of the country. However, it cannot be doubted, that he not only exercised the power and privileges of a King throughout the province of Munster for a long period ; but, his influence and fame as a warrior caused him to be feared and respected, even by the recognised sovereign of Ireland, and by all the subordinate kings and chiefs.
Our Annals contain many brief records of his acts. Thus, in the year
823, it is related, that the Law of Patrick was established over Mumhan's
by Feidhlimidh, son of Crimhthann. '6 He is said to have immediately
succeeded Fiacha Airtre, 1 ? who ruled for fourteen or fifteen years over that
18
The Law of Patrick to which allusion has been made seems referable to some tribute or contribution allowed by the other provinces of Ireland, and as an acknowledgment of primacy over the Irish Church, in the See of Armagh. We find frequent allusion in the Annals, to visits made by the Archbishops and Abbots, to different places and at various times, in order to renew or establish that Law. Moreover, the kings and chiefs of those territories and districts were ready to enforce the obligations it involved, so far as their power extended. It is less pleasing for us to recount the many destructive raids or expeditions noted in our Annals.
Inthe wereadthatGalinneoftheBritons1? wasburned year 823,
province,
but, the date for whose death we have not been able to ascertain.
by Feidhlimidh, son of Crimhthann, with its whole dwelling-place and the
18
According to John O'Dugan's poem
UobcAp cpenA ComiAchcA a 1Uai§ ni, mboAn pMinA jma treiT>limit>.
—
"Strong were the Connachtmen in
Magh Ai ;
They were not weak against Feidh-
limidh. "
20 Other authorities
place
that incident at earlier 21 It periods.
oratory.
would seem, that the King of Munster had planned another expedition for
22
the invasion of Connaught. That very same year 823, we find a victory
was gained by Cathal, son of Ailill, over Feidhlimidhin Magh-Ai, where
2
many fell. ^ However, this reverse of his career is stated to have occurred in
O'Dugan, and intituled ftioJA rib Oibir\, or Kings of the Race of Eibhear, with a trans- lation by Michael Kearney, A. D. 1635, and edited by John O'Daly, allusion is thus made to him at pp. 20, 21 : —
•A feAcc pceAT) da j? eit>m rearm
fei'olim fiu jtIaic eipeArm ; CiAjvAn mac an c-r-AOir\ t>a gum,
£up cuic cj\e AOib nA folui§.
:
It is thus translated into English —
" Ffeilimidh, fitt a Monarch to be, Of Ireland all, to Twenty,
Adding 7 yeares over Mounster
raigned,
Ere Kyaran him killed most basely. "
'5 The Irish term for Munster.
,6 See the "Chronicum Scotorum," edited
by William M. Hennessy, pp. 130, 131.
1 Said to have been of the progeny of
Chuirc or Corck.
monastery for British monks, towards the close of the fifth century,
20 "
See the Chronicon Scotorum," edited
by William M. Hennessy, pp. 132, 133.
" Thus the Annals of Clonmacnois, under the year 820 : —" Galen of the Welshmen was altogether burnt by Felym mac Cri- whan, both houses, churches, and sanctuary—. "
At A. D. 822, the Annals of Ulster record gAlinne tia 111 ©pecan exurcum efc
R. 105A pi eibin.
** Otherwise called Galinne na m Bretann,
the old name for Gallen, in the barony of
Garrycastle, in the King's County. It de- rived such denomination, because St. Canocus, a Welshman, had erected there a
Thus rendered into English
:
o ,6 cum coca hAbicAoone t? eit>l,imi
ruiA, orvacomo. SeeAnnAlAUl<voh,or Annals of Ulster, edited, with a Translation
ec cum
and Notes, by William M. Hennessy, vol. i. , pp. 316 to 319.
22
According to the account, which is con- ''
tainedinthe ChronicumScotorum. "How- ever, we find no entry of this contest, in the
"
ing Irish lines :—
Annals of the Four Masters. "
23 This is commemorated in the succeed-
:
August 28. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 401
29
834, by the O'Clerys, * and it is related by an Irish poet, 5 to have been at a
place named Loch-na-Calla, or Lake of the Shouting, owing to the rejoicing of the Ui-Maine, on account of their victory over Feidhlimidh. The name of that place seems now to have become obsolete. Moreover, the Annals of Clonmacnoise relate, that Delvin Beathra36 was burned by King Felym or Feidhlimidh, son of Crimhtann, in 823 ; while those of the Four Masters
2
place this event in 824 ? and those of Ulster have it at a. d. 826.
Although undoubtedly remarkable for his prowess in arms and for personal valour, yet the King of Munster is not noticed in our Annals, for exercising either
Birr,
between Conchobhar, son of Donnchadh, King of Ireland, and
;
against the Danes or Norwegians, whose inroads upon various parts of
Ireland are recorded during his career. He wanted the spirit of patriotism
to render his deeds heroic ; nor can it be said, that the reigning monarch
Conchobhar was energetic or capable in suppressing such raids. Rather were
internecine contests, among the Irish kings and princes, events most promi-
nent during this period. In 824, there was a royal meeting at Biorra or 28
Feidhlimidh, King of Munster, according to the Annals of Clonmacnoise ;
2
this event is noticed in the Annals of the Four Masters, 9 at the following
year; while the Annals of Ulster have it at a. d. 826. The objects had in view for holding this meeting, nor the subjects there discussed by the monarch and by his nominally subordinate prince, have not been disclosed in any account with which we are familiar ; but, it seems probable enough, that the King of Ireland suspected and feared the aspiring and ambitious aims of the Munster potentate, and sought explanations or some sort of understanding to restrain his acts, or to divert them into a more desirable course of policy. Weighed in the scale of subsequent events, there are just grounds for supposing, that Feidhlimidh was anxious to employ means, and to seek aid beyond his own province, for acquiring sway over the rest of Ireland. If we are to receive the account of the Rev. Dr. Keating, Feidhlime received provocations from the northern half of the Island, which was known under the designation of Leath Cuin. Carrying his arms into that part of the country, he sorely distressed its inhabitants, and he plundered without distinction from Birr to Teamhair Breag. We are told, moreover, that he met with opposition at Tara, and which he overcame with some difficulty. In a conflict, his forces engaged Jonrachtach, the son of Moal- duin. 3° This seems to have been intended for what is related, at the year 828, when the Annals of Clonmacnoise record the coming of the forces of
Munster and of Leinster to
z
—— also called to
26 Otherwise called Dealbh-na-Eathra, the ancient name for the present barony of
Garrycastle, in the King's County. See the
*' Se« Dr O'Donovan's edition, vol. i„
2< See Dr. O'Donovan's " Annals of the
Four Masters," vol. i. , pp. 450, 451, and nn. (i, k), ibid. —
25 The following Irish lines are quoted
nobc*n cr*en ConnAccA, hi mMt trf mpcAtx puma,
<Vbrix> nee re pM-olimi-o, cm ioc tiACAtU.
Thus—rendered into English by Dr. O'Dono- van «
LeAbhar* r»A or Book of 5-CeAnc,
Connaughtmen mighty; Magh-I they were not feeble ;
Let any one inquire of Feidhlimidh, whence Loch-na-calla is (named). "
History Ireland," part ii. , of Niall Caille.
reign
Fynore3
Finnabhair-Breagh
:
Rights, edited by John O'Donovan, n. (k), p. 183.
*
PP-436, 437, and n. (x) ubid
* In the baron of Ballybrit> -01acca y
"The were in " of atthe
KinS s
County. .
29 See Dr. O Donovans edition, vol. I. ,
pp. 440, 441, and n. (h), ibid.
30 According to Rev. Dr. Keating, he lost
his life in this battle, but such a statement is not to be found in other accounts. See
31 Now Fennor, near Slane, County of Meath.
IC
4o2
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [August 28.
2 This account is set down at a. d.
in the Annals of the Four Masters ;33 while the Annals of Ulster place it at a. d. 830. Again, the burning of Fore by Feidhlimid is recorded as having occurredata. d. 830. ^ TheAnnalsoftheFourMasters,35ata. d. 831,have
an account of the burning of Tearmann-Chiarain by this king j and also of
the plundering of Dealbhna-Beathra three times. The Annals of Clonmac-
noise, however, place these events at a. d. 829.
It would appear, that similar devastations were continued by him the year
following, 832,36 when a great number of the family of Cluain-mac-Nois37 were slain, and all their termon was burned by Feidhlimidh, to the very door of their church. It is stated, that while this king was brave in action, gener- ous in success, anct unbroken in adverse fortune, he secured the co-operation and retained the fidelity of the two great provinces of Minister over which he reigned ; and being munificent, insinuating, amiable, religious, but not pious, he for a considerable time gained friends, in all the other provinces of Ireland.
He is said to have occasionally made the clergy instruments of his ambition, and to have harassed them in turn when they would not go all his lengths. Moreover, as we read, he treated the family of Dearmach, or
The Annals of Ulster place the death of Concobhar mac Donncha, King
destroy, prey
and
spoil Moybrey. 3
829,
8 in like as he did that of Clonmacnoise, and also to the fashion,
Durro\v,3
door of its church. The Annals of Ulster place such outrages, at this same year. 39 while those of Clonmacnois refer them, to a. d. 830. In the mean- time, during the reigns of Aedh Ornidhe and of Concobhar, monarchs of Ire- land, the Northmen, while making inroads on the country, received no opposition from the King of Munster, who covered the south, and who was powerful enough to have prevented their incursions. It is even stated, that through interested motives, he basely enjoyed the miseries of his country- men/
of at a. d. Ireland,
2. *1 The same is stated to have been the first for year
83
his successor, Niall Caile, son to Aedh Oirdnaidhe ; but, the true year, as we are told, is a. d. 833. 4* In the " Chronicum Scotorum,"43 at the year 836, is an entry regarding the taking of the oratory at Cill-dara," against Forannan,** Abbot of Ard-Macha, with the congregation of Patrick besides, by Feidhlimidh, son of Crimhthann, by battle and arms ; and, as stated,
4° See Charles O'Conor's " Dissertations on the History of Ireland," &c, sect, xvi. , pp. 223,224. Third edition, Dublin, 1812, 8vo.
4I See 4rmaL& UL<voh, or Annals of Ulster,
edited by William M. Hennessy, vol. i. , pp.
330, 331.
42 Such is the of Roderick chronology
O'Flahertyin his Carmen Chronographicum, Ogygia; suae summam complectens, at A. D.
: 833 -
,. _ . . ,. u XT. . . Calneus ormdio regnavit patre Niellus
Autumnis tredecim flumine : raptus equo. Pars secunda» P- 456.
43 Edited by William M. Hennessy,
pp. 140, 14I.
44 Now Kildare.
4s Also called Faranan. He is said to
have been Archbishop of Armagh from a. d. 834 to A. D. 848, when he abdicated that see to make room for Dermod O'Tigernach.
3* Also called a Magh Breagh,
large plain or level territory in East Meath, which con-
"
The Topogra- phical Poems of John O'Dubhagain and Giolla na Naomh O'Huidhrin," edited by
tained five cantreds. See
John O'Donovan, LL. D. , n. II. 'p. iii.
33 See Dr. O'Donovan's pp. 444, 445, and n. (b), ibid.
vol.
34 See " Chronicum Scotorum," edited by
WilliamM. Hennessy,pp. 138,139.
35 See Dr. O'Donovan's edition, vol. i. ,
pp. 446, 447, and n. (k), ibid.
36 See Dr. O'Donovan's " Annals of the
Four Masters," vol. i. , pp. 446, 447, and n. (q), ibid.
37 Situated on the east bank of the River Shannon, in the barony of Garrycastle, King's County.
38 In the barony of Ballycowen, King's County.
edition,
i. ,
39 See the . annata tlld'ori, or Annals of
Ulster, edited by William M. Hennessy, See Harris' Ware, vol. i. , "Archbishops of vol. i. , pp. 332, 333. Armagh," p. 45.
August 28. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 403
they were taken prisoners with their submission. This is related to have happened, a. d. 835,^ in the "Annals of the Four Masters. " The " Annals of Ulster" agree with this latter date 4? while those of Gonmacnoise have
;
a. d. Z-x>2>y f°r such transaction. In 836 *8 occurred the plundering of the race
of Cairbre Crom4 9 by Feidhlimidh, son of Crimhthann. '
In the year 837,5° a great royal meeting between Niall Caille and Feidh-
limidh, son of Crimhthann, took place at Cluain-Conaire-Tomain, now
Cloncurry, in the County of Kildare. The " Annals of Ulster" agree with
1
this date;- while those of Clonmacnois have a. d. 835. It is stated, that
the- Monarch of Ireland had invited the King of Munster to that interview, in hopes of compounding their mutual differences, in order that they might act
in concert their common against
the Northmen. 52 Instead of
enemy
such a salutary measure, as appears by what follows, ambition urged the
latter treacherous potentate, to take advantage of the difficulties besetting the
Monarch, and to supplant him, if possible, in the government of the whole kingdom. Intheyear840,53anarmywasledbyFeidhlimidhtoCarman;54 while another army was led to meet him by Niall to Magh-ochtair, a plain in the barony of Ikeathy and Uachtarfhine or Oughteranny, in the north of the present County of Kildare. 55 A mysterious allusion by some Irish poet to this encounter states, that the crozier of the devout Feidhlimidh was left in the shrubbery, which by right of the battle of swords, Niall by force bore away from them. *6
It is stated in the old Annals of Innisfallen, that Feidhlimidh, son of
Crimhthann, received homage from Neill, son of Aedh, King of Tara, in the year 824—but more correctly in 840—and that Feidhlimidh then became sole Monarch of Ireland, and sat in the seat of the Abbot of Cluain-fearta. 57 However, although the King of Munster aspired to such a position, it is a mistake of. writers on Irish historical matters to suppose he ever attained it. 58 At the year 843,5° the Annals of Clonmacnoise6° relate the burning of the
46 See Dr. O'Donovan's edition, vol. i. ,
pp. 452, 453, and n. (p), ibid.
4? See -AnnAlA uLvoVi, or Annals of Ulster,
edited by William M. Hennessy, vol. i. ,
pp. 336, 337.
48 See Dr. O'Donovan's "Annals of the
Four Masters," vol. i. , pp. 456, 457, and n.
ibid.
49 A term applied to the inhabitants of
(g),
Ui-MaineinConnaught. Seetheir
O'Donovan are these
:
in "Tribes and Customs of Hy-Many,"
commonly called the O'Kellys' Country,
edited by John O'Donovan, pp. 24 to 59.
50 See Dr. O'Donovan's " Annals of the
Four Masters," vol. i. , pp. 456 to 459.
5 1 See-AnnAlAUlAT>h,or Annals of Ulster, edited by William M. Hennessy, vol. i. ,
pp. 340, 341.
ss See Charles O'Conor's "Dissertations on
the History of Ireland," sect, xvi. , p. 224. 53 See Dr. O'Donovan's " Annals of the Four Masters," vol i. , pp. 460, 461, and nn.
(h, i, 1, k), ibid.
54 Said to have been Carman-Magh-
genealogy
bAchAlb •JTe,obimi,6 pijlij ^oppAgbAi6 if r»A -opoigmj
"Ouf puce mall co neApc uaua, a ceApc An caca cloitmng.
This we are told is inserted in a modern hand, in the Stow copy of the Annals. Dr. O'Donovan remarks on it: "The reader must bear in mind that Felim, son of Crimhthann, was Abbot or Bishop of Cashel, in right of his crown of Munster. "
57 See the teAbliAp nA g-CeArxc or Book of Rights, edited by John O'Donovan.
Introduction, p. xvi, n. (f). ssSeeL'AbbeMa-Geoghegan's"Histoire
Ochtar. There were two places so named de lTrlande, Ancienne et Moderne," tome
in the present County of Kildare ; the first Carman in the south and the second in the north of that County. Wherefore, Dr.
O'Donovan was wrong in taking Carman here to have been the same as Loch-Garman,
the old name for Wexford. See ^anaIa UIa-oVi, or Annals of Ulster, edited by William M. Hennessy, vol. i. , n. II, p. 345.
"
ss See Dr. O'Donovan's Annals of the
Four Masters," vol. i. , pp. 212, 213, and n. (m).
5° —in The words as given
the text of Dr.
i. , Seconde Partie, chap, v. , p. 380. «'
59 j. n Dr. O'Donovan's Annals of the Four Masters," this event is referred to A. D. 844. See vol. i. , pp. 470, 471*
*> See ibid, n. (m).
effecting
4o4 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [August 28.
61
Termon lands belonging to St. Kieran, without respect of place, saint, or
shrine ; on which account, Feidhlimidh incurred a merited punishment,
inflicted by the patron saint of Clonmacnoise. After his return to Munster
the following year, he was overtaken by a flux, which brought him to the 62
grave.
Notwithstanding his irregularity and great desire of spoil, the Annals of
Clonmacnoise state, that Feidhlimidh was by some numbered among the scribes and anchorites of Ireland. It is generally believed, that Feidhlimidh governed the province of Munster for twenty-seven years. After such a term
of rule, he voluntarily abdicated his temporal state, for a more spiritual life; and, to atone for his former excesses, he resolved to spend the remainder of his days in works of penance. He therefore embraced the austere life of an anchoret—but in what place we are not informed—and he thus prepared for his last end, distinguished by virtues and merits, so that he deserved to be classed among the saints. 63 In Dr. O'Donovan's " Annals of the Four
""
of the Scoti, a scribe and an anchorite, the Chronicon Scotorum enters
the demise of this prince, at a. d. 847 6? while the author quotes some lines68 ;
64 it is said he died on the 18th
internal wound, inflicted through the miracle of God and of St. Ciaran. Moreover, some lines from an Irish poem are quoted,65 which are in a strain both of lamentation and of eulogy. Notwithstanding that the career of Feidhlimidh mac Crimthainn appears to have been one of turbulence and depredation, and that his death is said to have been brought about, as a punishment for his sacrileges ; it seems strange, that when recording his death, at a.
De SS. Rufo et Carpone, Carponio, vel Carpophoro Martyribus, Capuae in Cam-
"
vi,, Augusti xxvii. , De S. Rufo Episcopo ing them by ea—rlier writers.
Critica, in the
Acta Sanctorum," tomus
and to examine the various notices of him in ancient records.
3 The same Father John Stilling has edited the " Passio " of both these Martyrs in the "Acta Sanctorum," tomus vi. , Augu. ^ti
pania Italia, he has a previous commentary in eight paragraphs, and in these he criti- cally examines what has been stated regard-
'
Article I. by Kelly,
p. xxxiii.
a,,
Thus t? ei olimi o mAcCpich.
Edited Rev. Dr.
August 28. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 399
said to have been of Claire. 3 His son, who afterwards ascended the throne ofMunster,wasbornprobablytowardsthecloseoftheeighthcentury. The young prince appears to have received a liberal education for it is related,
that he was an excellent scribe—which means according to Irish acceptance— a writer, although none of his compositions have come down to us. Nor is the school in which he studied known. It is stated, also, that Feidhlimidh entered into Holy Orders,* and that afterwards he presided as Archbishop5 over Leath Mogha,6 otherwise in the See of Cashel. However, there is no sufficient warrant for such a statement. Moreover, in his enumeration of the Archbishops of Cashel, Sir James Ware does not record any earlier bishop than Cormac MacCullinan,? who flourished towards the close of the
;
ninth and beginning of the tenth century.
From what has been stated in the Irish Annals regarding Feidhlimidh,
we are led to infer, that he must have succeeded in the principality of Munster, in or about the year 820. 9 He was remarkable for personal courage and force of character—qualities which were sufficient to excite the admiration of his followers, and to cause his interested and over-partial panegyrists in prose and verse to overlook or conceal his many deficiencies. Having been recognised as a King over Ireland, by some authorities, without
TO his
with the period when Gaithen," the son of Cionaedhe, was chief over
Laeighis or Leix, a territory contained within the present Queen's County. He is also noticed, as having lived about that period, when the death of the
Ostman tyrant Turgesius took place. Moreover, he is supposed by Giraldus Cambrensis to have been a King over Ireland, and the . seventeenth
predecessor of Roderick O'Conor, 12 the latest recognised monarch, who died towards the close of the twelfth century. ^
Our native Annalists, for the most part, do not class Feidhlimidh among the supreme monarchs of Ireland ; although some of the Munster chroni- clers and bards, who state that he ruled twenty-seven years over that province, reserve seven of these for jurisdiction over all the otlier provincial
denning
the term or the number of
years ;
reign
has been
synchronized
kings and chiefs of the nation. 14
3 See the "Chronicum Scotorum," edited, with a translation by William M. Hennessy,
M. R. I. A. , pp. 146, 147.
Jeffry Keating's "History of Ireland," part ii.
This claim nevertheless can hardly be
Dounchadh, had begun to reign, A. D. 819, according to Roderick O'Flaherty, and was regarded as king over Ireland for the en-
4 See Rev. Dr.
fourteen See "
years. Ogygia," pars
= This is a mistake of Mr.
O'Daly.
In
I0 See " Trias
Colgan's Thaumaturga,"
where allusion is made to him, in Septima
Vita S. Patricii, pars iii. , cap. xxvi. , p. 155. " In St. Patrick's time, the Irish Apostle is said to have foretold the destruction of
his time, Cashel had not been erected into
an Archiepiscopal See.
6 The south half of Ireland was generally
so called in ancient times.
7 See his Life in the Ninth Volume of this
work, at the 14th of September, when he is
commemorated as a saint and martyr, in the
Irish Calendar,
8"
In his Preface to Archiepiscoporum Cas-
" ventus ab A scholiast on the Tri- partite Life refers the fulfilment of that pro- phecy to Goithin, "enim vox Hibernica ex suo etymo venteum vel ventuosum denotat. "
seliensium et —Tuamensium Vitas," Sir
James
This is said to have occurred "
Conchonario,"
regnantibus
Ware writes
libentius desudavi, quia omnia pene Vetera utriusque sedis monumenta (Casseliensis scilicet et Tuamensis) sive per incuriam et
:
"Atque
in hac
indagine
eo Fedhlimidio et Ireland.
over
I2 See Giraldi Cambrensis "Opera," edited by James T. Dimock, M. A. , vol. v. negligentiam, sive per bellorum rabiem " Topographia Hibernica," Dist. iii. , cap.
peiierunt, vel salter—n per invidorum malitiam
hodie diletescunt. " Ad Lectorem, Dublini,
1626, sm. 4to.
» At this time Conchobhar, the son of
xliv. , p. 188.
8
suing
iii. , cap. xciii. , p. 433.
then inferno exortus, "
Rath-Bacain,
building, by
I3
ferred to A. D. 1 198.
By the Irish historians his death is re- I4 Thus, in an Irish poem by John
/'. <? ,,
4oo LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [August 28.
allowed ; but, having been a highly successful raider in his time, provincial tradition probably assigned that elevation to him, and caused it to be circulated for belief in other districts of the country. However, it cannot be doubted, that he not only exercised the power and privileges of a King throughout the province of Munster for a long period ; but, his influence and fame as a warrior caused him to be feared and respected, even by the recognised sovereign of Ireland, and by all the subordinate kings and chiefs.
Our Annals contain many brief records of his acts. Thus, in the year
823, it is related, that the Law of Patrick was established over Mumhan's
by Feidhlimidh, son of Crimhthann. '6 He is said to have immediately
succeeded Fiacha Airtre, 1 ? who ruled for fourteen or fifteen years over that
18
The Law of Patrick to which allusion has been made seems referable to some tribute or contribution allowed by the other provinces of Ireland, and as an acknowledgment of primacy over the Irish Church, in the See of Armagh. We find frequent allusion in the Annals, to visits made by the Archbishops and Abbots, to different places and at various times, in order to renew or establish that Law. Moreover, the kings and chiefs of those territories and districts were ready to enforce the obligations it involved, so far as their power extended. It is less pleasing for us to recount the many destructive raids or expeditions noted in our Annals.
Inthe wereadthatGalinneoftheBritons1? wasburned year 823,
province,
but, the date for whose death we have not been able to ascertain.
by Feidhlimidh, son of Crimhthann, with its whole dwelling-place and the
18
According to John O'Dugan's poem
UobcAp cpenA ComiAchcA a 1Uai§ ni, mboAn pMinA jma treiT>limit>.
—
"Strong were the Connachtmen in
Magh Ai ;
They were not weak against Feidh-
limidh. "
20 Other authorities
place
that incident at earlier 21 It periods.
oratory.
would seem, that the King of Munster had planned another expedition for
22
the invasion of Connaught. That very same year 823, we find a victory
was gained by Cathal, son of Ailill, over Feidhlimidhin Magh-Ai, where
2
many fell. ^ However, this reverse of his career is stated to have occurred in
O'Dugan, and intituled ftioJA rib Oibir\, or Kings of the Race of Eibhear, with a trans- lation by Michael Kearney, A. D. 1635, and edited by John O'Daly, allusion is thus made to him at pp. 20, 21 : —
•A feAcc pceAT) da j? eit>m rearm
fei'olim fiu jtIaic eipeArm ; CiAjvAn mac an c-r-AOir\ t>a gum,
£up cuic cj\e AOib nA folui§.
:
It is thus translated into English —
" Ffeilimidh, fitt a Monarch to be, Of Ireland all, to Twenty,
Adding 7 yeares over Mounster
raigned,
Ere Kyaran him killed most basely. "
'5 The Irish term for Munster.
,6 See the "Chronicum Scotorum," edited
by William M. Hennessy, pp. 130, 131.
1 Said to have been of the progeny of
Chuirc or Corck.
monastery for British monks, towards the close of the fifth century,
20 "
See the Chronicon Scotorum," edited
by William M. Hennessy, pp. 132, 133.
" Thus the Annals of Clonmacnois, under the year 820 : —" Galen of the Welshmen was altogether burnt by Felym mac Cri- whan, both houses, churches, and sanctuary—. "
At A. D. 822, the Annals of Ulster record gAlinne tia 111 ©pecan exurcum efc
R. 105A pi eibin.
** Otherwise called Galinne na m Bretann,
the old name for Gallen, in the barony of
Garrycastle, in the King's County. It de- rived such denomination, because St. Canocus, a Welshman, had erected there a
Thus rendered into English
:
o ,6 cum coca hAbicAoone t? eit>l,imi
ruiA, orvacomo. SeeAnnAlAUl<voh,or Annals of Ulster, edited, with a Translation
ec cum
and Notes, by William M. Hennessy, vol. i. , pp. 316 to 319.
22
According to the account, which is con- ''
tainedinthe ChronicumScotorum. "How- ever, we find no entry of this contest, in the
"
ing Irish lines :—
Annals of the Four Masters. "
23 This is commemorated in the succeed-
:
August 28. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 401
29
834, by the O'Clerys, * and it is related by an Irish poet, 5 to have been at a
place named Loch-na-Calla, or Lake of the Shouting, owing to the rejoicing of the Ui-Maine, on account of their victory over Feidhlimidh. The name of that place seems now to have become obsolete. Moreover, the Annals of Clonmacnoise relate, that Delvin Beathra36 was burned by King Felym or Feidhlimidh, son of Crimhtann, in 823 ; while those of the Four Masters
2
place this event in 824 ? and those of Ulster have it at a. d. 826.
Although undoubtedly remarkable for his prowess in arms and for personal valour, yet the King of Munster is not noticed in our Annals, for exercising either
Birr,
between Conchobhar, son of Donnchadh, King of Ireland, and
;
against the Danes or Norwegians, whose inroads upon various parts of
Ireland are recorded during his career. He wanted the spirit of patriotism
to render his deeds heroic ; nor can it be said, that the reigning monarch
Conchobhar was energetic or capable in suppressing such raids. Rather were
internecine contests, among the Irish kings and princes, events most promi-
nent during this period. In 824, there was a royal meeting at Biorra or 28
Feidhlimidh, King of Munster, according to the Annals of Clonmacnoise ;
2
this event is noticed in the Annals of the Four Masters, 9 at the following
year; while the Annals of Ulster have it at a. d. 826. The objects had in view for holding this meeting, nor the subjects there discussed by the monarch and by his nominally subordinate prince, have not been disclosed in any account with which we are familiar ; but, it seems probable enough, that the King of Ireland suspected and feared the aspiring and ambitious aims of the Munster potentate, and sought explanations or some sort of understanding to restrain his acts, or to divert them into a more desirable course of policy. Weighed in the scale of subsequent events, there are just grounds for supposing, that Feidhlimidh was anxious to employ means, and to seek aid beyond his own province, for acquiring sway over the rest of Ireland. If we are to receive the account of the Rev. Dr. Keating, Feidhlime received provocations from the northern half of the Island, which was known under the designation of Leath Cuin. Carrying his arms into that part of the country, he sorely distressed its inhabitants, and he plundered without distinction from Birr to Teamhair Breag. We are told, moreover, that he met with opposition at Tara, and which he overcame with some difficulty. In a conflict, his forces engaged Jonrachtach, the son of Moal- duin. 3° This seems to have been intended for what is related, at the year 828, when the Annals of Clonmacnoise record the coming of the forces of
Munster and of Leinster to
z
—— also called to
26 Otherwise called Dealbh-na-Eathra, the ancient name for the present barony of
Garrycastle, in the King's County. See the
*' Se« Dr O'Donovan's edition, vol. i„
2< See Dr. O'Donovan's " Annals of the
Four Masters," vol. i. , pp. 450, 451, and nn. (i, k), ibid. —
25 The following Irish lines are quoted
nobc*n cr*en ConnAccA, hi mMt trf mpcAtx puma,
<Vbrix> nee re pM-olimi-o, cm ioc tiACAtU.
Thus—rendered into English by Dr. O'Dono- van «
LeAbhar* r»A or Book of 5-CeAnc,
Connaughtmen mighty; Magh-I they were not feeble ;
Let any one inquire of Feidhlimidh, whence Loch-na-calla is (named). "
History Ireland," part ii. , of Niall Caille.
reign
Fynore3
Finnabhair-Breagh
:
Rights, edited by John O'Donovan, n. (k), p. 183.
*
PP-436, 437, and n. (x) ubid
* In the baron of Ballybrit> -01acca y
"The were in " of atthe
KinS s
County. .
29 See Dr. O Donovans edition, vol. I. ,
pp. 440, 441, and n. (h), ibid.
30 According to Rev. Dr. Keating, he lost
his life in this battle, but such a statement is not to be found in other accounts. See
31 Now Fennor, near Slane, County of Meath.
IC
4o2
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [August 28.
2 This account is set down at a. d.
in the Annals of the Four Masters ;33 while the Annals of Ulster place it at a. d. 830. Again, the burning of Fore by Feidhlimid is recorded as having occurredata. d. 830. ^ TheAnnalsoftheFourMasters,35ata. d. 831,have
an account of the burning of Tearmann-Chiarain by this king j and also of
the plundering of Dealbhna-Beathra three times. The Annals of Clonmac-
noise, however, place these events at a. d. 829.
It would appear, that similar devastations were continued by him the year
following, 832,36 when a great number of the family of Cluain-mac-Nois37 were slain, and all their termon was burned by Feidhlimidh, to the very door of their church. It is stated, that while this king was brave in action, gener- ous in success, anct unbroken in adverse fortune, he secured the co-operation and retained the fidelity of the two great provinces of Minister over which he reigned ; and being munificent, insinuating, amiable, religious, but not pious, he for a considerable time gained friends, in all the other provinces of Ireland.
He is said to have occasionally made the clergy instruments of his ambition, and to have harassed them in turn when they would not go all his lengths. Moreover, as we read, he treated the family of Dearmach, or
The Annals of Ulster place the death of Concobhar mac Donncha, King
destroy, prey
and
spoil Moybrey. 3
829,
8 in like as he did that of Clonmacnoise, and also to the fashion,
Durro\v,3
door of its church. The Annals of Ulster place such outrages, at this same year. 39 while those of Clonmacnois refer them, to a. d. 830. In the mean- time, during the reigns of Aedh Ornidhe and of Concobhar, monarchs of Ire- land, the Northmen, while making inroads on the country, received no opposition from the King of Munster, who covered the south, and who was powerful enough to have prevented their incursions. It is even stated, that through interested motives, he basely enjoyed the miseries of his country- men/
of at a. d. Ireland,
2. *1 The same is stated to have been the first for year
83
his successor, Niall Caile, son to Aedh Oirdnaidhe ; but, the true year, as we are told, is a. d. 833. 4* In the " Chronicum Scotorum,"43 at the year 836, is an entry regarding the taking of the oratory at Cill-dara," against Forannan,** Abbot of Ard-Macha, with the congregation of Patrick besides, by Feidhlimidh, son of Crimhthann, by battle and arms ; and, as stated,
4° See Charles O'Conor's " Dissertations on the History of Ireland," &c, sect, xvi. , pp. 223,224. Third edition, Dublin, 1812, 8vo.
4I See 4rmaL& UL<voh, or Annals of Ulster,
edited by William M. Hennessy, vol. i. , pp.
330, 331.
42 Such is the of Roderick chronology
O'Flahertyin his Carmen Chronographicum, Ogygia; suae summam complectens, at A. D.
: 833 -
,. _ . . ,. u XT. . . Calneus ormdio regnavit patre Niellus
Autumnis tredecim flumine : raptus equo. Pars secunda» P- 456.
43 Edited by William M. Hennessy,
pp. 140, 14I.
44 Now Kildare.
4s Also called Faranan. He is said to
have been Archbishop of Armagh from a. d. 834 to A. D. 848, when he abdicated that see to make room for Dermod O'Tigernach.
3* Also called a Magh Breagh,
large plain or level territory in East Meath, which con-
"
The Topogra- phical Poems of John O'Dubhagain and Giolla na Naomh O'Huidhrin," edited by
tained five cantreds. See
John O'Donovan, LL. D. , n. II. 'p. iii.
33 See Dr. O'Donovan's pp. 444, 445, and n. (b), ibid.
vol.
34 See " Chronicum Scotorum," edited by
WilliamM. Hennessy,pp. 138,139.
35 See Dr. O'Donovan's edition, vol. i. ,
pp. 446, 447, and n. (k), ibid.
36 See Dr. O'Donovan's " Annals of the
Four Masters," vol. i. , pp. 446, 447, and n. (q), ibid.
37 Situated on the east bank of the River Shannon, in the barony of Garrycastle, King's County.
38 In the barony of Ballycowen, King's County.
edition,
i. ,
39 See the . annata tlld'ori, or Annals of
Ulster, edited by William M. Hennessy, See Harris' Ware, vol. i. , "Archbishops of vol. i. , pp. 332, 333. Armagh," p. 45.
August 28. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 403
they were taken prisoners with their submission. This is related to have happened, a. d. 835,^ in the "Annals of the Four Masters. " The " Annals of Ulster" agree with this latter date 4? while those of Gonmacnoise have
;
a. d. Z-x>2>y f°r such transaction. In 836 *8 occurred the plundering of the race
of Cairbre Crom4 9 by Feidhlimidh, son of Crimhthann. '
In the year 837,5° a great royal meeting between Niall Caille and Feidh-
limidh, son of Crimhthann, took place at Cluain-Conaire-Tomain, now
Cloncurry, in the County of Kildare. The " Annals of Ulster" agree with
1
this date;- while those of Clonmacnois have a. d. 835. It is stated, that
the- Monarch of Ireland had invited the King of Munster to that interview, in hopes of compounding their mutual differences, in order that they might act
in concert their common against
the Northmen. 52 Instead of
enemy
such a salutary measure, as appears by what follows, ambition urged the
latter treacherous potentate, to take advantage of the difficulties besetting the
Monarch, and to supplant him, if possible, in the government of the whole kingdom. Intheyear840,53anarmywasledbyFeidhlimidhtoCarman;54 while another army was led to meet him by Niall to Magh-ochtair, a plain in the barony of Ikeathy and Uachtarfhine or Oughteranny, in the north of the present County of Kildare. 55 A mysterious allusion by some Irish poet to this encounter states, that the crozier of the devout Feidhlimidh was left in the shrubbery, which by right of the battle of swords, Niall by force bore away from them. *6
It is stated in the old Annals of Innisfallen, that Feidhlimidh, son of
Crimhthann, received homage from Neill, son of Aedh, King of Tara, in the year 824—but more correctly in 840—and that Feidhlimidh then became sole Monarch of Ireland, and sat in the seat of the Abbot of Cluain-fearta. 57 However, although the King of Munster aspired to such a position, it is a mistake of. writers on Irish historical matters to suppose he ever attained it. 58 At the year 843,5° the Annals of Clonmacnoise6° relate the burning of the
46 See Dr. O'Donovan's edition, vol. i. ,
pp. 452, 453, and n. (p), ibid.
4? See -AnnAlA uLvoVi, or Annals of Ulster,
edited by William M. Hennessy, vol. i. ,
pp. 336, 337.
48 See Dr. O'Donovan's "Annals of the
Four Masters," vol. i. , pp. 456, 457, and n.
ibid.
49 A term applied to the inhabitants of
(g),
Ui-MaineinConnaught. Seetheir
O'Donovan are these
:
in "Tribes and Customs of Hy-Many,"
commonly called the O'Kellys' Country,
edited by John O'Donovan, pp. 24 to 59.
50 See Dr. O'Donovan's " Annals of the
Four Masters," vol. i. , pp. 456 to 459.
5 1 See-AnnAlAUlAT>h,or Annals of Ulster, edited by William M. Hennessy, vol. i. ,
pp. 340, 341.
ss See Charles O'Conor's "Dissertations on
the History of Ireland," sect, xvi. , p. 224. 53 See Dr. O'Donovan's " Annals of the Four Masters," vol i. , pp. 460, 461, and nn.
(h, i, 1, k), ibid.
54 Said to have been Carman-Magh-
genealogy
bAchAlb •JTe,obimi,6 pijlij ^oppAgbAi6 if r»A -opoigmj
"Ouf puce mall co neApc uaua, a ceApc An caca cloitmng.
This we are told is inserted in a modern hand, in the Stow copy of the Annals. Dr. O'Donovan remarks on it: "The reader must bear in mind that Felim, son of Crimhthann, was Abbot or Bishop of Cashel, in right of his crown of Munster. "
57 See the teAbliAp nA g-CeArxc or Book of Rights, edited by John O'Donovan.
Introduction, p. xvi, n. (f). ssSeeL'AbbeMa-Geoghegan's"Histoire
Ochtar. There were two places so named de lTrlande, Ancienne et Moderne," tome
in the present County of Kildare ; the first Carman in the south and the second in the north of that County. Wherefore, Dr.
O'Donovan was wrong in taking Carman here to have been the same as Loch-Garman,
the old name for Wexford. See ^anaIa UIa-oVi, or Annals of Ulster, edited by William M. Hennessy, vol. i. , n. II, p. 345.
"
ss See Dr. O'Donovan's Annals of the
Four Masters," vol. i. , pp. 212, 213, and n. (m).
5° —in The words as given
the text of Dr.
i. , Seconde Partie, chap, v. , p. 380. «'
59 j. n Dr. O'Donovan's Annals of the Four Masters," this event is referred to A. D. 844. See vol. i. , pp. 470, 471*
*> See ibid, n. (m).
effecting
4o4 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [August 28.
61
Termon lands belonging to St. Kieran, without respect of place, saint, or
shrine ; on which account, Feidhlimidh incurred a merited punishment,
inflicted by the patron saint of Clonmacnoise. After his return to Munster
the following year, he was overtaken by a flux, which brought him to the 62
grave.
Notwithstanding his irregularity and great desire of spoil, the Annals of
Clonmacnoise state, that Feidhlimidh was by some numbered among the scribes and anchorites of Ireland. It is generally believed, that Feidhlimidh governed the province of Munster for twenty-seven years. After such a term
of rule, he voluntarily abdicated his temporal state, for a more spiritual life; and, to atone for his former excesses, he resolved to spend the remainder of his days in works of penance. He therefore embraced the austere life of an anchoret—but in what place we are not informed—and he thus prepared for his last end, distinguished by virtues and merits, so that he deserved to be classed among the saints. 63 In Dr. O'Donovan's " Annals of the Four
""
of the Scoti, a scribe and an anchorite, the Chronicon Scotorum enters
the demise of this prince, at a. d. 847 6? while the author quotes some lines68 ;
64 it is said he died on the 18th
internal wound, inflicted through the miracle of God and of St. Ciaran. Moreover, some lines from an Irish poem are quoted,65 which are in a strain both of lamentation and of eulogy. Notwithstanding that the career of Feidhlimidh mac Crimthainn appears to have been one of turbulence and depredation, and that his death is said to have been brought about, as a punishment for his sacrileges ; it seems strange, that when recording his death, at a.
