exercise of authority. The septs, which submitted to the primate's fiat in this humble manner, were very powerful. That of Cinel-Eoghain, or Tir-Eoghain, (Tirone,) was so called from Eoghain (or Owen,) a son of Nial the Great. The palace of Oiliach (or Aileach-Nied) was situated in the peninsula of Inis owen. A. D. 890, the Normans of Dublin, under their leader Gluniarm, entered Armagh, despoiled the city, destroyed part of the Cathedral, levelled several sacred edifices to the earth, and then withdrew taking with them seven hundred and ten captives.* And again in 893, Armagh was stormed, and pillaged by the Normans of LochFoyle.t The same barbarous depredators hostilely revisited and plundered the city in 898.‡ A. D. 907, Cearnaghan Mac Dulgan perpetrated (says Colgan,) sacrilegious violence in the Cathedral of Armagh, from which he dared to remove a certain captive who had fled thither for refuge. He afterwards drowned his unfortunate victim in Loch-Cirr, which lies westward of the city. Cearnachan himself was soon seized by Nial Glunduff, (Glubdubh,) then king of Ulster, and afterwards monarch of Ireland, and drowned in the same lake, as a punishment for his crime.§ About this period, Cormac Mac Cuillenan, king of Munster, and lineal descendant of Aongus, the first Christian monarch of that province, bequeathed to the abbey of Armagh, twenty-four ounces of gold, and twenty-four of silver. This monarch is the reputed author of the Psalter of Cashel. About the year 913, the people of Ulster had, at the feast of Pentecost, slain their king Aidhit, in some tumultuous insurrection. The Danes of Lough-Foyle Tria Thaum. p. 296. † Ibid. A, D. 895, Archdall in his Monasticon Hibernicum, asserts that Armagh was burned this year by the Danes of Dublin. He quotes Colgan, (Tria Thaum. p. 296,) for his authority, but I can find no such passage there. * Ann. Inisf. S Tria. Thaum. p. 296. || Hist. d'Irlande, vol. 1,' p. 396, 398. Keating. taking advantage of their factious broils, entered Armagh, seized the new king Comasgach, slew his son Hugh, and pillaged the city. In the succeeding year Armagh was damaged by fire.t A. D. 919, Godfrid O Himhair, prince of the Normans stormed Dublin. From thence he proceeded with a great army against Armagh, which he sacked on the festival of Saint Martin. He however spared the churches, the Culdees, and the sick or infirm. The annals of Inisfal seem to refer this event to the year 921. In that year Dubliterius of Cille-Slepte, a pres byter of Armagh, suffered martyrdom having been put to death by the Normans.§ On the twenty-second of February, 927, Primate MELBRIGID departed this life and was succeeded in the see by Joseph, a learned anchorite, who was consecrated in the same year and died in 936. He was succeeded by MEL-PATRICK MAC MAOLTULE, who ruled the see five months, and died in the same year with Joseph. A. D. 933, Concovar Mac Domnald, prince of AileachNeid, in Innis-Eoghain, was interrred with great funeral pomp at Armagh.|| In the year 937, CATASACH II, (MAC DULGIN), of Drumterraig, succeeded MEL-PATRICK in the see, and died in the year 957.¶ A. D. 941, On the twenty-sixth of March, Murchard prince of Aileach was slain by Blaccard the son of Godfrid, chief of the Normans. That prince was the son of Nial Glundubh king of Ireland. On the day after his decease, the Normans marched into Armagh and sacked the city."" It is said by various annalists that about the middle of the tenth century, Ceallachan Caisil son of Buadachan, and king of Munster, was imprisoned by the Danes in the city of Armagh. The annals of Ulster have not recorded this event, yet as the story is very circumstan.. tially detailed by Mac Curtin, Keating, O Halloran and others, I deem it necessary to submit it to the judgment of my readers, in as few words as possible. The territories of this warlike king had been invaded by a very formidable and rapacious body of Norman troops. Ceallachan met and repelled the enemy at the head of his Momonian army. The valiant prince Cineidi, (Kennedy) marched to his aid with a choice corps of veteran Dalgais. Thus reinforced he defeated the enemy in fourteen pitched battles,* and slew Amblaobh (Amlave) one of the Danish generals in single combat. Sitricus, king of the Dublinian Ostmen terrified by the warlike exploits of the prince, sought to overthrow by stratagem the enemy whom he had in vain assailed by force. Under this idea, he misrepresented the views of the Munster king to Donchada the monarch of Ireland, and thus induced him to join in a conspiracy against Ceallachan, as their common enemy. The Danish sovereign knew that the Munster prince was deeply in love with his sister Bevina, (or Bebhionn) who together with Sitricus's wife, had once been his prisoner in Waterford. Under the pretext therefore of forming a perpetual alliance with Ceallachan, he offered that princess to him in marriage. Cineidi to whom Ceallachan had communicated this offer, remonstrated with him on the subject and stated that it was dangerous to trust the promises of an enemy and a heathen. In the king's mind however love was omnipotént. After some consultation, it was determined that a guard consisting of eighty of the young nobles of Munster, should accompany him to Dublin, and that the Momonian army should be in readiness to rescue him from Sitricus, if that monarch should appear to meditate treachery. With this precaution Ceallachan proceeded on his journey as far as Cillmhanion, (or Cill-Mhognion,) now Book of Munster apud O Halloran, vol. 2, p. 208, et seq, Wars of Ceallachan Caissil, ibid. Kilmainham, where he was met and treacherously surrounded by a strong body of armed men, with Sitricus at their head. A desperate conflict ensued, during which Ceallachan and Donchuan the son of Cineidi, were taken prisoners and almost all the rest of the party slain. Sitricus probably dreading the advance of the Momonian army, detained his prisoners but a short time in Dublin, and then hurried them to Ulster and confined them in the city of Armagh, where the Danes possessed a formidable force. Meanwhile Cineidi the regent of Munster, placed the provincial army under the command of Donough Mac Ceefe king of Fearmoighe, an experienced officer, and equipped a fleet which he entrusted to Failbhe Fion prince of Desmond and high-admiral of Momonia. The army proceeded through Connaught, and in its progress plundered the territories of Murtoch, one of the princes of that country who out of revenge gave notice of its advance to the Danes of Armagh. Sitricus thus informed of the advance of the Momonian army, left a strong garrison in Armagh, and marched with his main force to Dundalk, where a fleet which he had fitted out lay at anchor. Meanwhile the Momonians proceeded against Armagh, assailed the city at four different parts in the same instant, took it by storm and put all the Danish garrison and their adherents to the sword. After this they marched to Dundalk. Here they learned that Sitricius, not daring to give them battle, had hurried Ceallachan and Donchuan on board his fleet and bound them to the mast of the admiral's ship.. And now the Danish monarch was preparing to set, sail with his army and the captive princes, when the Momonian fleet appeared at the harbour's mouth and assailed his vessels. The gallant admiral Failbhe Fion boarded Sitricus's ship, and after a desperate conflict, liberated Ceallachan. Sitricus and his two brothers Tor and Magnus were slain, On the side of the Momonians fell the valiant admiral himself with Connor (or Conchobar,) and Lochlen princes of Corcumruadh and Buirinn.* A very interesting account of the death of Sitricus, is given by some of our historians. It is said that when Failbhe Fion had been slain on board the Danish admiral, Fiongall one of his officers continued the battle with desperate resolution. At last perceiving that the Momonians were likely to be overpowered by the superior number of the enemy, he rushed impetuously forward and seizing Sitricus in his arms jumped into the sea, where they both perished. This example was imitated by Conall and Seagda, by whom Tor and Magnus were destroyed in a similar manner.† In this battle the Danes were totally defeated by the Momonians, and their feet annihilated. Ceallachan regained his liberty and his throne, By these important events, Armagh was liberated for a short time from the tyrannic power of the Danes. New hordes however of Ostmen soon poured into Ireland. To some of these the Ultonians and Connacians gave battle at divers times with various success. In one of their predatory excursions Armagh was plundered, and the adjacent country ravaged by the barbarians who marched against it, under Godfrey, commander of the Danes at Loch-Cluain. In the year 957, MUIREDACH MAC FERGUS suç, cecded CATASACH II. in the see of Armagh. He was deposed in 966.§ DUBDALETHY II. (MAC CELLACH) succeeded in 966, and died on the second of June 998. This prelate is said by Colgan, to have been elected the chief moderator of all Saint Columba's congregations (the Culdees,) in Ireland, and in Albanian Scotia. His successor Mu RECHAN resigned the see in the year 1001.** • Coga Gall. le Gaod. apud Mac Curt. p. 204. 238. Bishops, p. 48 | Ibid, ¶ Tria Thaum. p. 297. + Keating vol. 2, p. 249. § Ware's •Ware's bishops, |