The cake of dry Cluain-tiobraid,'
In any one's body is of little strength;
Small is its place behind a flag,"
And a fly would carry it under its wing.

3

Druim-Sneachta, the soft town,

Without a herenach,-without a bishop,-
Having but two priests in the church,
On a broad, low, street.

A fly would swallow in one morsel,
Without difficulty,—without trouble,-
The thin cake with its butter on its back,
Which I got at O'Dunan's Church of Donagh.

Here comes! Here comes! Misery's personification!
Celebrate now the festival of the dead!

5

O'Reilly, the decrepid senior,

And his puny, stunted, stammering sons!

The race of Samhradhan of small Boolies7 [dairies],
And they all with little food;

A horde to whom the music of the fly is sweet;

A shamrock is in the mouth of every one of them.

Masters, Ed. J. O'D., A.D. 1583, p. 1806, note c; and A. D. 1601, p. 2244.

Myles John O'Reilly, Esq., of the Heath House, Queen's County, is now the representative of this old Edmond, and one would think that it was of him our author was here speaking, fear fo-żana ro ¿réig a smor.* Another descendant from him, by the father's and mother's side, is Myles William O'Reilly of Knock Abbey, County of Louth, who also inherits his meagreness and smallness of stature, as does another hard-featured specimen of his race, Dowell O'Reilly, Esq., Attorney-General in Jainaica. Of his race also is Count O'Reilly of the Island of Cuba, and John Temple Reilly, son of the late collector of the port of Galway, who was the head of the O'Reillys of Scarva, in the County of Down.

6 The race of Samhradhan, i.e., the Meg-Samhradhain or Magaurans of the territory of Teallach-Eathach, now Tullyhaw, in the County of Cavan. Before 1585, this territory paid tribute to Sir John O'Reilly, but, at a more remote period, Magauran had been tributary to O'Rourke, and was considered as belonging to West Breifne and the province of Connacht.

7 Boolies. See Spenser's View of the State of Ireland, Dublin Edition, p. 82.

8 A Shamrock. See the quotation from Campion infrà, p. 52.

* "A beautiful Bust of Myles O'Reilly by Kirk, rather hard, but not so hard altogether as Myles himself!" The Comet.

Caob ó ¿uajó do Loċ Síleann,
Bid gan aoji-ġrerm 'san t-saṁrajó;
Le teact basine na n-gabar,
Do gnid fogail ar feamrajb.

Caoċ an inġean—caoċ an ṁażair,
Caoċ an t-aċair—caoċ an mac;
Caoc an capall bjos fá'n t-srażajr,
Leaċ-ċaoċ aŋ ćú,caoć aŋ cat.

Broc ar ġarrbe a's ar glaise,
Að ar méid a's ar ṁjo-ṁaise;
Gliomaċ ar żéire a da fúl—
Sjonnaċ ar bréjne an Barún!
Pota beag a 19-gar d'a glújí,
Mjan do ṁjanasb an Bharújn ;
Dóirse dúnta ar beagan bid,
A n-argés Cúirte an Chluajnsy.

Mar leanaid fjol Neaṁnajin,
Tre mairb-linn lorg na laċajn ;
Leanaid Manaj‍ an t-arán,
Tre poll-dallajn na sraċraċ.

1 To the north of Loch Sileann, i.e., of Loch Sheelan, a spacious lake on the borders of the Counties of Meath, Longford, and Cavan. The people here referred to are the Mac Tighearnains, now Mac Kernans or Kernans, of the territory of Teallach Dunchadha, now Tullyhunco in the County of Cavan. Before 1585, this barony also paid tribute to Sir John O'Reilly, but at an earlier period it had belonged to O'Rourke, and was considered a part of Connacht.

2 Dej redation on shamrocks. Campion who wrote in 1567, says of the meere Irish: "Shamrotes [i.e., shamroges], Watercresses, Rootes, and other hearbes they feed upon: Oatemale and Butter they cramme together. They Drinke Whey, Milke and Beefe broth, Flesh they devour without bread; corne such as they have they keepe for their horses. In haste and hunger they squese out the blood of raw flesh and aske no more dressing thereto, the rest boyleth in their stomackes with Aquavitæ which they swill in after such a surfeite, by quarts and pottles. Their kyne they let blood which growne to a jelly they bake and overspread with Butter, and so eate it in lumpes.' Historie of Ireland, Dub. Ed. p. 25.

3 The Burun, i.e., Conor Maguire of Enniskillen, who was called

To the north side of Loch Sileann,'

They are without any bit [of food] in summer;
But when the milk of the goats comes on,
They commit a depredation on shamrocks."

Blind is the daughter-blind the mother,
Blind the father-blind the son;

Blind the horse which is under the straddle,
Half-blind the hound-blind the cat.

A badger in roughness and in greyness,
An ape in size and ugliness;

A lobster for the sharpness of both his eyes,
A fox for his stench is the Baron ! 3

3

To have a small pot near his knee,
Is one of the habits of the Baron;
The doors are closed on little food,
In the depths of the Court of Cluainin.*

As the Nemon-seed is pursued,

By the ducks through the stagnant pool,
So the Managhs pursue the bread,
Through the pin-hole of the straddle.

Mag Usdir Gallda, i.e., the "English Maguire," and also "the Baron," by the Irish, before he had actually received this title from the state.

4 Cluainin. i.e., a small lawn, holm or meadow. This was the name of a strong stone house belonging to the "English Maguire" (Conor, son of Conor, son of Conor Mor, son of Thomas Oge), and situated near Lisnaskea in Fermanagh.

5 The Nemon-seed, i.e., duck-meat, which grows on the surface of stagnant waters without a root. This quatrain has its words too much transposed. It could be arranged thus:

Mar leanaid tré gaċ marrb-linn,

Ha laċarn ar lorg sil Heaṁnajun ;
Leanaid Manajý sljoċt arajn,
Tré poll tarraċarr no dalláin.

As through every stagnant pool

The ducks pursue the duck-meat,

So the Fermanagh men follow the track of bread,
Through the hole of an auger or gimlet.

6 Managhs, i.e., the inhabitants of Fermanagh, who were all tributary to Maguire.

Dosre Brosgard har beannujż Dja !
Ta'n żorta rjaṁ ar gor 'san g-Cill ;
Sraideog tana mar lainn éisg3,
'S mar uż loji ar méis do ġejbjny.
Da 1-aorajin Clann Dalajġ,
Njor djon dam sjol sean-Adajṁ;
Clann Dalajġ ba djon daṁ,
Agur sjol sean-Adajṁ d’aorad.

Tura do cur ós a g-cronn,
Nj béim ar fearajb Eirionn ;
Dual mjon-tsroża do irjall go muir,
A stuajġ finn Locha Feabail.

Dob' olc mo turas fa'n Nodla1g,
Go tiż Uj Dhoċartajż na h-Innse;

*

*

*

*

A b-fuaras do braċan jinte.

*

*

1 Derrybrush. (Ooire-Brosgaid.) This is the present name of a celebrated Church near Enniskillen in the County of Fermanagh, of which the family of MacGillachoisgle (now Cosgrove), were Herenachs or hereditary wardens. See Annals of the Four Masters, under, the name of Aireach Brosga, at the years 1384, 1482, 1484, 1487, 1506, and 1514. In the Annals of Ulster, which were compiled in Fermanagh, it is called by both names, from which it might be inferred that the words Doire and Aireach, are synonymous, meaning roboretum, a place of oaks.

2 Clann Dalaigh, i.e., the race of Dalach son of Muircheartach. This was the tribe-name of the O'Donnells of Tirconnell, at this time the most powerful family in Ireland. The Dalach from whom they derived their tribe-name was chief of Tirconnell, and was slain in the year 868. The Dalach from whom the O'Dalys (the poets) descend, was of Corca Adhaimh or Race of Adum, in Westmeath, and descended from Maine the brother of Conall Gulban, ancestor of the O'Donnells. See the Introduction. The poet may have intended an equivocation here; for his own family, the poetical O'Dalys, were the Corca or Siol Adhaimh, i.e., Race of Adam !

3 Small streams, i.e., as small streams flow into the sea, so small chieftains flock to thy standard and acknowledge thy superiority. 4 Hero of Loch Feabhail, i.e., of Lough Foyle near Derry. This hero was the celebrated Hugh Roe or Red Hugh O'Donnell, who was treacherously taken prisoner by the Lord Deputy Perrot, in the year 1587, when he was in the sixteenth year of his age. He escaped from the Castle of Dublin in 1590, and was re-taken the same year and confined in Dublin Castle again, whence he escaped a second time in 1592, in which year he was inaugurated O'Donnell. He fled to Spain after the defeat at Kinsale in 1602, and died the same year. "He was a lion in strength, a Cæsar in command." See his character blazoned in the Annals of the Four Masters, A. D. 1602, p. 2297.

At Doire-Brosgaidh,' which God has not blessed
Starvation is ever hatching in the Church;
A thin cake like the fins of a fish,

And like the egg of a blackbird I got on a dish.

Should I satirize the Clann Dalaigh,2

The race of Adam would not be a shelter to me;
The Clann Dalaigh would be a shelter to me,
Were I to satirize the race of old Adam.

To place you over their heads,

Is no disgrace to the men of Eirin;
Small streams3 naturally flow to the sea,
O fair hero of Loch Feabhail,*

Sad was my visit at Christmas,

To the house of O'Dogherty of the Island;

*

*

*

*

Was the porridge I got there.

*

The race of this Hugh are extinct, if he left any. The Count De Lucena of Spain, late Captain General of Cuba, Count O'Donnell of Austria, and Manus O'Donnell of Castlebar, Esq., descend from Con Oge, the brother of Niall Garbh O'Donnell, Baron of Lifford. 5 O'Dogherty of the Island, i.e., O'Dogherty of the island of Inch in the barony of Inishowen, County of Donegal. This was either Sir John O'Dogherty (son of John, son of Feilim), chief of Inishowen, or his son, Sir Cahir, who was knighted by Lord Mountjoy for his bravery in fighting against the Earl of Tyrone and his followers; but who rebelled himself in 1608, after the flight of the Earls, and lost his life in a hopeless struggle. Aenghus was afraid of the Clann Dalaigh, but not, it appears, of the kindred race of the Clann Fiamain or O'Doghertys.

The Island here referred to, is Inch, in Lough Swilly, on which O'Dogherty had a strong Castle. The cause of Sir Cahir O'Dogherty's rebellion is thus briefly explained by Sir Henry Docwra, in his Narration of Services, published by the Celtic Society, in their Miscellany:

"Presentlie after him (Roory O'Donnell) came O'Doghertie alsoe with a lettre from my Lord [Mountjoy] to mee, to pray me to deliver him the possession of the Ile of Inch againe! which hee himselfe had past away before, first by lease for xxi. yeares, and afterwardes in fee simple for ever, both under the greate seale!! I tould him this warrant was too weak to doe what it imported, and shewed him reasons for it............Hereuppon hee tooke it more to hearte, sent agents to deale for him in England, they prevayled not till my Lord was deade, and then with impatience led away with lewd councell besides, and conceiving himselfe to be wronged in many other thinges, hee was first brooke out into open Rebellion ; but that fell out a good while after," pp. 278, 279.