Iniscatha. Having a presentiment-some say a Divine forewarning-of defeat and death, he called to his side Lorcan, prince of the Dalcassians, and, presenting him to the Eoghanacht chiefs, declared him as his successor in obedience to the will of their common ancestor, Oilioll Oluim. The latter looked with disfavour on this arrangement, being determined to retain the right of succession to the throne of Cashel among themselves, and did retain it till superior force, as we shall soon see, compelled them to yield. Having thus in so far relieved his conscience in this matter, Cormac, after a vain attempt to turn aside the Munster chiefs from this adventure, marched with them into Leinster. This was the signal for a coalition between the Ard-Righ Flann and the King of Connaught, both of whom he had chastised so severely, with the King of Leinster. Their united forces outnumbered four times Cormac's army, and inflicted on him a severe defeat.1 He himself, with many of the Munster princes, and no less than six thousand of their followers, was slain.

Thus fell by the sword one of Ireland's greatest sons, in a cause in which his heart was not. He was not only a wise and powerful prince and bishop, administering with firmness and skill both temporal and spiritual affairs, but he was also a man of profound learning, as the Cormac Glossary and the Psalter of Cashel, part of which was probably written by him, testify. Pity that such a fate befel such a man. He lived long enough, however, to turn to good account in his country's cause the splendid abilities with which he was endowed, and to deserve being ranked among the most illustrious of our Irish kings.

The Abbot of Iniscatha, Flahertach, who, though living in the Dalcassian territory, was a prince of the Eoghanacht line, being the son of Inmhainor, King of Cashel, Cormac's predecessor, was made prisoner in this fatal battle by Carbhall, King of Leinster. The latter prince dying within a year, Flahertach was restored to liberty, and, churchman as he was, being full of ambition, succeeded, in spite of the will of

1 Keating calls it the "Cath Beallagh Mumghna," battle of Ballymore, near Carlow,

It

Cormac, in getting himself recognised as King of Cashel. would appear that Lorcan and the Dalcassians were unable to assert their right to the succession, and had once again to submit to the old injustice. Might for some time longer prevailed over right. It is not unlikely that conscience smote Flahertach for this usurpation, as we find in the Four Masters that "in 920 he went upon his pilgrimages; and Lorcan, son of Conlingan, assumed the kingdom of Cashel." In five years

1

How long he held the throne is uncertain. afterwards an event occurred destined to change the whole current of Irish history. In 925 was born Brian, surnamed Boroimhe, son of Ceinnidigh, son of Lorcan, "twenty-four years before Maelseachlain, monarch of Ireland, whom he deposed." The date of Lorcan's death is not given; nor can it be ascertained whether Ceinnidigh, Brian's father, made any effort to succeed him on the throne. If he did, he failed, as the Four Masters under the year 934 record the plundering of Cluain-Mic-Nois, first "by the foreigners of Ath-Cliath," ie. by the Danes of Dublin, and afterwards, alas! "by Ceallaghan Caiseal and the men of Munster." In the very same year this sacrilegious act was avenged on the Danes. Donnchadh, son of Flann, the King of Ireland, attacked them in their principal stronghold, burning AthCliath (Dublin) to the ground; nor was retribution on Callaghan and his Munster men very long deferred. This king deserves to be regarded as one of the worst and most ignoble in Irish history. We find him again, three years later on, devastating and plundering the territory of Meath. in the congenial company of the Danes, who had established themselves in his own territory at Luimineach (Limerick), sparing not even the churches or monasteries, and carrying away the abbots as prisoners.2

We may hope that the Dalcassian clans had no share in the sacrilegious raids of their ancient rivals. It is certain that no special mention is made of their participation in the unholy work, as might be expected, if they actually engaged in it. Callaghan suffered his first defeat at the hands of year, and had to

the Ard-Righ Donnchadh in the following

deliver hostages for his future good behaviour. This did not last long. He soon turned his arms against the Leinster tribes, in revenge for their having submitted to his rival, and made great slaughter of them. The latter, uniting all their forces, in turn attacked Callaghan, and defeated him with great loss. This defeat was completed, when, in the same year, Muircartagh, King of Ulster, swooped down on Leinster and Munster, taking captive and bringing with him into bondage, among others, the two provincial kings, Lorcan and Callaghan. In this he acted for Donnchadh, the ArdRigh of Ireland, having his forces under his command; and on his return delivering up to him his prisoners, the most formidable of whom was his old enemy Callaghan, “that unruly king of Munster, that partaked with the Danes."1 Muireartagh was so famed for his exploits that the Four Masters styled him "the Hector of the West of Europe." He fell as such a prince would like to fall, in battle with the enemies of his religion and his country, at Ardee, in Louth, on the 26th March of the year following, A.D. 941, or 943 according to the revised correct computation.2 Two noteworthy events in Clare history took place the following year. Flahertach, Abbot of Iniscatha, and for a time King of Munster, died; and Ceinnidigh, prince of Thomond and father of Brian, was defeated in battle at Magh-Duin, by Callaghan of Cashel.

1 Ann. Clon.

2 Annals of Ulster.

CHAPTER VI.

FROM 952 TO 1014.

Mahon, Brian's elder brother, becomes King of Munster-His MurderBrian succeeds-Takes Vengeance on the Murderers-His Character -His Victories-Defeated at Nenagh by the Ard-Righ Malachy-Deposes Malachy-Wise Administration of the Kingdom-Clontarf -His Death.

WE have now arrived at the period when Clare and all Thomond, emerging from the obscurity of the past, began to take a leading part in the affairs of the nation. The Danes. had established themselves in Limerick, and ravaged at will the rich territories of Tradaree and Corcovaskin.' The two sons of Ceinnidigh, Prince of Thomond, Mahon and Brian, undertook the defence of their territory, and then began a series of struggles which culminated in the battle of Clontarf. A very interesting and detailed account of them, though. bombastic and exaggerated, is to be found in a work, attributed to MacLiag, poet and historian of the Dalcassians in Brian's reign, called Cogadh Gaedhal 'se Gallaibh, carefully translated and annotated by H. Todd, T.C.D.

The first attempts to dislodge or cripple the Danes were not successful. Mahon was compelled to enter into terms. with them, but Brian's proud spirit did not permit him to yield even in appearance. He, with his own followers among the Dal Cas, taking refuge in the woods of Cratloe and Tradaree, maintained for years a guerilla warfare with the foreigners. He was so weakened by the constant struggle, that at last, the historian states, he was reduced to fifteen men, yet still he kept up the fight.

2

1 Cogadh Gaedhal 'se Gallaibh.

2 They had come from Norway and Denmark. The Norwegians were called by Irish writers, White Gentiles; the Danes, Black Gentiles.

Meantime, Mahon's ambition was in another direction. Leaving for awhile the Danes to Brian, he prepared to assert his claim to the throne of Munster. At the death of Callaghan's son Donogh, he appeared in such force at Cashel that the Eoghanachts had to submit and acknowledge him king, A.D. 964. But it was only in appearance. Maelmuidh (Molloy), their acknowledged prince, was soon in open revolt. He easily secured the co-operation of the Danes of Limerick under Ivar and Donovan, whose territory lay along the Shannon on the south. Mahon and Brian at once summoned all the Dalcassian clans to their side. They pushed straight into the heart of the Eoghanacht country; and, finding their foes encamped at Sulcoit,-now called Solihead, near the town of Tipperary,-forced on a battle. From sunrise to mid-day it raged with great fury on both sides, till at last the united forces began to give way. The Dalcassians directed their attack chiefly on the Danes, pursuing them to Limerick, which they carried by storm. The Danes who were not slain in the battle or the pursuit were captured and brought to the place now called Singland,―anciently Saingel,-where "every one that was fit for war was put to death, and every one that was fit for a slave was enslaved." 1 Such was the savage nature of war in those days. This important battle was fought A.D. 968.

Mahon took hostages from Molloy aud Donovan, and for six years was the acknowledged King of Munster.

Ivar, who, with some of the Danes, had escaped to the coasts of Britain, collecting a large force, returned and took possession of Iniscatha and the islands at the mouth of the Fergus. He entered into a conspiracy with Molloy and Donovan to entrap and assassinate Mahon. He was invited to the house of Donovan at Bruree, in the county of Limerick, and went there under a safe-conduct ratified by the bishop and clergy. From thence he was induced to proceed into Molloy's country, and was treacherously murdered at the hill now known as Sliabh Riach, on the borders of Cork and Limerick, within a few miles of Fermoy.

The plot was so far successful, but it led to the ruin of the 1 Cogadh Gaedhal 'se Gallaibh.