to the court of Leinfter, where they were hofpitably received; A C. and gave rife to many noble families.

During the reign of Art it was, that the eldeft Carbre, the fon of Conaire, called Riada, or of the Long Arm, on account of his fettlements fo remote from each other, as Kerry and Antrim, or the Route as it is called, paffed over to Scotland; where, as Bede tells us *, "By force or friendship, he procured fettlements for "himself." From this leader, Riada, fays he, their pofterity are to this day called Dal Reudimh, Dal in their language, fignifying a part.

This is certainly the firft regular Scottish or Irish fettlement in Albany; not but that numbers of Irish muft, from the clofe affinity between them and the Picts, have refided there from time to time, for centuries before; but ftill without forming themselves into a regular independent community. This is a fact in which all our writers are unanimous; and to fuch as can harbour the smallest doubt on this matter, I refer them (befides our ancient annals) to the authorities at bottom †.

We have obferved that Olioll, king of Munfter, lost seven of his fons, in the battle of Muicruimhe. For this great lofs he remained in a manner inconfolable; but his greatest affliction was for his eldest fon, his Righ-Damhna, or prefumptive heir, as he called him; and now finding the hour of death approach, he made his laft will, in which he left to his fecond fon Cormoc, his crown during life; and as a farther proof of his opinion of his courage. and virtue, he bequeathed him alfo his fword, his field, his fpear, and his armour. Eogan the eldeft, left iffue, a fon, but who was

*Hift. Ecclef. Brit. lib. i. cap. 1.

+ Routh's Hibernia Refurgens, Ufher's Primord. Ecclef. Britan. Ward's Vita Sti Rumoldi, Colgan's Act. Sanct. Hibern. & Trias Thaum. Grat. Lucius, O'Flaherty's Ogygia-Ogygia defended-O'Kennedie's Chronology of the Stuart line, Mac Geoghegan's Hiftoire d'Irlande, &c. &c.

not

A.C. not born till fome months after the battle of Muicruimhe, who was called Fiacadh-Muilleathan. Olioll therefore ordered that on the demife of Cormoc, the crown fhould revert to Fiacadh; and that it should for ever after continue in alternate fucceffion between the iffue of these two great houfes. He gives them his benediction, and affures them, that whilst they and their posterity religiously adhere to this bequest, they will continue a mighty and a powerful race, the delight of their friends, and the terror of their enemies! This Olioll got the epithet Olum; and the reason affigned is this-being of a very amourous difpofition, he once attempted violence on a young lady named Aithne; but fhe, inraged at his infolence, took off a piece of his ear. Hence he was furnamed Olom, from O, an ear, and Lom, naked..

The issue of these two great houses, are, to this day, diftinguished into Eoganachts, or the pofterity of this Eogan; and Dal Caffians, from this Cormoc who was called Cas, or the Beloved. From the first are defcended the following amongst many other great families-the Mac Carthies, O'Callaghans, O'Sullivans, O'Kieffes, O'Donochoes, O'Mahonies, O'Connells, O'Donovan's, Mac Auliffe, O'Line, &c. &c. as from Cormoc are traced the O'Briens, Mac Mahons, Mac Namaras, O'Kennedies, Mac Clanchies, Mac Cochlins, O'Hiffernans, &c. &c. From Cian, the third fon of this Olioll, are defcended the O'Carrolls, princes of Eli, O'Rierdans, O'Flanagans, O'Fogertys, O'Haras, O'Mara, O'Machair, O'Cafey, &c. &c. befides we find that the pofterity of Cian extended their patrimonies, both in Leinfter and Conaught, and were the fource of many other great families. But though Olioll decreed, that the fucceffion to the crown of Munfter fhould continue in the flue of his two eldeft fons only, and that in alternate fucccffion, yet he difpofed of the country fo as always to preferve a kind of equality between them. To the pofterity of Eogan he bequeathed Defmond, (Deas-Muimhean)

or

or South Munster, comprehending the counties of Waterford, A.C. Cork, and Kerry ; to Cormoc, Thomond (Tuath-Muimhean), including the counties of Clare, Limeric, and the country about Cafhil, extending to Sliabh-Blama, in Offory. To Cian, his youngest fon, he left (Shior-Muimhean) Ormond, or Eaft Munfter, but still as a fee under his brother Cormoc. By this means, when the crown of Leath-Mogha came to the iffue of Eogan, the other family were kings of North Munfter only; and when these laft fucceeded, the other family were kings only of South Munfter, Leath-Mogha, including the command of the entire province.

The diftreffes and confufions occafioned by this revolution in favour of Mac Con, will well explain, why Severus extended the Roman arms in Britain; and why, without much interruption. he was enabled to build a new wall to protect his frontiers from the invafions of the Picts and Irish.

VOL. I.

ΚΕ

BOOK

A.C.

воок

VI.

222

CHA P. I.

Lughaidh proclaimed monarch-Cormoc Cas fucceeds to the crown Munfter his exploits in Britain and Ireland, and his liberality to the bards-principal families of the Clana Ith, or Irish Brigantes-Cormoc forms a party to gain the monarchy-Lughaidh killed; and Cormoc difappointed in his fchemes by Feargus-raifes a very large army, and attacks and defeats the imperialists in the battle of Criona-exploits of Lugha, and death of Feargus.

Lo

UGHAIDH, called Mac Con, the fon of Mac Niad, of the race of Ith, from being deprived of his principality, expelled Munster, and banished the kingdom by the estates of Tara, we now behold placed on the pinnacle of glory, and dictating laws to that country, which fome years before had proscribed himself! A proof, amongst a thousand others that could be produced, how little laws and juftice avail, when oppofed to power and oppreffion! What exploits he performed, after being proclaimed monarch, are not particularly related: it is however mentioned in the third book of Lecan, that he extended his power greatly over Gall and Scotland. Certain it is, that many illuftrious houses in North Britain trace their pedigrees from him, and from his fon; as the Campbells, who to this day are called

I

called in the Erfe, or Highland Irish, Clana Mhio Cuin, or the A.C. pofterity of Mac Con, the Mac Allens, &c.

Cormoc Cas fucceeded his father in the government of LeathMogha, or Southern Ireland. The actions of this prince are greatly extolled in the Book of Munfter. He married Samhair, daughter to the celebrated general Fion, the son of Cumhal; and was the first prince of his house who eftablished a regular chief rent, to be paid in to himself and fucceffors, every firft of November. It is not improbable but that Fion, who was a great legiflator, as well as warrior, might have directed this meafure. Befides this, he obliged the Lagenians to pay the Eric ui Drefgoil. They called in to their affiftance the Welsh; and he defeated their combined forces in four different pitched battles. Not fatisfied with this, and probably to be revenged on the Britons for the fupport they gave to Mac Con; and for the death of his feven brothers, flain at Muicruimhe, he invaded Wales with his fleets no less than thirty different times, and brought from it each time most valuable spoils. He was victorious in the battle of Cruachan, fought against the Conacians; in the battle of Tara, against Fioncha, the fon of Lucha. With like fuccefs he engaged the Fionna Eirion at Tailtean; and he defeated the Martini of Munfter, (a branch of the Damnonii), in the battle of Samhna; in which fight he flew with his own hand the king of Ulfter, who came to their affistance, but was himself fo defperately wounded, that he never recovered it. The iffue of Cormoc were Moghcorb, Aoife, and Eadhoin; but not by Saimhair, but a Danish princefs, fays the Pfalter of Cafhill. This venerable piece of antiquity alfo highly extols the liberality of this prince, infomuch that he has been known to beftow 300 ounces of filver in a day to his bards and literati.

Once for all let me obferve, that the house of Ith were not Milefians, but Gadelians, and of the fame race with the British