Maximus marched his troops from Gaul to Italy, at which time A.C. St. Patrick was fixteen years old.

Niall returned to Ireland, on account of fome difturbances 389 raised in Leinster by Eochaidh, the son of Eana Cinfelach, fo inimical to the monarch his father. On the death of Criomhthan, and whilft the different candidates were canvaffing for the fucceffion, this Eochaidh, with a chofen band, took poffeffion of the palace of Tara, the better to ftrengthen his own claim. But it seems he had not received the equeftrian order; and his Druids and council expoftulated with him, on this notorious violation of the national laws: for no prince could become a candidate, much lefs be elected monarch, though of the royal line of Milefius, who had not received the Gradh-Gaoifge, or order of chivalry. Their remonftrances had the proper weight with Eochaidh, and he peaceably evacuated Tara, and relinquished all claims to the monarchy. The boldness and newness of the attempt, however, made Niall ever after regard him with a jealous eye. During his abfence, Eochaidh refufed paying the Leinfter tribute. On the contrary, he wished to extort the tax levied by his father on the people of Leath-Aim.

Enraged at these pretenfions, but more for having killed the fon of his Arch-Druid, Niall with a potent army over-ran the kingdom of Leinster, levied the usual tribute on that people, and declared he would lay the whole country in afhes, if Eochaidh was not delivered up to him. To fave it from fo great a calamity, he voluntarily furrendered himself to the monarch, who caused a strong iron hoop to be fixt round his body, to which a chain was fixt, which was to pass through a large rock, to which he was to be tied. Nine men were ordered to fee this executed; but with uncommon courage he attacked them with only this chain, killed fome, and being fleet of foot, efcaped the reft, and fled to Scotland, where he was moft hofpitably received by his cousin Gabhran, chief of the British Dal-Riada.

A.C.

Eanna-Arigithach, the fon of Conal, of the Dal-Gas race, and house of Heber, by the law of alternate fucceffion, was at this time king of Leath-Mogha. The monarch of Ireland fupported the Conacians in their pretenfions on the provice of Thomond; and the Dal-Gas were fo closely preft, that they found they could not protect this province, without withdrawing their troops from South Munfter. The whole tribe were on this occafion affembled ; and it was the unanimous opinion, to give up peaceably to the Eugenian line for ever, the entire command of South Munster, they at the fame time relinquishing all chieftanry over North Munfter. That Cafhill and the domain, with its royalties, fhould belong to the king of Leath-Mogha, for the time to come, to be elected out of the two houses as usual; but that his real authority fhould be circumfcribed to this domain, and his own hereditary territories only. To all this the Eugenians gladly agreed; but thus, by dividing their power, they ceafed to be fo formidable to the future monarchs. It was however a measure which neceffity at this time pointed out to the Dal-Gas; and now their entire ftrength being collected, they were not only able to make head against the Conacians but even to confine them within their own limits.

Niall having established peace at home, collects a greater force than ever, to over-run Roman Gaul. He fummoned all his tributaries to his ftandard. The Picts prepare their auxiliaries; and Gabhran, chief of the British Dal-Riada, as a feudatory prince, attends with his forces. On their landing in Brittany, and finding no very confiderable army to oppose them, they spread themfelves over all the country. Eochaidh, the depofed king of Leinfter, who had taken fhelter in Scotland, followed the ftandard of his friend Gabhran in this expedition, in hopes of making his peace with the monarch; but the mediation of friends having. proved fruitless, Eochaidh took the refolution of destroying him. An opportunity foon offered. The king, feated on the banks of

the

the Loire one day, received his death by an arrow fhot at him. A.C. Soon after which the army reimbarked, under the command of Dathy, nephew to the deceased, bringing with them the body of the deceased; and he was interred with great funeral pomp at Roilig-na-Riogh.

CHA P. VI.

Account of Niall's iffue-is fucceeded in the monarchy by his nephew Daithi; who grants an afylum to refugees from Britain, Gaul, and other parts of Europe-joins with the Picts, Saxons, &c. in invading the Roman fettlements in Britain-the Romans. having withdrawn their troops from Britain, the Scots and Picts break through the Roman wall, drive the Britons from their defences, and plunder the country-Daithi advances against the Romans in Gaul, as far as the Alps, where he is killed by lightning.

NIALL

IALL the Grand, whofe exploits we have epitomized, before he undertook his laft continental expedition, made his will, and difpofed of his hereditary principality amongst his children. As the pofterity of this prince made a most distinguished figure in our history; and that from this house, for almoft fix centuries, the monarchs of Ireland were chofen, a fingle inftance only excepted, it is proper to give the reader fome account of them.-Niall had eight fons, four of whom remained in Meath and its environs; the others acquired poffeffions in the North. The iffue of these eight fons have been diftinguished by Q ૧ 2

the

A.C. the titles of Northern and Southern Hi Neills, from the fituation
of their territories with respect to each other. Maine, Loaghaire,
Connall-Crimthan, and Fiach, with their pofterities, fettled in
Meath; and these are called the Southern Hi Neill; fometimes
Clana-Colman, from Colman, the Great; fometimes Cincal
Slaine, from Aodh-Slaine. The pofterity of Eogan, Conall-
Gulban, Carbre, and Eana, are the Northern Hi Neills.

By this will he appointed, during his abfence, Maine, Ard-
Comhairce Eirin Uile, or chief regent of all Ireland, and fettled
on him a tract of land, from Cruachan to Loch-ribh, as the
Book of Lecan fets forth. Others fix his feat in the prefent
county of Longford. O'Sionach, or Fox, lord of Taff, Ma-
gauly, Mag Caren, O'Braoin, O'Quin, and O'Daly, &c. were
the principal families from this houfe. On Laoghaire he be-
ftowed land from Trim to Tara, from him called Hi Laoghaire :
O'Cuindealbhain, or O'Kindelan, was the chief of this great
house; the present O'Kindelan is colonel of the regiment of Ire-
land, and governor of Zamora, in Spain. Connall-Crimthan had
the territory about Magh-Breagh, and the O'Malochlins were
his fucceffors. And to Fiacha he gave a tract about Uifneach, in
the very center of Ireland: the Mac Geoghagans, O'Molloys,
&c. reprefent this house.

Of the Northern Hi Neills, Eogan, or Eon, got the country from him called Tir-one, and whofe defcendants are the O'Neils. Connal's tract yet goes by the name of Tir-Connell; and the chiefs of this house affumed the name of O'Donnel, from a celebrated ancestor fo called. Cairbre, who was the eldest of Niall's fons, and his brother Eana, had tracts near Loch-Erne, called Carbre-Gaura and Tir-Eana.

The reason why Niall was furnamed of the Nine Hoftages, was because he detained at Tara hoftages from fo many pro

vinces ;

i

1

vinces; as ift from Munfter; 2d from Leinfter; 3d Ulfter; A.C.
4th Conaught; 5th the Picts; 6th Albanian Scots; 7th
the British Brigantes; 8th the Letanians, or Armoric Britons;
and 9th from Normandy.

Daithi, the son of Fiachra, and nephew to Niall, was his fuc- 406
ceffor in the empire. About this time the confufions and dif-
treffes in Britain and Gaul, made numbers of people from both
places, and other parts of Europe, flee to Ireland, as to the only
country where peace, fubordination, and hofpitality, were then
preserved. The Irish received thefe ftrangers with their ac-
customed benevolence; affigning them towns to live in, and
lands to occupy. Thefe places yet retain the names of the dif-
ferent people on whom they were then bestowed.—Thus in the
county of Limeric, we have Gall-Baile,or the Gauls Town; the
remains of old abbies, and other pious foundations, at this day
proclaiming its former grandeur : Baile na Francoigh, or the
Franks town, &c. and scarce a county of the kingdom in which
you will not find fome villages or lands by the names of these
different people, as the British, Saxon, Gaulish or Frank Town!
Thus whilst they manifefted to all Europe their humanity and hof-
pitality, they enriched the country by new inhabitants, and by fo-
reign arts and manufactures; by this means making up for the
conftant drains, which the British and continental wars made
unavoidable.

But whilst humanity and found policy co-operated in encouraging these foreign refugees, Daithi loft not fight of the great object of Irish counfels, fince the first landing of Cæfar in Britain, namely, the giving the Romans fo much employ abroad, that they would never think of bringing the war into their own country: For this purpose he prepared a formidable fleet and army, to destroy,in conjunction with his tributaries, the Dal-Riada of North

Britain,