Volume 1

Tracts relating to Ireland.

Date:
1841-1843
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Tracts relating to Ireland. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    In 938, MuircKeartacli and Donnchadh, the monarch of Ireland, laid aside their differences, and united their forces against the Danes of Dublin:— “ A challenge of battle between Donnchadh, the King of Ireland, and Muir- cheartach, the son of Niall Glundubh, lord of Aileach: until they made peace with each other; after which Donnchadh and Muircheartach, and all the forces of both fully assembled, went to lay siege to the Danes of Dublin, so that they spoiled and plundered all that was rmder the dominion of the Danes from Dublin to Ath-Truisten.”y In the year 939 the Danes plundered the Royal Palace of Aileach, and led Muircheartach captive to their ships on Lough Swilly; but he made his escape from them soon after, to the great joy of the Irish:— “ Aileach was plundered by the Danes, who conveyed Muircheartach, son of Niall, as a prisoner to their ships. But God redeemed him from them [soon after.”]^ In 940 we find Muircheartach and the monarch Donnchadh again in alliance:— “ An army was led by King Donnchadh and by Muircheartach, the son of Niall, into Leinster and Munster, until they received their hostages.”^— The next year (941) is particularly rich in the exploits of this prince. In the early part of the year he ravaged the territories of Ossory and Desies, and com- pelled their chieftains to submit to his arms. He then made a naval expedition to the Hebrides, and returned with great booty: and, hearing that Callaghan Cashel, King of Munster, had slaughtered the inhabitants of the Desies for having sub- mitted to him, he lost no time in revenging such an outrage, and set out in the winter of the same year on the expedition to which the following poem relates. These events are briefly recounted in Flann’s poem on the History of the Kinel Owen, and are thus recorded by the native chroniclers, as collected by the Four Masters:— “ Muircheartach, the son of Niall, with the men of Fochla'’ and Bre- gia, Annal. IV. Mag. ad ann. 936. Annal. Ult. ad ann. 937 [938]. Ath-Truisten is a ford on the River Greese, near Athy. * Annal. IV. Mag. ad ann. 937. Annal. Clonmac. ad ann. 939. “ Annal. IV. Mag. ad ann. 938. Ann. Ulton. ad ann. 939 [940]. Fochla, more generally Fionn Fochla, was the name of a territory in the North of Meath, the ancient inheritance of the O’Ruaidhri,
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