been driven from their monasteries, concealed themselves as best they could, continuing still their prayers and fasts, and the fervent recital of the Divine Office. The Irish, true to their faith, held firm in every trial. But the time of retribution was approaching, for the provinces were fast coming together, and the tribes, so long disunited, divided and engaged in intestine strife, came to have some sense of their true policy. They began to unite in the face of common humiliations and dangers and were recovering something of their old martial spirit. The success over the invaders and the death of the Viking Turgesius was followed by other local victories, and the ravages of the Gentiles," as the foreigners were called, became restrained within narrower limits.

Although the reverses to the Danes in the last years of the reign of Hugh were great, yet it was not in the nature of things that the invaders should abandon a prize so nearly becoming their own; and they fitted out more expeditions to avenge their slaughtered countrymen. But defeat followed defeat. They lost one thousand two hundred men in a battle near Castle Derinot. The same season, or the next, they were defeated at Fore in Meath. But in the third year the "Black Gentiles" came with one hundred and forty ships carrying seven thousand to ten thousand men. A quarrel, as we shall see, between the two bodies of the invaders resulted in disaster to both, and a temporary relief for Ireland.

In 831 Nial Caille led an army against them, and defeated them at Derry; but in the mean while, Felim, king of Cashel, marched into Leinster to claim tribute, and plundered every one, except the Danes, who should have been alone considered as enemies at such a time. Even the churches were not spared by him, for he laid waste the termon-lands of Clonmacnois, "up to the church door." After his death, A.D. 843, a brave and good king came to the rescue of his unfortunate country. While still king of Meath, Meloughlin had freed the nation from Turgesius, one of its worst tyrants, by drowning him in Lough Owel. His death was a signal for a general onslaught on the Danes. The people rose simultaneously, and either massacred their enemies, or drove them to their ships. In 846 Meloughlin met their forces at Skreen, where they were defeated; they also suffered a reverse at Kildare. The Danes themselves were now divided into two parties-the Dubh Galls, or Black Gentiles; and the Finn Galls, or White Gentiles. A fierce conflict took place between them in the year 850, in which the Dubh Galls conquered. In the following year, however, both parties submitted to Amlaff, son of the Norwegian king; Amlaff remained in Dublin; his brothers, Sitric and Ivar, stationed themselves in Waterford and Limerick. A great meeting was now convened by the ecclesiastics of Ireland at Rathugh, for the purpose of establishing peace and concord among the native princes. The northern Hy-Nials alone remained belligerent; and to defend themselves, pursued the usual suicidal course of entering into an alliance with the Danes. During the reign of Flann, Cormac Mac Cullinan, a prelate distinguished for his learning and sanctity, was obliged to unite the office of priest and king. This unusual combination, however,

was not altogether without precedent. The archbishopric of Cashel owes its origin remotely to this great man; as from the circumstance of the city of Cashel having been the seat of royalty in the south, and the residence of the kings of Munster, it was exalted, in the twelfth century, to the dignity of an archiepiscopal see.

Of Cormac, however interesting his history, we can only give a passing word. His reign commenced peaceably; and so wise was his rule, that his kingdom once more enjoyed comparative tranquillity, and religion and learning flourished again as it had done in happier times. But the kingdom which he had been compelled to rule was threatened by the very person who should have protected it most carefully; and Cormac, after every effort to procure peace, was obliged to defend his people against the attacks of Flann. Cor. mac, unfortunately for his people and himself, was guided by an abbot, named Flahertach, who was by no means so peaceably disposed as his good master. This unruly ecclesiastic urged war on those who were already too willing to undertake it; and then made such representations to the bishop-king, as to induce him to yield a reluctant consent. It is said that Cormac had an intimation of his approaching end. He was slain, and six thousand Munster men lay on the field of Boalagh Mugha, now Ballaghmoon. Thus it was that while all Ireland was in danger from the invaders the kings of the petty provinces were expending their strength in civil strife, in which each side employed the aid of the Danes when he could instead of uniting to oppose the common enemy.

BRARY
OF THE

VERTY

HE battle we have recorded occurred in the beginning of this century, and Flann the Conqueror improved his triumph to seat his cousin Dermid over the territory as king, and the latter seems to have been the only person to have derived any advantage from the fight in which so many men had fallen. The reign of Flann, which extended to 916, covered a period of thirty-seven years The last part of the ninth century was marked by inroads upon the Danish power. In 897 the city of Dublin was recovered from the foreigners, who had held it for sixty years. The foreign chiefs were put to death and their garrison fled to the ships. But with the opening of the tenth century another generation of invaders appeared upon the scene. They had no respect for the treaties which their predecessors had made. In 912 Waterford was strengthened by them, and about the same time Dublin was retaken. During the year 913 they made inroads upon Munster, and the warlike abbot of Scattery had a foe more worthy the employment of his energies than the fellow countrymen with whom he had fought on the fatal field of Ballaghmoon. Flann's last years were disturbed by domestic dissensions. His sons, Donough and Conor, both rebelled against him; but Nial Glundubh (of the black knee), a northern Hy-Nial chief, led an army against them, and compelled them to give hostages to their father. Flann died the following year, A.D. 914, and was succeeded by the prince who had so ably defended him. In the year 913 new fleets arrived. They landed in the harbor of Waterford, where they had a settlement formerly; but they were defeated by the native Irish, both in Kerry and in Tipperary. Sitric came with another fleet in 915, and settled at Cenn-Fuait. Here he was attacked by the Irish army, but they were repulsed with great slaughter. Two years after they received another disastrous defeat at Cill-Mosanhog, near Rathfarnham. A large cromlech, still in that neighborhood, probably marks the graves of the heroes slain in that engagement. Twelve kings fell in this battle. Nial Glundubh was among the slain..

Donough, son of Flann Sinna, succeeded Nial III., and passed his reign in obscurity, with the exception of a victory over the Danes at Bregia. Two great chieftains, however, compensated by their prowess for his indifference: these were Muircheartach, son of the brave Nial Glundubh, the next heir to

the throne, and Callaghan of Cashel, king of Munster. The northern prince was a true patriot, willing to sacrifice every personal feeling for the good of his country; consequently the Danes received repeated repulses under him. The same cannot be said of Kellachan, the prince of the south country, who distressed the nation by leaguing with the invaders. In the year 934 he ravaged Clonmacnois, and three years after Meath and Assory in company with the Danes. While Donough was the nominal king there was a greater man and purer patriot than he who really had the power. Hence Muircheartach, son of Nial III., was chosen as roydamna, or successor of the king. This man was several times on the point of joining battle with the feeble monarch who held the throne of the country, but for the sake of peace he yielded, or as the old chroniclers quaintly say, "God pacified them." After one of these pacifications they joined forces and laid "siege to the foreigners of Ath-cliath, so that they plundered from Ath-cliath to AthTruisten." In the twenty-second year of Donough, Muircheartach determined on a grand expedition for the subjugation of the Danes. He had already conducted a fleet to the Hebrides, from whence he returned flushed with victory. His first care was to assemble a body of troops of special valor; and he soon found himself at the head of a thousand heroes, and in a position to commence "his circuit of Ireland." The Danish chief, Sitric, was first seized as

a hostage. He then carried off Lorcan, king of Leinster. He next went to the Munster men, who were also prepared for battle; but they too yielded, and gave up their monarch also, "and a fetter was put on him by Muircheartach." He afterward proceeded into Connaught, where Conchobhar, son of Tadhg, came to meet him. He then returned to Oileach, carrying these kings with him as hostages. Here he feasted them for five months with knightly courtesy, and then sent them to the monarch, Donough. In two years after his justly famous exploit, he was slain by "Blacaire, son of Godfrey, lord of the foreigners." This event occurred on the 26th of March, A.D. 941, according to the chronology of the Four Masters. The true year, however, is 943. The chroniclers briefly observe, that "Ard-Macha was plundered by the same foreigners, on the day after the killing of Muircheartach."

Donough died in 942, after a reign of twenty-five years. He was succeeded by Congal who was killed by the Danes, A.D. 954. Donnell O'Neill, a son of the brave Muircheartach, now obtained the royal power, such as it was; and at his death the throne reverted to Maelseachlainn, or Malachy II., the last of his race who ever held the undisputed sovereignty of Ireland. The year 948 has generally been assigned as that of the conversion of the Danes to Christianity; but, whatever the precise period may have been, the conversion was rather of a doubtful character. In the very year in which the Danes of Dublin are said to have been converted, they burned the belfry of Slane while filled with religious who had sought refuge there. Connaught was divided between two or three independent princes, and Munster into two kingdoms. The ancient division of the country into five

provinces no longer held good; and the ard-righ, or chief monarch, was such only in name. Even the great northern Hy-Nials, long the bravest and most united of the Irish clans, were now divided into two portions, the CinelConnaill and Cinel-Owen; the former of whom had been for some time excluded from the alternate accession of sovereignty, which was still maintained between the two great families of the race of Nial.

name.

THE RIVALRY OF BRIAN AND MALACHY.

Melaghlin, or Malachy II., was the fifth in descent from the first king of that He was thirty years old when he ascended the throne and found that his hardest task was to curb the ambition of the princes of Munster. Who ever was prince in that province was moved by the one policy of extending his power over Lienster and Meath. This monarch was obliged to contend with a brave and skillful warrior and statesman, the equal of Malachy in the former and his superior in the latter direction. Brian was now undisputed king of Munster. In 984 he was acknowledged monarch of Leth Mogha, the southern half of Ireland. Meanwhile Malachy, who governed Leth Cuinn, or the northern half of Ireland, had not been idle. He fought a battle with the Danes in 979, near Tara, in which he defeated their forces, and slew Raguall, son of Amlaibh, king of Dublin. Amlaibh felt the defeat so severely, that he retired to Iona, where he died of a broken heart. Donough O'Neill, son of Muircheartach, died this year, and Malachy obtained the regal dignity. Emboldened by his success at Tara, he resolved to attack the foreigners in Dublin; he therefore laid siege to that city, and compelled it to surrender after three days. At the same time he issued a proclamation, freeing every Irishman then in bondage to the Danes, and stipulating that the race of Nial should henceforth be free from tribute to the foreigners. The country resounded with the fame of his exploits, and Malachy became aware at the last that he should either have him for an ally or an enemy. He prudently chose the former alternative and in the nineteenth year of his reign he made arrangements with Brian for a great campaign against the common enemy. Malachy surrendered all hostages to Brian, and Brian agreed to recognize Malachy as sole monarch of northern Erin. This treaty was absolutely necessary, in order to offer effective resistance to the Danes. In 981 Malachy had invaded the territory of the Dalcassians, and uprooted the great oak tree of Magh Adair, under which its kings were crowned. In 989 the monarch occupied himself fighting the Danes in Dublin, to which he laid siege for twenty nights, reducing the garrison to such straits that they were obliged to drink the salt water when the tide rose in the river. Brian then made reprisals on Malachy, by sending boats up the Shannon, burning the royal rath of Dun Sciath. Malachy, in his turn, recrossed the Shannon, burned Nehagh, plundered Ormond, and defeated Brian himself in battle. He then marched again to Dublin, and once more attacked "the proud invader."