96. Indenture of Composition for Moylurge alias Mac Dermott's Countrye, O'Connor Roe's Countrye, and O'Connor Dune's Country [Roscommon], A. D. 1585, . 98. Lords Spirituall and temporall, chieftanes, gent. &c., of Thomond, A. D. 1585, 100. Territories of the hereditary Proprietors of Muintir Murchadha, of Clanfergail and Meadruidhe, and Hy-Briuin Seola, and Hy-Briuin Ratha, and Muintir Fahy; their chieftains, and Mac Oglachs, and Ollaves, A. D. 1098, . 101. First invasion of Connaught by the Anglo-Normans, from the Book of Leinster, 102. Letters of Henry III. in favour of Morogh and Roderic O'Flaherty, A. D. 1244, 381 103. Submission of Hugh O'Flaherty to King Henry VIII., A. D. 1538, 104. Letters patent of Q. Eliz. appointing Morrough of the Battle-axes Chief of the 107. Depositions taken between them, ad perpetuam rei memoriam, A. D. 1585, 109. Submission of Sir Moroughe ne doe and other Chiefs to the Queen, A. D. 1589, 396 110. Will of Sir Moroghe ne doe, A. D. 1593, . Murrough ne Moyre O'Flahertie, A. D. 1626, 112. Extracts from Depositions of A. D. 1641 (note), 115. Protection for Persons in Arms (except Priests, &), A. D. 1651,. 116. Places in Connaught excluded from Protection, A. D. 1651, 117. Rewards for bringing in the heads of Rebells, A. D. 1652, . 118. Order for Transplanting into Connaught, A. D. 1655, 119. Order to Lycense Peter Walsh, a Priest, to come out of Flanders into Ireland, Tracts by Roderic O'Flaherty, now first printed. I. Observations on Dr. Borlace's Reduction of Ireland, A. D. 168, INTRODUCTION: Roderic O'Flaherty's Iar-Connacht is complimentary to, and a natural adjunct of, Hardiman's History of Galway. In fact it was Hardiman who acted as editor of Iar-Connacht for the Irish Archaeological Society in 1845. Hardiman stimulated that society to reproduce O'Flaherty's fine text and he hoped that the territory and people of Connacht would become better known throughout the rest of Ireland and England. Roderic O'Flaherty, one of the greatest classical historians which Ireland produced, was born in his father's castle of Moycullen, Co. Galway, in 1629. He was the only son of Hugh O'Flaherty, who was head of the O'Flaherties of Gnomore and Gnobeg in the Barony of Moycullen. On his father's death in 1631, Roderic, who was then two years of age, was acknowledged the sole heir to his father's vast estate in Iar-Connacht.' His mother, Elizabeth D'Arcy, was a member of that distinguished family, the D'Arcys of Galway, one of whose most famous members was Patrick D'Arcy, the eminent lawyer. Roderic O'Flaherty was educated at Alexander Lynch's famous school in Galway, and he was indeed fortunate in this. The Royal Commissioners who visited Galway in 1615 reported: We found in 1615 in Galway a public schooles-master named Lynch, placed there by the citizens, who had great number of schollers, not only out of that Province but also out of the Pale, and other parts resorting to him. We had daily proof during our continuance in that city how well his schollers profited under him by verses and orations which they presented us. Wee sent for that schoolemaster before us, and seriously advised him conform to the Religion established, and not prevailing with our advices we enjoined him to forebear teaching; and I the Chancellor did take a recognizance of him and of some others of his kinsmen in that city in some 400 li sterling to his majesty's use that from thenceforth he should forbear to teach any more without the special licence of the Lo. Deputy. In spite of this order the school continued to flourish, and during O'Flaherty's formative years was at its height. The young chief of Iar-Connacht came under the influence of Duald MacFirbis, the great genealogist, and Rev. John Lynch D.D., who was Alexander's son. Many distinguished scholars attended the school at this time, e.g. John See Pp. 362 ff. O'Heyne; Sir Richard Blake; Dr. Kirwan, Bishop of Killala; and Edmund de Burgo: But of all the famous schools of that age none was so renowned as that of Galway. There Alexander Lynch gathered twelve hundred scholars from all parts of Ireland, and laid the foundations of a great school of classical and Irish learning; and there his son, Dr. John Lynch, the famous apologist of the Irish, got the beginnings of his erudition, and with his two chief friends and fellow students, Duald Mac Firbis, the most learned antiquary of any age, and Roderic O'Flaherty, made a secure anchorage for Irish history. The fame of the great scholars of Galway, their labours and their erudition, made it the intellectual capital of the island; and from far and near Irishmen came, even begging their way, to share his learning. Thus O'Flaherty was introduced to historic studies at an early age, in particular the history and antiquities of Ireland, which soon became his main interest. The Cromwellian wars put an end to Galway's great centre of classical learning. Roderic O'Flaherty lived in perhaps the most appalling period in Irish history (with the possible exception of the mid nineteenth century) and although a ward of court since his father's death with his title above repute, the 'usurper Cromwell' robbed him of his patrimony before he had reached his twentieth year. He fled to Sligo during the Cromwellian campaign. There he met McDonagh of Crevagh, an eminent lawyer, who became his friend and entertainer. Duald Mac Firbis (1585-1670) who had been resident in St. Nicholas's, Galway,' was also in Sligo at this time. Here, as Mac Firbis's pupil, Roderic, the young dispossessed chief of the O'Flaherties, studied the Irish language and literature. He continued to consolidate and expand his encyclopaedic knowledge of those complex studies on Irish history and chronology. Later he became celebrated for his writing, although today he is almost unknown to those other than Gaelic Scholars and Celticists. On the restoration of Charles II O'Flaherty expected, as did most of the Irish nobility, to be restored to his estates. Writing about the mansion at Moycullen, O'Flaherty reflected: This is my natal soil and patrimony through a long series of ancestors. It was a Manor, exempted by patent from royal tribute, endowed with the privilege of holding a market and fairs, and honoured with the liberty of He wrote much of his great work Craobha Coibhneasa while resident at St. Nicholas's. |