degree, that the social compact was nearly dissolved. But in Ireland, although warfare between the clans was prevalent and violent, yet the laws were obeyed, and individual safety so much respected that, we are told, a young maiden, bearing a wand with a ring of gold on the top of it, traversed the island without fear of being molested. This illustration is, doubtless, overcharged, but the subordination which it was intended to illustrate is unquestionable'. M. Guizot, in his General History of Civilization in Europe, after alluding to the feudal and patriarchal states of society, thus describes the clan system of Ireland: Un autre système de famille se présente, le clan, petite société dont il faut chercher le type en Ecosse, en Irlande, et par laquelle probablement un grande portion du monde Européen a passé. Ceci n'est plus la famille patriarcale. Il y a une grande diversité de situation entre le chef et le reste de la population; il ne mène point la même vie: la plupart cultivent et servent lui, il est oisif et guerrier. Mais leur origine est commune; ils portent tous le même nom; des rapports de parenté, d'anciennes traditions, les mêmes souvenirs, des affections pareilles établissent entre tous les membres du clan un lien moral, une sorte d'égalité. Voilà les deux principaux types de la société de famille que présente l'histoire. Est-ce là, je vous le demande, la famille féodale? Evidemment non." But upon this state of society in Ireland, the feudal system was suddenly obtruded in the twelfth century; and it was quite impossible that, from two such opposite political elements any other results could have followed than those which are familiar

bard,

tain for imitation. The chiefs had fixed officers to attend them upon all occasions. Sir Donald Macdonald had his principal standard-bearer, and quartermaster. Every chieftain had a bold armourbearer, called Galloglach: also a cup-bearer, pursebearer, steward, physician, orator, poet, musician, smith, piper, &c. Before battle, the Druid harangued the army, after which they gave a general shout, and charged the enemy. The drinking bouts were attended by a cup-bearer; and two men with barrows attended punctually to carry away those who got drunk. The chieftains bestowed the cow's head, feet, and all the entrails, upon their dependants; such as the physicians, orator, poet, bard, musicians, &c." This description is probably, so far as it extends, a picture of the Clan system which prevailed in the greatest part of Ireland until the seventeenth century. The most potent

of the Irish chiefs "carried the title of King," which was never assumed in Scotland. After a series of struggles for centuries, the clan system at length sunk in Ireland under the superior power of the Anglo-Norman feudalists of England.

And it probably explains the reason, why some of the early Anglo-Norman adventurers passed so easily, without molestation, over several districts of Ireland, before the unsuspecting natives were aware of their hostile intentions.-See Statute of Kilkenny, published by the Irish Archæological Society. A. D. 1843, p. 35, Note y.

i Quatrieme leçon." Another family system offers itself, the clans, a sort of petty associations, of which the type is to be found in Scotland and Ireland, through which, in all probability, a great portion of the European world has passed. This was very different from the patriarchal family. There

familiar to all acquainted with our melancholy history since that period. We may therefore conclude that the future historian of Ireland, keeping this great distinction in view, will be able to present the hitherto misunderstood annals of this island in a different light from that in which they have hitherto appeared to the world, and thereby add an important, nay even an instructive page to the history of mankind.

The twelfth century, the most memorable of Irish history, opened on the province of Connaught with dissensions and wars, between it and the princes and people of Munster. In A. D. 1117, a battle was fought between Brian, son of Morogh O'Flaherty, joined by the sons of Cathal O'Conor and the Connaught forces, against Torlogh, son of Dermod O'Brien, King of Munster and the Dalcassians, in which the latter were defeated with great slaughter. The Dalcassians took the field a second time, headed by Dermod himself, and crossed the borders of Connaught. They laid waste the territories of Hy-Briuin and Hy-Fiachrach; but the Connacians, under the command of Cathal O'Conor and Brian O'Flaherty, routed them in a second battle, pursued them as far as the mountains of Echtghe* and Burren, and destroyed considerable numbers in the pursuit. Turlough O'Conor, King of Connaught, soon after marched with an army into Munster, and destroyed Kincoradh the residence of the Kings of Munster. He then proceeded to Desmond, burned Cashel and Lismore, and destroyed the termon land of the latter. Connor O'Brien, King of Munster, met him in battle near Ardfinan, and gained a signal victory; in which Mureadhach O'Flaherty, prince of Iar-Connaught, Hugh O'Heyne, lord of Hy- Fiachrach Aidhne, O'Lorcan, and many other nobles of Connaught, were slain". A strong castle was built at the mouth of the river Gaillimh (Galway), where Flann and Giolla-Riabhach, the sons of Anslis O'Heyne, were treacherously

existed an important distinction between the situations of the chief and the rest of the population; they did not lead the same life, the greater part tilled and served, whilst the chief was an idler and a warrior. But they had a common origin, and they all bore the same name; whilst relations of kindred, old traditions, identity in recollections, and feelings of attachment, established a moral tie, a sort of equality, amongst all the members of the clan. These are the two principal types of family association that history supplies. But do they contain the feudal family? Certainly not." Perhaps, in one respect only, there was a similarity between the clan population and the feudal serfs; which cannot be better expressed than in the words of the same talented and eloquent

historian: “Il n'y avait pour cette population point de societé générale; son existence était purement locale. Hors du territoire qu'ils habitaient, les colons n'avaient à faire à personne, ne tenaient à personne et à rien. Il n'y avait pour eux point de destinée commune, point de patrie commune; ils ne formaient point un peuple.”—Id.

k Now called Slieve Aughty, or more corruptly Boughta. This is a range of mountains, to the S.E of Galway county, on the confines of Clare. Four Mast. A. D. 1137.

" Id. and "Law of Tanistry illustrated," by Doctor O'Brien, in Vallancey's Collect. vol. I. p. 562, Ed. Dub. 1770.

treacherously killed by Conor O'Flaherty; who was himself slain in a battle fought near Athlone, in A. D. 1132, between the Kings of Munster and Connaught, in which the latter was defeated with great slaughter". The newly erected castle at the Gaillimh was thereupon destroyed; and Flaherty O'Flaherty was slain by the sons of Loghlin O'Loghlin, in revenge for the death of their father. The entire of Connaught was laid waste from the river Drowes to the Shannon, and to the southern mountains of Echtghe. Torlogh O'Conor fled into Iar-Connaught, where he was pursued by the O'Briens; who plundered the territory, taking a prey of a thousand cows, and destroying the fort at the Gaillimh". Aodh (Hugh) O’Cadhla (O’Kealy), prince of Conmhaicne-mara, [Conamara], was killed by his own clan". The province was again miserably ravaged by the Momonians, and Roderic O'Flaherty, with other persons of distinction, was slain. Torlogh O'Brien a second time spread devastation over the country of O'Flaherty, where he seized great preys of cattle (bopaime móp); and in his progress, prostrated the fortification at the Gaillimh, (muipsat dun n-gaillme) in which latter exploit, one of his principal chieftains, O'Loghlin of Corcomroe, was drowned'. Having now arrived at the middle of the twelfth century, it is time to close this appalling paragraph of outrage and crime; which must have proved as disagreeable to the reader to peruse, as it has been revolting to the editor to narrate. But the histories of all nations are made up of similar details. Thus, while we find the Irish engaged in the work of mutual destruction; we must remember that the surrounding nations were at the same time similarly employed. To go no farther for examples than to the neighbouring Welsh and Saxons-what appalling instances of human destruction do we not meet with in every page of their ensanguined annals. The historian of the latter people, shrunk from the narrative of their petty broils, which he compared to the battles of kites and crows; and considered them too insignificant for a place in history. Some writers on Irish affairs have explained succeeding disasters, as punishments inflicted by Providence on the nation for their old accursed feuds, their convulsions, violences, rapine, oppressions, revenge, their spilling of one another's blood to death'." But another solution may, perhaps, be discovered in this eternal maxim, that "a nation divided against itself cannot stand;" and that maxim will be found verified in the pages of Irish history.

Torlogh O'Conor, Monarch of Ireland and King of Connaught, towards the close of

of his long and turbulent reign, projected a maritime expedition against the northern parts of his dominions. This was, perhaps, the greatest national armament witnessed before or since that time in Ireland. The fleet consisted of the ships of the Dun or fort of Galway, and of Conmhaicne-mara; those of the O'Malleys of the Umhaills [the Owles), who were long considered the best mariners of Ireland"; and those of the territories of Tirawly and Hy-Fiachrach, all in the west and north-west of Connaught. Over this fleet, Cosnamhach O'Dowda was appointed commander or admiral; and a predatory descent was made on the territories of Tirconnell and Inishowen. The Kinel-Eoghain with their chief, Muircheartach the son of Niall, dreading the plunder and destruction of their country, sought succour from the Scots of Alban, and subsidized the fleets of the Gall-Gadelians of Arran, Cantire, the Isle of Man, and other parts, under the command of Mac Skellig. The two fleets met near Inishowen, and, after an obstinate engagement, the Irish gained a complete victory; but with a considerable loss of men, among whom was the admiral, O'Dowda'. All the enemy's ships, with their commander, Mac Skellig, fell into the hands of the Connacians".

Soon after this victory King Torlogh died; and although the Annalists have been loud in sounding his praise, pompously styling him "the Augustus of Western Europe," yet it is certain that he did as much as any man that ever lived, to render his country an easy prey to foreign invaders. He was succeeded by his son Roderic, in whose time the Anglo-Normans landed in Ireland'. It was not until A. D. 1177 that these adventurers first set a hostile foot in Connaught, and that event is thus related in the Book of Leinster: " An army with Miles Cogan to Conaght, unawares

"O'Dugan, in his topographical poem, which refers to the twelfth century, thus celebrates the O'Malleys :

Duine mai piaṁ ni raibe

D'ib Máille, aċt na maraide. Which may be translated, "there never was a good man of the O'Malleys, who was not a mariner." They have preserved the same character to modern times. See Four Masters, A. D. 1560.

▾ Id. A. D. 1154. See also Treatise on Hy-Fiachrach, Ir. Arch. Soc. p. 352.

"The above is the most considerable maritime engagement of the ancient Irish on record; if we except the celebrated sea fight, said to have taken place at Dundalk in A. D. 944, and which see detailed in O'Halloran's History of Ireland, vol. II. p. 221.

to

from a MS. entitled the "Wars of Callaghan CashelTM But it must be observed here, that the authenticity of that MS. is doubtful. By our best Antiquaries it has been pronounced a Romance; but O'Halloran's honest zeal "to render that justice to our ancestors which had been long denied them." (Dedication), induced him to treat it as a genuine document, in order to give "our ancestors" the credit of the brilliant achievements which it relates. And that, he conceived, was doing the justice to which he had alluded. Others have given the story as authentic history, but it is not to be found in any of our accredited Annals.

Four Masters, A. D. 1156.

! Id. A. D. 1170.

to the countrymen till they came to Roscommon. Morrogh O'Rory [O'Conor] came towards them, and guided them through Conaght. His father, Roderick the king, was then on his regal progress through Iar-Connaght, when he got intelligence of the English. The English, in their marching, burned the Maghary, i. e. the plain of Connaght, and Oilfin, and Forta-noggy (Fearta Geige), and Imleagh-Ferdoragh, and Imleagh-Brocadha, and Down-Imdhan (Dunamon). And the English came from Athmogha, [Ballime] and through Fidmonagh, and Sligy More (viz. the great road of) Ligy-gnathaile, and over Athfiny, by Down-more, and to Tuam directly; and made no prey throughout the province, for the Connactians secured their's in their holds and places of security; and Tuam was emptied, and the English burned Killbeneoin (Kilbannon), and Kill-Meadhuin (Kilmaine), and Lackagh, and Killcathgaly (Killcahill), and Ross-Cannin (Roscam), and the castle of the fort of the Galway. And the English were three nights in Tuam (da Gualan), without either meat or booty, and they being informed that the Connactians and Momonians were gathered together against them, which the English believed as truth, for Rory, King of Ireland, suffered not his men to meet them, expecting their meeting in a set battle, the English stole away as far as Toghar-mona-Connedha, when the Connaught footmen gave an onset on the said Toghar, when the English had been [would have been] defeated, were it not for O'Conor's son (Morrogh O'Rory) that encouraged them. And that night they came to Uaran, and they stole away the next day to Athling, where a small party of the Connactians overtook them, which dealt hardly with them in the ford, and their losses were unknown (i. e. considerable) afore they left Conaght. Murrogh, Rory's son, was blinded by Sil-Muredhy and by Rory himself, for his wicked deeds. Connor Moenmoy, Rory O'Conor's son, [was] forcibly brought out of the island of Lough Cuanby Maelculard O'Flathberty, and by CaO'Flathberty, and by Gilly-berry O'Flathberty, and by the rest of his favourites (friends), he being in restraint for the space of a whole year for his own injuries (misdeeds). Hugh O'Flaherty, King of Iar-Connaught, died in Enachduin. The river of Galway was dried from Oilean na Clodagh to the sea, from sun-rising to twelve o'clock the second day, in which abyss a huge multitude of fish was found"."

For these places, see ante, p. 369.

a Extracts from a translation of Annals of Leinster made in the year 1665, by Dudly Firbisie, for Sir James Ware. Mac Firbis's autograph is preserved in the Library of the British Museum. Cod. Claren. tom. 68, and there are transcripts of it in the Library of Trinity College, Dublin, and of the library IRISH ARCH. SOC. 15.

3 C

After

of the Royal Dublin Society. See also the Annals of the Four Masters, and of Inisfallen (Conry), A. D. 1177: the latter agrees verbatim with the Annals of Leinster. In the former, the phenomenon of the Gaillimh is somewhat differently related. They state that the river was dried up for three days, and that military weapons, and other "curi