896
AN GAODHAL.
ter book, they must have been those used by Tigh¬
ernach, or they may possibly have been taken from
an earlier work which was common both to Tigh¬
ernach and to the compiler of this tract. It is, in
fact, the synchronism of Flann, now imperfect,
which we find at the commencement of Tigher¬
nach, but inserted there after having been first
subjected to the critical examination and careful
balancing of authorities which generally distin¬
guish that learned annalist.
There is yet another important chronological
composition in existence, to which I must here al¬
lude, I mean the Poem of Gilla Caemhain, who
died A. D. 1072.
The writer begins by stating that he will give
the annals of all time, from the beginning of the
world to his own period. He computes the sever¬
al periods from the Creation to the Deluge, from
the Deluge to Abraham, from Abraham to David,
and from David to the Babylonian Captivity, etc.
From the Creation to the incarnation be counts
3952 years. (This is obviously the common He¬
brew Computation.) He then goes on to synch¬
ronize the Eastesn sovereigns with each other, and
afterwards with the Firbolgs and Tuatha De Da¬
nann of Erinn, and subsequently with the Mile¬
sians.
He carries down the computation through sever¬
al Eastern and Irish dynasties, giving the death of
all the monarchs, and of several of the provincial
kings of Erinn, as well as of many remarkable per¬
sons, such as the death of Finn Mac Cumhaill, of
St. Patrick, and of St. Brigid. He also notices the
great mortality of the seventh century, the drown¬
ing of the Danish tyrant Turgesius, by King Mael¬
sechlainn (or Malachy), etc., continuing still he
gives the intervening years, down to the death of
Brian Boroimhe, in 1014, and so on to the "Sax¬
on" battle in which the king of the Danes was kil¬
led, five years before the date of the composition
of his poem.
The names of many oth erearly writers on Irish
history, and even, in some instances, fragments of
their works, have come down to us, but the two
of whose compositions I have given the foregoing
brief sketch, are in many respects the most re¬
markable.
(To be continued.)
A LITERARY CURIOSITY.
THE CURSE OF O'KELLY.
The "curse of O'Kelly" is often alluded to, yet
very many, we think, have not read it. Cormak
O'Kelly, the celebrated Irish harper, went to Don¬
eraile, in the county of Cork, where his watch was
piltered from his fob. This so aroused his ire that
he celebrated the people in the following "string
of curses."
Alas ! how dismal is my tale ;
I lost my watch in Doneraile —
My Dublin watch, my chain and seal
Pilfered at once in Doneraile.
May fire and brimstone never fail
To fall in shower on Doneraile,
As lightnings flash across the vale
So down to hell with Doneraile.
The fate of Pompeii at Pharsale
Be that the curse of Doneraile —
May beef or mutton, lamb or veal
Be never found in Doneraile.
But garlic soup and skurvy kale,
Be still the food of Doneraile —
And forward as the creeping sail
Industry be at Doneraile
May heaven a chosen curse entail
On ragged, rotten Doneraile
May sun and moon forever fail
To beam their light on Doneraile —
May every pestilential gale
Blast that cursed spot called Doneraile.
May no sweet cuckoo, thrush or quail
Be ever heard in Doneraile —
May patriots, kings and commonweal
Despise and harass Doneraile,
May every Post, Gazette and Mail
Sad tidings bring to Donerail —
May vengeance fall on head and tail,
From north to south, of Doneraile.
May profit small and tardy sale
Still damp the sale of Doneraile,
May fame resound a dismal tale
Whene'er she lights on Doneraile —
May Egypts plagues at once prevail
To thin the knaves at Doneraile,
May frost and snow and sleet and hail
Benumb each joint in Doneraile,
May wolves and blood-hounds race and trail
The cursed crew of Doneraile.
May Oscar with his fiery flail
To atoms thrash all Doneraile —
May every mischief fresh and stale
May all from Belfast to Kinsale,
Scoff, curse and dam you, Doneraile,
May neither flour nor oatmeal
Be found or known in Donraile,
May want and woe each joy curtail
That e'er was known in Doneraile.
May no one coffin want a nail
That wraps a rogue in Doneraile —
May all the thieves who rob and steal,
The gallows meet in Doneraile.
May all the sons of Granuweal
Blush at the thieves at Doneraile,
May mischief big as a Norway whale
O'erwhelm the knaves of Doneraile —
May curses whole and by retail
Pour with full force on Doneraile,
May every transport wont to sail
A convict bring from Doneraile.
May every churn and milking pail
Fall dry to staves in Donerail.
May cold and hunger still congeal
The stagnant blood of Doneraile —
May every hour new woe reveal
That hell reserves for Doneraile,
May every chosen ill prevail
O'er all the imps at Doneraile.
May th' Inquisition straight impale
The rapparees of Doneraile.
May curses of Sodom now prevail
And sink to ashes Doneraile —
May Charon's boat triumph sail
Completely manned from Doneraile,
Oh ! may my couplet never fail
To find new curse for Doneraile;
And my Plato's inner jail
Forever groan with Doneraile!
(To be continued.)
Robert Stewart, the notorious Lord Castlereagh,
was born at Mount Stewart Co. Down. His des¬
cendant is the present Marquis of Londonderry:
